Performer: Lloyd Langford Photograph by: Andy Laing Show: Lloyd Langford: Why the Big Face? Venue: Banshee Labyrinth – Cinema Room Promoter: PBJ Management Online: Box Office Website
Tell me about your Edinburgh show.
It’s called Why the Big Face? It’s an hour of jokes about pressing concerns I have including terrorism, paedophile hunters and the correct feeding of garden birds.
Tell me about your first gig.
I was a secondary school and they did a charity Christmas dinner for local pensioners. I was the MC and I flattered the women and rinsed the men. They seemed to love that. I told one guy that he had so many wrinkles on his forehead he probably had to screw his hat on.
Do you have any rituals before going on stage?
I try to avoid the audience and also fastidiously check that my trousers are properly done up. I do the opposite at an orgy.
Tell me about your best and worst review.
I’m not sure great reviews are much fun. When I did The Comedy Zone we had a terrible review that was a laborious metaphor to Harry Potter that went straight into the sorting hat (bin). I don’t mind reviews from someone who didn’t like the show but it’s frustrating when the reviews are poorly written, quote entire jokes or contain obvious inaccuracies. A lot of reviewers in Edinburgh now seem to be people who have just started a blog as a way of getting free fringe tickets. You’ve got to take what the disgruntedtoaster.org says with a hefty pinch of salt.
During this Edinburgh run, do you plan to read reviews of your show?
No. I avoid reading any reviews during the festival. Though occasionally I’ll treat myself to an absolute stinker about someone else. Julia Chamberlain’s review of Pete Jonas’ “Dark Side Of The Poon” is like a fine brandy. Each visit reveals new layers.
How do you feel about reviewers generally?
I think there are very few career choices that a comedian can legitimately look down upon. Human statue and comedy reviewer are two of them.
In April 2018, YouTube comedian, Markus Meechan (aka Count Dankula) was fined £800 for training his girlfriend’s pug dog to do a Nazi salute with its paw, in response to the phrase ‘Gas the Jews’. Do you believe Meechan committed a criminal offence, and why?
I don’t think he did commit a criminal offence. That’s not to say I don’t think he’s a massively overripe plum. Freedom of speech shouldn’t mean freedom from consequences and all this “dank meme’” “edge lord” dogshit is the most simplistic schoolboy toss. I also think the problem with it was that it wasn’t particularly original or funny. Tor Borg taught his dog to do a Nazi salute in Germany in the 40s and was investigated by the Nazi’s! Now that takes some stones. If this Meechan bloke had trained a giraffe to emulate the president of Uganda and then mockingly paraded it in front of Idi Amin, maybe I’d have a bit more respect for him.
Are there any subjects that are not suitable for comedy?
No.
Have you ever gone too far?
Yes. I once fell asleep on a night bus and ended up in the depot.
Looking back over your time as a comedian, tell me about the best gig of your career.
I’ll tell you about something that has only happened to me at one gig. I was supporting Rhod Gilbert at the Hammersmith Apollo and when he introduced me, I could actually physically feel the air rush towards me as the audience of 3500 people clapped and cheered! And I was just the support act. It was exhilarating.