Phill Jupitus interviewed by Oliver Double Phill Jupitus interviewed by Oliver Double in the BBC canteen at the Broadcasting House, London. 6th June 2004. This interview was conducted by Double for his book 'Getting the Joke: The Inner Workings of Stand-Up Comedy' (2005) [00:16] Ranting Poetry [01:01] Attila the Stockbroker, Steven Wells, [Joolz Denby] Benjamin Zephaniah, Little Dave. [02:00] Roland Muldoon’s New Variety gigs [02:20] Billy Bragg’s manager Pete Jenner. [03:11] Michael Horowitz [03:50] Billy Bragg gig Sussex University 8th March 1984. [04:52] (Tony) Blair, Ann Clwyd, Clare Short. [06:45] Brian Mulligan. [07:58] Red Wedge [08:34] (Paul) Weller mistrusted the Labour Party central office [09:12] don’t know if they got anyone into the NEC meetings [09:30] Billy Bragg, Robert Wyatt [11:02] Billy Bragg Golden Jubilee single [12:18] Discussion about BBC TV political debate show and the news [13:45] News on Sunday, left-wing tabloid that didn’t come to anything [14:00] Thatcher [15:14] Mark Thomas and Kevin Day tell Phill Jupitus to go into stand-up. James Brown Loaded Magazine. Attack on Bazag fanzine, gig at Leeds University. [15:49] Gigs with the Style Council in 1987, retired Porky the Poet, final performance at Hammersmith Odeon. [17:18] Laughing Matters Magazine, cartoon called Stand Up, satire of contemporary stand-up. [18:05] Jim Barkley. [18:22] Phill Jupitus wrote a fan letter to Jenny Éclair. Mark Hurst, Mark Lamarr, Pat Condell all started in poetry. [21:10] Pre-show rituals, Alan Davies [22:30] Thomas, Izzard, [Jo] Brand, [Kevin] Day, Lamarr, post-Jack Dee, Lee Evans, Frank Skinner, David Baddiel. [23:26] Discussion about generating and creating material [24:01] Star Wars show in Edinburgh [27:13] Star Wars Trilogy in 30 minutes, the permission of George Lucas. [30:32] Eddie Izzard, [32:43] Steve Martin albums, [33:00] Billy Connolly video, [33:31] Ricky [Gervais] Animals tour, [33:52] Mark Lamarr gets him a Richard Pryor video in Vegas. [34:17] Armando Ianucci radio broadcast [34:45] two comedians did Robert Maxwell routines. [36:03] discussion about referring back to old shows, recording them, and building upon them [37:55] Wembley, Izzard for Amnesty gig, [38:33] debacle at the Royal Albert Hall with The Who [38:44] Madness tour [39:34] Catatonia, Margam Park show, [39:50] good experience Billy Bragg and The Housemartins [40:00] Ian Drury tribute night, introduced Robbie Williams. [40:14] Discussion about the vulnerability of stand-up, Jongleurs. [41:46] Phill Jupitus saw (Bill) Bailey at Southend [42:12] Joe Strummer from The Clash interviewed. [43:47] Discussion about how people on TV don’t do the Comedy Store, Alan Davies and Jo Brand. [44:37] Relationship between the performer and the audience, Jack Dee persona. [45:03] Amiable, Never Mind the Buzzcocks. [46:05] Bill Bailey, positivity. [47:11] Neil Innes, discussion about heckling [48:50] Advice: if you’re a new act, don’t ask the audience questions just tell them things [53:42] Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Bing Crosby drive-by joke, [54:59] I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue, (Humphrey) Lyttleton & (Iain) Pattinson, Sandi Toksvig. [55:32] Rhona Cameron [56:38] Andre Vincent [59:09] film about Mike Bassett England Manager, Nigel Lindsay [01:00:15] Eddie (Izzard) as Lenny (Bruce) [01:01:15] Star Wars Alec Guinness played by Ewan McGregor was wrong, [01:01:42] Obi Wan Kenobi/Eddie Izzard impression [01:02:13] Paul Whitehouse [01:02:23] (Alistair) McGowan and impressions [01:02:50] John Inverdale gets Alistair McGowan to do a Boris (Becker) impression like a performing monkey. [01:03:45] McGowan stand-up Tom Paulin impression, [01:03:56] rivalry with Dead Ringers [01:04:50] Eddie Izzard describes good stand-up as speed of thought [01:05:20] (Bill) Hicks made himself laugh with jokes he’d never done before [01:05:39] Harper Collins put Phill Jupitus stand-up on CD and cassette, the visual jokes don’t work on the radio. [01:06:20] Chris Rock comedy albums [01:06:34] Dave Attell album, Robert Schimmel, words and ideas. [01:08:06] Stephen Fry ran rings around everyone on Question Time, [01:08:34] (Billy) Bragg [01:09:12] End of the interview 06/06/2004