LMFAO: Glen Bo
Long gone are the days when stand-up comedy was limited to middle-aged theatre fundies seeking the occassional laugh. Comedians have become hot property amongst trendy youngsters who are more likely to frequent a rock concert than a stuffy theatre. At first glance Glen Bo might look more like a rockstar than a comedian and this observation won't be far off as he is as much rock 'n roll as he is charming and intelligent wit. He has worked extensively abroad, performed at top-notch corporate events, emceed for Seether and FokofPolisieKar & hosted his own online-radio show on IwantMyRadio. Glen founded the DSOC(Durban Society of Comedy) which was pivotal in reigniting the comedy scene in KZN from 2009 when he was based in the province. He has starred in films such as 'Florida Road' in 2012 and Curry & Vice' in 2013. Earlier this year his first video on Comedy Central attracted 17,000 views in a single week on their Facebook page. I got to chat to Glen about his travels abroad and what it takes to be a successful comedian in 2015.
Photo Courtesy of Glen Bo
A great fear for any comedian must be being faced with an audience that does not laugh at your jokes. Have you ever encountered such an audience from hell? A great fear for comedians is in fact not that. It's about other things. Audiences laugh, they don't laugh, sometimes it's about making them think then getting them to a punchline. Comedians don't tell jokes, we take them on a rollercoaster. You have lived and worked in the UK for many years. Is there a vast difference between British and South African humour? In many ways there's similarities. But it depends in which genre of comedy you're referring too. There's language based comedy, visual, improv, all kinds of styles. I think the biggest differences are not styles but subject matter and how far an audience lets you go or how far you can take them. That for me was the biggest difference. Comedians are comedians. But it's just like music, there's styles and genres. Your fame did not happen overnight. Do you think it is important to start at the bottom and work your way up the proverbial 'ladder of life'? Fame and success is relative. When are you famous? When you're on TV? Or Radio? Or in front of 10,000 people? Thing is, this isn't Pop Idols, we don't get 15mins of it, we work at it for years and years honing our craft. And yes of course Mass Media is a catalyst but again i could parallel this to music. For me personally development is progression. It's an evolution, keep pushing forward and trying things and every year I try switch something up in some way. You need to evolve as a comedian, or you'll wake up and realise you have no connection with a comedy-club-audience, and that's a shame. This isn't about fame, it really isn't. You get funny and then you get Glen Bo funny. How would you best describe your personal style? I use improv, observational comedy, nice dose of wit and truth in what I say. I prepare, just like i would for a Boxing match, but in the moment it's all instinct-based. That's just how I approach it. As well as using my Kudu-spirit-animal pelt. Having said that, if you see me in a theatre, club, corporate or charity event, you'll see a different side to me. But I always have an undertone of rocknroll. Well, i try too, I'm myself and how I feel I can get the humour across. Just watch my Comedy Central vid to understand:
At what point in your life did you realise 'Hey, I'm pretty funny. I can make money from making people laugh'? It's never been about money. IF it ever is, stop doing it and go be a poet for a while. BUT it's hard enough as it is to be an artist in SA, so money is part of the game. But the realisation was probably in the UK working full-time as a comedian, travelling for hours and hours for a few pounds. I think that's when you realise. Also when you do a couple corporates, can work off a brief and be malleable enough to be professional as well as relevant and obviously, funny. That also opens up other avenues. It's called Show Business for a reason, there's a business. I must congratulate you on making Cult Comedy look classy. How much of yourself do you bring to your shows? I give the audience everything. 50 people or 5000, I give them everything. Thank you for the compliment, i think there's style in alternative This was meant to be a big week for Oscar Pistorius. Do you have any advice for him about getting back in the dating game? Probably don't join Tinder. And he's had dates in prison, maybe he needs some time to reflect. As far as advice, no, none, no advice for people who shoot at Doors . Facebook Twitter: @GlenBoShow
Photo Courtesy of Glen Bo
