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Fresh From The Vine
Earlier this month we caught up with King of the Current Pun Tim Vine, as he was preparing to embark on his mammoth 31 date nationwide tour of Punslinger. He tells us all about getting into the Guiness Book of World Records, Sir David Frost and, of course, puns. Beware: The following interview is laced with wordplay!
Do you plan to regain the Guinness World Record title for the most jokes told in an hour?
No, that's it as far as I’m concerned. I held the world record for about 8 moths in 2004 and I'm not going to do it anymore. It’s too much like sport – never make comedy like sport ladies and gentlemen. The other way round maybe – sport into comedy – but not the other way.
Did you get a medal?
A medal would be great. Why didn't they think of that? I've got a certificate, which coincidentally, I do pin to my chest.
When you originally got the record for the most jokes, out of the 499 jokes you told, did you think there were any duff ones?
I don't know what you mean by "duff", but I prefer the phrase "gentle". I like to think my act at times is like a collection of snowflakes and, when all put in a group, an avalanche.
Have you ever tried telling longer jokes?
I try and write longer things and then they get shorter and shorter and i end up with one-liner again. I do have some slightly longer things in my act because when I'm on tour I do an hour and ten minutes so I sing silly songs and stuff. I'm actually totally deaf... I never thought I'd hear my self say that.
You've previously been in bands with your brother Jeremy and last year you appeared on Fame Academy... why was it you chose a career in comedy over music?
Well, initially when I was teenager I wanted to be a popstar. It has some similarities – you’re on the stage on your own and people are clapping and cheering it's just there’s more laughter with comedy.
Previous tours include Current Pun, your tour at the moment is called Punslinger, it's pretty obvious you like a bit of wordplay...
Yeah, Velcro? What a rip-off!
What drew you to tell puns in your stand-up over everyday observational comedy?
Well, I do tell a few bits of observational comedy. I do do puns and wordplay, but essentially I'm drawn to the short joke... I don't sleep with fish, I’m halibut. That sort of thing.
What pun-led and non-pun-led comedians have you taken influence from?
I used to like a comic called Noel James. I still like him, I just haven’t seen him for a while. When I started I thought he was extremely amusing. I saw Jeff Green the other day and I thought he was absolutely hilarious, I thought he was brilliant. I like watching comics doing things they don't do anything similar to me at all because I can relax then.
You're a wiz with words now, but in school were you an A-Grade English student?
My favourite lesson at school was P.E - jumping up and down in my Y-Fronts. No, wait a minute, that was geography. And the teacher’s in prison now... I used to write little plays in school when I was about twelve and put them on in front of the whole school. I gave myself the starring role – it was an ego out of control! I don't think I was necessarily a high flyer at school. Even now I don’t read all that much. I tend to read newspapers and occasionally read the dictionary. The other day I was reading the 'History of Glue' and I couldn't put it down! I was reading 'My Life' by Bill Clinton, which really freaked me out, I didn't know he knew anything about my life!
