How did you get into performing?
In the 1960s, I slid into folk clubs and came across Billy Connolly and Gerry Rafferty when they were known as The Humblebums. Connolly chatted more and more in between the songs and soon the guitar got dropped. I thought: “Oh, you can do that can you?” But my biggest influence was Jeremy Taylor, an Englishman who went out to South Africa, got himself barred and banned and came back to the UK and performed in folk clubs. It was the Wilson government and Taylor was very political in his satire and worked with all sorts of people including Spike Milligan. I thought this was terrific so I also started doing comedy in folk clubs.
Can you recall a gig so bad, it’s now funny?
A friend of mine used to give me these corporate gigs and I loathed them. They paid well, of course. At the last one I did, all the youths were getting pissed, throwing bread rolls and cavorting with young women and no one was listening to me. On the mic I called across to my friend, “Shall we just stop?” but he said, “No, please don’t.” There was an awful pain in my belly, I’m sure lots of comics will understand that. I just wanted to go. Eventually, I said time-out. That’s it. The money may be good but I’m not putting myself through that stupid pain any more.
