Interview with Jed Salisbury

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

Jed Salisbury: I had my first gig on 1st November 2009, I did a one day comedy writing course called the Art of Comedy in the Hull comedy festival, and I then had my first gig that night. But I’d say I’ve been gigging regularly since June 2010.

Comedy Blogedy: How would you describe your comedy?

Jed Salisbury: If someone took the mischievous crudeness of Frank Skinner, cheekiness of Lenny Henry and edginess of Daniel Tosh threw it in a blender and performed some voodoo on it and placed it in a man that slightly resembled Velma from Scooby Doo… then I guess that would be my act.

Comedy Blogedy: Which comedians influence your comedy?

Jed Salisbury: I wasn’t really into stand-up when I was younger, I was really into sitcoms. I remember my Dad introducing me to The Young Ones at a very early age, I found it hilarious. I still find it hilarious now but back then I didn’t get half the jokes, the same with Bottom. Looking back my Dad let me watch so much stuff I shouldn’t have been watching. I’d say Rik Mayall is a big comedy influence, I’ve seen Drop Dead Fred a gazillion times, I like to think that it has influenced the way I try to be funny on and off stage.

Though Rik Mayall did stand-up I’ve not actually seen much of it since I wasn’t into stand-up in my youth (using the word youth makes me sound old, I’m only 22), so when it comes to stand up I’m influenced by a lot of modern acts all with different styles, acts like Daniel Tosh, Micky Flannigan, Rob Rouse, Dave Gibson, Jonny Addy, Joey Page, Trevor Lock, Russell Brand, Andrew O’Neil, Chris Ramsey, Russell Kane, Lenny Henry, Frank Skinner, Andrew Maxwell…To be fair I could give you a never ending list of Comedians who influence me, it’s not that I try to emulate their style they just motivate me to work hard at what I do so one day I can be as funny as them.

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

Jed Salisbury: No not at, I wasn’t even really a fan of stand-up comedy growing up. I got into comedy because a friend dared me to and I’m not one to turn down a challenge so I started researching, going to local gigs and writing material. The more comedy I studied the more obsessed with it I became. I used to turn up to gigs and in the breaks and at the end of the night harass the acts for their advice and comedy wisdom. For about eight months I was that “My friends think I should do comedy…” guy you occasionally get at gigs.

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

Jed Salisbury: I used to wait around for something funny to happen, and then I’d go tell audiences and hope they found it as funny. Then I realised I could just make stuff up and it would just be as funny of not funnier, so I started doing that instead. I used to be fairly lazy with writing when I started out, but now I make sure I take time to write at least four times a week. I’ll be honest though most of my best ideas and jokes usually come to me whilst in the shower.

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?

Ahh it’s just a hobby at the moment. I wish stand-up was my full time job, I had a real job for the whole of 3 weeks and realised that I could happily do stand-up for the rest of my life. Well stand-up or be a camera man at babe station, that’d be cool. I left uni at the beginning of the year (I say “left uni” because it sounds so much nicer then “dropped out”) so I haven’t really managed to find a full time job to influence my material. I’ve had a couple of short term jobs but they haven’t really provided material, as it turns out working in a call centre and working on a flower stall in a crematorium aren’t really the comedy gold mines you’d expect them to be.

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

Two things that I find most enjoyable that I can think off are … Number 1: the travelling, I actually find travelling to gigs to be the most enjoyable, I don’t drive so I usually car share with the other Hull acts, the car journeys are funnier and more enjoyable then some of gigs we do. Due to these car shares acts like Andy Woolston, Si Gutherless and Rich Austin have become some of my closest friends on and off the circuit.

Number 2: Random acts of kindness from other acts. A couple of times I have found myself on pro-nights with acts I admire simply because another act had recommend me, it’s a nice feeling when someone’s goes out on a limb and vouches for you, though there is added pressure not to be shit.

Most frustrating seeing acts go on stage and die a horrible death, I hate seeing anyone bomb (especially myself!). Unfortunately it’s just one of them things with comedy, sooner or later everyone bombs.

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

Jed Salisbury: I’m not really fussy about what audience I perform in front of, any audience is a good audience in my eyes. I often find audiences that are a little bit rowdy and take a little work to win over are the best; I seem to find I learn a lot more from those gigs.

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?

Jed Salisbury: I’m fine with hecklers, I’ve just not really had any great heckles, this is quite disappointing. I think when comedians start out they actually worry about been heckled more than they should, it doesn’t happen that often and when it does it is usually someone trying to help.

The weirdest heckle I’ve heard is when Andy Woolston was on stage in Nottingham and mentioned he was from Hull and audience member heckled him by shouting “Hull had very nice public toilets.” which is not only very random but also a lie.

The best heckle base story goes to Leeds based act David McAndrews, I was gigging with him the other week in Leeds and this group of lads kept heckling, it turned out they were the band that were playing later, I’d left but Dave stuck around for the band and when they started playing he stood right in front of the lead singer and started shouting “Wanker!” at him, now that’s how you get revenge on a heckler.

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

Jed Salisbury: Feel don’t think, use your instincts… Also Carpe diem! Because at the end of the day YOLO! I think we can all agree solid advice there.