Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

In the annals of British entertainment, Liverpool has, down the years, not only become famous for its musical performers but also for its standup comedians. While the universal language of music eases the crossing of international borders and cultures, the highly distinctive and localized nature of Liverpool humor has made it near impossible for it to successfully travel to other parts of the English speaking world. Simply, you either get it or you don’t.

Over the past three years or so, one of the rising stars on the British comedy circuit is a laid-back and laconic 40-year old Liverpool performer by the name of John Bishop. Like most comedians, he draws his material from personal experiences and what he knows about is what makes modern day Liverpool tick. With a rising profile, he’s been getting a fair amount of exposure on British TV of late.

Take a look at this BBC clip of a recent John Bishop gig on a showcase TV program for up-and-coming standups and let’s see what those on the other side of the Atlantic make of him – and more to the point, do they get his very Liverpool slant on the way he commentates on events that effect him in his everyday life.

I love the fridge gag. every man gets it....

Yeah, the fridge gag works. The bit about the Swedes opening up a shop in some little town between Liverpool and Manchester sort of works. But it's a little too local. An American would have to do a lot of translating, but you could sort of get it. There are American parallels. (I was expecting his accent to be a little more like George Harrison's, or John Lennon's, in "A Hard Day's Night." To my ears he almost sounded like a Lowlands Scot) He handled the heckler pretty well. That was kind of funny.
JimK

He plays football too.

http://www.johnbishoponline.com/liverpool-debut/

The Beatles accents were posh Liverpool.

Yeah, he's good. The fridge gag works, the dump one is quite good, stuff like that happens here too. The Ikea gag works, but it takes a bit to get it as most of us have never had the "opportunity" to experience one...