#399 with Jake Patrick - Have A Word w/Adam, Dan & Carl

Have A Word with Adam Rowe & Dan Nightingale

The episode features Adam Rowe, Dan Nightingale, and Carl Riegler discussing recent comedic milestones and travel adventures. They recount t

Key takeaways

• Carl Riegler discussed the intense physical toll of adrenaline during his first stand-up gig, noting he turned 'white' on stage.
• Adam Rowe recounted a trip to upstate New York for a wedding held at the Brantley summer camp.

Main topics

• Carl's first stand-up gig
• New York travel stories

Notable quotes

I felt alive last night.

Conclusion

A high-energy episode that provides behind-the-scenes glimpses into th

Transcript preview

Speaker 2 (0:00) Hello everyone, before we get going with this amazing episode of the Have A Word podcast, need to tell you about our Patreon. If you've been watching and listening to Have A Word for ages, you've heard loads of this, but if you're new, you need to know that we've got one of the best Patreons in the world, one of the biggest Patreons in the world. We put out a ton of extra content. What do they get, Carl? They get a Patreon special every month, which is like a TV Speaker 4 (0:25) -level broadcast. just given to you every single month. And that ranges from us getting drunk in this studio to climbing the highest mountain in Africa and everything in between. Loads of them. The back catalogue, there's now like 50 odd specials. Do Speaker 2 (0:38) you Speaker 4 (0:38) know what? There's 69. I don't know that because it's a sex number. It Speaker 2 (0:42) is. And we did a special 69. No, we didn't. But we've got a lock-in for September. So Sandro came in, absolutely brutal lock-in. That is this month's Patreon. Next month's Patreon is a long-awaited one. October is Carl's Speaker 4 (1:00) first ever stand-up. My first ever stand-up gig. You can only see that on Patreon. It'll never go public. £3 a month. You can see every minute of everything we've ever made for as little as £3 when you sign up. And then you're like, I don't know, Speaker 2 (1:12) specials don't seem enough. What about an extra episode every week? A Patreon exclusive every week. This is as good as it's ever going to get on Patreon. Sign up. Patreon.com. slash have a word pod. Speaker 4 (1:24) And if you're watching this because you've found us through D &D, which is massive, and you're thinking, I love D &D. I love this podcast that I've started listening to. If you want next month's D &D episode, it will be available on Patreon before it goes public. There's another reason to sign up. We are D &D people. Speaker 2 (1:40) We are. I can't believe I'm saying it, but we really are. Just Speaker 4 (1:43) get on it. It's genuinely worth every Speaker 2 (1:45) penny, I promise. Patreon.com slash have a word pod. Enjoy the episode because it's going to be a belter. Nice. Speaker 2 (2:08) Go, Speaker 6 (2:12) Ed. Get on me. Speaker 2 (2:14) Welcome to this episode of the Have A Word podcast with me, comedian Dan Nightingale, comedian Adam Rowe and comedian Carl Riegler. Hey! Speaker 6 (2:23) With Finn, Speaker 2 (2:23) Rob, Stu, Josh, all the boys. Speaker 4 (2:30) There's Speaker 6 (2:30) three stand-up comics in the room now. Can I claim them? What? Can I claim? If you've done Speaker 4 (2:35) it. You've done it? Yeah, I've done it. If you've done a Speaker 6 (2:37) murder, you're a murderer. Speaker 4 (2:39) Yeah. That's the analogy. I'm Elton John as well then, yeah. Speaker 6 (2:44) Why? Speaker 4 (2:44) Because I've done Elton, I've sang Elton John. You have to correct yourself from saying done Elton Speaker 6 (2:49) John. Speaker 4 (2:49) No, Speaker 6 (2:50) but you're not Richard Pryor. You are a comedian. You're also a singer, yes? Okay, so because I haven't Speaker 4 (2:57) retired yet, I'm technically an active comic. Speaker 6 (3:00) You're a comedian, singer, podcaster. Speaker 4 (3:02) Fucking hell, mate. Yeah, do a bit of everything you Speaker 6 (3:04) love. Speaker 4 (3:05) Any Speaker 6 (3:05) feathers Speaker 4 (3:05) to my hat? Bow. Speaker 2 (3:07) Thank you, oldest man in history. Speaker 6 (3:10) I'm delirious, I think. I feel weird. Eddie Speaker 2 (3:14) Murphy? Speaker 4 (3:14) Huh? You're Eddie Murphy. I'm Richard Pryor, he's Eddie Murphy. You're Stu and he's Rob. I Speaker 6 (3:19) just haven't readjusted to the UK's... It takes me fucking ages to get over a jet lag. Yeah. I think it's a couple of days. It's like two weeks. Like going west. Fine. Journey west. Fine. I get over to America. It's all good. Land at five o'clock. Stay out till midnight. Have a couple of boozes. Have an eight hour kip. You're up. You're on American time. And it's Speaker 2 (3:38) exciting because you're on holiday in America. So it's all excitement. I mean, Speaker 6 (3:42) yeah, maybe, but it's also, when I went to Australia, it was fucking horrendous when I went to Australia and I didn't adjust at all while I was there, but then when I came back, I was fine. Like coming west, I'm all right. But Speaker 4 (3:54) I woke up Speaker 6 (3:55) in a funny little mood. A bit jet lag delirious. I don't know. It takes me ages. Speaker 4 (4:02) I remember India being horrendous. Mexico was mad. My body just, I get to like eight o'clock, I'm like, it's bedtime. and I can't