As a comedian and F-list celebrity I am occassionally asked to appear as a talking head on TV shows called the ‘Greatest Stand-Up Comedians of All Time’. But most the people I want to discuss – Simon Munnery, Kevin MacAleer, and Ted Chippington for example, – are deemed inadmissable by the producers, who want to use footage of pre-approved performers. History is written by the victors. The official story of moden stand-up that has coalesced from Broadsheet articles and TV factual-entertainment programmes is one that remains unrecognisable to many comedians themselves.
I first saw ‘top comedian’ Ted Chippington on October 28th 1984 at a little rock club in Birmingham called The Powerhouse. Don’t look for it. It’s not there anymore. But Ted’s performance that night remains the coolest thing I ever saw. In the early 80’s, as a young stand-up fan outside London, one was largely untouched by the supposed mainstays of the Alternative Comedy Boom. Now that the tonal inference of the movement is everywhere – from McDonalds adverts to day-time Radio 1 dj’s – it’s worth remembering that, back then, there were few provincial equivalents of The Comedy Store or The Comic Strip. Beyond the metropolis you would see the new comedians supporting bands or at forgotten hippy festivals like The Elephant Fayre. In the immediate post-punk era, music audiences accepted variety-style line-ups, and I saw Peter Richardson with Dexy’s Midnight Runners, a young Phill Jupitus doing performance poetry before Billy Bragg, and Ted Chippington, the Ted-shaped hole in the history of comedy, supporting The Fall.
Ted took the stage to a crowd that weren’t expecting him, rooted to the spot in Teddy Boy regalia, scowling and supping a beer. He spent half an hour delivering variations on the same joke, each of which began with the phrase “I was walking down this road the other day,” in a flat midlands monotone, interspersed with listless interpretations of pop hits. People were paralysed with laughter, or furious with irritation. Just as Britain was processing the new stand-up styles of Ben Elton and Alexi Sayle, Ted was already dismantling the form itself. With every frill removed, and with the very notion of what a joke was boiled down to the barest of bones, Ted was stand-up in its purest form, belonging neither to the politicaly-charged world of Alternative Comedy, nor the reactionary hinterlands of Working Men’s Clubs. I was utterlly transfixed and my heart was racing as I realised that stand-up could be anything you wanted it to be. You didn’t even have to look as if you were enjoying it.
Eventually, Ted became a minor cult, though he never played any conventional comedy clubs, prefering to perform where he was not necessarilly wanted. In 1986, a collaboration with Birmingham bands The Nightingales and We’ve Got A Fuzzbox And We’re Gonna Use It nudged Rocking With Rita to the bottom of the charts, and the DJ Steve Wright’s fascination with Ted’s oddly moving take on The Beatles’ She Loves You led to brief major label interest and three TV appearances. Years later Vic Reeves arrived by another route at a similar, but more sophisticated, form of bent light entertainment. At the dawn of the 90’s, Ted’s audiences were in on the joke, so he split to seek fame and fortune in Los Angeles, eventually ending up driving trucks to Mexico and working as a cook. And then the trail went cold.
In the late 80’s, at Univeristy and the Edinburgh fringe, I met other teenage, would-be comics who knew Ted’s lone album, Man In A Suitcase, off-by heart. Monday’s Tedstock benefit at the Bloomsbury Theatre sees us convene to raise money for a 4cd reissue of all his recordings. Ted’s releases documented him struggling with hostile crowds, though his indifference seems now almost sublime. Ted taught us that a bad audience reaction didn’t necessarily mean that what you were doing was worthless, and we co-opted his low-energy insolence and fed off it. At the risk of seeming delusional, I now think you can hear second and third hand echoes of Ted in the routines of comics who probably never even heard him. The relentlessness of Ricky Gervais’ Aesop’s Fables bit is Ted with a tailwind, and in in 2005, when I had the superbly baffling young Edinburgh fringe award-winner Josie Long open for me on tour, a disgruntled Leeds punter remarked. “This is the worst thing I’ve seen since Ted Chippington, twenty years ago.” I couldn’t have been happier.
It’s difficult to say who the first alternative comedian was. Ben Elton? Alexi Sayle? Victoria Wood? John Dowie, if you really know your stuff? Or maybe the folksingers – Billy Conolly or Jasper Carrot? But one things is for certain. Ted Chippington was the first post-alternative comedian, and without him, everything would be different. Not necessarily worse. But different.
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.