John Robins

[Twilkes]

I keep writing and deleting a post on John Robins, so here's a short version:

Only knew him from interviewing Herring in that RHLSTP anniversary special, and then from Taskmaster.

Older standup is great, like an energetic and unusually wise 20-something (even though he was probably in his 30s latterly). This Tornado Loves You was a cracking show, available on his website.

Darkness of Robins also great but contains a lot more despair than previous shows. Haven't seen Howl but have read about it.

Feels like he might have an(other) incredible show in a couple of years time? But maybe currently going through a transition period, like someone in his 40s who hasn't quite grown up enough yet. (that's not a criticism, just a life stage that a lot of people go through and which he seems to have been candid in talking about particularly on the podcast with two settled family men). Also due to the turning point with his relationship with alcohol.

He is actually older than Jon Richardson, and has a clean Pob-like look that might retain his youthfulness well into his 50s.

Is there any footage/recordings pre-2012, as I'm curious to see where he came from, materially and stage-craft-ly.

[fuck that wasnt short was it]

[beanheadmcginty]

If I was him, I'd call my tour "Toilet Theft"

[Scoops]

i'm a big robins apologist, having seen and thoroughly enjoyed the darkness of robins a few years ago before knowing anything else about him, then last year devouring the entire run of the xfm radio show he did with elis james (which i'm currently working my way through for a second time)

as a result i was very excited to see him on taskmaster but found the end result a bit muted. part of that is down to the cast all being rather easygoing and pleasant rather than a bit combative and sparking off each other in the studio (an environment he would have absolutely thrived in), and the tasks sometimes falling short of being able to bring much comedy out of the contestants. him absolutely running away with the win didn't help either, because he couldn't ever kick off about being scored low, and couldn't really take the piss out of others' attempts for fear of looking like a gloating prick.

he often seemed like he was holding back for fear of coming across too dominating or competitive, trying to be on his best behaviour and make a good impression for his big tv break. which is fair enough as in the past by his own admission he's squandered a lot of potential tv work by being a difficult to work with, very mentally troubled alcoholic.

i hope by champion of champions 4 he feels more able to loosen up and let his personality come out in the studio. the clashing of vibes between him and sam campbell could make for great telly.

[Simply_The_Bestest]

I've always liked him since I heard him on the Comedian's Comedian podcast describing himself at school as having best friends but never being the other person's best friend - never seemingly reciprocated -  struck a chord with me and I've invested in his work and his ups and downs ever since.

But wholeheartedly agree that he was duff on Taskmaster.

[Snrub]

Also a Robins apologist here and haven't seen Howl. John said a few months ago a recording will be coming out, although I think just an audio.

On recent episodes of Elis and John, he's clearly in a bit of a funk in more ways than one at the moment, so who knows what standup is coming next from him. I wouldn't be surprised if Howl is never released despite being recorded - I know he canned some dates that were later this year postponed from his tour last year as he couldn't face going through such personal material about his drink problem again.

It really is funny to listen back to all the old X-era Elis and John podcasts especially where booze is such a central theme.

That thing about him never having best friendships reciprocated is tough - and actually reminds me of when the show moved to 5 Live and John wrote this long letter to Mayo and Kermode who they were going to be on before, saying how much they'd inspired him over the years on the radio and kept him company etc, only for Mayo to barely tolerate them over the next few years (and recently said when talking about them on another podcast that he didn't miss talking to them at all).

I remember listening to The Moon Under Water podcast - which really wasn't that good a lot of the time, but quite decent on the odd occasion - and listening to John interview Barry Glendenning. Loads of people who listened to that episode had said it was brilliant, and when I listened to it, I just ended up feeling sorry for Barry who genuinely sounded like a sad man with a drink problem (and he sort of alludes to that at one point)but the other sad thing was half the stories sounded like the sort of things John might have said at some point or played up to jokingly. Certainly felt close to the bone for me and it just really left me feeling sad for everyone involved. A few months later after John revealed his alcoholism and going to recovery he said in an interview with Colin Murray that recording that interview was one of the things that made him get help, and I honestly think about all that almost every time I listen to John - probably just in relief for him

I will always wish him well and I wish Taskmaster had done more for him or he felt in a better place to capitalise on it all.

