A Moment With Nelson T Gombakomba Jnr - A White Mason Comedian Interview

It's no secret that both Mr White and The Teege like a jolly good chuckle, and our predilection for appraising local comedic talent has seen us fortunate enough to cross paths, shake hands and exchange pleasantries with numerous artisans at various levels of the comedic craft - from fresh faces to established acts. If you've attended the ever-entertaining comedy nights of Gonzo's Tea Room, as we have on more than one occasion, you'll be familiar with the fine fellow upon whom 2016's first interview focuses. Kind Teege, might you elucidate...?

So the great Nelson T Gombakomba Junior decided to grace us with his presence one afternoon in the lovely Playhouse Bar. Dressed in his smart attire, his smile was beaming as always as he shook our hands and settled for our talk. Coffee was his choice of beverage - always a good start, as we here at White Mason Reviews believe, given our love of blends and beans of all kinds.

In today's article we will be getting to know Nelson more fully. Coming from Zimbabwe, his childhood is described as one shaped by religious schools and with strict upbringing - and therefore, he always wanted to get away and see what the outside world had to offer. When moving to the UK at 17, the difference he saw enticed him to stay.

Nelson is - as one might expect from an individual who frequently bares his soul on stage - cheerfully candid about his journey, relating its nuances with fond grins and relaxed, easy-going gestures. "I always remember the mountains surrounding Mutare," he notes, referring to the eastern Zimbabwean city in which he grew up. "Going to Catholic schools there always felt quite insular and conservative - it gave me so many questions, and I never really believed a lot of the things I was told."

As a consequence, Nelson's youth was formed by an inquisitiveness that, it would seem, could not be satiated by the circumstances surrounding him. One gets the impression that the more he was told how and what to think, the less inclined he felt to think it. As such, the marriage of a liberated mind and the freedom of the stage made his dream of being a comedian all the more profound - yet even then, he admits to us, it was some time after his arrival in Britain before he elected to make that dream a reality.

These days, Nelson has his mainstay here in Norwich - which we will touch on later - but always finds time to travel to London for some new and exciting venues. After a successful debut at the famous London Comedy Store, he is returning to perform again in due course, and he has also performed in King of the Gong.

Nelson stands a very understated man, holding high reserves and not pushing his place the world, but instead understanding where he's from and what he wants to achieve. With high goals, but none too unreachable, it's nice to know Nelson holds Norwich as a firm mainstay and wouldn't forget us should he become more famous than he already is! "Even if I became a big star, I wouldn't forget Norwich and I would still like to keep the Gonzo's comedy night running," he remarks.

In the process of both preparing Norwich's forthcoming Gonzo's Comedy Night - scheduled 29th January - as well as chuckling nervously whenever quizzed about his big return to London's prestigious Comedy Store, it's apparent that Nelson's nimble mind never stops whirring. "Gonzo's can be a brutal venue if you're not prepared - and in London, it can be worse, because you're up against some guys, they might've been performing 20 years or more," he explains. "The secret I've learned is to just enjoy the moment. If an act goes on stage setting him or herself up - 'Is this my big night? Is this when I get signed? Is this when I get noticed?' - you'll just tense up."

What's surprising about Nelson's craft is that he has only been performing as a comedian since as recently as March 2014 - yet less than two years later, is performing in London, is active in the Norwich circuit and is instrumental in arranging each month's gig at Gonzo's. "It's about what you tell yourself before you get on stage," he reveals. "Get excited. Be in the moment - don't be a perfectionist. I guess it's similar in a lot of the arts... people want to be famous, want to be recognised. As natural as that is, if you give in to that too much, it stops your personal growth... slows your progress. I used to get hooked on that buzz, on building up a big hype in the room and enjoying it afterwards, but it just fades like..." Nelson pauses, grinning broadly at his own analogy to come. "Like a bad one night stand, where you're just there afterwards like... why did I do that?! But if you get rid of that need for validation, it gives you a lot more freedom."

The man on stage is as much as the man who sits before us, humble in his words and never over-extending the conversation. Yet with each gig's destination differing in terms of diversity, he informs us of the technique that he as a British-African comedian may break out when the need arises.

"I always have to get rid of the elephant in the room in less multicultural cities, you know? I'm black, yes - and...?" Using comedy to break that wall lets Nelson's style of relaxed narrative flow through the audience... not forgetting the insatiable Zimbabwean twang mixed with his hilarious cockney impersonation, which is wonderful!

 Prejudice and comedy are often bedfellows, and although we're in the 21st Century and most audiences are tolerant in their perspectives, it's fair to say that your average Norwich audience, although diverse, would be nowhere near the cultural blend and fusion one might expect of a gig in Britain's capital, for example.  "The jokes I use to ease that tension, they're one-liners and stereotypes - they break the ice," Nelson says. "I wouldn't base my whole performance around it - using your heritage for a joke only works once per audience, you know? But what I love about Gonzo's is that it's become where I test and develop new material, find out what works, and then take the best of it to London. Because the events are monthly, it means I'm constantly working on new material."

Indeed, we've had the pleasure of watching Nelson's comedic arsenal grow - but how would he describe his approach? "Conversational," he replies, grinning. "I've never liked the whole... set-up, set-up, punchline, you know? If there's anything I could say to upcoming acts, it's just to be brutally honest with yourself. Like... if you're the 'funny friend' in your social circle, that's great - but does that mean you're a comedian? It's completely different on stage. You have to factor in attention spans, you have to keep yourself in line by not overreaching for fame or attention... it's about self-awareness and knowing your limits. With things we do at Gonzo's, like the audience participation, the Two Minute Touchdown where people can get on stage and perform for two minutes, things like that... we're encouraging new talent. But you have to work with the audience - you can't blame them if they're not laughing at your material, because ultimately that's your job to get right!"