fight her. It's weird. How did you sleep last night? I Speaker 6 (4:13) just Speaker 4 (4:13) go in bed though, innit? I got in bed and I was like, oh God, I'm exhausted. Because I wake up at half five with Seneca when she goes to work. By Speaker 6 (4:20) the way, Carl's gig was last night. Just for that quote. I wasn't just, how Speaker 2 (4:25) did you Speaker 6 (4:25) sleep Speaker 2 (4:25) last night? And it will be going on Patreon. Just to clear that up, we didn't do Carl's first ever stand-up gig and just have 350 people there and keep it a secret. It's going on Patreon. Speaker 4 (4:37) But I woke up at half five, like I do every day, and then usually she goes to work and I go back to sleep and then I go to work. My body was like, no. So I was awake from half five and I was lagging, like I had to have a Red Bull. And I got in bed last night like, oh God. Don't I? I'm tired, I'm going to have a great sleep. And I was like, I'm going to put the Everton highlights on. And then I watched another Everton video and I watched loads of Toffee TV and watched all of it, like all the footy stuff. And I was like, fuck it, I looked at my thing, it was like quarter to two. Speaker 2 (5:04) Yeah, because you are tired, but you're wired. It's like my legs are still... Weird combo. When Speaker 4 (5:08) you used to come home from a night out and your legs are still dancing. Sorry? What? You Speaker 2 (5:12) know what I mean? Speaker 4 (5:13) You've Speaker 2 (5:13) got dancing legs. You come home back from a night out but you're like... I've heard of restless legs but I've never had full on... Not Speaker 4 (5:21) like you'd be in bed and you'd still be like... Remember the new Speaker 6 (5:23) syndrome? Dancing leg syndrome. Speaker 4 (5:25) Do you never get that? Carl, I'm trying to sleep. What, Speaker 2 (5:27) are you Speaker 4 (5:27) in the Charleston in bed? No, like your legs are still like buzzing and... Restless legs. Yeah, and you're still a bit like fucking... Speaker 2 (5:33) Oh, it's officially a thing. And your Speaker 4 (5:35) hearing's still a bit dulled because you've had loud music on. You're not ready for bed. You're still licking. You're basically outside but lying down now. Speaker 2 (5:45) That honestly sounds like you'd been doing ecstasy. I mean, the Speaker 4 (5:49) adrenaline I felt on stage. It went, yeah, you've had loads of stripes. I was like, probably, yeah. Speaker 6 (5:54) Yeah, the adrenaline nearly... I was worried. Three minutes, I thought. Because you also, you won't know this. And by the end of it, this had reversed. I was still pretty close to the stage. You went white. Yeah. You were white. Speaker 2 (6:11) Oh, I couldn't see that. I've Speaker 6 (6:12) done that Speaker 2 (6:12) before. Speaker 6 (6:12) And Steve was still right next to me. You were so pale and had to take a couple of deep breaths and then just absolutely smashed it. Speaker 4 (6:20) It's the thing where I was like, I know it's going to be fine. I know I've written good stuff. I know all these people love me. I know it's a... This is set up for me to succeed. Yeah. Like it couldn't be better for the first gig. It could have gone wrong. I don't see how I couldn't see. I thought you were going to pass out. Speaker 6 (6:37) But you looked like at one point, because the first deep breath you took, you went. The second one, as you inhaled, you closed your eyes and I thought that was lights out. He honestly was like, oh, he's in the death. Was he Speaker 5 (6:50) Amsterdam pale? Huh? Like when he went west in Amsterdam? Was he that fucking translucent? Speaker 6 (6:55) Like exactly the same. Right. Speaker 4 (6:57) Because you can't tell your physical fucking, you can't tell your body you're okay, even though you are. Your body's like, you need loads of adrenaline here because something's mad. Something's weird. Yeah. And I was like, I don't need it. I'm okay. And then I kind of like. I'm fisted the first couple of jokes. I was like, whatever, that's the way it is. At least it's real. At least you can see me doing my first gig. And I'm like, I'm too cool. I was like, at least I'm being real. And then about five minutes in, I was like, oh, I'm really comfortable here. I'm really enjoying this. These are so, the energy I got back helped. Speaker 2 (7:27) Yeah. Also really brave of you. Cause I know initially there was a plan to do a sort of gimmicky, like I'm Speaker 6 (7:32) going Speaker 2 (7:32) to do every style. Yeah, I'm glad I never Speaker 4 (7:34) did that. Speaker 2 (7:34) I hated Speaker 6 (7:35) that idea. But you actually Speaker 2 (7:37) did some stand-up. You did some, you wrote some bits. I, we were at the back. So me, Harry, so Alex, Adam's girlfriend, Alex and Trudy, Tom Stay's wife, were in the same position next to the bar at the back. And then me, your Jack, Harry and Finn were just doing these weird like figure eights around them because I couldn't stay still. I was so like, you know, the restless legs thing throughout the entire day. So I did my opening bit. It was a normal comedy show. And usually there's a bit of tension before a gig, especially if it's being filmed, especially if it's a big one. It was an important one. As soon as you get off, that goes. And it just didn't go. Yeah, because they're waiting