TOM STADE
Stuart Rolt
Oct 13
|17:59
TOM STADE
Edinburgh-based, but Canadian-born, comic Tom Stade incredulously highlights the more esoteric aspects of British daily life in his routines. Now in great demand after some exceptional TV appearances, including a collaboration on Frankie Boyle's infamous Tramadol Nights, he’s coming to town soon as part of the Brighton Comedy Festival 2011. So we phoned him for a chat.
BN1: So how you doing today?
TS: Yeah, today’s good. I woke up, so I can fix everything I screwed up yesterday. We’ll find who’s angry and get those people on the horn. Sorted.
BN1: How did you end up being a comedian?
TS: My dad was one of the biggest comedy fans ever. I was really into all the comedians who were big when I was young, but I never thought I was going to be one. I thought I was going to be more of an actor. But when I was 17 and somebody paid me $50 to go on stage I thought: “Yeah! Let’s do this! Let’s drop out of school and go for it.”
BN1: How does Canada compare to Scotland?
TS: For one they don’t put Coke in their whiskey. I’m surprised there’s not a riot every day. It’s a little grey and I’m a little scared to wear a T=shirt with any kind of colour on it, but it’s good, I love hanging out with the Scots. They get me.
BN1: Have you been playing the Edinburgh festival?
TS: We’ve a sold-out run. I’m more surprised than anyone by it. I didn’t think any people knew who the heck I was, but they’ve been turning up in droves. I’m enjoying it while it lasts, because I know that show-business can stop this car pretty fast. “This is as far as we’re can take you. We’re done now; it’s on to the next guy…”
People come because of what they’ve seen on the BBC One shows. But the BBC sanitises it so they don’t get any letters. You go into the club and you’ve got your free speech back. You can’t have that on TV because kids don’t swear. The kid who spoke to me the other night was pretty polite. I loved his language.
BN1: Who are your favourite comedians?
TS: I’ve got a lot. I like Sean Walsh, he’s absolutely fantastic. My buddy Craig Campbell is a really funny man. If you need a famous guy I could probably hit on Rich Hall. He’s one of the guy’s that I think is a pure genius.
Everybody’s a genius in their own way. If you can tap into the one thing you’re good at then you’re a genius. Everybody’s got that one spark to them. It can take a whole life to work that out, because they get chucked into the system. They need workers in different sectors.
BN1: Do you find you’re getting service in shops nowadays?
TS: I went to Specsavers and the manager knew who I was and gave me my glasses for free. I guess they were thinking: “Hey! If I give this guy his glasses for free we’ll get some promo for it.” So now we’re even.
BN1: Have you got a bucket list? If so what’s on it?
TS: I’ve done everything I’ve wanted to do. Now I just want to die. That’s a terrible bucket list. You’re supposed to say skydiving or go hang out in Nepal or something
No, I want to see as much of the world as I possibly can, that’s about it from me. I want to get in a van and go and hang out with the Taliban. Find out what they’re thinking. Go and do some crazy stuff like that. Do everything you’re not supposed to do that’s my motto.
BN1: You’ve been to Iraq and Afghanistan though?
TS: I was there when it was heated. Now it’s pretty tame. It’s not the war it once was. Everybody’s used to the army walking around now. The army guys are the best audiences because they’ve got such a dark sense of humour. They’ve seen a lot of pain. If you don’t laugh at pain then you’re screwed.
BN1: What projects are you working on?
TS: I stick to one thing at a time. I’ve three months, ahead of me, of touring. After the tour I’ll figure out what I want to do. I want to do a baking class. I want to learn how to make chocolate fudge properly.
Tom Stade is appearing at Brighton Dome on Thu 13th October.
