Dave Elliott: Podcasts, Sitcoms & Dundonald?

Dave Elliott is one of the top comedians in the country & easily one of my favourite acts. Having started comedy over a decade ago he's established himself as one of the main headline names in the NI scene alongside his hilarious podcast: The Sly Guy Podcast.

The Sly Guy Podcast wasn't Dave's first introduction to podcasting as he & Shane Todd had their own 'very sexy podcast' (not my words). The Boy Town Podcast ran from 2016 to 2020 & during this time Dave himself also created 'Dave Elliott's Weird Podcast' in 2017.

"I wanted to try & work out new bits. It was fun & a good experience but then that became a bit odd so I thought I need a rebrand & came up with the Sly Guy Podcast with different guests on.

Again it started to figure out bits if I'm giving out & talking about things you'll get more material out of it. That was the thought process behind it & it's sort of grown into what it is now. Hopefully this year there's a few things planned that will push it to the next level."

Podcasting & live podcast events are becoming more crucial to how the public & comedy fans interact with Comedians in todays world. After Dave's most recent sold-out Sly Guy Podcast show at The Strand things are going well but it wasn't always this 'easy' to draw in big crowds for live podcasts as Dave knows all too well.

"Back to Boy Town, the last time we did one in there with Shane we had 12 people come to a live Boy Town show. A few years went by & they asked me did I want to do one there & I had the memory of doing 12 people & I wasn't sure. If you're only drawing 12 people when it's me & Shane I thought I'd maybe get 3 in. I did one in there & it sold out in the first go so I've been doing them there for the last 3 years & they've been class. The last one was probably the best"

The NI Comedy scene is thriving for multiple reasons one of which is the multitude of specials hosted by the local comics throughout the year. None more so than the 'Stars in Their Eyes' at the Limelight where Dave's brilliant rendition of Robbie Williams' Angels was a sight to behold. Some are calling a robbery on the night...

"Genuinely I was dying that week it was a miracle I managed to make it. So that was victory in itself. That was a really fun night."

Comedian Darts is the next on the books as they've sold out Limelight 1 on March 9th, with comics such as Colin Geddis, Diona Doherty, Sean Hegarty & more joining Dave whilst James McKegney is referee for the night. 

"If you're doing a special you're under under pressure, my own solo shows I get stressed out about it, whereas the live podcasts & the specials are fun like a night out now. When you can see the comedians having the craic it's good not just them doing their act."

Dave also hosts Pugs Comedy Club at Pug Uglys in Belfast & he's hoping the change to a Friday night can help bring success.

"We're moving to the last Friday of every month. We did one there last Friday it was brilliant. When that room is packed it's hard to beat. 

There's not a lot going on at weekends most gigs are during the week, most gigs that are Friday/Saturday are further out like GAA clubs & I think there is an appetite for it tying in to tourism in Belfast. You could sell rooms at the weekend but I think for me I'd just want someone else to do it. 

It's a bollox trying to book a gig. See booking comedians they're the most thran group of difficult people you'd meet in you're life."

You can see how close a lot of the comedians in the NI scene are on multiple different podcasts and Dave & Shane Todd's friendship has grown with their careers but it was actually at the Edinburgh Fringe where the two Holywood guys met each other. Shane did some work with Dave's sketch group, FNT, at the time which included the likes of Diona Doherty & Aaron Butler.

"I think it might've been 2012 & we didn't really bond until we were at the fringe. I went to see his show & there was this old guy who I recognised from the gym. I sometimes would speak to this guy at the gym, he's a wee bit weird, wee bit of a character. It was Dennis, Shane's dad I actually knew him from the gym before I knew Shane.

We speak everyday & everything we do we run past each other. So yeah, we are pretty close, despite my best efforts."

Having decided to go full time as a standup after lockdown it was his fellow comedians who first initially gave Dave the push into standup in the first place all those years ago in Edinburgh.

"Our house became like a homeless shelter for all the Northern Irish Comedians. I had a real bond with those guys, we're all around the same age, same interests. They said to me you're funny you should try standup but I know my limitations at that point I was like I've never done it, I wouldn't know how to do that, it's not my place. But they kept going on about it so I gave it a go & after they saw that they thought maybe don't try standup, knock that on the head.

After that I thought, I know that was shit & it wasn't a good experience for me, the audience or anyone else but once I figured it out I wrote one bit that I still use sometimes nowadays & once I wrote that out I got the sum of how to get it. Then I figured out what I like talking about & found funny & then became addicted to it really.

I always loved comedy but never thought there was a route to it especially here where there was limited opportunity. We have that attitude here of who do you think you are if you try anything but it worked & now we're here & every day is a treat & privilege to do this as a job."

During lockdown when there wasn't any gigs or really anything in general for most people; Dave had some ideas for scripts but he wasn't sure how to put them into practice. After filming a short for a show idea called Daddies, a show about a young parenting group for young dads, he pitched it to the head of comedy at the BBC NI.

He liked it but said well there's a process of doing things you can't just come to me and say here we go. He asked me if I had spoken to any of these local production companies which I had actually worked with a couple of before & found that the stuff I had given them had been completely ruined.

So I thought I'll go to the production company who made 'The Office' & the production company who made 'Derry Girls' & 'Father Ted'. I sent it to three different production companies & two of them were interested in it. So I ended up getting interest from Hat Trick who made 'Derry Girls'."

