Nothing brings more joy than a well-said laugh or a funny jibe at a popular current issue. Bringing some of the world’s best comedy acts together on the same stage, the Teamwork Arts and Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s Roadshow India and the Raw Comedy Festival 2014 brought more than just laughter to its Bangalore edition held recently at The Biere Club and Indigo Live recently.
The cultural exchange, lessons learnt and knowledge shared was what made the festival all the more exciting. Melbourne musical comedy duo ElbowSkin and last year’s debutant Rohan Desai were part of the team that visited Bangalore. Dave (Elbow) and Ernie (Skin) Austin, as they are popularly called, say their experience so far has being amazing. “We love the food. Met some friendly folks and even played some cricket. We even have a set of musical cricket jokes this time for our act. These are a few things both countries have in common.”
Commenting on India’s comic scene, Ernie says they didn’t know much about it, but on their first comedy heat here, they were blown away by the talent. Dave adds: “The sheer quantity of acts was mind-blowing too. It was great to see some girls doing a great job and so many different styles as well. This was beyond our expectations.”
On being a duet comedy act, they chorus that they have always worked together and never done solo acts. Dave says: “I think being a stand-up comedian can be a pretty lonely job. We’ve always gotten each other to bank on.” Ernie adds: “Travelling becomes easier and helps you get through tricky situations. If you’ve gotten a really rotten gig, it’s good to have someone’s shoulder to cry on.”
On their journey together, Dave points out that they went to high school together about 18 years ago. “So we’ve known each other for longer than we haven’t. We used to do shows in school and also watch a lot of comedy and decided to give a crack at it.” Ernie pops in: “After years of watching comedy we thought we could do that. It turned out to be loads of fun and we’ve been doing it for about 11-12 years now and travelling the world.” Dave adds that they are very happy with where they are. “Now that we are in India, we are officially international comedians. ”
On what inspired their name, Dave says Scottish comic Billy Connolly had a joke on elbow skin. “We were young, 16-year-olds and we became big fans of his. Before we knew it that’s what everyone associated us with. The name stuck and that’s us now.”
Their message to upcoming comics is to stick at it. “It can be a long process sometimes but resilience and hard work pays. Also make it a point to always write things down. You got an idea, write it down. That’s what was told to us and we’re passing it on,” they sum up.
StorytellerRohan Desai, another favourite in the set had his comic talent discovered in Raw Comedy India Season 2, and is back this time to bring rib-tickling humour on stage. Firmly believing that comedy is another way of telling a story, Rohan is a college dropout by choice and is on the path to discovering what he wants to do.
A film and animation enthusiast, Rohan says he’s still in the process of working out his future. “But I am happy where I am. I am open to discovery and my forte is I can fail without fear now. I’m in a place where I can be brave enough to try things.”
On what inspired him to take this leap of faith, he says: “Sometimes you just think you can do it. So I just went ahead with it. I used to make people laugh in school. I took part in regular open mics and that’s what kicked it off.”
His journey has been fascinating, he shares. “More than anything else, doing stand-up helped me learn about myself. I discovered that if I like something, working on it makes it enjoyable.”
Being part of India’s comic scene is thrilling, he says. “From what I have seen, it’s growing quickly and picking up pace with a lot of variety and events. Events like this festival go a long way in helping people like me.”
Rohan adds: “This is the third time we are having this festival here. It’s a huge opportunity for people being the second biggest festival in the world. We are grateful they have come here. They have it figured out and provide assistance and yet they give us the autonomy and space to figure out our own signature and style.”
To someone who wants to try it out, he encourages them to go ahead and do it. “Don’t wait. This is the perfect time. No one knows what is the benchmark so you can set it yourself. Especially Bangalore has the most number of open mics happening. Everyone should give it a shot and support comedy.”