on it. I feel, why did I feel like that? And I was like, oh, this is just for you. I just felt a tension for you. And it stayed. And when you came on, you did like a set up bit that didn't. Yeah, I'm so Speaker 4 (8:32) sad I didn't get to do that again. It Speaker 2 (8:33) didn't Speaker 4 (8:33) quite Speaker 2 (8:34) get across, and I was like... I was, like, doing lunges. And you say five minutes. Here's how it looked. Looked like you took a couple of breaths that you needed in the right place, and everyone understands why. You literally went... There was almost this, like, oh, this is real. Which everyone understood. I think the first proper bit... I think it landed. And then there was some cracking Speaker 4 (9:02) lines. But Speaker 2 (9:02) I Speaker 4 (9:02) missed loads of bits in it because I was rushing and I fell out of my head and I was like, oh, I've missed some punches there. So then when I was like, oh, I wish I could go back and fucking polish that up and make it better. But then after like, Adam said I did 20. I could have done 50 or 10. I don't know. Oh, I didn't have a timer. I knew it was more Speaker 2 (9:19) than Speaker 4 (9:19) 15. It Speaker 2 (9:20) was Speaker 4 (9:20) weird. Obviously, you know more than me. But after like five, 10 minutes. all the adrenaline basically just like softened and I was like ah I've been on stage before been in front of these people before I'm very confident in what I've written and know it's funny and know it makes me laugh so I make them laugh you're Speaker 2 (9:36) well beyond what someone doing stand up for the first time I put loads Speaker 4 (9:39) of effort in I've written I've put so much effort into the writing I've deleted loads of stuff and I wrote loads of stuff the night before and it Speaker 2 (9:46) looked like it it looked like you Speaker 4 (9:48) someone who'd properly prepared yeah and Danny Mac was great he helped me you know, his writing. Like, I feel like his voice is quite similar to mine. Like the, so he helped me with loads of bits. That was amazing. I Speaker 2 (9:58) saw the bit where you got a laugh that you didn't quite, you didn't Speaker 4 (10:01) realise. Speaker 2 (10:01) Yeah, I went to speak Speaker 4 (10:02) over it and I went, don't do that. Speaker 2 (10:03) It's a fucking amazing thing with you. When you write new material, you're like, oh, that's the funny bit. And I write that, but that's kind of funny. And then they think the first bit that you thought was okay, it was just part of the build up, was a smasher. And it's such, it's mental because it sounds stupid, but. getting a big laugh where you're not completely expecting a big laugh can sort of make you, it can knock you off your rhythm a bit. Danny said to me before, Speaker 4 (10:27) Andy went, was it Danny? Might have been Hattie. Can't remember what it was. No, when they're laughing, let them laugh. Speaker 6 (10:34) Yeah. Speaker 4 (10:34) Because obviously you want to get through your stuff. I've got a bigger joke now coming. And then I was like, oh, I went to talk. I was like, oh, shit, they're laughing. You were Speaker 2 (10:41) calling it. Speaker 4 (10:43) Yeah. Speaker 2 (10:43) It was so good. I was Speaker 4 (10:45) trying to just be authentically me. I wasn't. trying to be too cool for school by going, this is easy. I was like, I want to show, I need to look at my notes because I'm not confident. And I think that helped me because they were like, Speaker 2 (10:55) oh yeah, go for it. Yeah, but the other option there is, because what I did, and I think it's a solid bit of advice if you've never been on stage, is to make sure you know your stuff, like really know it so that you don't miss out anything. But what that does is make it more rigid. Like if you're a bit more confident on stage, you have been on stage before. I mean, I know this isn't on stage. It kind of is. And you've done about 5,000 hours of this podcast or whatever. I think you did a brilliant job of like being yourself and there was a looseness to it that was really cool to watch as well. Like you were getting the laughs, but you didn't feel super rigid. Speaker 4 (11:35) No, I say that took a little bit because at the start I panicked a little bit. I was like... I hope this goes away because I'm really confident in what I've written. I hope my, you know, whatever doesn't ruin it. And it didn't. But it was a weird set up. I couldn't see anyone. Like it was lit mad. I know Speaker 2 (11:52) spotlights are mad anyway. No, they were. I didn't say it, but when we did the, you did your sound check and then I turned up and I was on stage while they were sorting the cameras out. And I thought, this is quite an intense set up with the lighting. And it looked cool on camera and in the room, it looked cool. But the way they had that strip of up lighting. And the position of the main spotlights, kind of an intense one. You don't think about it, but where the lights are is important to how it feels for you on stage. It looked pretty similar for the crowd, but I didn't say, fuck, this feels a little bit, because I just didn't want to get in your head. Yeah, I know. Speaker 4 (12:27) There was Speaker 6 (12:29) a few things that I just had to not say, because I didn't want to get in your head. Like Julia, who