What’s Your Problem? is a podcast recorded at the Big Belly Comedy Club, where we try to figure out what’s wrong with comedians that makes them want to tell jokes on stage.
Dane Buckley is a truly unique comedian and writer who blends Irish, Indian, and gay perspectives into his uproarious act. Since starting comedy in 2021, his career has been on a rocket-ship trajectory. Interviewed by Lance Carter.
Sounds a little bit like we’re having a fight! What’s your problem? I do think all comedians do have their thing, don’t they? We’re all damaged individuals, and we have to bring that damage and trauma to make the funny.
I would say I’m obviously a gay man, fairly effeminate, fairly large, from a council estate. So I’ve been dealing with hecklers since I was seven. But I love that kind of damage, and I’ve turned it into comedy.
So I guess there’s an element of that, but also a healthy dose of puberty, food issues, sexuality, self esteem issues, life issues, all of which is a wicked potion for comedy.
I mean, it depends on the room. But I think it’s easier to do comedy if you’re gay, because of the toolkit that you have. It’s not a joke when I say I’ve been dealing with hecklers since I was seven. So when people come for me, I am ready.
There will be some people that automatically like you because you’re queer. But there will 100% be people that don’t and I’ve had lads say to me “do you know what I didn’t think I was gonna like you because you’re gay, but I really liked that”.
In my mother’s stomach! I think I knew I could do stories and be funny from a young age at school, and sort of use it as a defence. I love making the people I love laugh. Like my mam and my sisters; I did my impressions of my nan to my nan and she loved them.
I was never that into comedy. I never really watched stand up specials. Even now people drop names about big comedians and I don’t have a clue who that is. I’ll just smile and nod.
But I did love sketch-shows. I fecking loved French and Saunders growing up, and Victoria Wood, Smack the Pony, all of those. Will and Grace, all the American sitcoms. They had a massive influence on me, French and Saunders more than anyone else.
But there were certainly some DVDs like the early Micky Flanagan ones I loved and Alan Carr of course, and some Americans, like Ellen back when she was nice.
But I’d never been to a comedy club before I was employed to go to one.
What was the first time you performed comedy? People said to me for years I should do comedy, but I just put that dream to bed for a long time. And then I thought I’m sick of putting that dream to bed, I want to actually try it. I actually liked that this was scary, maybe it means it’s important and I should try it.
I signed up for the course at the Comedy Store, but then a little woman strolled into my life called COVID, and the course was cancelled.
So for two years, I just wrote; I wrote a page for every topic I could think of, being fat, being Irish, being Indian, being gay, running a day centre, working with teenage gangs, dating, eating, travelling, and just wrote down lots of things. Because for years, my friends were like, write that down, write that down, and then in October 2021, I started the course at the Comedy Store.
It was mainly focused on building your first five minutes, and I loved it. I got bitten by the bug. It finished in a showcase at the Comedy Store, where you do five minutes, and I absolutely loved it. I got booked for a gig the next week, it’s my first paid gig, thirty quid, I bought this earring with it.
I did, I was so lucky. They told me it was a rugby club in Surrey and it turned out to be a football club in Croydon, which is very different.
Yeah, I could smell it before I went in, but I fecking loved it. I was bitten by the bug, and then I just hit it. I did 300 gigs my first year.
I did the gong shows, and one of my clips from Beat the Blackout at Up The Creek went viral. I got a message from Joe Lycett to say he was a fan which was gorgeous and really gave me some confidence.
I’m not interested in being comedian’s comedian. I couldn’t give a flying feck. I’m interested in a room screaming my name and loving me. That’s what I want.
I started getting more and more offers and then I started tour support. I did tour support for Tom Allen, and now I’m doing support for Rosie Jones and that is such a luxury. I feel so blessed every day because I’m doing 20 minutes I’m trying new material on the road. I’m getting paid well for it. I’m getting a captive audience.
You’ve only been doing standup since the end of COVID? That’s a strong trajectory!The way I see it, COVID was two years of winding up, and then when the doors opened again, bam!
When I hit a certain age I realised, regret is a horrible thing. I want to say I tried this 100%. So I went for it. I don’t currently have a partner or kids. I have two houseplants, their safety is not a concern for me. So I never turned down a gig.
Because you’ve got to work. Yeah, like people say it’s about talent, or it’s about opportunity. It is, but it’s also about grafting and working.
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