| Interview
with Justin Moorhouse |
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16th
May 2006 |
| You
may have seen him as Young Kenny of tiger striped fame in Channel
4's Phoenix Nights and Max & Paddy. You may have heard his
gravel-voiced banter on his award-winning radio show on Manchester's
Key 103 fm. Maybe you saw him on the BBC's Live Floor Show, on
Paramount's The World Stands-Up or presenting Granada's Talk of
the Town.
After a break from the live circuit, Justin is taking to the road
again to indulge in his first love - live stand-up - in this,
his hotly-anticipated second solo tour. Tickets for the first
tour sold out in record time - don't miss the opportunity to see
local boy done good, Justin in his second solo stand-up show as
it comes to a venue near you.
Today we were delighted to interview Justin before he did one
of his radio shows at Key 103. Pride of Manchester's Rob asked
the questions.
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Pride
Of Manchester: Great show at the Dancehouse on Saturday
night! How do you think your tour is going so far? |
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| Justin
Moorhouse: "It's going alright! Every show
will be different 'cause of the way I do them. I might even come
on in a dressing gown. I'll do different things each night, so the
public can come back and see another show then. I wanna put a show
on rather than do an hour of stand-up." |
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| You have an
unusual style, more like a compere than stand up, do you prefer
it that way? |
| "I do enjoy it
that way. I don't want to be big headed about it, but I would like
to be the kind of comedian that Billy Connolly is, rather than the
kind of comedian that Jack Dee is. I feel comfortable now going
on stage. I have a list of things I want to talk about and whatever
comes up on the night will work. I try to make it loose and more
organic. I have found that the best nights are when I don't have
to think about getting it out. I get so bored with the material
and jokes I have got. Sick of saying things like, "I love Gregs
me!". I dont enjoy it as much. I just wanna enjoy it, as the
more fun I have on stage, the more fun I can give back to the audience." |
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| You've called
it the 'Difficult Second' Tour so are you expecting a rough ride
with this one? |
| "No, it was just
an idea. Like a band releasing their 'second difficult album'." |
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So it's
a 20 night tour? Next up is Bradford on Friday? |
| "Yeah it's 20 now
and then I am doing 20 nights more in October and November. I didn't
do Bradford last time on tour, I did Leeds instead, but I have done
Bradford loads of times before." |
| Do you have
to adjust or tone down your act depending on where you are playing
or the situation? |
| "No I don't think,
not much, as I don't think I say anything too offensive. I certainly
don't have a Muslim set or Hindu set. There's no cartoons in this
show." |
| You are
doing Liverpool last, any reason for this? Expecting much banter
from the Scouse audience? |
| "It's to fit in
with the Summer festival. You get a bit of banter but I tend to
tone it down a bit when I go there. It's good doing comedy in Liverpool.
They are always well up for it. I always like going there. It makes
you realise that Liverpool and Manchester are exactly the same -
two shit cities at either end of the motorway. I wouldn't bother
going there if I had a problem with it. A lot of it is just due
to the football." |
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"Yeah, I am a season ticket holder. Me and my boy go. Sat
in the North Stand last year but next season we have executive
tickets. There's a reason for doing it though, I can charge them
to the company and get the VAT back!" |
| So
how did you feel having to wear a city top in Phoenix Nights? |
| "It
was actually my choice. They asked me if I wanted to wear a United
top, I said, No f***ing way, I am not playing an idiot living in
the middle of Bolton wearing a United shirt!" |
| So
what do you think of Glazer and FC United? |
| "I started supporting
FC United and I made a donation at the beginning, and I did the
first game for them, but, I don't know really, I am a United fan
so it's difficult. I cannot not support Manchester United, that's
my team!" |
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You're
doing Panto at the Opera House at the end of the year, looking
forward to it? |
| "Yeah, it's my
third one - I did a little one at the Lowry at Easter and I've done
the Hippodrome. I am playing a character called Muddles in Snow
White, I am not a dwarf. It's like all pantomimes have a comedy
character like Buttons, and in this one it's Muddles. Kids find
the same things funny like adults do. I love doing different things
and panto is one of them." |
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| We saw you at
the Opera House last year at the charity night you put on. It was
superb, would you say it was one of the biggest highlights of your
career so far? |
| "Yeah, it was a
funny one really as it didn't feel like a gig, it felt more like
I was doing something, it was a good show. Mick Miller was brilliant.
