12:03pm Wednesday 13th January 2010
By Claire Fox
Just looking at Rob Deering's stand-up schedule for 2010 is enough to make most people feel exhausted, but for Deering, a self-proclaimed show-off, his work is his release.
He says: “I have had three gigs cancelled this week because of the bad weather and I’m rattling round the house like a Tasmanian Devil.
“Lots of comedians say they dread their gigs and get nervous, but for me it's a natural outlet. I'm a born show-off and if I didn’t do it, I'd get to be a pain.”
Luckily for Kingston, Deering had made time to bring his hit show, Rob Deering's Comedy Congregation, to Crack Comedy Club. Once a month from January 17, he will be inviting two of his favourite comedians from the UK circuit to join him on stage.
Deering says: “I always hand-pick the acts, so you get some really good ones but also you also get really interesting acts who you don’t necessarily see.
“On the 17th, I've got Chris Corcoran and Nina Conti who are both just brilliant and a prime example of the kind of bill we are trying to put together. “Then in the coming months Brendon Burns is coming down and we’re hoping to get Russell Howard.”
Deering has developed quite a reputation for combining music with his stand-up, and he will also be joined on stage by his band, temporarily called The Kingston-upon-Thames Trio. He says: “I started out in stand-up without any music but gradually this Frankenstein's monster of my would-be pop stardom has crept into my act.
“The band gives an edge of cabaret to the night. It's a bit more showbiz than your common-or-garden comedy night.
“One of the reasons we chose Kingston is because it's a good comedy venue and a good music venue. “Amusingly it’s also one of the few places where I've played as a serious musician, which I am loathe to admit because it was awful. “It was in a band, a serious band... called Donkeymonkey. If anyone remembers it I will give them a prize.”
Rob Deering's Comedy Congregation, Crack Comedy Club, The Grey Horse, Kingston, January 17, 8.30pm, £8/£7/£4. Visit crackcomedy.com or call 020 8549 9790.
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