Circuit Training 98: Nathan Caton is Middlesexy

I first saw Nathan Caton perform at an obscure football club gig, in what must have been the dim and distant 2000s. So it's apt that this interview came about partly because I'd just come across his rather good podcast (with a slightly dull name), The Football Forum, where you'll find a wider mix of comics than usual talking about a wider selection of clubs than usually get airtime.

Caton is also kicking off his tour this week, Straight Outta Middlesex, which is largely about him still living at home despite being a pretty well-known comic these days. There's clearly a pretty hefty gap between the best-paid names and everyone else - but, hey, that's the western world for you.

One of the many notches on Caton's CV is The Now Show, and this interview actually happened about an hour after Jon Holmes announced that he'd been let go by that Radio 4 institution (and several days before The Mail On Sunday turned it into a front page 'sensation'). It was also the same day that Sam Allardyce would wind up being fired by England, all of which we'll get to. First, that aforementioned gig.

I grew up in Middlesex too, but the first time I saw you live was in the town we then moved to; the bright lights of Ware Football Club.

I actually remember that gig! The promoter, his parents were going to give me a lift back to this train station, but they took me all the way back home to Greenford, where I live [which is in Middlesex, West London]. And they got me dinner as well - I thought, these guys are lovely! They're driving to the station and go, 'fancy a little drive on the A406?' And I'm saying 'you really don't have to do this' and they were like 'it's fine! No problem.'

That's Hertfordshire people for you. Well, some of them. So how did the football podcast come about - was it your idea?

I came up with it. I've always wanted to do something with football and comedy, but because I support a lower league team, Brentford, I thought, there's a lot of football stuff out there but it's all Premier League stuff, I'd rather have something that gives some time to the lower leagues. 'What about our clubs, what about us?'

It's a nice format, a bit of chat, bit of quiz stuff - did that just evolve?

It took a little while actually. At first it was mostly chat, but I thought we needed something different, a little kick, so myself and the producer went back and forth with stuff, different ideas, and that took a few months - a lot of it was down to my laziness, but eventually we nailed it, the chat then the quizzes, and the leagues. We'll chuck in non-league too - everyone's covered!

You're touring soon - is it last year's Edinburgh show?

It is but there's new stuff chucked in, because obviously other things have happened in life and the world, so I've incorporated that, kept up with the times.

I read some nice reviews for it, maybe a bit too nice; words 'charming' and 'winsome' about the family stuff...

Well, it could be worse. The family stuff is about me still living at home, me being in my early 30s and still at my mum's house, because I can't really afford to move in the area that I live in. So it's about what it's like living with my mum, stepdad and brother, but then I also talk about things that are going on in the world, Brexit, the American elections, and I kind of incorporate that into my home life and what's going on. Blending things together.

Am I right in thinking that you started at university?

Yeah, my first year, during the summer holidays, I was lounging about at home. I'd always wanted to try doing something with comedy, so I thought 'I'll give it a go man, I've got nothing else to do, see what happens.' And I died. It was horrific.

I died on stage while doing a show about football...

Ha! But that's when you grow the most, when you die, that's when you learn more about yourself.

Were you into comedy growing up?

As a kid I just watched what my family watched, and they watched a lot of Eddie Murphy, so I'd be watching him even when I wasn't supposed to be. "Oh Nathan, go outside and play with your cousins," while they're watching Delirious on VHS, and I can hear them laughing, so I'm intrigued. I'd sneak in and watch a few minutes, through a crack in the door to see what they were laughing at.

So Eddie Murphy. And Lenny Henry as well. Because when I was a kid, they'd watch a lot of black comedians, because we could relate to what he's talking about. Then as I got older, my late teens, early 20s, I started getting into other stuff - Chris Rock, Robin Williams, George Carlin.

Every audience relates to different stuff I suppose, so do you actively tailor your club shows, depending on what you reckon they might be into?

Yeah, I try to please the audience, but it's so hard to judge. I was doing a gig at the weekend, and they looked like a basic, simple crowd, so I thought I'd do the family stories, things you don't need to think too much about, then I went on stage and ended up doing more topical, political stuff and they were like 'yeah, cool.'

I wonder if that's what's happened since Brexit, everyone's political, every family is arguing about these things.

There so much in the media now, you can't avoid it. Everybody has an opinion, so it makes it easier to talk about onstage.

You've done The Now Show before - did you see the tweet today by Jon Holmes, who's apparently been let go to introduce more diversity?

Wow, no I didn't see that.

It was literally just about an hour ago. I suppose that's where the diversity argument gets awkward, when people seem to be losing their jobs over it.

Yeah, I was talking to a mate about this recently, I'm all for diversity, but I don't think it should be done at the expense of the arts. Like, with comedy, I'd hate to get something like a TV show on account of the fact that I'm black, I'd like to get it because I'm funny, I just happen to be a black person. So yeah, definitely, mix it up, but don't do it at the expense of whatever the art is.

Speaking of radio and TV, some comics pretty much just do podcasts now, to get more control. Presumably you're still up for regular stuff too?

Yeah, I'm greedy, I want to do be able to do this and that and everything, I'm always calling my agent going 'any news on this, or this?' The podcast I love doing, it's my idea, my baby, and I get more control over it. But I'd love to be able to get out there, do TV shows, then more people can see me. I'm never gonna stop touring, too. They all feed off each other.

So what's your ideal TV vehicle? A sports show? Politics? A sitcom?

That's a good question. World domination! My Radio 4 series [Can't Tell Nathan Caton Nothing], I'm working at the moment trying to transfer it over to TV. I'm tweaking and adapting it, adding more layers, it takes a while. The football podcast would be great to transfer over to radio, too. I always have ideas, fingers in various pies rather than just doing one thing.

Have you always been pretty positive about comedy? Or were there times when you thought about getting a proper job?

Nah, I've never thought of giving up. I've been frustrated, but I guess over the years, because I started young, you have that naivety, 'nah, I'm gonna carry on no matter what.' I guess that helped me, kept me hard working, you get knocked down but you've got to carry on, especially with comedy. It's such a long hard grind, but with perseverance, you work hard, knuckle down, eventually you're good enough and your time will come.

Weren't you destined for a career as an architect?

My degree was in architecture, so when I graduated my family kinda thought naturally that I'd do that. Then I dropped the bombshell that I wanted to do comedy instead, it was like 'oh... ok.'

At least with comedy you're less likely to get sued for, like, a building falling down.

Exactly. The worst we get is someone going 'youre not funny!'

You can do comedy about anything these days, how about an architecture-based show?

Oh yeah, that old comedy goldmine! I don't think the architecture people even know there's such a thing as comedy.

So, last thing, what do you reckon about the England manager business? Who did you want to get the job?
From a football point of view, Eddie Howe, it's a bit too soon; Pardew, maybe, but when they announced Allardyce I thought, well, he couldn't be any worse than Capello, Hodgson. Considering where England are at the moment, we're not world beaters, but underperforming. Allardyce seemed the ideal man for that role, so it'll be interesting to see what happens now.

I liked the idea of Pardew, because he's so 'streaky', if we can just time that streak for the World Cup...

Yeah, but then, the losing streak will be during the qualifiers.

'Straight Outta Middlesex' starts this week and tours until 25th Nov, visit nathancaton.com for dates and ticket details. Plus, download The Football Forum podcast