Homepage News Reviews - Acts - Shows - Screen - Radio - Books - Clubs Interviews Awards 2006 Edinburgh 2005 - Reviews - Blog - Previews Features Archive Awards 2005 Edinburgh 2004: - Previews - Shows - Diary Guestbook Forum © Emporium Of Mirth 2004 Editor: Lauren Murphy Reporters: Fiona Wilkie Natalie Joanne	Emporium of Mirth Christian Reilly If you haven't heard of Christian Reilly, you're missing out. He's a musical comedian of ininimitable talent, heard most recently on Radio Two's That Was Then, This is Now, with a band who, in true Partridge style, are called something different every week. Oh, and you may remember him backing Otis Lee Crenshaw, no less, in the not too distant past. He emailed Nat about, among other things, ASDA, Luke Skywalker and working with Richards Hall and Herring. Did you/do you have aspirations to be a "serious" musician, or did you always want to do musical comedy? I do write serious material, but nobody pays me for that. So I'm taking it out on the world of comedy. How did you get involved in TWTTIN? I've really enjoyed (if that's the word) the pressure it's put me under to generate new ideas every week - I've learned so much from doing it. I started talking with the producer this time last year about writing and performing on the show. It's taken this long just to sort out the rider for the band - "no brown M&M's, Richard Herring to supply dessicated remains of 150 year-old girlfriend to be snorted..." - that type of thing. Where did you meet the guys in your band? I met Damian in ASDA in Nottingham in 1993, where he lectured me about my poor diet. He's never stopped taking an interest. Charlie and Martyn were hired to focus more on the music. Do you find that some subjects just scream at you to be turned into songs? Yes. Particularly Stalinist planning, Britain's entry into the ERM, haiku poets that die of dysentry, speed typists, attitudes to gay military personel and aged astronauts. You just have to stare at them really hard. Write me a funny verse using the words "ectoplasm", "doughnut" and "fishbone". It takes me about a week to write a funny verse. At the two-minute stage, in my head it goes like this: There was a young lady called Nat Who, during an internet chat Blah blah blah blah ectoplasm and doughnut Fishbone were quite a good band As you can see - It's taking shape, but needs another eight hours. Do you find that you encounter prejudice from either the music industry or the comedy industry for combining the two? Some people would look on it as not being loyal to one or the other. Yes, it's exactly like that from some people. Comedians think that it's 'cheating' to use music in your act. I'm just playing to my strengths - if I tried to play to anyone else's that would be silly. As far as the music industry is concerned, I just don't understand it. Only Sting and Paul McCartney make money. There's no justice. Live comedy is a bit more of a meritocracy. That's one of the things that attracts me to it, I think. Do people still refer to you as "that guy who worked with Rich Hall"? Nice to be referred to at all, I say. I used to be "that guy over there". Look how far I've come. Who are your comic/musical inspirations? Tom Waits, Tom Waits, Rich Hall, Johnny Vegas, Tom Waits, Boothby Graffoe, Sean Lock, loads of people I can't think of right now and Tom Waits. And Chet Baker. And David Lee Roth. What's your favourite venue to play? Sydney Opera House. Best/worst heckle? One night I was pretending to be Luke Skywalker. I said, "Right. I'm Luke Skywalker..." and someone shouted: "Yeah. You wish!". I just burst out laughing. That was the best the guy could do. It was like being at school and having arguments along the lines of: "you're stupid"; "no - YOU are!". I think that's how I came back at him: "no - YOU wish!". It could've gone on all night. It was very funny, but you had to be there... What are your plans for the future? Just humbly working towards world peace. Want to buy a ribbon? Christian was interviewed by Nat, winter 2004 RSS  Printable version	Visit our Siamese Twin Sister Site!