Ed Gamble is heading to Montreal for the biggest room on his North American tour, and he’s coming alone. The British comedian, best known for co-hosting the Off Menu podcast with James Acaster and his appearances on Taskmaster and Mock the Week, kicks off his tour at Club Soda on February 7. It’s his first full show in the city after years of short sets at Just For Laughs, and he’s ready to finally stretch out.
“I love Montreal,” Gamble says. “It is, weirdly, the only place I’ve been in Canada, but I’ve been there like three or four times to do Just For Laughs. And I adore it, and I always look forward to going back. I mean, I’m led to believe it’s not representative of the rest of Canada in the way the city is. It obviously feels like it has very European influences, architecturally, and just vibe-wise. But I tend to judge cities based on their food, and Montreal is top of the list for me, or certainly near the top of the list in my top five places to go out and eat.”
The audiences have always been great, but this will be different. “I’ve never actually done a full show in Montreal. It’s always been the short sets for Just For Laughs and the Brit(ish) nights. So it’s going to be really exciting to come and do my full show for everyone.”
Back in the UK, Gamble has become something of a household name through television and podcasting. In North America, the recognition comes from a more specific place. “I think a lot of people will know me from the things that people get nerdy about in North America about British comedy. So things like Taskmaster and things like the Off Menu podcast is how people know me, and from doing the Taskmaster podcast as well, which is a lovely few things to be known for, because the fans of those things tend to be really fun and really friendly and tend to be comedy savvy and want to have a great night out.”
When asked if those shows represent who he really is, Gamble doesn’t hesitate. “I’d say Taskmaster and Off Menu, the two things where I was closest to myself on Taskmaster, and certainly on Off Menu, is a direct insight into who I am. And I think the stand-up is as well. So hopefully, it’s a good representation. I don’t think people will come and be surprised by how I am on stage. I think it will just be an extension of what they enjoy about me anyway. I hope. But we’ll see. I mean, hopefully, people know who I am. They’ve booked tickets to the show. But equally, I think the show is good enough as an introduction to me as well, that if people are coming with no idea of what to expect, then they’ll enjoy it and get a good idea of who I am.”
There’s a YouTube video out there titled “Ed Gamble being a little shit on Mock The Week for 30 minutes straight.” When confronted with it, Gamble laughs. “I’m a little shit. I mean, when I saw that video, someone sent it to me, I’ve often struggled to describe my comic persona in a pithy way, which a lot of comedians can do. They have a persona that, like, I’m this guy. So book me for this. And this is what I’ll do. And I think little shit is probably quite a good explanation of my vibe. I’m mischievous, cheeky, probably quite annoying to some people. I’m either your favourite cousin or your least favourite cousin.”
That mischief started as a social survival tactic. “I think either a defense or just a way of ingratiating yourself socially, I think that was definitely something I worked out I was good at. And that is a way into making friends and fitting in is definitely being the funny one. So kind of less of a defense, more of just an attempt to socialize, I’d imagine. Like, I can’t imagine socializing with someone without making jokes, to be honest, which may say something deeper within my psyche. But that’s the way it is.”
Reading a room has become second nature after years on stage. “I’ve been doing stand-up for so long that you sort of become attuned to atmospheres in rooms. And from speaking to people, you can sort of see what sort of people they are. It’s a really difficult thing to describe. But yeah, I can walk into any room. I can hear the buzz in the room. And I can tell whether it’s going to be a fun show or not. I probably shouldn’t sort of damn or get excited about shows based on the feeling in the room when I walk in. But I think that becomes a sort of secondary skill that most comics have when you’ve played lots of different rooms.”
Panel shows like Mock the Week, which recently returned on TLC, require a different skillset than stand-up. “With the panel shows, obviously, there’s other people there. So it’s a lot more of a collaborative experience. Certainly, when I used to do Mock the Week, it became more of a collaborative experience. You obviously have your bits that you want to say. But it’s about working those in in a way that is not obtrusive to everyone else and also listening to other people and riffing off the back. Stand-up’s just me. So whilst I will chat to the audience and improvise and try and be quick in that scenario in more of a panel showy way, it’s more about the material that you’ve written, tooling it to the audience in front of you, and just trying to create a good atmosphere. So they do feel like very, very different things. But I think each one can inform how well you do on the other as well. You can always take skills and transfer them.”
Tooling material to different audiences involves practical adjustments. “Certainly touring in other countries, I have to go through my show with a fine tooth comb, trying to work out what references will fly and what references won’t. Doing that, I tend to find most of my stuff is pretty internationally broad. Sometimes I rely on a specifically British reference, which is easily changed or just snipped out. In terms of tooling it to the individual audiences and the vibe of the city, because I think everywhere you go has its own identity. And they might enjoy different things. Or they might react differently to comedy. They might be quieter, more appreciative audiences. Or they might be rowdy. And obviously, I’m doing some afternoon shows on this tour. I’m doing some late-night shows. So that’s different again. So I think a lot of it’s instinctual. And then some of it is literal, like, going through jokes and making sure that they understand what the hell you’re talking about.”
