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_Ted Chippington

A forgotten figure of early '80s live comedy, Ted Chippington's mundane, dry and repetitive routines (you could barely call them jokes) polarised gig-goers.

Running through seemingly limitless variations of the same (often mundane) gag, abuse and a bottling were regular occurrences, as he recalls: "This character came up to me after the show and said, 'you see this knife? I'd like to see it in your stomach.'"

Naturally, the threat was qucikly batted back with a typically dry Chippington response: "I said, 'sorry mate, I don't do tricks.'"

With no alternative comedy circuit at the time (the options were either folk clubs or working men's clubs!), Chippington supported bands such as The Fall at major music venues around Birmingham and the UK. He also recorded a single with post-punk/new Wave Brum acts The Nightingales and Fuzzbox (Rockin' With Rita), released one hard-to-find album (Man In A Suitcase) and even popped up on BBC1's lunchtime magazine programme Pebbel Mill At One before - fed up with his rising cult status and fearful of becoming complacent - retired to America where he became a lorry driver then cook.

But unbeknownst to him, a younger generation were watching and learning, notably Stewart Lee, Richard Herring and Phil Jupitus, whose vocal support for his total disregard of the conventions of stand-up has prompted something of an unexpected revival for the balding former teddy boy.

Utterly out of sync with the times, Chippington is now seen as the precursor to a wave of '80s 'alternative comedians', the forgotten link between such acts as The Comic Strip, Frank Sidebottom and Reeves & Mortimer.

Hence 2007's comeback heralded with a star-studded sell-out benefit gig at London's Bloomsbury Theatre (featuring Stewart Lee and others), spots on BBC2's Culture Show and national newspaper features galore. There's also a four CD box set (Walking Down The Road) released by The Nightingales' Rob Lloyd, and the re-christened Reverend Ted, who now lives in Torquay, has even returned to his old Mids stomping ground.

Prepare to be inspired.
Or bewildered.
Possibly both.

"I was walking down the road the other day, this chap walked up to me and said 'Do you want to buy some grass, mate?' I said 'No thanks, mate, I've got crazy paving. Haven't got a garden, you see.'"

www.myspace.com/revtedchippington

DF. 2007. No reproduciton without prior permission.

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Ted Chippington