Somebody asked me whether he was supporting me for my show but for
a) he wouldn't and b) I wouldn't want to follow him. It was a bit
tight on Alfie Joey who had to follow him. Alfie is a great lad,
he's supporting me on all of my tour." |
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"I do but it spoils comedy for me really. I like impro. I
like people like Ross Noble, comedy where you don't know what's
coming next. Ross is doing the Opera House for five or
six nights this year! I know, it's mad isn't it? ,That's
what I'll be doing from now on, my own shows, rather than clubs
because I am busy enough on the radio and busy enough doing things
I wanna do. I would like to do like 20 dates at the beginning
of the year and 20 dates at the end of the year, and do that every
year. You can build up a reputation doing that. I have done no
PR or publicity in Leeds but last time I did a good show there
which was probably the highlight of the tour and already this
year, Leeds has sold loads of tickets because of the last performance."
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"Overall, sort of better than I expected. Preston on Thursday,
we only sold about 50 tickets, so I was sh**ting myself as it
was a big room, but on the night itself, it sold out. It sounds
stupid, but it's not about making money, it's about getting yourself
out there and the more you do, the more people come back, then
you can make money eventually." |
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You probably
became most famous after doing Phoenix nights. How did you get
the role in the first place? |
| "Auditioned. I
had met Peter (Kay) beforehand, but I didn't know him. I had sort
of met him on the circuit a few times so I asked him whether I could
audition so I went down and everything went alright. I didn't know
at the time but that was like a catalyst for everything that has
come since. It was really early in my career after only a year in
stand-up that I got the part. I thought I will take six weeks off
to do it and then really hammer the clubs, then whilst we were filming
it, I won the City Life Comedian of the Year, and then on that night,
the Comedy Store approached me and said they would like to manage
me, and that was six years now, so it's definitely been worth it." |
| So the tiger
make-up? Did it take longer to put the make-up on before shooting,
or longer to get it off afterwards? |
| "It took longer
to put it on. The first day we did it, it took about half-an-hour
but I didn't realise that for every day for the next six weeks,
about 42 times, they had to use a photograph of the first time it
had been put on so that they could match it every time, so it took
about an hour every day, and then it took about 30 seconds to wash
off. The bit where I am washing my face in the episode where it
won't come off, that was the worse day. It was latex. I had to put
latex on first, then put the make up on, then latex it all, about
five or six layers, so I had to keep doing that, "IT WONT COME
OFF, IT WON'T COME OFF!", and I was getting really annoyed,
so in the end I spat the water over the mirror as I knew they wouldn't
get me to do another take. Originally the make-up was going to be
a panda I think, but then there were more jokes with the tiger.
I knew it would work as it had never been done before. It was quite
surreal." |
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| Any more plans
for TV? |
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| "I have done a
bit but I don't think I will do anymore as it's like a day's work
or two day's work. It's fine but I have a full time job on the radio
and I've signed up for three years now." |
| What do you
enjoy watching on the telly? |
| "I really like
'League of Gentlemen', 'Early Doors', I love 'The Office' and I
loved 'Extras' even more. I thought the idea was fantastic, really
good. The older comedies - I'm well into 'Rising Damp' that was
my favourite, I'm into 'Auf Wiedersehen Pet', 'The Good Life', Ronnie
Barker stuff, 'Bless This House'. I just like comedy. I would rather
sit down and have a laugh rather than watch a horror film. I like
'Friends', I love 'Malcolm In The Middle', 'Everyone Loves Raymond'
is fantastic, just brilliant. Not enough people watch that. I've
bought all of them. I like Steve Coogan. There's not much I don't
like. I'm not into the newer comedies like 'Green Wing' or 'Green,
Green Grass' or anything with Green in it. I didn't like Greengrass
in Heartbeat." |
| You said earlier
on that Billy Connolly was someone you wanted to be like, was he
one of your biggest inspirations when first starting out? |
| "Yeah, I have always
enjoyed everything that he does. I just think that he's really talented.
