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Comic Colin Geddis on paving his way in Belfast's comedy scene

Updated / Monday, 17 Jul 2023 08:45
Colin Geddis: "It went from that to being offered a part on a BBC show called LOL, which would not make you lol if you had a gun to your head,"
Colin Geddis: "It went from that to being offered a part on a BBC show called LOL, which would not make you lol if you had a gun to your head,"

Northern Irish stand-up comedian and podcaster Colin Geddis chats with Sínann Fetherston ahead of his appearance at the Paddy Power comedy festival in Dublin's Iveagh Gardens.

Over the past ten years, Colin Geddis has propelled his career in comedy both on and off the stage.

Gigging across the UK and Ireland with his solo stand-up shows, running a comedy night at Lavery's comedy club in Belfast, building an ever-growing online fandom through the General Banter podcast, and filming vlogs for his heavily-subscribed YouTube channel, the comic has coveted a loyal and enthusiastic fanbase.

According to the funnyman, his burgeoning career started back in 2009 when he studied Design and Communications at University. Once he graduated, he tried his hand at making online videos, and while the first was "quite funny", it was his second that set him on his path.

"It was called I Am Fighter," he tells me over Zoom, "it was a mock documentary, and it was the second video I had ever made. It immediately went viral - I mean, viral back in the day was a YouTube video with 100k hits - so from the word go, I was getting recognised in the streets."

"It went from that to being offered a part on a BBC show called LOL, which would not make you lol if you had a gun to your head," he jokes, "and that sort of put me around other comedians who were doing open spots on the scene, the likes of Shane Todd, Mickey Bartlett and people like that."

"It takes years and years to get any good," he adds, "but since then I've been gradually ramping it up on videos, and I started podcasting, and the stand-up continues. I've basically done the same three things for over a decade now."

Despite an endless stream of online and live content, the funnyman insists that he has "never struggled with ideas" and says that he finds himself constantly observing and forming opinions once he's in "stand-up mode".

As well as hosting his own show, General Banter Podcast, Geddis is a regular guest on the podcasts of friends and fellow Northern Irish comics such as Tea With Me with Shane Todd and Sly Guy with Dave Elliott.

"It sort of all nicely weaves together," he agrees. "The podcast listeners end up going to the comedy club and get to see people who have been on the podcast do live shows, so it's a nice little scene that's been whipped up."

In the past number of years, Northern Ireland's comedy scene has gone from strength to strength, with many of the comics collaborating on projects, opening for one another, and appearing on Geddis' line-up. The path to success is there, he says, but only because they made it from scratch.

"There is a path to success in Dublin, let's say; if you do well, you do warm-ups, spots for TV shows, they got offered different bits. There's isn't that up north, so you kind of have to do it for yourself. We run Lavery's comedy club and that's probably the new place on the scene, at this point, but it only came out because I couldn't get spots in the Empire. It was the same with the podcasts."

Despite their close proximity, Geddis says that the comedy scene in Northern Ireland doesn't always connect with the circuit in the Republic - something that he believes is gradually changing.

"There's just two different scenes operating at the same time with no crossover, but now there's different relationships built up. I'd be good friends with Damo Clark and Eddie Mullarkey who run the Craic Den, so I can jump into that and they can come to Lavery's."

"You forget how much of show business, for want of a better word, is networking but it's starting to happen a lot more."

As well as offering comedy fans the opportunity to see a variety of national and international acts, comedy festivals are a great place for comedians to rub shoulders - something that is bound to happen at the Paddy Power festival in Dublin's Iveagh Gardens.

"I opened for Tommy Tiernan last year and I'm doing the same slot this year, and it's a great opportunity," he agrees. "It's fun and it's done so well, we just don't have anything like that in Belfast. I can't wait.

"It's also well structured; you get everyone in for 60 minutes and then let them back out to the bar," he laughs. "It's about as good as it gets when it comes to comedy festivals, I think."

Fans will also have the chance to see Geddis when he brings his tour, Overkill, to Vicar Street in September.

"That's probably the biggest swing I'm taking this year," he says of the iconic Dublin venue.

"You find out, when you do comedy, how many venue politics there are with promoters and stuff. I just don't think anywhere has the same slap to it that Vicar Street has. You know, you always hear when people like Joanne McNally have done like 40 Vicar Streets - it's just got a ring to it."

For more information on the Paddy Power Comedy Club click here. For info on Overkill, click here.

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