Could you first introduce yourself to the reader?
Josh Weller. Comedian. Failed musician.
How would you describe your show
Age Against the Machine is a show about when I tried to ‘make it’ as a musician. But my music was… it was terrible.
I moved to London when I was 19 to be a popstar, like George Micheal, Phil Collins and Adele. The only difference between me and them is that they’re all talented.
I gigged my arse off. Hundreds and hundreds of open mic and club shows.
I signed to Universal when I was 23 years old and was dropped within a year.
Age Against The Machine is my love letter to music, and all the mad and ridiculous stories from my time in the music industry. How do bands try to write hit records? What is touring really like? How does trying to 'make it in the music business' really work? Was my music terrible?! Almost certainly...
What is your favourite part of your show?
The more I do the show the more I’m really enjoying the insight people seem to be getting into the total absurdity of the music business.
If your show had a theme song, what would it be and why?
The show actually DOES have a theme tune, but you will have to come see it to witness the ridiculousness of it. However, if I had to choose a theme tune written by someone else I’d pick Where Eagles Dare by Misfits. It has nothing to do with the show. I just think the lyric ‘An omelet of disease awaits your noontime meal, Her mouth of germicide seducing all your glands’ is really funny. Someone probably wrote while having a lovely coffee on a porch overlooking a sunset.
What is one thing you hope audiences will take away from your show?
Hopefully lots of laughter. I’m not trying to make a big statement or take you on a traumatic journey. I just tried to be a popstar and was really shit at it. At its core it's a love letter to pop music. If people leave my show and want to go home and listen to an album they love as a result, that's pretty great.
If you could add a surprise celebrity cameo to your show, who would it be and why?
I am not willing to share my gig fee with anyone no matter how famous they are. Get f**ked Tom Hanks.
Why do you want to perform at Edinburgh Festival Fringe?
Firstly, doing stand-up every night is the perfect amount to do. Secondly I get TO LEAVE LONDON. I really can’t stress enough how excited I am to not live in fear for my life and phone every second of the day.
What differentiates it from other festivals?
This one is costing me a lot more.
What is one thing you would change about the Edinburgh Festival Fringe?
I would look after the artists more. I don't think any festival can survive if you bankrupt the acts performing at it.
How has your background, upbringing and education had an impact on your artistic career?
I’m mixed race, and an air force brat, and I left university to be a musician.
Black music from my mum and the whitest white folk and sea shanties that my dad played me all had a massive impact. When I was 9 I loved the Fugees as much as I loved Phil Collins. My parents were always playing music and comedy. I was obsessed with pop culture. Billy Connolly, Richard Pryor, Eddie Izzard and as i got older lots of punk rock. And failing at music was, while pretty devastating when it happened, led me into comedy - which has been an absolute dream.
What is your favourite thing about performing for a live audience?
Laughter is involuntary. When you pull a laugh out of someone. That’s all yours. It's the greatest feeling in the world.
What is the strangest thing that has ever happened to you while performing?
I did a preview show in Canterbury last year and a hen do was thrown out. The mum started hurling racist abuse at me, then the bride-to-be, who was dressed like Midsommar, got on the stage and tried to take the mic off me. The police came. It was wild.
Also when I was in a punk band someone was crowd surfing with one of those swimming floats. I think about that a lot still. Did they go to the swimming store on their way to the gig?
What's the most challenging or unconventional venue you've ever performed in, and how did it impact the overall experience?
I love weird venues. There are so many variables that make comedy work. Firstly anonymity is key for an audience. People laugh a lot easier when they dont feel judged, then there's lighting, room layout, weather, day of the week. So many things that make a gig work. Which probably made the gig I did once in a horse stable with no microphone and a horse shitting behind me quite challenging.
Is there a piece of feedback you've received from an audience member or critic after a performance that’s stuck with you?
‘If you’re too big for the small things you’ll be too small for the big things.’
Someone said that to me when I started comedy and it’s become my mantra. I approach comedy with the same ethos as my punk days. Do everything. Be DIY. Create your own story.
What is your favorite thing to do in Edinburgh when you're not performing? How do you relax and look after your mental health?
I go home early and sit with a whisky and listen to songs from musicals and old jazz records, like a character from Mad Men.
Is there a show you’re excited to see when you’re up there?
Amy Matthews `I feel like I’m made of spiders’. She’s so brilliant and effortlessly funny. Also Alexandra Haddow’s ‘Not My Finest Hour’ because we started comedy at the same time and I’m really excited to see her smash the festival.
What is one piece of advice you’d give to someone thinking about taking a show up to Edinburgh? If you’ve never been before, what would you say has been (potentially) the most useful?
Enjoy the process. It’s not about awards or recognition. It’s about getting really, really, undeniable good.
When and where can people see your show?
7.10pm. The Pleasance Courtyard - The Below.
And where can people find you online?
@joshwellerjoshweller on Instagram, or in episodes 4&5 of Netflix’s The Witcher. Had to get that in there somewhere.
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