Not really got a coherent point here - fuck it, post

[lankyguy95]

That thing about him never having best friendships reciprocated is tough - and actually reminds me of when the show moved to 5 Live and John wrote this long letter to Mayo and Kermode who they were going to be on before, saying how much they'd inspired him over the years on the radio and kept him company etc, only for Mayo to barely tolerate them over the next few years (and recently said when talking about them on another podcast that he didn't miss talking to them at all).

Do you remember on what podcast Mayo said that?

[Twilkes]

There's a clip of them talking here - Mayo seems to play the grumpy role even with Kermode, but then does chip in with a bit of sunlight at the end. No idea at what point during the working relationship this was.

[Pink Gregory]

It's kind of fascinating that the things he's largely mined for material have been genuine problems for him in his personal life.

By any rights he should be more revered for his standup, but because he came up with that lot who are more concerned with TV or radio work he's an odd fit (maybe more comparable to Acaster than anyone else), of course Elis and John have been around for absolutely ages but that's very much his one format.

Loved the XFM run but I think the 5Live show lost a lot of the magic for me.

[Snrub]

Do you remember on what podcast Mayo said that?

Yeah it was on a recent episode of Parenting Hell where Mayo was the guest and Josh Widdecombe was trying to get his opinion on Elis and John. It was said in the typical Mayo way of never saying anything unprofessional but also you can clearly tell his opinion which is (imo) he didn't have much time for that sort of japery on 5 Live. Not a hatred or anything though. I will say as seen in that clip above, Kermode was always game for a laugh, and maybe it was Mayo was playing a role but he never could be accused of embracing them. Obviously he doesn't have to, I just find it interesting. I am also a Mayo apologist it must be said and he clearly can be a grump at times

Loved the XFM run but I think the 5Live show lost a lot of the magic for me.

Hard to disagree with this, although I will say that since the start of the year since they're now basically podcast only has given them a bit of freedom and their groove back, certainly a better hit rate compared to being live on 5Live which was always a strange move. Surprised it lasted as long as it did

[FeederFan500]

I could well imagine people who take radio seriously wouldn't be impressed by the more irreverent tone taken by Elis and John on 5live.

Xfm was pretty much the comedians station so it made more sense, I preferred it to the 5 Live show although I'd be hard pressed to pinpoint how.

Dunno why this sticks out but Robins got Alia Shawkat's name wrong early on in a "who's on later?" readout and basically going Lololol who the fuck is this don't expect me to get this right first time! I feel like that sort of attitude isn't really the done thing on proper radio. It was similar with the cricket although Ellie Oldroyd seemed to join in the fun a bit.

I think Robins also saw Mayo backstage once and in his anecdote he was reading the book of an upcoming interviewee and while worse for wear asking how Mayo was still so relevant which sounds funny as a story but probably infuriating if you're trying to work.

[Scoops]

agree that the new podcast-only run has been a good listen. i haven't even listened to all of the 5live years - going straight into them off the back of finishing the xfm run i just couldn't get on with it straight away, which could have been burnout on my part or just the weirdness of the format change. but once they switched to the podcasts i jumped back in and have been really enjoying it as a twice-weekly treat.

[Utter Shit]

I gradually lost interest in the 5 Live shows having loved the XFM stuff for years, so it's great to hear that it's found a new lease of life. If anyone has a passing interesti in Elis and John, you really do need to give the XFM run a go. So many hilarious moments - Tick Tock Robins, John's Diary, Tony Blackburn's Diary, the week they covered Johnny Vaughan's drivetime show, the weekly calls from people looking for advice (especially Tim Key and John Kearns)...it was pure gold for a long period.

Howl is great by the way, saw him in Brighton a while back. Quite tough going at points, but never far away from a pressure valve laugh. Sad to hear he's having a tough time again, as he seemed to be on an upwards curve when I saw him.

[Tony Tony Tony]

Reckon the lukewarm response to the
5Live years, on here at least, may well be down to the lack of ability to play music on the Beeb.

For me I actually prefer the current set up as the addition of third wheel, Dave Masterman adds an extra element though the BBC 'balance' strictures do seem to rein in something of the edginess they had on XFM.

I also reckon DG Tim Davie must be a huge supporter of the pair particularly in view of the way they take the piss eg over his supposed Callipo addiction.

