Stereoboard Speak To Beardyman At Global Gathering 2011 (Interview)
Wednesday, 10 August 2011
Written by Adam Holden
Interviewing Beardyman is anything but conventional, and before catching up with the artist after his set at Global Gathering, I knew what I had got myself in for – even the PR team had heard about his delirious behaviour!
You have to take everything he says with a pinch of salt and be fully aware of his sarcasm and wit.
By the time we parted, the Londoner had ridiculed his own music, called me a c**t (in a humours manner of course!), conversed about his comedy gigs and his ambition for headline status with a complete new path in music, and his planned absence from music.
Adam: Do you want to sit down for the interview?
Beardyman: No, sittings for the weak, standing is for the strong!
A: Last time I spoke to you, you said you’re eliminating beat boxing from your set, still the case?
B: Yeah beat boxing is for women and degenerates. But never say never, but I just said it twice!
A: I saw you support DJ Shadow in Brighton, and your set was completely different to the one here today. How hard is it to change genres like that?
B: With DJ Shadow, obviously the crowd is hip hop orientated, so I just play hip hop. But you have to be sensitive to the crowd your playing to. For DJ Shadow, it’s a no brainer, play some hip hop and drum and bass. The Brighton crowd like breaks and beats. House was a no no!
Here, its foot to the floor bass, very heavy with a bit of a medley, but not too cheesy. I could’ve probably gone cheesier to win them over more.
A: Cheesier?
B: I could’ve just done a really cheesier set, meaning covers of other people’s songs.
A: I know you freestyle most of your sets, how prepared were you today?
B: When you do a bunch of similar gigs, you get used to them and get into the flow. I’ve just stepped off the plane having done a three day hardcore comedy festival in Montreal called Just for Laughs. It’s one of the most prestigious comedy festivals in the world!
It’s not the biggest, but you get handpicked from all other festivals, almost like scouted. Then they present you to the American industry, the f*****g film and TV industry. It’s f*****g hardcore, but not in this way (as in Global Gathering).
A: I didn’t realise you had done so much comedy, how was it?
B: I had to be f*****g funny man. Like you, be funny. The pressure is on, but you have to be relaxed as possible and laugh things off. It’s a different skill, a whole different skill, but using the same technology.
A: I was just gonna ask man, what are your comedy sets like, is it music orientated like Tim Minchin?
B: Yeah, there is music and it’s not a million miles away from Tim Minchin, but more like Bill Bailey or Reggie Watts. My solo show is different to my normal show though. Some parts are like Tim Minchin; I have a piano and everything! Other parts are like Reggie Watts, it’s very surreal. Reggie Watts is special too.
You can catch some online; we’re calling it Beardyman Unshaved! It’s me and an audience. I begin with some ideas and gags, but it’s mostly audience suggestions and the comedy comes from whatever is suggested.
A: Going back to the music, how was your set on the main stage today?
B: Well after a comedy festival, I could’ve done being told it was going to be like that. The site was empty when I got here and I was sure no one was going to turn up. But then suddenly 5-6 thousand people came out of nowhere and started going bananas.
A: Can you ever see yourself getting headline status?
B: I will get headline status when I deserve headline status. At the moment, I’m getting main stage slots, which is what I deserve. But I will get it, I will get headline status when I’m about to do what I’m about to do this year after the festival season, which is to hide away for about five or six months and not do a single gig whilst working on my live set up. It’s going to change drastically and I’m going to be practising to the point where it is going to be virtually unrecognisable.
As for the comedy stuff, I’ll be doing loads of secret gigs under pseudonyms.
A: Any clues on the pseudonyms?
B: No their secret shows, secret!
A: So what’s the plan of attack then, musically?
B: Basically, when I come back on the scene next April/may next year, I will have a new album under my belt, which will be way way different to the one before. It will be fu****g brilliant, with lots of music, rather than the novelty piece of s**t I have at the moment, which I don’t even like!
A: You always slate your own music..
B: Cus its shit!
A: But everyone out there loved your set man..
B: F**k em, c***s! (Laughing away)
A: Well, I enjoyed your set man!
B: Well you’re a c**t! (Laughing away).
F**k any d****head that enjoys what I do. My new stuff is going to be good. Really good, better than this s**t.
I left Darren, aka Beardyman to his friends and smoke and guarantee the naturally talented and funny musician/comedian will no doubt succeed in his ambitions. If not, I’m sure he’ll have a hell of laugh doing it!
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A: Going back to the music, how was your set on the main stage today?