some of the listeners will know is our dog sister, and one of our... Like, really good mates. She was shitting herself for you, but fucking vocally. I know, she said it when she walked in. And I had to say to her, hey, he right now needs to think that we all think he's going to absolutely smash it and we're not worried at all. And she was like, yeah, but you're not. And I was like, whatever you're doing, just go and talk to your sister about it. Like, make sure he doesn't hear it. The lighting, I was like, that is going to be quite intense. Like, it's proper. People were very intimate. And the truth, and this is not the fault of anyone, this just happens sometimes, is that they were relatively, especially for Arlo, they were a tough crowd. Like, when I went on to do the pre-show thing, I was like, oh, they're a bit cold, and I come off, and I made sure I never went to you, I went to Dan, I was like, they're a little bit cold, and I text him when he'd come off, and I was like, you've just worked your fucking ass off there. I Speaker 4 (13:31) saw that, I shit myself. I went... Fucking hell. Speaker 6 (13:34) Yeah. They really needed, like, warming up. He did a great job. Danny did a great job. I thought Hattie was excellent. Yeah, yeah, she brought it in. She started building, Speaker 2 (13:43) didn't she? She really, and Speaker 6 (13:44) I just, when I went on, I was like, I'm just going to try and exuberate as much excitement as I can and hope they catch it a bit. Speaker 4 (13:52) Yeah. And Speaker 6 (13:52) I think they did in the end, and they were amazing for you. But that first bit, I was like, oh, they're, it's Speaker 4 (13:58) a Speaker 6 (13:58) tough crowd. The lighting's intense. there's a lot of haze around. I was like, this is quite an intense first gig, especially in front of people who already know you. And I was like, that's why I sort of left you alone and kept just checking on you, being like, you good? And then I'd go away and ask you a very quick question and be like, off I go. So Speaker 4 (14:17) before Adam went on for the second section, we were all sat in the dressing room and everyone's looking at me like, I need to leave because if I go to stand up and everyone knows I'm gone, good luck. I didn't want that. at all. So I just like, I felt like everyone was, it was quite, I just didn't want the attention. At one point, I was, I didn't realise you were behind me. Speaker 2 (14:39) I was like, God, I feel tense. I feel tense for him. And Harry was like, Speaker 6 (14:42) and I realised I was behind Speaker 3 (14:44) you. Speaker 6 (14:45) And Speaker 2 (14:45) you went, what are you saying? I went, Speaker 6 (14:46) nothing, nothing. So Speaker 4 (14:48) I hid behind the stage, basically to just do a bit of breathing, get me again in the game. And then he came back and he was like, you all right? No, like, not pandering. You go and I was like, yeah, I'm sound. And then, if the curtain was see-through when he was on stage, it would be hilarious because I just fucking... Got your steps in. I just paced up and down. I'm like, he's got five minutes to go. He's got two minutes to go. I'm on in 30 seconds. And then Tom Stade was there and Tom was being lovely because he's there. Well, Speaker 6 (15:15) I did a story you've heard quite a bit before and I imagine there's quite a bit of the people in the room who'd heard that from On The Midlands Roadshow. It's the story of the night you and Seneca first got together. Yeah. Speaker 6 (15:26) So you knew the end of my story. You knew what the end was. So you're going as soon as that. I'm like, okay, there's Speaker 4 (15:32) 10. And I knew and I was like. I was like, oh, fuck, this is so insanely... And I dreaded this. Like, dreaded it. Not dreaded it because I know it's... I'm very lucky to get this opportunity to do this. Not many people get to do stand-up, especially like that. But I dreaded it. Of course. Pressure. Dreaded it. Years of build-up. To the point where I both, three or four months ago, when we were putting the steps in to make this happen, like, we'd have meetings, like, Steve's booking it with Will and you're going to the venue. Did you nearly pull it? I was... I would never have done it because I've got too much pride to do this, but I nearly went, boys, I don't know, I'm feeling additional. And what would have happened there is you'd have made me feel okay and talked me into it, but I nearly went, but I don't know, boys, I don't know how I feel about this. But I went, no, you're not allowed to do that. Fucking suck it up and do it. And that's what made me do it. But like, I was so close to just having a little chat with you. Well, Speaker 6 (16:22) I don't know how different you feel about this today, but one of the first things you said to me when you came off last night is that you want to do it again. I Speaker 4 (16:28) wanted, like... If we ever did an arena again, I think I'd like to do it there. Speaker 2 (16:38) mental situation you're in because if you went do you know what I've got the bug I want to do stand up you would have to go and get open spots at comedy clubs like I could vouch for you for a few places Adam could as well but they're not going to pay you straight off you have to go and do unpaid work at the same time you