Comedian Conor Drum chats to The Irish Post ahead of this year's London Irish Comedy Festival, which runs from April 5 to June 14 at The London Irish Centre in Camden.
What makes me laugh:
My friends, good comedy: the Simpsons, the Office (UK), recently podcasts like the bill burr Monday morning podcast and the Adam Carolla show.
Last time I really laughed:
In the bloody stream pub in Howth last Sunday, my friend plucked some fluff from his belly button in front of us.
That didn't make me laugh but the fact that the rest of us instinctively placed out hands over our pints to protect them, just in case, had me in stitches. We are in our thirties for god sake.
Best joke I've ever heard:
Too hard, I love jokes and there's so many great ones.
What made me get into comedy:
I've always been a huge fan of comedy, I've always loved making people laugh and seemed to have a knack for getting people to laugh from a young age. I started pretty late, possibly because I was scared to get up there.
My motivation was the fact that I knew I could do it if I put the work in, also I've been acting for a few years and this was a creative outlet I had control over, as opposed to waiting for a call to audition for something, I could go out and do my own thing, it's great to have a bit of control.
Favorite comedian:
Bill Burr
Situations I can't find humour in:
None. There's humour in everything,there has to be, it's what keeps us all going.
Common misconceptions about comedians:
That they are funny people. In reality many really are nice and funny but lots are neurotic unfriendly nerds.
How do I deal with hecklers:
Try to ignore them, if needs be address them but make an effort not to include them in the show.
They are mostly drunk, childish, non contributing bellends, who weirdly think they are helping or showing of to their mates. As a punter they drive me mental at any kind of gig.
Strangest thing that's ever happened to me at a gig?
Someone threw a chicken wing at me, they weren't even serving chicken wings at the venue.
Is there a difference in UK/Irish humour:
I think we like to chat more,we can be more conversational. In the UK there is a tendency to pigeon hole comedians ie. Irish guy/posh/ working class/Asian/black... Also they seem to like it more when there's a victim in the punch line.
Lines I won't cross:
I'll try not to be needlessly cruel to people, I don't like seeing that. But no lines per se, you just gauge the room and you figure out quick enough where you can go and can't, your job is to make people laugh.
Do my friends and family think I'm funny?
Well I'm 32 now still working as a waiter in the meantime, they think that's a joke I'd say. But yes I think so, sometimes anyways.
What to expect from my set:
Well it's a preview, my first preview for this new show, so I'm going to be hammering out the structure, there'll be some solid jokes in there, some unfinished and maybe some off the cuff stuff that ends up going in the show.
Tell you a joke right now?
Well, I hate it when asked that.
www.conordrum.com
Twitter: @conordrum