[Pink Gregory]

I've said it before but my antipathy to the 5Live show, at least at first, was that it felt like they'd been told to amp up, like, 3 aspects of their personality to the exception of anything else as USP's, so it felt very much like John was crapping on about Queen and consumer appliances more often and less amusingly.

[jimboslice]

I thought the XFM show was getting a bit tired, and shifting to 5 live definitely gave things a new spark. I think I agree that the recent structure change has freshened things up again, although hadn't really thought about it until now.

This is maybe a bit too generous, but for me I think that Elis & John filled the hole that Adam and Joe left.

[Pink Gregory]

I don't think that's too generous, I've absolutely loved and remembered loads of their bits; pounds quid, tick off a taste, little Georgie Ezra, all wonderful

[FeederFan500]

I only listened to the podcast version so I can't see the music being the issue, unless that was meant in the sense of more breaks and snappier sections.

Blackburn's extracts and The Darkness of Robins were absolutely top tier audio entertainment for me, and my brother and I still say these days in that stupid Adam Buxton voice he does. Doing his Winner Plays On about the drink Oasis rather than the band was great too, especially the way he led into it.

Also I think Made Up Games is generally terrible and I'm assuming it's popular if it's still going on (I'm only partway through lockdown on the 5 live episodes despite listening to the first few live)

[Pink Gregory]

potato

[Tony Tony Tony]

potato

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[Pink Gregory]

Potato

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[Tony Tony Tony]

potato

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[Pink Gregory]

Potato

bird's eye

[Tony Tony Tony]

bird's eye

Fuck.

[Snrub]

Also I think Made Up Games is generally terrible and I'm assuming it's popular if it's still going on (I'm only partway through lockdown on the 5 live episodes despite listening to the first few live)

Yeah it's still going I tend to agree. Last year they tried to get a TV version made which is quite obviously a fucking terrible idea - they did a series of live shows that was meant to serve a pilot of sorts but no commissioners bit.

Personally I would have retired it with the reset of the pod as they seem to beg for games every other week anyway. They did do a "Made Up Games Revisited" the other week which has potential to revisit some genuinely good games they could replay - even though there are probably less than half a dozen actually decent ones per year.

I do wonder if Tim Davie is aware of the piss taking alluded to above. I suspect maybe, as I think Dave tried to stop it at one point then it came back. I do find it very funny for some reason and when they give absurd personalities to some of the other 5 Live presenters.

They have alluded to one person at 5 Live who genuinely hates them - no other clues than that though. I always suspected Claire McDonnell from Drive as John got her name wrong in the first few months and she was very rarely on the handover after that and they never take the piss out of her in the intros

[Twilkes]

Howl is released on audio today - and 10% of any purchases today will go to Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse, which is either a cynical ploy to boost early sales or a gallant piece of charitymanship. Probably a bit of both.

Never saw it on stage, heard lots of great things about it.

https://johnrobins.bandcamp.com/album/howl-live-2023

[SteveDave]

I fell off the Elis and John podcast early in the pandemic after being a loyal PCD for 4 years previously. John became too smug and domineering (and going on about Queen more than usual) and I could now get my Elis James fix from the "Socially Distant Sports Bar" podcast instead where he could swear and there were two other Welsh chaps whom he could talk about The Old Arcade or Llantrisant with.

I've recently gone back to them with the GREAT RESET and found it a lot more palatable. I'm slowly going backwards through 2023 and enjoying "DCI Robbyns" and the brief "Backing Britain" bits.

[phantom_power]

I used to listen to the podcast quite a bit and then one night I was staying in a hotel and had the podcast on as I couldn't sleep. I woke up to them talking to Matt Forde and it made me so irate in my grumpy, tired, half asleep mood that it soured me to them completely. Elis is likeable enough for me to let him off and I still like some of the stuff he does on his own but Robins lacks that affable quality

[Twilkes]

Just listened to Howl - as above, felt quite transitional, and there were some extended intentionally non-funny bits in there which while an artistic choice made it not as enjoyable (funny) as Darkness. The inability to shop bit was done better in the Ikea routine in that show too.

The 'media' bit was inspired and profound, and the second third of the show was fantastic.

Glad I paid him for it but enjoyed his earlier shows more, and the serious stuff is dug into deeper and more engagingly in any podcast he's been a guest on recently.

Would see his next tour show without hesitation.