INTERVIEW: HILS BARKER
Hello all!
In our neverending quest to make Sinisterland a place you want to regularly visit, we convinced headliner, bon vivant and top girl Hils Barker (who really should have figured out how to block my e-mails by now) to answer ten hard-hitting (well, a few were kinda squishy, but why quibble over semantics?) questions...
1. What got you interested in Comedy?
Both my parents were comedians, as were their parents before them. When you've got the full set of 4 grandparents all doing stand-up at you from an early age, it's hard not to follow in their footsteps. How well I remember learning the rule of 3 and "pull back reveals" at my grandmother's knee. As a teenager, though, I rebelled and took a job as a Barista, hoping to make a career out of working at Stoke-on-Trent's only espresso emporium, but sometimes, high on caffeine, I would do impromptu comedy routines for the edification of the customers. Sure enough, I soon got hooked on the adrenalin of performing and moved down to London to try my luck. I then had to write some new routines, as sadly I found that "What's the deal with latte?" was no longer banker material.
2. What was your first gig like?
But seriously folks, it was in a biker bar in Islington. I spoke for five minutes, largely aiming my material at the back wall, and the audience was a mixture of people who'd wandered in off the street and comedy fans. it was quite nice though.
3. What was your best gig?
I've been most proud of some of my previews for the Edinburgh show, funnily enough. I seem to be doing different stuff and striking a rich new vein of honesty which will either get me hung or reduce my therapy bills.
4. What was your worst gig?
Unless it happened in the last two weeks, I won't be able to remember it, as I quite genuinely and psychotically block out any really bad ones.
5. How do you handle hecklers?
It depends - if they're behaving like bastards you can usually get the rest of the audience on your side and ostracise them as though we were all at a particularly nasty girls' school. If they're worthwhile heckles, I like having a banter but then never know where to stop and end up arranging to meet them afterwards to discuss it and then having to run away straight after the gig, in case they're weird.
6. Who are your biggest influences?
Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, Chris Morris, Victoria Wood (for when I write my musical) Bob Dylan, Gillian Welch, Bruce Springsteen, Steve Earle, Tanya Donnelly, Leo Tolstoy and George Elliot.*
*This sounds the line-up of a highly entertaining episode of Celebrity Death Match. My money's on Tolstoy (pictured right); I can just see the Russian author in full, plasticine glory, shattering the competition by wielding War and Peace as a bludgeon and throwing first editions of Anna Karenina like ninja shuriken stars - Mr X
7. What's your favourite type of Caribbean lizard?
I don't mind as long as they change colour. It's the lazy ones that can't be bothered that I have a real problem with.
8. When the revolution comes, who should be first against the wall?
I can honestly say I don't harbour grudges against anyone at the moment, and I haven't even done the 12-step programme, so something odd must be going on. Perhaps I am about to turn into a Stepford Wife.
9. What sets you apart from other comedians?
I think perhaps the belief that my husband is always right - plus, I am incredible at doing the vacuuming, and my beehive hairdo is always perfect.
10. Any advice for aspiring comics?
Keep going. Just... keep... going.
And there you have it. I think we've all learned something pretty special, don't you?
Thanks again to Hils for taking the time to type her witty and moving responses; Personally, I'm going to employ her response to question 7 as my new tantric mantra...
Spaff and joy!
Mr X
In our neverending quest to make Sinisterland a place you want to regularly visit, we convinced headliner, bon vivant and top girl Hils Barker (who really should have figured out how to block my e-mails by now) to answer ten hard-hitting (well, a few were kinda squishy, but why quibble over semantics?) questions...
1. What got you interested in Comedy?
Both my parents were comedians, as were their parents before them. When you've got the full set of 4 grandparents all doing stand-up at you from an early age, it's hard not to follow in their footsteps. How well I remember learning the rule of 3 and "pull back reveals" at my grandmother's knee. As a teenager, though, I rebelled and took a job as a Barista, hoping to make a career out of working at Stoke-on-Trent's only espresso emporium, but sometimes, high on caffeine, I would do impromptu comedy routines for the edification of the customers. Sure enough, I soon got hooked on the adrenalin of performing and moved down to London to try my luck. I then had to write some new routines, as sadly I found that "What's the deal with latte?" was no longer banker material.
2. What was your first gig like?
But seriously folks, it was in a biker bar in Islington. I spoke for five minutes, largely aiming my material at the back wall, and the audience was a mixture of people who'd wandered in off the street and comedy fans. it was quite nice though.
3. What was your best gig?
I've been most proud of some of my previews for the Edinburgh show, funnily enough. I seem to be doing different stuff and striking a rich new vein of honesty which will either get me hung or reduce my therapy bills.
4. What was your worst gig?
Unless it happened in the last two weeks, I won't be able to remember it, as I quite genuinely and psychotically block out any really bad ones.
5. How do you handle hecklers?
It depends - if they're behaving like bastards you can usually get the rest of the audience on your side and ostracise them as though we were all at a particularly nasty girls' school. If they're worthwhile heckles, I like having a banter but then never know where to stop and end up arranging to meet them afterwards to discuss it and then having to run away straight after the gig, in case they're weird.
6. Who are your biggest influences?
Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, Chris Morris, Victoria Wood (for when I write my musical) Bob Dylan, Gillian Welch, Bruce Springsteen, Steve Earle, Tanya Donnelly, Leo Tolstoy and George Elliot.*
*This sounds the line-up of a highly entertaining episode of Celebrity Death Match. My money's on Tolstoy (pictured right); I can just see the Russian author in full, plasticine glory, shattering the competition by wielding War and Peace as a bludgeon and throwing first editions of Anna Karenina like ninja shuriken stars - Mr X
7. What's your favourite type of Caribbean lizard?
I don't mind as long as they change colour. It's the lazy ones that can't be bothered that I have a real problem with.
8. When the revolution comes, who should be first against the wall?
I can honestly say I don't harbour grudges against anyone at the moment, and I haven't even done the 12-step programme, so something odd must be going on. Perhaps I am about to turn into a Stepford Wife.
9. What sets you apart from other comedians?
I think perhaps the belief that my husband is always right - plus, I am incredible at doing the vacuuming, and my beehive hairdo is always perfect.
10. Any advice for aspiring comics?
Keep going. Just... keep... going.
And there you have it. I think we've all learned something pretty special, don't you?
Thanks again to Hils for taking the time to type her witty and moving responses; Personally, I'm going to employ her response to question 7 as my new tantric mantra...
Spaff and joy!
Mr X
posted by The Sinister Fairy at 8:57 AM
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