Another powerhouse comic presiding from the cultural capital of the United States, Shane Gillis provides those lucky enough to witness him a methodical, textbook exhibition of funny in the same vein as Mark Normand, Sam Morril and Joe List.
We spoke about other comedians, touring, his best friend Matt McCusker, history with Louis C.K, podcasting, support from Norm Macdonald and Dave Chappelle, life before comedy, open mics, bombing, hecklers and finished on an Australian tradition.
BM: What are you doing when you’re not doing comedy?
Shane: I like watching sports. That’s about it. I used to have more hobbies. I used to like reading. I like history. I like visiting historical places and shit like that.
Yeah, I’ve noticed. You’re a bit of a history buff. I saw your four-part podcast with Louis C.K. that was sensational. He knows a few things.
The Louis shit was great. I mean he’s such a good storyteller, just letting him talk – that was awesome. He’s my guy. He’s number one. Louis and I have been friends for a little bit now so it was like ‘why don’t we do it?’ He wasn’t just gonna come on and shoot the shit. He was like I wanna do a history podcast. Let’s talk history. He was interested in it. He picked the topic. He was like I wanna talk about presidents. I was like ‘alright, that’s a crazy topic, but alright (laughs). I was like, ‘what do you mean, like just presidents in general?’ He was like, ‘yes, I’d like to talk about all the presidents’. I was like, ‘alright, whatever you say man’.
I genuinely figured it would be like, you know, an hour or two. He had fun, man. You can tell he enjoyed it. He was just going, I mean the last part, basically it was the second one. The first one was at his apartment and the second one was at his house in upstate New York and it was like four hours of talking, it was crazy.
So, I would describe you as a prolific podcaster. You’ve been on countless podcasts like Theo Von’s, Andrew Santino and your own. What is it about podcasts that you love so much?
Shane: I mean at first it was just… I mean with me and Matt it’s just fun, you know. He’s my best friend and it’s just fun to sit there and fuck around and like, you’ve listened to it. It’s fun. He’s funny. It’s nice to sit there with your friend and talk for two hours a week. As far as doing other people’s podcasts, I mean there’s the career aspect of it where it’s like alright here’s this audience – blah blah blah – but most of the podcasts I do with comedians, I’m friends with.
So, it’s fun. It’s fun to just sit down and maybe, you know, try to get them in trouble (laughs). Try to get them to say the wrong thing, it’s funny. These are my friends, so, it’s easy. Podcasting a lot of the time is funnier than stand-up. It’s just organic and just friends fucking around. So that’s always fun to hear.
Do you listen to a lot of other comedians? Does that give you a lot of ideas?
Yeah for sure. That definitely helps. I try not to now because if I listen to somebody I’ll start, like, I listen to too much Norm Macdonald and I’ll start trying to talk like him. Too much Louis, I’ll start talking like him. But yeah for sure, listening to other comics helps. [But] it’s risky because now all of a sudden you get their cadence and also like a topic. Shit like that. With podcasting, it’s a lot easier I think because now you’re just sitting there trying to make them laugh.
So, you mentioned Norm Macdonald. I wanted to ask, after your SNL incident, what was it like to have people like Norm come out and support you?
Ah man, that was incredible. That was such a surreal experience I think. I don’t even think it really sunk in while it was happening but I got to talk to Norm on the phone for a while and got to know him slightly. It was awesome. And he sent some really encouraging shit. He said some encouraging words to me and it was really nice. That’s how I met Louis, that’s how I met Dave Chapelle and you know all of these guys reached out and were like hang in there. It was good.
And you know, a lot of ’em just wanted to get to know me better like, ‘who is this, who’s this dude getting cancelled? Is he a bad dude?’ You know?
What made you start comedy?
I was working at my buddy’s restaurant and was washing dishes and one of our mutual friends was doing an open mic in Mechanicsburg and I was like ‘oh I didn’t even know you could do this.’ I mean, I didn’t even know how to get into stand-up. So I was like, ‘I’ll go watch. I like stand-up’. So I went and watched and I was like, ‘Nah, these guys suck. I can do this’.
