Ciaran Franco: Running Gigs, Gong Shows & Getting stuck on Buses?!

Ciaran Franco is one of the rising stars of the NI Comedy scene at the moment. From running gigs & MC'ing to headlining shows, Franco has had a rapid rise in only a few years & is set to continue his growth in the next coming years here; hopefully across the pond too.

Ciaran runs many a comedy night one of which being No Joke at the Ulster Sports Club a gig he started with his mate & owner of 'YEO Magazine', Saul Duffin.

"He asked if I wanted anything printed to let him know so I was like could you say I'm doing a show in Sunflower Comedy club & he suggested to me one day why don't we do a gig one day?"

As expected running comedy gigs isn't stress-free & pushing tickets last minute is an added pressure ahead of hosting a comedy show.

"It's probably the most stressful when it comes to tickets because a lot of people buy tickets last minute. The room holds 70 & you're panicking, thinking I'm going to have to move everyone to the front of the room but hopefully most of people just buy tickets last minute."

A recent new gig that Ciaran has helped create is the 'Live at the Hive Comedy Night' at the Beehive Bar on the Falls Road, Belfast. The Beehive Bar has undergone major refurbishment with over £700,000 worth of investment being spent on expanding the bar. Owner Phil Bannon looks to create the 'best in the west' in terms of entertainment : “The main driver for us is going to be entertainment, comedy nights, live music and whatever else we can think of."

So how exactly did Ciaran get involved in such an exciting project?

"The owner came to a gig at No Joke & approached me after at the October show & said he's looking to run a gig & if I'd like to come look at his bar. We were chatting & he was showing me his bar getting refurbished so then we went downstairs to his office, I opened the door & there was a picture of my Nanny's siblings in his office. I was like what the fuck this is a bit weird? Is this just all to stalk me? 

Turns out he's my Dad's cousin & then we started cracking on from there & I agreed to help run his gig. The first one was class, as West Belfast is, rowdy but on the right side of rowdy. I think it took him a while to figure out how it's working, how a comedy gig goes but the second half was unreal.

I get some nights I wish I didn't have to run gigs but I also love it at the same time. I started it to get stage time & now I do enjoy it. You have to be a proper melter on social media at times which I hate but I also realise if I dont make the money through ticket sales then it's coming out of my pocket.

It's the best hobby in the world you get to run gigs & invest in making people happy."

Ciaran's running his gigs as paid spots & currently trying to run No Joke as a Pro night & Audacity as free comedians. Ciaran also is trying to make the night about the comedians & comedy fans too; creating the safe space for anyone to come & enjoy a night of Comedy which is highly commendable.

"I'm trying to make No Joke very inclusive for people who are worried about playing a bar in this area or that area. I want No Joke to be a real safe space for people playing in."

Ciaran's also spoken about is need to get his driving license soon. As a Comedian trying to gig especially around NI or down south it becomes a challenge when you're almost limited to carpooling with whoever is on the same bill as you.

An example is missing out in playing gigs in Dublin, something Ciaran looks set on doing more of however his last experience of doing so in January last year didn't exactly go to plan...Let's just say we're moving the 'worst gig' question up a few paragraphs this time.

"I ended up getting trapped in Dublin Airport overnight in their garage locked on a bus. It was the maddest thing & I haven't been back to Dublin since.

I was sleeping & the bus obviously has broken down & they told everyone to get off but I was at the very back in the dark sleeping. So they left me & drove it into a garage in Dublin Airport to be repaired & I had woken up in complete darkness like where the fuck am I? Banging on the doors panicking.

So I rang the guards & they said 'you do realise this is for emergencies only?' I was like I'm locked in Dublin airport & have to be in work in four hours?! I ended up making it into work & probably smelt like shit & looked even more like shit. So I do need to drive cause that probably happens when I haven't learned."

Ciaran realises that to stand out from the ever-growing crowd he needs to possess multiple skills & by promoting gigs, MCing & doing his own sets it does put him on many peoples radar as a great upcoming talent here in the NI scene.

Having done the 'Our Wee Podcast' with fellow comedians Pete Giffen & Sean McAleavey they decided to let it come to a natural end after their live show last December. Now deciding to continue progressing it into their own comedy club aptly named 'Our Wee Comedy Club' at Maddens Bar.

"The main thing that's came from that Podcast is the comedy club which is a weekly club where we can just get up spin new material & improve as MC's." 

Wanting to be a standup more-so than a podcaster was a great natural progression for the comedians in setting up their own club & looks to have been a great success so far just more than a year on from their opening.

What would be your favourite venue to play?

"Lavery's is the main one that is an incredible experience but I think as well the Sunflower, massive shoutout to Dan who runs it; June was one of the most fun gigs I've had there just a really really lovely experience. I can't not say the Boiler Room. I think a few people have mentioned it & Ro Boyle who runs it. It's electric & so much fun on stage like you don't realise your 10 minutes is up, you feel so in the zone.

Daly's in Omagh is another one. I've done it twice & both times it's been so much fun. It feels like they're right on you, the room holds like 150 but it feels massive when you can't see anyone & the laughs are just coming at you. Both times I've done it I've felt like hugging Conor Keys like thanks for this experience of playing a room like this. A room that's so expertly run that you feel like you'd have to be like an arsehole to have a really tough set at it."

What would be the best venue you've played?

"I think Lavery's would be the best but if I had to pick a random one I would probably have to go with Daly's or Boiler Room. They're just incredible to play. The sort of places that when you have a night that you don't enjoy it & you come away like fuck it's these places that when you get to play them you're like this is amazing, this is why I do this."

Is there any venues you'd like to play in the near future?

