Rob's musical comedy is hitting the right note

That Rob Deering is a musical comedian comes as no surprise to anyone but himself, it would seem. Having played in a number of bands, and being a self confessed “show-off”, the pair finally merged in what is now Rob’s highly successful stand-up career. So what took him so long?

“I never considered it until I was quite old, and then it was like an epiphany,” laughs the 41 year-old, who was educated at Lord Williams’s School in Thame.

“I suppose I was waiting to grow out of my clown phase, because it’s ridiculous how alike my comedian persona is to myself. Performance and showing off have always come first. Give me a crowd and I’ll perform.”

And yet he still fought the ‘musical comedy’ label. “Absolutely, I was infected by the snobbery of musical comedy and I did avoid it,” he says.

“I thought I could take it or leave it until I realised I am the comedian that I am, and my failure to get a band together and find global fame is the ultimate truth about me and is reflected in my act, although it was all good practice for what I do now.

“Actually I think it was karmic retribution really because we spent far too much time sitting around and discussing band names, like Wax Lyrical, The Jemimah Stepdads, The Glass Needle and Galar – and talking about how famous we would be. Although look at some of the greats: U2 and Take That are terrible names, so it obviously doesn't matter. and talking about how famous we would be.

But I also questioned how much fun I could have on my own,” he admits.

Eventually Rob realised resistance was futile, picked up his guitar, and went for it, carving out a nice little niche for himself in the world of comedy and becoming a household name in the process.

“Musical comedy is having a massive renaissance thanks to the likes of Bill Bailey and Tim Minchin and, I like to think, myself,” he says.

“And now it suits me down to the ground. I fought against being a one-man band for a long time but I’ve now accepted that’s what I’ve become and I’m loving it. “So no knee cymbals or a big drum on my chest, no top hats or horns. And all my equipment fits in two bags.

“Keep it simple, in and out.”

And Rob's family have got used to him being out on the road, although he found being away from home hard when his children were little: “They are reconciled to my life on tour now. If my wife was here she would be nodding her head and saying I need to go off and do gigs otherwise I become tiresome. “More and more often my family want to come too, so they will be accompanying me to Chipping Norton, Edinburgh and Brighton, and want to be in the show. We are going to end up like the Von Trapp family at this rate ... but without the Nazism of course.”

As for his upcoming show at Chipping Norton next Thursday, under the auspices of the Cotswold Comedy Club, Rob is coy about revealing the contents, except to say he has some new material.

“It’s my greatest hits with a new song, but not like the George Michael one, more like Gary Barlow on NYE.”

And with a new show at Edinburgh to perform this year, Rob’s already practising.

“Well, when I started out as a comedian, my first problem was realising I needed stuff to say,” he chuckles. “So while most comedians dust off their well honed jokes, I just got up there and shouted ’I got nothin’’’ and then talked about the audience’s haircuts.”

And now? “I’m more honed but you can never plan gigs and they still surprise me. “Often I’ll have a funny bit planned that we never get to because the audience keeps laughing at something else and we go off on a tangent. “But for me being on stage is where it’s at, and stand-up comedy is such a good winter sport.

“If people can get there that is, because at this rate they might need to swim.”

SEE IT
Cotswold Comedy Club presents Rob Deering on Thursday, January 16 at The Theatre Chipping Norton. Call the box office on 01608 642350 or go to chippingnortontheatre.co.uk