Best Kind Of Medicine :-D

Laughter For The Soul

Hey hey hey! What’s been up Waking Life readers! It’s been such an amazing week for Waking Life, & again, I owe it all to y’all! AND GOD! There were times when I was losing faith in Waking Life, but the support I’ve received has been amazing to say the least! Even though not everyone has warmed up to the idea yet, the ones who have, are enough to make me want to just push through & see my dream manifest into reality! So again I say, thank you for taking the time to read my articles about the future stars of this world.

Before I begin to tell y’all about the gentleman I’m writing about today, I’d first like to apologize for not posting up this article yesterday as promised. I sort of ran into technical difficulties, you know here in Africa, we don’t have that city wide WI-FI so if your internet crashes, you’re done. So I apologize to y’all & to Gavin. It was really out of my control.

Alright so, today we’re going to get to know a very cool, funny, & down to earth comedian who goes by the name Gavin Kelly!

 

I’ve personally known Gavin since the 11^th grade of high school & when I heard that he was on the rise as a comedian, I was a little taken aback. He’s story is very... Different. To say the least, check it out:

Gavin Michael Kelly, as he’s known to his close friends & relatives, was born in 1988 in the beautiful Capitol city of Pretoria. As a child, he wasn’t really all that out going or loud as is required in the comedic industry. More of a secluded soul.

Gavin: “Well... I was an only child, raised by a single mother. So I guess, yeah I was very secluded. Watched A LOT of TV, so I didn’t really go out much. Partially because I’ve lived in a flat/apartment my whole life, without any brothers or sisters, nor did I have a garden or back yard to play at. Occasionally I’d go visit cousins & other relatives, but most of the time I’m just by myself. I actually prefer being by myself. I don’t even mind watching a movie in the cinemas by myself, as loserish as that sounds hahaha”

 

As an observer growing up, Gavin says he hated it when the spotlight was put on him.  Even now as a comedian, Mr Kelly does not enjoy being the centre of attention in big crowds. This is such a strange thing for a comedian to say, considering the fact that he’s performed in front of thousands of people.

Gavin: “The thing with stand up comedy is, you must keep in mind, that it’s just me up there.

This is what I appreciate about stand up comedy. I get on that stage & I’m alone. I’m not performing with someone else, nor is someone else putting in their 2c in the conversation. I’m up there with my own thoughts, my own opinion, & when I hold the mic everyone gets quiet. So in a way I’m connecting with each person individually even though I’m performing in front of a collective group of people.”

As the years rolled on, Gavin, although still a very secluded young lad, was slowly but surely getting out of his shell. So when high school came a long, I guess you could say he was more exposed to the world than what he was, living as a single child

Gavin: “Yeah, high school was cool. I was very clueless like a lot of young guys are at that point in their lives. Especially with my academics, I didn’t pay much attention. Grade 9 was so nice, I had to do it twice! Hahaha!!

 I guess I was just lazy, very lazy when it came to academics. But high school was cool for me because, I went to a government school. So it had every type of person in it & every type of race. Which was great because, I got to experience different cultures & just get to know new people & see what they’re about & with my group of friends, there was never a moment where I wasn’t learning from them. I’ve been to townships, I’ve been to very dangerous neighbourhoods as well as very high end neighbourhoods. So although I was very secluded as a child, I didn’t have a secluded adolescent upbringing.  So that’s the thing I enjoyed most about high school. The diversity it had in it.”

 

During his high school years, Gavin eventually did decide to pull his socks up & get his academics on the right track. He then went on to pursue a diploma in Journalism which he says was rewarding, as he got to learn a lot more about how the world works. He enjoyed reading a lot about politics & how people from different countries & cultures behaved & how they contributed to the world. This begs the question: How did he go from learning, reading, & enjoying such serious & thought provoking topics, to getting on the big stage & provoking such serious topics?
 

