I caught up with him before he performed the third of five nights at the Newcastle City Hall.
Youre right in the midst of your current UK tour.
Its Newcastle tonight, hows it going compared with other years?
I mean Newcastles always a winner.
Its a 2,000 seater concert hall and its ram-packed every night.
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Youve not gone down the arena route this time round, then?
That suggestion was put around.
How many dates are you covering on this tour?
The last one was 180, but this one is around 80, so its nothing really.
Im covering the UK only at the moment, then Ill do Australia at the end of next year.
The DVD of your last tour,Things, is a really great watch.
Its obvious from viewing that that your seem to love being on tour more than anything else…
Definitely.
Compared with many other comics Ive seen live, you seem to get into your stride right away.
How do you manage to do that on stage?
[Laughs] Well it depends on what night you see me.
I literally go on stage and say the first thing that comes into my head.
Have you always performed in that way?
When I then moved on to stand-up, I was trying so hard to be something else.
Over time, I tried to do loads of different things and none of them worked.
It was only then that I realised I actually had a style.
And audience interaction is a huge part of your act.
The first half of the DVD in particular is based on audience participation.
you might just look at it and think to yourself, this has all kicked off.
The only annoying times are when you get people shouting stuff out thats just shit.
If someone shouts something that adds to the show than thats great, obviously.
Im not about belittling people, as Im also quite self-deprecating myself.
I hate that idea that its them and us, that its some sort of aggressive thing.
How involved in the DVD editing do you get?
Yeah, youre right.
This wasnt edited at all, which is why its a long DVD performance.
I love things like that.
There are always loads of discs, commentaries, extras etc.
Some comedians will use routines from different nights, but you cant really do that with my gigs.
So this is the concert at Manchester in its entirety, and filmed on the one night.
You still get that live experience by doing that, I think.
I did that once.
It was for myFizzy LogicDVD.
I had a full film crew, a crane and all that and I was at the Brixton Academy.
Im in a position to do that, though, as I have my own production company.
But, ultimately, Im fronting my own money for it.
That was pretty involved.
This tour, though, Im getting quite a lot of good stuff.
For example, a lot have come from a joke I made onQIabout a Toblerone-Rolo combo.
Or is touring still at the heart of comedy?
Its still a valid route, of course it is.
Its horses for courses, though, isnt it?
Theres nothing wrong with television.
Its an odd thing thats happening with comedy at the moment.
Now there are like 70-plus acts touring arts centres and other venues.
There are more live touring acts now than at any other time I can remember.
Have you ever had any really inappropriate TV pitches suggested to you?
Like Ross Noble presents Britains Hardest Men?
I was half-tempted for a laugh and then you remember that it will actually be on television.
Half the fun of watching shows that you turn down is seeing who actually does it.
I was offered to go to Thailand and have a coffee enema [Celebrity Detox Camp].
Richard Blackwood got that, and theres a lesson to us all.
Finally, many reviews of your work seem to fixate on your appearance.
I read one online, for example, which described you as a hairy, demonic scarecrow.
Bit harsh isnt it?
To be honest, that is one of the best descriptions Ive ever hard of me.
I would go to say I that might be the name of the next tour.
That is a perfect description of me.
Ross Noble, hairy, demonic scarecrow, thanks very much!
Ross Nobles Things DVD will be available from 29 November.
