Comedian and television presenter Karl Spain chats to RTÉ.ie's Linda McGee about his new show 'Karl Spain Wants To Rock' and his plans for the future.
Linda McGee: Karl, have you always been a rocker at heart?
Karl Spain: I’ve always been into music I’ve thousands of CDs and records from through the years. I’m into all sorts of music. I used to buy all the number one singles as a little hobby until Mr Blobby went to number one and I realised that the charts were dead.
LM: How did the idea for the show come about?
KS: I don’t know, I came in late. I think it was a follow on from the film 'The Story of Anvil' and the guys from Bang Bang Teo production got thrown into a marriage of convenience with me and it turns out that we love each other.
LM: What can we expect in the coming weeks? Any rocker strops or throwing televisions out windows?!
KS: There were no real mad moments like that. The lads in the bands didn't really have any huge egos. It was a bit of a novelty from being on their own on the road all the time to travelling with the rest of the bands. I think they really enjoyed the novelty. A lot of friendships were formed on those buses. The most 'Spinal Tap' moment is probably one of the lads kept getting stuck in toilets, where the lock failed on him.
LM: Karl Spain Wants... is becoming a bit of a catchphrase these days! Any idea what Karl Spain will be 'wanting' next?
KS: Well my first want is... No I'm not sure I'll be wanting anything else. I think it was an executive decision to give it a similar name to the last series. Jennifer Griffin, who was a big help in developing 'Karl Spain Wants A Woman', got me involved in this series and we've been talking about a new idea so I might want nothing more than another TV series. We'll have to see about the name if it gets the green light.
LM: You've been involved in a few television shows down through the years, do you find TV work less pressurising than the stand-up environment or do you still love getting out on the road to do live shows and get that instant feedback?
KS: I enjoy the novelty of doing stuff on TV, especially as I did a degree course in TV production in Coláiste Dhulaigh, so doing anything on TV is fun for me. But I do love the live gigs. I think it's where I'm at my best.
