Comedy

Anvil Springstien brings his comedy talents to Middlesbrough's Dickens Inn, and speaks to the Gobstopper guys about his past living here in Teesside.

Right, we've been describing you as a Geordie-scouser. So, are you a Geordie, or are you a Scouser?

I used to write a column a couple of years ago at the Evening Gazette, so I'm an honorary Smoggy and an honorary Geordie. Don't know about being an honorary Scouser though!

I remember seeing you once at SIRF with Ian Cognito.

I love him. He's the biggest nutter on the comedy circuit. It's always nice doing a gig with Ian, you always end up in trouble.

Do you enjoy it when the crowd get involved?

That's what live comedy's about.

Some heckler's come out with corkers, and that's why it's nice that people get involved.

You used to run a night called the Horse's Mouth in Middlesbrough, did you get any famous faces?

We had Jo Brand, Harry Hill, Jimmy Carr, I even spent a week sticking up life-size posters of Jo Brand around the Boro and Stockton, but then forgot her name on the night of the gig!

How do you fare as a talent spotter?

It's all attitude. It's not the material, it's your attitude on stage.

So, who's your favourite talent on the circuit?

Ian Cognito. He's a really great comedian who was there at the start of 'alternative comedy'.

So what can we look forward to from your act?

I've just started looking at my childhood, which is new for me. You'll have to wait and see how it goes though.

To hear more about Anvil's show, his life on Teesside and his toilet antics, click on the interview link at the top right of this page.

Mark Drury and Bob Fischer host Gobstopper every Wednesday from 7pm to 10pm on Radio Cleveland 95FM.