could go and do a sellout tour you could at the same time probably do a 25 day Speaker 4 (17:02) tour around the country I just loved it if we ever did an event again and for some reason it was five minutes to fill Speaker 4 (17:09) I think we'd be able to find Speaker 2 (17:10) it. Speaker 4 (17:11) I think I'd really like that. Cause I, it's such a fucking dick swing. Yeah. Done an arena. I've only done two gigs. Like, and it's silly. I Speaker 2 (17:18) fucking loved it. Speaker 4 (17:19) I felt alive last night. I'm Speaker 2 (17:21) like, Speaker 4 (17:21) I'm dead proud of myself. I don't, I don't tell myself I'm proud of myself a lot. Cause you know what we do is like, you move on to the next thing. Yeah. But I got in bed last night. I was like, Oh, fuck. I'm well in. I was like, kind of like. Speaker 2 (17:32) Also the crowd, I know they were tough, but they weren't tough in a, like there's tough crowds where you're like, God, you're in a fucking mood. I think there was a tension in the room of like, it's Wednesday, it's seven. They're like, oh God. And I feel this sometimes with our lot. They're like, I just want it to go well. Can you just do it? I try and do crowd work and they're like, please be nice. Don't, they don't want to. It's a room full Speaker 6 (17:51) of autistic introverts and their beds. Speaker 2 (17:55) By the time you walked on, that was such a pop. And they were so good as a crowd. Speaker 4 (18:01) Like the laughs they get, like I understand that that's probably turned up a little bit because of who I am and who they are. But the laughs they gave me, I remember when I did Stars Under Eyes, the first time I did the chorus, when they gave you the back, I was like, oh fuck, they're into this, I can do it. And when they gave me the laughs back, I was like, oh, they're into it, they're just going to let me do it. Like genuinely, you know, it sounds silly when you're the crowd and they're... I'll go, you've been amazing. Like they literally Speaker 2 (18:27) were. Yeah. Speaker 6 (18:28) So Speaker 2 (18:29) fucking good for me. And I got to give props to Matty and the tech team, like Rob and the management content are incredible. And they've, they've accommodated everything we've thrown at them in the last. I love that place. Like Johnny Bongo right down to it. Like there's so sound, but that tech wise was so well done. How the room was set up. Yeah. I walked in and went. Wow. It's not Bongo's bingo. No, I Speaker 6 (18:54) went there in the day and this is how good Rob is, who is essentially their operations manager at the venue, isn't he? I turned up and Will was like, yeah, this is the camera angle, this, this, this and this. And I was there for about 15 minutes and I was like, this all looks good. And then I looked at the tables they had and they weren't the ones that were there in the end. And I went, Will, these tables are too big. They're way too big. And we need to get rid of them. Speaker 2 (19:17) Like corporate-y big Speaker 6 (19:18) round tables. And I was like, and he was like, these are kind of the ones that, like, if you look at the seat map that I showed you, like, because originally they were meant to be even bigger. And we went down to this, but this is the size that fills the room. And I went, look, there's no other way for me to say this than these tables will negatively impact the atmosphere in this room. And we really would be better just road seating it. And Will was like, yeah, but on camera. especially for these front rows, the tables will just look a lot cooler. And that's obviously all Will really cares about is what the film's going to look like. And Rob sort of overheard us and he was like, do you want like smaller tables you get like in a petite cafe or something? And I went, yeah, exactly. He went, it's all right. And the chill wall table and chair is in the Baltic. So he was like, I know the lads. He went, I'll go and sort it. And he just literally walked out of content to chill wall table and chair items. Like, can you come and get these tables and give us some smaller ones? I didn't even see Speaker 4 (20:15) that. Yeah. Speaker 6 (20:15) That was all Speaker 2 (20:16) like half one in the afternoon. Right. Yeah, they go above and beyond. Stars in the Rise, I think Matty was basically awake for 24 hours to get that. I mean, that set looked amazing. Adam Conway did a brilliant job building it, but to make that room into Stars in the Rise, their lead tech guy just didn't sleep. He's great. Speaker 4 (20:35) I love Cabaret seating as well. I think it just looks fucking... I Speaker 2 (20:38) love how we did it. I think the first... The first 70 people are at the front and you know you might be involved in the show. So the payment for that is, the offset of that is, you get a table for your drinks. And then everyone else who isn't going to have the piss taken out of them, they can get theatre style seating. I think that works so well in a room. Speaker 4 (20:58) I think it looks so cool. Speaker 2 (21:01) Well... I'm Speaker 6 (21:02) sure we'll make it look absolutely beautiful. And I think the plan is for it to go out next month. But if there's a delay with that and it goes out later in the year. It's coming, isn't it? It's coming in the next few months. So I hope you