Laugh Tracks: Rob Copland is hardcore. You know the score.
Published: Wednesday 25th September 2024
Ker-lang! With two Edinburgh awards in three years - the Comedians' Choice Award in 2022 and The Victoria Wood Award in 2024 - Rob Copland is clearly rocking right now; offstage too. 2022's Mainstream Muck (Gimme Some of That), resounded with axe riffs, introduced hardcore virgins to the sound of Baltimore power-punks Turnstile, and launched the first comedy mosh pit (probably).
So what about the follow-up, GIMME (One with Everything)? From Monday it's at London's Soho Theatre, which is a far cry from Edinburgh's gothic Banshee Labyrinth - bit of a change of pace? Actually this show begins with a classic arthouse theme and concludes in a uniquely quiet place, which is quite an experience.
It's still brilliantly barmy though. Offstage, Rob is also a fan of BIG UPPER CASE letters and sexy texty emojis. Or a cat walked all over his keyboard. One of the two.
In Mainstream Muck you started the world's first comedy moshpit (probably) - where did that idea spring from?
"LETS OPEN UP THIS FUCKING PIIIIIIIIT" is just a hilarious thing to shout into a mic during a comedy show. It started with that idea I think, and then a desire to have a fun spectacle at the end of my show that brings the things I've been talking about into the room, into the moment and into our HeaRtz
What was your highest - and lowest - uptake of moshers, for that big finale?
Some really bleak ones during the first two midweek shows of that run, actually - me and just one other person pogo-ing around :(
Best one was on the last night of the Soho Theatre run, friends and family in the pit, it was wild. I impulsively decided to slip out (kick through the fire escape stage right) during that mosh and just go to the green room thinking they'd just mosh until they realised I was gone, and leave the show.
I walked back in five minutes later and everyone was just sat in silence waiting for it to end or me to come and end it. It was surreal. Still makes me laugh. I think that was the seeding of the idea that grew into how I wrote the final 10 mins of GIMME (One with Everything).
I was blissfully unaware of Turnstile, until now - big fan? Perfect walk-on and moshpit music?
Turnstile are a band that came from a pretty uniformed scene. Early Turnstile albums are still a bit rigidly tied to the tropes of the hardcore genre. Their album Glow On is a bit of a once in a lifetime album from a band, it transcends its genre and marries vulnerability and the kind of tough image and heavy riffs of hardcore music. I'm obsessed with them, they give me power. Find your power music, play it loud and play it proud.
For the new show you went with a Fellini theme though - were you aiming for a particular mood?
The song that opens GIMME (One with Everything) is called La Passerella Di Otto E Mezzo from a film called 8 ½, about a film director who is struggling to come up with an idea for his next film and his world is kind of unravelling and it's surreal and playful and full of humanity.
I'm also unable to just start a show chill, I always wanna launch myself out of a cannon for some reason lol. The song is a clashing clowning crescendo of excitement and confusion. Felt like the right tone for what I wanted to get at in the hour.
In this show you also go big on a band who aren't universally loved...
CAUSE WE ALL JUST WANNA BE BIG ROCKSTARS AND LIVE IN HILLTOP HOUSES, DRIVING 15 CARS!! That's why. \m/
The universally loved (probably) Ben Target directed this show. What impact did he have?
No Targét No Partay! I need a reason to do the work. I know me; left alone I just won't do it. So I say Invest!!! Invest in someone, invest financially, invest emotionally and now you've got something and someone to answer to. Ben Target is ooooone hell of an investment if you're not familiar with his work go and discover!
Specifically he just kept believing in the show and me being able to pull it off. I can get super self critical and think what I do is really annoying and loud and just a ratty little irritated ferret boy screeching his woes. He let me vent and always kept a cool head...
The show is very much a collaboration with Ben, he drew this show out of me, I hope to work with him again on lots of different types of projects.
And finally, in Mainstream Muck you mentioned a Blink 182 tattoo - is that true? Can we see a photo?
Nightclubs suck because nightclubs put an end to house parties. This was taken in 2007.
Some rich person someone half knew had a MySpace party. The Blink tattoo was burning a hole under my Topman V-neck that night, what better way to display it than a front flip off the balcony into their indoor swimming pool. \m/ - House parties, I miss you, miss yooou.
Rob Copland: GIMME (One with Everything) is at London's Soho Theatre from 30 September to 5 October. Tickets
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