"I'd love to do some places in England like The Stand in Newcastle because I used to study there. They look like wee sort of bunkers, perfect for comedy. One of The Stand venues I think I'd love to be one of the next venues I do. 

The Frog & Bucket in Manchester would also be one I'd love to go to next but I think the only way I get there is if I keep writing & keep doing more gigs here until I get a profile. I hate how it is so social media based but it is building up the followers to get in there & hopefully I have the talent too. Not that I have the talent but hopefully I have the writing that shows off I deserve to be there as well." 

I think it's safe to say from his already steady success & progression Ciaran will be playing these venues across the pond in the near future.

What would the goal be in the next couple of years?

"One of the goals I set myself this year is to try & enjoy standup more. I feel like I rushed into doing a solo show & trying to put too much pressure on myself like you've got to do a solo show in your second year which you shouldn't be doing that. Not that I shouldn't be doing it but I rushed it & I just wanted to be seen as someone who's done a show which wasn't the right thing I should have done.

The goal for this year is to enjoy myself more & the more I enjoy it the rewards will come more naturally. I just think do I have the comedy, the standup is the bread & butter, do I have the jokes to go along with this & back it. If it wasn't friends & family at that solo show would it have actually been that good? In a way I had a good experience standing & talking for an hour but at the same time I do feel I rushed it.

Hopefully in two years time I'll have an hour's worth of material that feels like every joke & laugh is earned that I could maybe put on at the end of two years that I can be like this is something I'm really really proud of."

Do you feel the gong show style shows at the likes of Frog & Bucket would work as well over here?

"Darren Matthews is doing one but I think they would. I think they can be a bit ruthless at times I remember the ones in London are really ruthless. I've heard some in London that once you walk on stage they try & get you off. From what I've heard about the ones here they'e quite nice & not encouraged to gong."

How popular are open mic nights in Belfast at the moment?

"Yes it's massive. I started in a competition, that was my first gig. There was so many people wanting to start standup so Luke said he'd do this competition the winner will get a larger spot in a couple weeks time. Now Maddens offers people spots but there's times where there's that many people coming to sign up to a spot there's people that have drove from Donegal & not got on; that's how much the scene is exploding at the minute.

It's great to see & there's that saying 'A rising tide lifts all Boats' & one thing is I've been to gigs in London & Edinburgh & I did the BBC New Comedy awards in Edinburgh & found it very clicky or quite cold. Whereas here I find a real sense of community here like a team sport."

What would be the dream venue be in the future?

"That's a good question, I suppose the idea is to get to the biggest venue. I'd love to do a theatre venue in the future. I suppose the dream venue because I saw a band there & it was unreal would be Vicar Street in Dublin or even getting to play Leicester Square Theatre in London. Which aren't quite theatre sizes but are almost huge standup comedy shows. Somewhere iconic I can come on stage to a song of my choice & if it was a solo show it would be an even better feeling. That's 10-20 years of working hard, grafting everyday, dying until you get the material & the profile."

Who would be your Standup inspirations?

"Growing up my hero would be Norm Macdonald. I remember discovering him when I was in University at a time when I was in quite a depressive spell & he'd wreck me laughing. I was watching him & then I went to see a film called Stan & Ollie with Steve Coogan & John C. Reilly about Laurel & Hardy. I remember leaving that & watching Norm Macdonald & it came together in a fusion of I need to do standup comedy but then I dicked about for two years too nervous to try it but I think Norm Macdonald for me would be my hero. 

Shane Gillis would be the guy at the minute I watch a lot of, massive massive fan.

From the NI scene I one time said, rather scunderingly, that Aaron McCann got me into standup because I used to watch him talk about how special it was to him & that inspired me to get into it a wee bit. Watching guys like Aaron Buttler, Aaron McCann, William Thompson week in week out & James McKegney as well actually, I feel like those guys helps me grow as a Comedian."

Who is the most underrated comedian in the NI Scene?

"A few people have said Luke McGibbon so I dont want to say him even though he is one of my best chums. It would have to be Alan Irwin or Ronan Linksey. Alan in particular, like we would have been friends but I never seen him do a gig until a year & a bit into standup. The first time I seen Alan do an actual gig was at No Joke in December & I was like holy fuck this guys class. I'd always see him as an MC & he's a class MC but seeing how good an actual standup he was as well like Alan is so so underrated & now he's gigging properly now again it's class to see. So I'd say Alan Irwin 100%.

For a wee sneaky one I would say Frazer Robb who was the first solo show of anyone on the scene here I went to see. I went to see him I think on the 2nd December 2021 he did a solo show in the Black Box & I remember crying laughing. He sort of took you on this journey & it being the perfect timing of a show; wasn't too long or too short. Anytime I chat to Frazer he's one of the funniest guys to chat to so I'd say Alan Irwin or Frazer Robb are the two who don't get enough credit."

Fanta Lemon or Ribena?

"I'm going to go Fanta Lemon because it feels more like a treat. My mum would've gave me Ribena as a child for School & I associate it with my mum saying don't drink the cartons of Ribena they're for School so when she'd be upstairs I'd just be chinning them. So I associate Ribena with waterboarding myself with Blackcurrant juice.

Ciaran's end goal is to do this full-time & by gigging regularly & continuing to put on great nights for the NI scene I don't see any reason why he wouldn't be able to achieve that goal in the coming years. 

He comes across as a very down to earth comic who not only is trying to better his career & craft his standup but also give to his community & help other standups get a chance on the scene.

If you'd like to see Ciaran soon here are some of his upcoming gigs: 

Turnstyle - Feb 13
Laverys - 21st and 22nd Feb
No Joke - March 7th
A double headline show with Luke McGibbon - March 22nd
Beehive - March 23rd