enjoy it. I feel like I haven't been here for about six months. That trip feels so long. But I've just had one of the best weeks I've ever had in my entire life. It looked insane. Huh? It looked. It was so good. And all the photos I took were on me disposable camera. So I won't have them for a couple of weeks. And like, I think they'll be quite cool as well. But me, Jack and Keelan, if you don't know Keelan, he's mine and Jack's former housemate. Jack and Keelan have known each other for years. And the three of us lived together for a bit. We went to New York for Jack Finnegan's brother's wedding, which was in upstate New York, actually closer to Montreal than it is to New York City. But we did four days in the city, stayed in Brooklyn, and then four days at this wedding on Brantley, which was just at a summer camp where Jack's brother and his missus met. Speaker 6 (22:13) The city was so cool because I've sort of got me places in New York now and a lot of them either I've introduced Jack to or he's introduced me to. So we know where we're going. And Keelan's sort of following us around and really enjoyed himself as well. On the Tuesday, I was just on my phone and I noticed Bill Bear had announced a pop-up show at Gotham Comedy Club. Speaker 2 (22:35) Nice. Speaker 6 (22:36) Now... The reason they were in town is there's an annual 9-11 Survivors fundraiser that they do at Madison Square Garden, which is just littered with A-list comics. So he's obviously in town for that on the Thursday night, I think. So on the Wednesdays, I'm just going to go and do a pop-up show. So I just immediately booked three tickets for us to go and see him. And I also texted his tour manager and was like, do you need anyone? And he was like, we'd love to have you. Let me speak to the comedy club. The comedy club had already booked it with their regulars, which is absolutely fair enough. But we went and watched Bill Bear Wednesday night. He had three openers. Do you know the lad who does that bit where it's like there's microplastics in semen now? He was one of the openers. He was fucking excellent. He also had Keith Robinson on, who is like an American legendary comic. He's had two strokes in the last couple of years, and he does a lot of stuff about his strokes. Really, really, really strong stuff. And then Bill Bear was doing a mixture of brand new off notes. And then about 20 to 30 of the stuff I seen him do a year ago when I opened for him at the Hammersmith Apollo. So that was fucking cool. Just to, I love watching a comic of that level work stuff out. And also- How long did he do total? He did about an hour and 10, 15. Jeez. Speaker 6 (23:55) and the supports were doing like 15 each. The show started half an hour late as well, and we were all really tired. So, because we were doing like 30,000 steps a day. But as we come out of Bill Bear, we're heading back to get the train back over to Brooklyn because the show was in Manhattan. And as we come out, Shane Gillis texts me and was like, I'm heading to the stand for a beer. Come and have a beer. And I text him back and was like, oh, lad, I'm sorry. We're absolutely fucking done in. And we're driving to Albany tomorrow morning at like 8am. I think I met him back at the hotel. He was like, don't be a fucking gimp. Don't blow it. Come and have a beer. So Keelan, obviously, Keelan's a big fan of stand-up and he loves Shane Gillis. Probably his favourite comic at the minute. And he loves tires as well. And Keelan was like, what Speaker 2 (24:43) the fuck are we talking about? Let's go and have a pipe machine. Speaker 6 (24:45) Let's Speaker 2 (24:46) suck it up. Speaker 6 (24:46) So Speaker 2 (24:46) Jack was Speaker 6 (24:47) like, I'm going to bed. So I was like, right, we'll go to the stand and we'll have a beer. So we go, we walk to the comedy club. It's like a 15, 20 minute walk from where we were. And we get there and there's a girl on the door. And weirdly, so the stand comedy club in New York is really known for its comics community. So like even comics who aren't on the bill, they often go there to hang out. All the other comics are there. They go and smoke weed. They hang out till one, two o'clock in the morning. It's the comedy scene of New York. And, you know, the comics who play there regularly, they all sort of congregate there and they congregate downstairs in the green room and they do whatever they want in the green room. Speaker 6 (25:29) Loads of them outside. Like, as we get there, there's just loads of them outside. And people I don't know, but I know of. Like, I recognize them, and I'm like, oh, they're all outside. Mad. So we go to the upstairs, the stand in New York. The upstairs, the bar's gorgeous. It looks like a really cool bar. Even if you were just walking past, you'd probably pop in for a drink. And it's quite quiet. And I just went straight up to the girl, and I was like, how you love her? And I went, I hate to be this guy, because it just sounds like you're, you know, you're name-dropping the guy. the big name guy who's in there. I was like, but we're friends with Shane and he knows we're coming to meet him for a drink. And she was like, okay, you're welcome to go and sit at the bar and text him. But I can't let you go downstairs. You absolutely can't go downstairs