Last week I had what could be considered the pleasure of meeting up with Bob Slayer at a comedy club over in Fulham, West London for a nice chat. I would have been naive to think that I would get away with a quiet interview, some laughs and a trip home on the last train. Because what I got was quite drunk, a sore head and a night bus which got me home at 4am. That’s not to say I didn’t have a great night, one which came to a close in a flat of which the owners name I cannot recall, sitting around a table drinking warm cider with a fellow comedian singing along to the dulcet tones of Rufus Wainwright being played above the noise level of which anyone should hear at that hour. Around anecdotes from touring with Bloodhound Gang and Snoop Dog, and telling stories which would probably get Bob in a lot of trouble we did manage to record some very interesting discussions which I have had to pluck from within a lengthy and at times confusing transcription. Hopefully you gain a better insight into what this man is all about, but if you want to hear the good stuff, buy him a pint.
Finding Pull The Other One…
Dr Brown said in his interview that he found PTOO looking on the internet, I actually knew him at that point and he had told me when he found the night back in 2008 so we went together. So I’m walking into the Ivy House and get chatting to an old fella at the bar, who bought me a drink, and we are chatting away – it was very easy and comfortable. Then I’m sat there with Burgers (Dr Brown) when – who I now know as Vivienne – comes out and introduces that same old fella I had been chatting to at the bar. He then walks on stage with nothing on but a pair of Leopard print Speedos with a bullock hanging out and I’m pissing myself. But at the same time I’m turning to Burgers saying who is he? I think it’s Martin Soan! At this point we had both read Malcolm Hardees book so Burgers has gone; “I think you’re right you know.” It was just great!
Your first performance…
The first time I went down and performed was not long after this. So I’ve gone down there with an idea in my head, but when I turn up Martin tells me, “by the way, I think you should start by coming out of a tent”. And that’s something that can throw you because I had an idea of my set, but then had to think about coming out of this tent. So he got this pop-up tent which he threw on stage which had a hole in the back, so as he was on stage with the tent, while nobody knew – I crawled into the back. We both thought that obviously people would notice I was getting into the tent, but the front row was genuinely shocked and it was just really fantastic. I went back and back and kept asking – “can I get out of the tent again?” But it was until about the third time when Martin looked at me and said, “Do you really want to come out of the tent?” And I knew what he was saying, I had kind of missed the point of this having something I was just going to repeat over and over again so I thought ok, I need to get away from the comfort and go back to the spirit of the first time I performed when I didn’t think about my act, it was just spontaneous.
Getting into comedy…
Well 10 years before I started properly in 2008 there was a comedy night in a local pub in West London who thought it would be a good idea for me to perform, so I did. I’d say I did OK – in the same way a band could do OK getting up on stage and playing in front of friends. But then the headline act went on – who I knew was getting paid £20 – so I thought who’s he? I’ve done well but now what is he going to do? I would have been in my late twenties or early 30s at this point and he came on and stuttered – he had a lisp and bottle glasses – so I heckled him. But he ripped the shit out of me and was amazing, and I never went back to do it again, it actually turned out to be comedian Daniel Kitson. I didn’t know at the time and actually had a conversation with him years after and told him he put me off comedy for 10 years.
First performance 10 years after that…
When I came into comedy in 2008, I came from music, rock n’roll and touring. My first gig was touring with the Bloodhound Gang. When the smoking ban came in they were told that whatever happened they couldn’t smoke on stage, so half way through the gig they just went for a cigarette break and told the crowd that their tour manager would entertain them. And the last thing they said as they walked off was “feel free to throw stuff at him!” My first gig lasted however long it took to smoke a cigarette, with 1500 people throwing stuff, and then when their stuff was gone – pissing in bottles and throwing that as well. But when they did it again at the next gig I thought by the third night I had to do something, so the third night – I can’t remember exactly what it was but I told stories about the Bloodhound Gang – before they loved coming back on stage to see stuff being thrown at me but when they came back that time they were shocked to see that I was going down well.
Supporting Steve-O this month…
I got that through connections with Sonisphere Music Festival. I actually went there to get Jason Rouse the gig and then we got chatting and I got the gig as well and thought fuck! It was a 5000 capacity tent so I was shitting myself a little bit. It could have gone either way, I sort of just got naked but it went ever so well. So now they’ve gone, “We need someone for Steve-O”. Which is tough, it’s not going to be an easy gig. But I went out early in Sonisphere which is also a tough gig, because the fans have all gone out on the first day to just get pissed, and then they just stick a few people on stage. I went out and just thought – I’m going to take the crowd on – which is madness, but I got away with it. But I’m anxious for the Steve-O gig. It could go either way, which is fun; it’s just nice that I was thought of. And you’ve just got to find your space.
I have met Steve-O before at a Bloodhound gig on a tour, along with Bam Margera, I doubt he will remember that but I might bring it up and discuss it with him because it feels a bit full circle coming back, it might just be people throwing piss at me again. There is an element of the support act being thrown to the wolves because he hasn’t carefully selected his favourite comics – because he wouldn’t put them through that horrible thing. The opening act will get all the shit, then the headline act can come on and say oh you lot are bastards, you were a cunt to him and then have a chat. I hope, that like the Bloodhound Gang gigs – nobody is expecting anything of it so if I do get away with it then it’s like, “oh well done”. I may think I can get away with it but that probably means I won’t. As long as I die in an amusing way, that would still be entertainment.
Being asked by Martin to perform the famous Balloon Dance…
The first time I was asked to do the Balloon Dance was at the Up The Creek 20th birthday, Martin rang me up and asked me to do it which was crazy. I was in ore of this. Being asked to do that – coming from a musical background – is like being asked by the remaining Ramones (well their all dead now except for the shit one) but being asked by them to be Joey Ramone! It was me, Dr Brown and Martin. I don’t want to second guess what Martins thoughts were at this point but there was an element of not just wanting to do it with the people who did it before, the idea that it should always feel fresh. When Dr Brown and I went out there we didn’t have a clue what we were doing so there was confusion by us and it was also the great and the good of comedy looking up at the stage and thinking “who are these fuckers?” getting them confused. And that’s the thing, because otherwise it’s the same as it always was, recreating a moment that is always gone and would never be as good. But Martin is brilliant for that, for always looking forward, I don’t think his act has ever been the same through the 70s, 80s, 90s or 00s, he’s been around for so long but he’s a child, he’s the most beautiful child. His nights are just fun to be around, and it’s growing and doing more venues.
With the rich history of 80s experimental comedy behind them, the PTOO team aims to generate a real sense of congeniality and affection for the art of comedy and variety, whilst creating a nurturing environment for both artist and audience. To book your ticket in advance click here.