So who of the great comics of the globe have inspired our interviewee most? Nelson mentions a few big names - notable ones, like Chris Rock, Billy Connolly and Jimmy Carr. Nelson's profound love of the conversational style of delivery clearly comes true in his expressions towards other comics.

His remarks on previous performances at Gonzo's are noted towards everyone developing, and whenever an old act steps forth on stage there is something new, bigger and better about them. "One thing I'm hoping we'll see more of at Gonzo's is female comedians, although that's not me trying to be inclusive just for the sake of being inclusive," Nelson tells us. "Although it's a tough thing to get into, my experiences have shown me that Gonzo's is a pretty safe place to try fresh material."

Nelson's notions are interesting, and we'll of course evaluate the meritous hysterics of any and all who take to the stage - for such is the White Mason Reviews way. But taking Nelson's journey into consideration, what would he define as his proudest onstage moment? "Definitely performing at the London Comedy Store," he answers, cheerfully fizzing with excitement. "The fact I got invited back just makes that even sweeter! London comedy clubs are so much more of a target audience. In Norwich, even with comedy nights, you're performing to a mix of people, especially in Gonzo's - some people at our comedy nights are just out for a night out, but we're happy they join in our fun. But in London? If someone's watching you at the Comedy Store, it's because they've come out just to see stand up comedy. The stakes get higher, but also, there's less of a line to cross with the audience as a result. It does your material justice and it lets you refine it at a really high level."

Impressive successes surround Nelson as he advances his art, but we all know even the greatest performers have overcome some false starts. Nelson agrees as he candidly relates his earlier material. "I used to do a routine about some fat girl I supposedly dated - that was at my third ever set, at The Birdcage in Norwich," he recounts. "It went down well, but it was during the times of me... figuring out my niche, you know? But I watched footage back a year later, and although I was getting laughs, I felt really uncomfortable watching it back. It felt like I was taking cheap shots, even though the girl I was talking about was completely fictional. It made sense at the time, but it's not part of how I do comedy today."

Nelson's comedic nature, along with that beaming smile, brings a delight to any show. His beginnings touched on the stereotypical, addressing his race and the vices and virtues that one may encounter. Upon development, his relaxed style, never rushing into a pun, but letting it settle across the audience, brings air to the conversational style he embodies. But the question on my lips was towards the darker side of comedy - those hecklers. Nelson's smile widens at this point in time, and to my question - "How do you prepare for them?" - he has a very simple answer. "I don't..." he laughs. "I just live in the moment and respond with something spontaneous." He continues laughing... Nelson goes on to explain how he has always had the natural urge for comedy.

We relax and have another round of drinks, and the conversation swings to previous comedic encounters, we refer to Mr Alexander Oliver and his crazed frantic life. I talk about the time at a gig when he turned to me and enquired to what I might be doing on my phone in the middle of his set... my reply was simple. "Reviewing YOU!" Suffice to say his remarks quickly redirected. Then Nelson and I turn our talk to Ryan Cross, another performer, and this writer's former loathing of his works (now en route to being rectified). Further, we realign the discussion to if, on Nelson's first performance, he could have some advice from someone more experienced... what would he say?

"Don't touch the Frankie Boyle-esque offensive jokes first - you may start a reputation for just offending people," Nelson advises. "That is never good! Offending the audience is always a bad start. If they are on your side they are much more likely to interact with your joke, and not have a discussion among themselves." We went on to discuss examples of the tragic woes that were, to which Nelson adds, "Don't get subdued by a bad night - enjoy every moment you have onstage, good or bad. Either way, it's experience."

So what's next for Nelson? Beyond his excitement for the Gonzo's Comedy Night on 29th January - "It's gonna be crazy!" - this zesty Zimbabwean is approaching the coming year with a mixture of gusto and groundedness. "I got approached in London for a corporate gig, a pretty huge set, but I turned it down - I know I'm not ready yet," Nelson outlines. "But even if I did make it big, and played London and other places a lot more, Norwich will always be home. Gonzo's Comedy Nights are my babies, and I want to help make everyone who comes out glad they did, and see growth month on month."

With a degree in Law and a relaxed outlook on life, there's no doubt that if Nelson's making things happen, he's doing it for us - and with us. Already in talks with both the acts and the proprietors of his favourite venue to get events livestreamed worldwide, he's keen to see what he and his contemporaries do being documented. "Right now I'm continuing to work with acts, figuring out how best to position them in the line-up based on their comedy styles," Nelson sums up. "I'm really happy with how things are going - we've got new and repeat acts, and those who get invited back I'm giving breathing room, so they can continue refining their material and bring us new laughs. There are a lot of new faces to Norwich coming in January and beyond, and we're going to continue keeping it fresh and diverse."

Every show of Nelson's we have had the pleasure of reviewing has seen his comedy never fall below a 4/5 star rating. This also stands true of this afternoon spent with him - the sparkle this man can bring to a somewhat dull rainy Norwich afternoon revived us with a new intensity. He has a small segment in the London Comedy Store, prior to this month's Gonzo's, which is coming on 28th January. Not one to be missed! But for now, Nelson, we thank you and await what's to come on our next visit to Gonzos's Comedy Night on 29th January.

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The Teege and Mr White signing off!