tonight. And I was like, okay, cool, is what it is. Speaker 2 (26:16) So Speaker 6 (26:16) then we sit at the bar and I text him and like 10 minutes later, he texts me like, sorry, I've just been on stage. I'll come up now. And he comes up and has, I don't know, three or four pints with me and Keelan. And then he's like, right, I might have to go back on stage in a minute. And I was like, what fucking show is this? Speaker 6 (26:36) Then, what's the guy called who's in the band on Jimmy Fallon? He's in The Roots, the big afro. Questlove. Questlove. He walks in, and then Michael Shea walks in from SNL. Right. Then Michael Shea comes over to Shane and goes, he wants both of me and you. So Shane goes, are you staying? Do you want to come downstairs? I said, I don't think we're allowed down. He's like, you can come down with me. So we go downstairs, and Chappelle's on stage, smoking. The room's obviously full. And then... Chappelle, Shane and Michael Shea were on stage. We stayed for about an hour while they essentially did an unrecorded podcast. They're just fucking around, half roasting each other, talking about current shit, just having a laugh. And then it just got to a point where me and Keelan had said, okay, if you use 2am, we've just got to go home at 2am because Chappelle might be on stage till five. But he absolutely would have been. They'd started at midnight. And it was now 2am and there was no sign that even those three were done with whatever bit they were doing. So at two, we did get off. But within the space of an hour and a half, we seen Bill Baird do 45 minutes of new stuff and close with 30 minutes of tested stuff. Went for a pint with Shane and then watched him, Chappelle and Michael Shea basically just do an unscripted improvised. Hour of stuff. Downstairs in a comedy club at two o'clock in the morning on a Wednesday night. Speaker 2 (27:57) And by the way, you are meant to maybe once in every three years see something like that. Keelan. Speaker 2 (28:07) You're not mercy, you know? Do you know what Speaker 6 (28:09) was really funny? So Keelan was like quite pissed because like Keelan's catchphrase for the entire show was, we're on our holidays. We're on our fucking holidays. Like he just wanted to constantly just put it in the wall, right? So shocker. Because it's a Chappelle show, even if you're an invited guest, your phone is going in a pouch. There is no phones in that room. Speaker 6 (28:32) So we go downstairs and we have to put our phones in the pouch. And after, like, as we're about to leave, Keelan's pouch starts vibrating. And he's like, what's going on? And he's trying to get it. He's drunk, so he's trying to, like, open the pouch. And I was like, what would be the point of the fucking pouch if you could just open it yourself? He's like, oh, I don't know. I was like, you have to take it back down to the person who put it in. And it's like a, it's the same technology that's like on a, you know, like security tags in a shop. You've got to take it to the desk. You have Speaker 2 (28:59) to Speaker 6 (28:59) do like the magnet thing. So I was like, take it back downstairs. So he gets downstairs and it's ringing again as he gets out the pouch and it's his missus. So it's obviously, it's now like 7am UK time. So she's probably getting up to go to work or whatever. And she knows it's two o'clock in the morning and he's in New York. So she goes, why aren't you answering the phone to me? I can see you were awake like 15 minutes ago. What's going on? So obviously like girls get a bit anxious when the fella's in the big city drinking with his mates. And he was like, oh, sorry, my phone was locked away because I'm at a secret Dave Chappelle party. She was like, Keelan, what the fuck are you talking about? Who's locking phones up at parties? He's like, it's not like a party. It's like, basically, you know Dave Chappelle? Well, he's on stage smoking and just making everyone laugh. And it's not really stand-up, but we're just having a laugh with him. And because I was in that thing. they took my phone off me and put it in like a cupboard for a bit. And she's just like, I don't know what you're talking about, but you're doing me a din. Like what's going on? He's like, I'm telling you the truth. And it took him like 15 Speaker 4 (30:00) minutes to convince her that that's what was going on. Because you can't take any pictures to prove it. No. Do you think Chappelle does that? Because we've seen him do that in Liverpool. A lot of the time. Do you think he does that because he's trying to run stuff out or because he's got like a need to be on stage? Both. Do you reckon, yeah? Absolutely both. Speaker 6 (30:15) It's how he works all of his stuff out. And it's like... It's a bit of a known thing in the States that he does this. So he'll just be like, I want to come to the club tonight. Like what he did at Hot Water. Can I just come and we'll do a show at midnight? And they'll go, of course. And then he never tells them when it's going to finish. And he just goes until he gets bored or until he walks the whole room. Speaker 2 (30:38) It's mental, isn't it? And he has a pull like no one else has. But he can go, hey, Michael J and Shane Gillis, just come down and you go now. Hey, have four beers upstairs, but come