It was through Hat Trick Productions where Dave came up with Channel 4's Comedy Blap William of Orangedale (it was Orangefield to start) a semi biographical sitcom of fellow comedian William Thompson.

If standup, podcasting & script writing wasn't enough already, Dave also looks set to dabble more in the realm of acting with a very interesting role coming up soon.

"At the end of last year I got an audition to be in 'Blue Lights' & I got it so I'll be in the new series of that which will be exciting. I know it's very much different to what I've been doing so far. Everybody on the set, the production team were an absolute dream to work for so I'm excited to see how the turns out.

I think it'll be funny to see me be completely different to what I've done so far. That experience was amazing so hopefully there'll be more things down the line; I'm definitely auditioning a lot more & seeing how that goes."

What's your favourite venue to play?

"The Walled Garden is my favourite ever place. I supported Shane in it about 5 years ago & I remember being there thinking this is the place I want to headline some day. From that point it was like a bucket list thing & I did that last year. I think that was my favourite ever gig. It's a place where I take the kids, the dog; somewhere just around the corner. It's just a really cool venue. That's my favourite place to play.

In terms of a permanent place, the Courthouse is just new in Bangor & it's amazing & then Lavery's. Lavery's is a great comedy club but also you're seeing your friends. Yes, you're doing a bit of work but hanging out in the green room is great craic.

So yeah, its a three pronged answer: The Walled Garden's my favourite, The Courthouse is five minutes down the road from me so maybe I'm just being selfish & then Lavery's is my favourite Comedy club to play too. So it's three venues but they're all equally brilliant in their own ways.

But the Walled Garden number one for sure." 

So not quite equally brilliant then Dave?

Who would you say is the most underrated Comedian in the NI scene?

"That's a weird one because I think there's a lot of overrated Comedians but underrated is hard. One that springs to mind is Aaron Butler but I think he's going the right way. Someone who I'd love to see get what they deserve is Sean Hegarty.

Everyone else does stories but so few do one liners. When I first started I was blown away at how he did it. He's such a great fella & hard-working guy & his ability to write a joke is second to none. With the right opportunity I think he could do amazing, & I'd love to see it.

When he was starting out he was doing a spot then having to go home & look after the kids when everyone else was going out for pints & socialising. Now that I am a parent myself I get that. I think for him with Diona, my 'best friend', the two are great for each other & I think he has everything under control. Everyone else has kids & can now relate what he's going through. 

He'd always do a job, he's so different because anyone can go up and tell a story if it's funny enough whereas to actually write a punchline is a different skill. So I think Sean is underrated & with the right opportunity he can do unbelievably well & I'd love to see it."

What would you say your worst ever gig was?

"I don't want to tell the venue because I mentioned it once on a podcast & the guy came for me. He was like I can't believe you're coming at this gig I thought it was a decent night apart from Dave Elliott he was shit! Im like what are you coming at me for? I'll name the town & all I'll say is I'll never gig there again & that's Dundonald.

Two of my worst gigs ever were in Dundonald. The first one was horrendous. It was in a health club but the people there were just talking & being ignorant & that really annoys me. I don't mind if you're there & don't like it that's fair enough but see if you're just there not even paying attention & being rude that annoys me. So that made me super angry & you know other people are trying to listen but this group is just ruining it.

Then this other one was just a complete shambles. Sean was actually on at that gig & he was doing his one liners so clearly jokes in its most simple form & people were taking what he was saying literally. I was closing thinking I don't want to go up here but I'm going to have to & it was just the worst. This was probably a couple of years ago & I learned at that time that you don't have to do your time. If you're 10 minutes into half an hour this isn't going to get any better I'm just going to pull it & let them go, but that was horrendous.

So Dundonald is on my blacklist of places I will never gig again & I don't think they'd have me if they could either."

What would your dream venue be?

"This is the hard thing. I set my goals quite attainable so all the things I had on my bucket list I've done. So now I've got to maybe aim a bit higher. I've played the Ulster Hall twice & was a stones throw away from selling it out & the production company behind it was just like say it's sold out & I said no it won't so I think for me the next level is to go sell the Ulster Hall out then its done. I've always loved playing there & I want to sell it out personally.

If I do that then maybe look to the Waterfront but again I know where I'm at at the minute. People go aw sure the Odyssey but that's not where I'm at at the minute if it ever gets to that point I don't really know?

If I stopped doing it today & never gigged again I could look back on what I've done & be pretty chuffed with myself but a Waterfront one day is something I'd aspire to."

KitKat Chunky or Wispa Gold?

"Jesus. That's a good question. It's a KitKat Chunky, that's the right answer. I would say a Wispa Gold's nice the odd time. You're getting married to a KitKat Chunky because you can always rely on it whereas a Wispa Gold is a wee holiday fling. It was nice at the time & you'll always remember it fondly but you'll always go back to your Kitkat Chunky.

You never have a KitKat Chunky & go I wish I didn't have that, apart from me now on a diet."

Must say thanks a lot to Dave for taking the time for the chat about his career thus far & plans for the future. Genuinely one of my favourite comedians about & I look forward to see his career continue to grow with the production of his sitcoms & continued growth of his podcast. 

If you'd like to see Dave soon make sure to keep an eye out for the latest pubs & clubs shows being released. Get in quick because most of these shows sell out quick. 

Dave’s also going on tour with his show ‘Roleplay’  later in May this year so keep an eye out for that one!