Quiet audiences present a particular challenge. “I find that really hard. I find quiet and respectful audiences tricky to deal with. It depends what sort of mental space I’m in. If I think, well, they might just be listening, give them the benefit of the doubt, just do the show and get through it and throw yourself into it. Maybe chat to them a little bit, break out, see how they’re feeling. Maybe slow everything down a little bit. But then on other occasions, if they’re just not giving me anything, I might pull the ripcord and try getting angry with them in a funny way. Because I think that’s actually a pocket I operate quite well in: exasperated and angry, throwing a petulant strop. I think a few people know me from that sort of thing.”
It’s a risky move. “I did it the other night at a very, very quiet audience and had a go at them in a sort of deliberately funny way. And they absolutely loved it. But if they don’t love it, then you’ve completely spoiled the gig, really, because they’re like, well, we were just listening. We were having a nice time. So that’s the last ditch attempt sometimes, is to pull that ripcord and go, right, let’s flip out on them. See what happens.”
What might surprise people about Gamble is his deep connection to metal music. He’s not just a casual fan. “I started like 1999, 2000, which is sort of the dawn of nu metal. So it was things like Slipknot, System of a Down, Deftones, Korn, not Limp Bizkit at that time, actually. I thought they were a bit silly around then. And I was a bit more serious about music. Now I listen to Limp Bizkit all the time. Just have fun. They’re great. I don’t need to be worried about what’s serious and what’s not. And then it went from nu metal to heavier stuff, like sort of new wave of American heavy metal, like Trivium and Killswitch and Lamb of God especially. But then, pre-that, bands like Pantera, if I’m allowed to say that anymore, Machine Head, and then obviously Black Sabbath and all of those bands. And I still really, really enjoy all of that stuff today.”
These days, he’s exploring newer territory while maintaining those roots. “Recently, I mean, you’re wearing a Conjurer shirt. I listen to a lot of Conjurer, some fantastic stuff coming out of Britain at the moment. I listen to a lot of Clutch, who are probably my favourite band just to put on, just because I love that sort of stoner, doomy riff stuff. And then some proper just roaring heavy metal, like I listen to a lot of Motorhead still. I listen to a lot of High On Fire, anything Matt Pike does, I listen to. So yeah, heavy, big riffs essentially, big riffs.”
When asked what he listens to for relaxation, Gamble laughs. “Weirdly, that stuff does actually chill me out quite a lot. Then I can just listen to more expansive heavy metal. I can listen to some Cult of Luna. I can listen to some stuff like that. I can listen to some Yob. I can listen to people with 60-minute-long songs. I can pop Sleep on. Matt Pike’s got something for everyone. So yeah, that is genuinely the music that chills me out. I listen to hip hop now and again. I’m quite specific with the hip hop I like, but I wouldn’t say that that chills me out in any way. But honestly, there’s nothing relaxing I really listen to.”
Balancing tours, podcasts, and television appearances requires delegation. “Every comedian you will have ever met is a terrible organizer. I actually think I’m one of the better ones. I know some comedians who I don’t know how they’re still alive, quite frankly. So you sort of rely on other people, on all of those projects to sort of work around you and fit everything in. I’d say I occasionally get to the point where I’m like, I’ve simply said yes to too much, and I’m doing too many things. I set a rule for myself a few years ago that I would only say yes to things when I was in a good position work-wise, that I’d only say yes to things that I enjoy. And then it’s now turned out I enjoy quite a lot of things. So I’ve ended up with a very full plate.”
The core mission remains clear. “Everything I do is sort of geared towards being able to sell tickets and doing stand-up, because that’s why I got into it. So to be able to come and tour Canada and do a big show in Montreal is so exciting. And that’s why I do all those other things as well. So as long as the main aim is doing comedy and doing stand-up, I think I can always schedule things around that.”
Looking ahead, Gamble has interests beyond comedy but no immediate plans to pivot. “I’d like to do a bit of acting in the future maybe. I’ve sort of done acting-adjacent things in the past, which were very fun. But at the moment, things are just far too busy. I’m doing far too many podcasting and stand-up things. It would have to be the right gig for that. But yeah, I’d like to write a novel, all of these things. But these things take time. And I’m very, very busy. So at the moment, the thing that I most like to do is just do another good stand-up show and then finish that one, tour it everywhere, and then write another one. It just feels like I can keep trucking and just get better and better every time.”
For this tour specifically, Gamble is looking forward to the solitude and the connection in equal measure. “I’m touring alone. I’m touring around countries I’ve never toured before. I’m going to be by myself most of the day. So I’d imagine I’ll be absolutely delighted to have human contact and get on stage and speak to people.”
Ed Gamble will be performing at the Club Soda on Saturday 7th February.
For tickets, visit https://edgamble.co.uk/
Watch the interview below:
Photo credit – Matt Crocket
Share this :
