Comedy can be a gift or skill, master it to be unique — Larry J

Lanre Gregory, known by his stage name, Larry J, is a Nigerian stand-up comedian and event host. In this interview with ROTIMI IGE, he speaks about his journey so far in the comedy industry and, his upcoming plans.

What year did you commence your career in the comedy industry and how is the journey so far?

I have been in and out of comedy for 15 years, doing comedy-drama but I started full-time comedy 12 years ago. It wasn’t like I was hungry, but I realised that I wasn’t enjoying my job as a project manager and was bad at it. Making people laugh gives me joy and I enjoy working towards it. It was after I decided to do full-time comedy through the help of some mentors and friends such as Firstborn, Calibird, Saco, Seyilaw and many others who have helped in bringing me up as a compere/comedian.

What is responsible for your rise and what were the things you did to locate the platform that brought you out?

I will like to say God is responsible for my rise and trust me, it looked like a bad idea when I started because there was hunger; there were no jobs and it seemed like nothing was happening yet I continued going to comedy shows, church events and every kind of event that needed a comedian, even the ones I was not invited to. Some days, when we had to go for events, we stayed under the sun for hours and every other guest was under canopy. After such events, the client will give you 500 naira with a handshake saying, ‘thank you very much, you did very well’. Out of that N500, you use N300 as your transport fare back to your destination with big nylon of ‘puff puff’ given as a souvenir because jotters and cups were finished.

With the comedy shows and events, I became exposed to more events and churches where I met other fantastic comedians and performed at more comedy shows within and outside the country like Kenny Black’s show, A.Y Live, Alibaba January 1st concert and a lot more. Patience, consistency and God’s grace have brought me this far.

What’s your advice to young comedians who want to have the kind of lift you have?

You don’t always have a good day on stage but always learn from your mistakes. This way, you will always know when you have done better.

What kind of joke will you not attempt to crack?

Unethical jokes and speaking on people/insulting guests on stage as a joke.

In your own opinion, what makes a joke very funny?

Relatable jokes like talking about politics, relationships in marriage and being single.

In your years of experience, do you think someone can be proficient in the comedy industry without having innate talent?

Yes. Comedy is a skill; it can be acquired and it can also be a gift. Likewise, people say, your gift is not enough, you have to develop it. I have seen so many people who are skilful in comedy and they don’t just rely on the fact that they have a gift.

Tell us about your earlier challenges in the industry and how you overcame them.

There were challenges in the area of content creation which entails a lot of research, dedication and spontaneity which also takes a lot of skill, research and information. I have actually been on stage where I didn’t know what to say and I was holding the microphone. While I was trying to introduce myself, somebody sneezed loudly. I had to use that to begin my set as a comedian that lasted over ten minutes which eventually led me to my planned performance and it was a great performance. The spontaneity made it professional.

Do you consider yourself funny?

Yes. If I wasn’t, people would not say it and leave comments on my social media page. I wouldn’t even be called at any high-profile event and also I wouldn’t have gotten platforms and jobs. I remember the first time my mother saw me perform; she was always against me coming home late but the day she saw me on stage and heard how much they paid me, she started giving me an extra key, knowing she was always against her son being found in hotels because of her belief system.

Tell us about your upcoming show…

LarryJ live is coming up on July 3 at the Terra Kulture, Victoria Island, Lagos. We won’t start late because I have school runs to do the next day… I have to take my children to school, on Monday.

Will you also be using it to make case for the next election?

Yes, I will because we can’t be complaining about a thing and not doing something about it. No matter how you shout, your voice may not be heard but your votes can count.

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