Back with a new show, Ignacio Lopez returns to several North East venues later in the year.

Damian Robinson caught up with Ignacio to find out more.

In terms of the new show, ‘Nine Ig Fails ’ could you tell us a little about the main premise of the show?

My new show is mostly about not fitting in, feeling like an outsider. My family are all from

different countries, so I’ve had this fractured view of the world; growing up in Mallorca and

South Wales. There’s observations about holidays, drinking culture, being a teenage goth,

and risky towns. I take the piss out of the UK a lot in my shows, but I think this show clearly

proves it’s from a good place. There’s plenty of silly observations, one liners, and songs to

entertain people no matter where they’re from.

The title is in reference to my love of Nine Inch Nails, which has bordered on obsession at

times. This show, ‘Nine Ig Fails’ is a condensed version of my life in 2009; I’ve mined the

failures, cock-ups, and personal disasters from that point in my life, and turned them into

comedy. I’m basically monetising my misery, which is kind of what Trent Reznor of Nine Inch

Nails has done his whole career.

You’ve been performing the Nine IG Fails on tour already – how’s it been going and how does a show develop over a tour?

I’ve had a remarkable time so far. I took a bit of a gamble in making the show more personal

than the previous ones, but you have to take risks to keep things interesting. Audiences are

reacting really well. The material is working, the performances are growing. It’s especially

fun to spot Nine Inch Nails Fans in the crowd. I can tell who they are because they start

laughing at a couple of the stories in the show before anyone else.

The show in Newcastle, at the Stand, is on the 26th November- you’re in the North East for a couple of dates beforehand as well – do you have any particular memories of playing to a

North East crowd?

I did a mini tour a couple of years ago, in small venues around the UK. Somehow, one of the

venues I’d been booked for was Tyne Theatre & Opera House, over a thousand capacity! I

was dreading it, as I’d never gigged in Newcastle, and it looked like I was going to be

performing to 26 people in a massive room. In the end, I needn’t have panicked, we held the

gig in the bistro room of the theatre, I had about 60 people take a chance on a comedian they’d never seen, and it was a gloriously fun gig. The crowd reminded me of Welsh

audiences a bit, they were super friendly, but they wouldn’t let you get away with being shit.

I also got to support Jason Manford in Stockton. I’ve probably eaten enough

chicken parmos to take a few years off my life.