Interview with Dave Green

Comedy Blogedy: How long have you been gigging in stand-up?

Dave Green: I’ve been doing stand-up since April 2011.

Comedy Blogedy: How would you describe your comedy?

Dave Green: I tell surreal stories in a slow deadpan. I put a strong emphasis on joke writing. Having faith in the material allows me to really play with the timing and phrasing of each joke. I enjoy taking the audience on a journey, using simple ideas and pushing them into absurdity. I also leave big gaps so they know when to laugh.

Comedy Blogedy: Which comedians influence your comedy?

Dave Green: I’m influenced by comedians who take pleasure in the language. People like Emo Philips, Steven Wright and Simon Munnery. I’m a sucker for a well-crafted joke. I’m also big into Louis CK. Its very different from what I do but I find the way he bares his soul onstage extremely powerful. I would like to introduce some more autobiographical elements into my act.

Comedy Blogedy: Did you always want to go into comedy?

Dave Green: Until very recently if you asked me what I did I would have told you I was an artist. Then there would have been a stilted conversation involving words like multi-disciplinary and ‘relational aesthetics’ followed by an awkward moment where it became clear neither of us knew what I was talking about. These days I work with exactly the same ideas I used in my art practice, I just say them instead of making them. It takes less time and I can reach more people. Comedy is very black and white. It’s either funny or its not. My ego is too fragile for the vagaries of the art world. If someone isn’t validating my ideas immediately with a laugh how do I know if they like it? I came to the realization that I was too self-absorbed to be an artist so there was only one place to come…stand-up.

Comedy Blogedy: How do you go about writing your material?

Dave Green: I carry around a notebook and jot down anything that fires my imagination. These can be turns of phrases or things that I have witnessed. Even the most bizarre flights of fancy start with a simple observation. I take these rough ideas and sit down in front of the computer and try to approach them from as many different angles as possible. The ratio of material that ends up being used from these writing sessions can be quite small. Sometimes I can write for 2 or 3 days and have nothing to show for it, then on the 4^th day write something that kills. People often talk about gigging as a kind of endurance exercise. I think it’s important to approach writing in the same way.

Comedy Blogedy: Do you gig as a stand-up full time or is it more of a part-time hobby? If so, do you find that your main job influences your material?

Dave Green: I’m working in a café at the moment and I do freelance camerawork/video editing. My comedy is slightly removed from reality so the day job doesn’t influence me too much. That being said there are some obvious parallels between video editing and joke writing.

Comedy Blogedy: What do you find the most enjoyable and frustrating parts of the amateur comedy circuit?

Dave Green: I really enjoy the community of new comedians on the amateur circuit. I think more than any other discipline comedy attracts people from a huge variety of different backgrounds. You meet so many different types of people and they are all linked by this strange personality defect that makes them want to stand in a darkened room being laughed at by strangers. I don’t think I’ve been doing it long enough to find anything frustrating…there’s still time.

Comedy Blogedy: What’s your favourite type of audience to perform to?

Dave Green: I don’t really have a favourite type of audience. It’s very easy to pre-judge a crowd. I’ve looked at an audience before and thought there’s no way they’re going to enjoy my humour then it’s gone down really well. Then of course there’s been occasions where the opposite has been true. So I try and keep an open mind and deliver as best as I possibly can.

Comedy Blogedy: Have you been heckled a lot since you’ve started gigging? Do you enjoy being heckled? What’s the best heckle you’ve had?

Dave Green: I’ve received a few heckles, nothing really hostile. I definitely don’t enjoy being heckled but it is a reality so you’ve got to deal with it. I try to look at it as an opportunity rather than a threat.

Comedy Blogedy: What advice would you give to new acts thinking about starting out in comedy?

Dave Green: Gig as much as possible and don’t neglect the writing.