back. Speaker 6 (30:51) Shane Speaker 2 (30:51) Gillis is about as heavy a hitter as anyone in comedy in the world, apart from Chappelle. And he's got the sort of gravitas to be able to go, yeah, but just come back in about 25 minutes. He Speaker 6 (31:04) can never stop, Speaker 2 (31:05) can he? Speaker 6 (31:06) I don't think he'd want Speaker 4 (31:07) to. Speaker 6 (31:07) He Speaker 4 (31:07) has to Speaker 6 (31:07) die Speaker 2 (31:07) on stage, doesn't he? Speaker 6 (31:08) I don't think he'd want to, yeah. I think Speaker 4 (31:10) he's Speaker 2 (31:11) at Speaker 4 (31:11) his retirement, hasn't he, then? Yeah. Because there's no way you can stop there and go back to a normal life without me. You can't replace that with anything, can you? Speaker 2 (31:19) But maybe he knows what the standard is. I feel like sometimes, I know you take the piss out of me for being old, but I think some of these guys sort of self-police their output and go, I'm not happy that this is... good enough and go, that's me done. So maybe he's so brilliant that he thinks that he's not hitting the heights that he needs to hit and that that'll be the thing that calls it. Or maybe he goes till forever. Speaker 1 (31:49) Did Dave Chappelle move to Africa at some point? Speaker 6 (31:51) No, after Chappelle's show ended when he turned down millions because he wasn't happy with his contract and felt like he'd been sort of conned by a combination of his agents, Comedy Central, whoever it was. Speaker 6 (32:04) He went to South Africa on like a sort of spiritual journey to just get away from America, essentially. I don't think he moved there, but I think he did a long trip, essentially. Speaker 1 (32:17) KSI did that. They're two of the same beast, I think. And Speaker 2 (32:20) he'll never stop. And Speaker 1 (32:23) he Speaker 2 (32:23) sure as he goes. Speaker 6 (32:24) And then, yeah, the next day he drove up to, well past Albany, actually, towards like sort of Vermont. Speaker 2 (32:33) Is Speaker 6 (32:33) this a Speaker 2 (32:34) Camp America camp? Like basically the place... Yeah, I Speaker 6 (32:36) don't think they are necessarily... So I think Camp America has maybe like six or seven camps in the States and under that brand. Right. This is an independent one. It's called Brantley. It's huge. Now... Speaker 6 (32:52) Here's the thing. Your wedding will stay with me till the day I die. It's absolutely fantastic and I absolutely loved it. This is the best wedding I've ever been to. And I think if I had an unlimited budget, I wouldn't be able to top it at my own wedding. Like it was everything about like the, you'd never go in your head, you know where we should do, you know where to be the perfect place to get married is a children's summer camp. Speaker 6 (33:15) I think they gave them the venue for free because they know them, because they met at the camp. And Tom, the groom, still works there every summer. So he goes for 12 weeks every summer. The kids are there for seven weeks of that, and the other five, he's just at camp playing basketball, playing volleyball, doing all the shit. So the accommodation's built in. Like, we were staying in bunk beds, but the accommodation is built in. because there's dorms all over it. There's about 25 basketball courts, tennis courts, volleyball courts, footy pitches. We played five a side on the morning of the wedding. Speaker 4 (33:50) Yeah, I wish I was there. Speaker 6 (33:52) Because it's so big, like it's on a lake and the lake's got a beach on it, like a full sandy beach. Every single part of the wedding, including the days before, like the pre-party and the after-party. We're all at a different bit, so it never felt like you were in the same place for more than a couple of hours. They did the pre-party the night before in the woods near the lake. They did the ceremony on the beach facing the lake. And as the officiant and the vows are getting exchanged, there's just people going past on boats. It was fucking class. The cocktail hour was way up at the top of the lake looking over the whole camp. The reception was then like about 100 yards down from that. in this huge gazebo. We were in there till 10 p.m. And then obviously that was the end of the reception, but they did an after party in the gymnasium with a stage on it, at which point Keelan did a full, like, bongos, bingo level strip tease down to his undies. And then the next day there was like a farewell breakfast. Keelan was a plus one, Speaker 4 (34:56) wasn't he? He was one of Jack's Speaker 6 (34:58) plus two. Speaker 4 (34:59) So no one else knows him? Not a single person. Speaker 6 (35:01) It's never going Speaker 2 (35:02) to stop Keelan. Speaker 6 (35:03) No, they're never stopping. He's never going to Speaker 2 (35:05) stop. What must they have thought? By the sounds of it, they fucking loved it. Yeah, they really Speaker 6 (35:09) did enjoy the Speaker 2 (35:10) dancing. And Jack Finnegan's best man speech went well. Speaker 2 (35:16) It's so funny. You've seen some first gigs recently, Speaker 6 (35:20) haven't you? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Honestly, called it well last night. Like, he wouldn't have been able to follow Jeff. Like, there's not, like, I helped him with a bit of it. And the first line, I gave him