We caught up with Cork comedian Andrew Ryan ahead of his new show, Yes, I Just Said That, touring across Ireland this November.
"TikTok is all good for likes and followers but I think Instagram is the one that actually translates into tickets," Andrew tells me over the phone. "You have to do it. I actually did a social media course in lockdown and I just finished an editing course."
"The game used to be that you went on The Late Late Show or Live at the Apollo, but the game now is that you're the writer, producer, director and editor. I've never worked as hard in comedy, but I'm actually starting to see a massive difference."
So much of a difference in fact, that when we speak, the comedian's social media is raking in millions of views and hoards of new followers thanks to a now-viral clip of him performing stand-up at The Comedy Store in the UK.
The video in question sees a quintessentially Irish transaction occur between Andrew and an audience member, who turns out to be from the same area of Cork, with the two having plenty of people in common.
"I went to bed thinking it was doing alright at 10k, and then I woke up this morning and I actually thought, 'oh, I'm in trouble'," he laughs, "but apparently the woman that I'm talking to is Deirdre Clune, an MEP. I sent the family a message to see if they're okay with it, and they loved it."
"It's a very Irish moment," he adds. "The mad thing about it is, many years ago, I was walking along the Great Wall of China and I was in a group of about 20 tourists and I looked at one fella and I could tell he was Irish by the head on him - I was actually trying to predict what county he was from - anyway, he was from Sligo, and it turns out he sits next to me brother at work."
"That's why I think the video has gone viral, everyone has stories like that."
Despite the latest social media buzz and his TV appearances on Russell Howard's Good News, Best of the Edinburgh Festival Live, and The Blame Game, though, Ryan insists that he has no interest in chasing fame. In 2022, being online is just part of the job description.
"It's actually quite weird," he muses. "It's not people coming up to you, it's the staring that's the problem. We all want success but I'm not arsed with all that, I just want to sell tickets."
Reflecting on the new wave of comedy that appeared during COVID-19, Ryan insists that traditional stand-up comics and online comics have plenty to learn from each other.
"I've done 12 years on the comedy circuit," he says. "I've done my hours, and dying, and learning so that when people do come, they're going to see somebody with experience."
"In saying that, I think people who do comedy online full-time are great for stand-up comedy, I love Justine Stafford and Rory's Stories, I love what they're doing. I look at what they're doing and try to do things like that."
As well as brushing up on his video editing, the comedian has delved into the world of podcasting with his new show: Cork in the North.
"I moved to Belfast for a woman and it didn't work out, and then because of lockdown I couldn't go anywhere so I decided to stay. I bought a house up here that I never actually viewed myself because I thought if I viewed it I would find problems with it," he laughs.
"I absolutely love it, it worked out. I honest to God love it and I really like the area that I live in," he continues.
"The podcast is called Cork in the North because I'm from Cork but I live in Belfast and I talk about my life up here. I live in a unionist, loyalist area of Belfast which is a very interesting place to live and also not what people think it is."
"The Belfast comedy scene is the best comedy scene on the island of Ireland and within the UK. There's a new generation of comedians and I think there's a new space for younger people here. I also think it's thriving because Northern Ireland really do support their own, which is great."
As well as detailing his new life in Belfast, his new show, Yes, I Just Said That, will see the funnyman discuss his time stacking shelves during the pandemic, the blight of aging, a few health issues, and his relationship woes.
"I thought I would use lockdown to be on my own and read self-help books and try to become a better person, and then I realised that's pointless," he laughs. "So, I'm now probably the worst I've ever been, and probably the funniest I've ever been."
Andrew Ryan is set to play the Galway Comedy Festival this weekend and tickets for his new tour, Yes, I Just Said That, can be found here.