I love the tours that he does. I'm quite in to different places,
local history and that sort of thing, I like genuine people. I like
Les Dawson. Coming from a different angle, I like Fred Dibnah as
well. People that can enthuse about something that is important
to them." |
| I think your
comedy is ideal for programmes like 'Q.I.', 'Have I Got News For
You' and 'Never Mind The Buzzcocks', ever been approached to go
any of these shows? |
| "No, can you get
me on one? I want to go on Q.I, Stephen Fry is a legend!" |
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So what does
the future hold for you - any burning ambitions? |
| "I wanna write
a song, not a comedy one. Graeme Park who is on Key 103 has got
the beat. I want a number one hit. I reckon I can do it as he's
got the beat and I've got the lyrics. I start writing for Dave (Spikey)
next week for '8 out of 10 cats' so I am doing that for eight or
nine weeks. After my Stockport and Leeds' dates, I am going away
on holiday for two weeks and then I am going to start writing next
year's tour. I want to write my own thing whether it be radio or
television, like a series. I want to create a world and put people
in it. I would like to write more plays. I would like to write a
play for stage, a comedy drama. I would like to write monologues.
I would like to do more writing and I would like to see how far
it can all go for me." |
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| Any tips for
us on who is going to be the next big thing? |
| "There's a lad
called Dan Nightingale who is really good." |
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| QUICK
FIRE MANC ROUND: |
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| Favourite thing
about Manchester? |
| "One favourite
thing about Manchester? St Ann's Square." |
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| Favourite Manchester
Band? |
| "It's hard picking
one. Ok, you can pick a few then. No, no, I like
the challenge.....New Order." |
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| Favourite Bar/Pub
in Manchester? |
| "Can I have two
for this? In the Summer, 'The White Lion' sat outside, and in the
Winter, next door, 'The Ox'." |
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| Favourite Restaurant
in Manchester? |
| "There's too many.
You could go for a curry house but that's easy isn't it? or you
could go for a chinese but that's easy. If I had to go somewhere,
like right now, it would be Picolinos." |
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| Favourite United
game you've been to? The obvious one (European Cup final in '99)? |
"No, I didn't
go, I was in Glossop that night. I would pick the game around
1985, you'll have to check the facts for me, but we beat Liverpool
1-0 with a late goal in front of the Stretford End. It was my
little brother's first game and he was about 9, and when we scored,
we lost him. He went from the top of the barriers right down.
It was just his face afterwards. With it being his first game,
I just knew how he felt when he walked up the steps for the first
time and saw the green grass and saw the size of the stadium.
That for me, taking my little brother, was my favourite game."
For the record it was the 1983/84 season, United 1 Liverpool
0 (Frank Stapleton scored a late goal) |
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| Favourite current
United player? |
| "Wes Brown. He's
a Manchester lad and he's a fan. I also like Heinze because he's
solid. I like Alan Smith too because of the effort he puts in, and
I like Louis Saha. I like a load of them." |
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| Favourite all
time United player? |
| "It has to be Eric."
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| Favourite Theatre
in Manchester? |
| "The Opera House.
It's a great building, the history, great location, just a proper
theatre." |
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| Favourite Building
in Manchester? |
| "St James' building
on Oxford Street. Just because it was where I first worked when
I was 16." So what do you think of the new Beetham
Tower then? I don't like it to be honest, it looks like
it is going to fall over at the back, no it's not nice is it? |
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| Favourite Northern
TV Comedy? |
| "League of Gentlemen." |
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| Cold Feet or
Queer As Folk? |
| "I never saw neither.
Sunday night dramas, I just can't stand 'em." |
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| Chinatown or
Rusholme ? |
| "Rusholme. I use
to live near there at Victoria Park." |
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| ....and finally,
what do you think of your rival radio station, XFM? |
| "No comment...I
was going to go on it, I got offered the breakfast show but I decided
not to do it. No, I think it is good. It's all good for us. Competition
is good. Hopefully they will take some listeners off Radio 1 which
is what they are suppose to do." |
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| Thanks
Justin for taking the time out from your busy schedule to talk to
Pride Of Manchester. |
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This
interview is © 2006 Pride Of Manchester & Justin Moorhouse |
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