So, I kept going back for probably like two or three months and then finally decided to get up and do it myself and bombed like you wouldn’t believe. And I was like, ‘I don’t even have to write anything’. I was like ‘I’m funny, I’ll go up there and be funny’. That’s not how it works. I bombed hard enough I don’t think I did it again for another year but I kept wanting to do it and then finally I started up again. I realised you gotta write a little bit before you get up.
What did it feel like to bomb?
It was still fun. The first time I ever did it I literally blacked out. And I wasn’t drinking. It was just the adrenaline of being in front of people and bombing. Don’t get me wrong, bombing now is like the worst. First time you get on stage it doesn’t matter if you bomb. You’re like, ‘that was crazy’. Now if I bomb I’m like damn I suck… my career, I’m bad at this.
How do you feel about watching other comedians bomb?
I love it! (laughs) As a comedian, there’s nothing better than watching one of your friends bomb. Because if they’re a good enough comedian they know it’s funny. If I could tell somebody was like really bombing and having a bad time I wouldn’t be fucking laughing at them but if one of my friends tells a joke and it doesn’t work and I’m in the room I’m gonna laugh, loud, so they hear me.
Have you got any good heckler stories?
Ah jeez. The first show I ever did I was bombing so bad that in the middle of my set I told one joke and this guy in the front – he didn’t even say it to me, he said it to his friend but it was so quiet I could hear it – was like “that one wasn’t bad”. I was just fucking crushed. Just some dude with his arms crossed sitting there with his friend. So that one wasn’t that bad. It was rough.
How do you feel about heckling? Do you think it has its place in comedy?
No, I don’t. I hate it. Someone will say something and be talking the whole time then you get done with the show and they’re like ‘hey, I was helping, you know’ you know? It’s like ‘no you weren’t’.
If someone’s doing crowd work and they start fucking with you, yes, you have every right to defend yourself. But if I’m on stage and just out of nowhere someone’s like ‘that joke sucked’ or something, that sucks. I was in Tacoma and this girl in the front row, she was hot, and out of nowhere she started giving it to me, she was mad, I could tell she was mad. And I was like ‘are you alright?’ and she was like ‘fuck you’ and I was like ‘alright, what happened?’ and she was like ‘this is misogynistic and racist and fuck you’ and [she] left.
And you know the crowd started booing her. I’m like, ‘don’t boo her. She’s allowed to say that’. Whatever she left. But her boyfriend stayed. So it was like bro that’s tough. He was enjoying the show and he was like ‘I’m sorry’ and I was like, ‘don’t worry, she’s hot. You’re doing alright’.
His brother and his brother’s wife were at the table with them and I was like, ‘have you guys ever met that girl that he was dating’ and they’re like, ‘no, this is the first time’. And she was hammered and screaming ‘fuck you’ and I was like ‘ damn that’s such a shitty way to meet’. Just ruining a show and ruining her relationship. It’s usually like people get drunk and start talking and then a bouncer comes up and is like ‘hey, can you be quiet’..‘what we’re not allowed to laugh? I was just laughing’.
It’s like, ‘nah you were being loud’. It ruins the show. Then you kick ’em out and the crowd cheers ‘get the fuck outa here’ – woah I don’t want you guys to be a mob (laughs).
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You told Theo Von an attractive Amish girl is your queen. Have you found your queen?
(Laughs) No. She’s out there though. She’s not going to find me though. I’ve got to find her. She’s got no way of finding me. She can’t hear the podcast and can’t watch anything I’ve made. I’ve just gotta perform in Lancaster.
On a podcast with Andrew Santino, you mentioned not having any female fans. Has that changed?
It’s changed but mostly it’s dudes bringing their girlfriends. But I think it helped with [Joe] Rogan. I started getting normal people instead of just… my fans (laughs). It’s changed recently. Like last year if I was headlining a show, the crowd would be 99% dudes and the bookers would be like, ‘I never… why is your audience just dudes?’ (laughs). And I was like, ‘alright, you’ll see. Wait till after the show’.
It’s been a pleasure to talk to you brother.
When I come to Melbourne hit me up after the show. We’ll have some drinks. We’ll do a fucking shoey. I’ll probably do a shoey in every fucking town. I’ve gotta buy some new shoes.
Join Shane Gillis for a night of stand-up comedy at The Astor Theatre in Perth on August 11 and the Athenaeum Theatre in Melbourne on August 13.
