Who do I think I am?

One thing that I’ve been thinking about recently is the exact sources of my comedy style (if you can call it that, which I don’t). I’ve found it very hard to do. Obviously, long time Tech Diff viewers will be very aware that I’m a fount of shitty old gags and hoary old material, which has obviously come from somewhere. This is an attempt to try and nail some of those influences down, and it’ll no doubt miss by a mile so, bollocks to it, at least it’ll hopefully be funny,eh?

1. The Goon Show (1951-1960)

Piss off, I’m not that old.

This comes from being read excerpts from THIS very volume as a kid by my Dad (who did all the voices)

The sound of a campsite

Any attempt to actually explain the Goon Show would be, let’s be honest, pointless. If there’s one thing I have taken from it, it’s the idea of painting with sound. It’s one reason I miss doing the old audio shows – on radio, you don’t have a budget,and you can do what you like. Just use noise and it’s there! There’s a huge amount of sonic creativity in the show –  there’s the great old story about Spike Milligan wanting the sound of a sock full of custard hitting the wall, trying a range of standard BBC sound effects and then going to the BBC canteen, taking off his sock and filling it with custard and slapping it on the wall. And then deciding that he didn’t like that anyway and making up his own sound for it. And on that note, here’s the sound of Major Bloodnok’s stomach (‘Ehhhhrreeeww! No more curried eggs for me!’)

Anyway, there’s a huge amount to love in the Goon Show, though tempered by the fact that writing it and bringing a very personal world of surreal dreams to life had a catastrophic effect on Spike Milligan’s mental health. Yes, it’s sometimes a formless mess, and yes, it’s very much of its time and a working knowledge of 50s and 60s society is probably needed to get the best out of it (it took me YEARS to get all the ‘Sabrina‘ gags – ‘by the measurements of Sabrina!’).

But, I wonder, what have I taken from it? Well…

Stuffy BBC announcer: Based on Wallace Greenslade – ‘This is the BBC Home Service. And here is a photograph of me saying it’.

Painting with sound: You can do and create anything you like, as long as it’s funny. Make up your own rules, and stuff physics, as in this exchange between Seagoon (played by Harry Secombe) and Eccles (Spike Milligan):

Seagoon:
That tricycle against the wall – whose is it?

Eccles:
Mine – a present from an admirer.

Seagoon:
Could you drive me to town on it?

Eccles:
Oh, the tricycle isn’t mine – the wall was the present.

Seagoon:
Well, drive me there on that.

Eccles:
Right – hold tight.

Grams:
Series of mad sounds played at speed to sound like some kind of combustion engine.

Greenslade:
The sound you are hearing is Neddie and Eccles driving a wall at speed.

See? Isn’t that lovely?

The suave voice of surrealism: let’s face it, I’m just doing Peter Sellers as Hercules Grytpype-Thynne:

Grytpype-Thynne: Here Neddie, my business card.

Seagoon: But it’s blank!

Grytpype-Thynne: Business is bad.

Seriously, listen to him do that voice, it’s sex on legs.

The farting old duffer: Again, I’m just doing Peter Sellers doing Major Bloodnok, who is one of comedy’s greatest unsung characters. All the archetypes are there – the coward, the money grabbing swindler; the outragous farter. This next bit is classic Bloodnok:

Bloodnok:
Now let us take the regimental oath. Open your wallets and say after me – “Help yourself”.

Eccles and Seagoon:
Help yourself.

Bloodnok:
Next Seagoon – do you swear to be brave soldiers?

Eccles and Seagoon:
Yes.

Bloodnok:
Never turn a back on the enemy?

Eccles and Seagoon:
Never.

Bloodnok:
Always speak well of a lady?

Eccles and Seagoon:
Always.

Bloodnok:
And respect the chastity of a woman?

Eccles and Seagoon:
Yes.

Bloodnok:
Have we nothing in common?!

I was going to close this blog with the classic ‘what time is it, Eccles?‘ scene, but I’ve found there’s LOADS of Goons episodes on Youtube. Now, they’re all mostly great, but I’ve a sneaking love for this one – which is worth it for a spectacular long-form gag half way through. Enjoy, all!