Gavin: “Well, after graduating I went to Johannesburg to get a job. Went to multiple interviews but nothing was happening for me. I think it’s because I had those one page CV’s you know, the kind where everything is capital letters hahahaha. ‘Name: GAVIN KELLY! Work experience: NOT AVAILABLE’ hahaha. I think my most interesting section was my hobbies, which was mainly ‘I like to watch TV. I like to read’ hahaha. This was very unfortunate because I couldn’t land any jobs in my chosen field, a field which I took time to study for.

Until one day when I went with my girlfriend to a comedy show in Johannesburg near an area called Melville. It was the first time I saw comedy live & I was amazed at how people responded to it. I was also surprised at how I responded to it because I laughed so damn hard! I think the comedy bug bit me that night. So I went home & it was all I could think about, especially due to the fact that nothing was happening for me. I was unemployed, I wasn’t making money, crazy thoughts crept into my head like ‘your girl is going to leave you if you don’t get your sh*t together’.

So the following Monday night, they had a comedy show again in Melville, & it was a free for all whereby anyone can get the chance to try out their work & so I put pen to paper, got up on stage & did my thing. I was nervous as hell, felt like I was about to die...

Okay that’s a bit dramatic but you get my point. Then what happened was, the other, more established comedians, that were watching came to me & told me that they really enjoyed it & that I should keep trying, which really motivated from there on. If it wasn’t for them I don’t think I would’ve carried on.

Till this day, I look back on that day & I’m humbled because nothing else was going for me, I basically had my back against the wall, so I’m very fortunate that comedy came along & is now working for me you know? And now because of comedy, I can get doors to open into other parts of the entertainment industry & my dreams can be realized."

 

And doors did indeed open for this young comedian. Gavin has gone on to do shows such as “Blacks Only” which is a event held at one of Johannesburg’s premier theme parks, Gold Reef City.

 

He’s also featured on Comedy Central, which was the first time he’s appeared on TV ( Which aired on the 27nd of February).

With his heart seton making a household name for himself, Gavin still looks on to other comedians as (somewhat) a source of inspiration.

Gavin: “The other comedians & I are friends, but we’re also colleagues. We all basically work together, there’s no beef like in hip hop you know? We all try to uplift each other, but the main thing is that we’re all on our own hustle. Once on stage it’s just you, not you & Loyiso Gola or whoever you’re really cool with.

 

I get up on stage & say what’s on my mind. My jokes are my own thoughts & opinion. I like talking about personal matters because that’s what I know most, no one knows me better than me. So you’ll hear me talk about being a white man dating a black girl,

Me going to a government school, me growing up as a single child & so forth. I’ll throw in a little bit of politics there but mainly my jokes are personal experiences.”

 

But what does one do if personal jokes aren’t funny? Surely people want something they can relate to & not everyone can relate to one’s personal experiences.

 

Gavin: “ Hahaha, if people don’t laugh then I swear at them! No I’m kidding, hahaha, if people don’t laugh then it’s just one of those things you know? It’s very subjective, I know some will laugh & some won't, it all comes down to what the individual finds funny. But I won’t lie; it’s difficult to make people laugh in this industry. For e.g.; I could have a gig in Soweto the one week & one in Sandton the next. Now those crowds will obviously differ because of their surroundings, yet I have to find a way to make both separate groups laugh their asses off hahaha. This is why I try to be different in the sense that I’m always trying universal material, material that makes everyone laugh. There’s nothing worse than a situational comedian, a comedian that can only make blacks laugh or only make whites laugh. You’ve got to be diverse in everything you do & be able to make everybody laugh especially in such a diverse community whereby race is such a big thing. Some people will laugh at a certain joke while others will feel awkward. But at the end of the day, ‘Race’ in South Africa is a necessary evil for a comedian in South Africa.

It’s kind of our job as comedians, to talk about race. Nowhere else in the media is racial bias attacked like it is in the comedy industry, which I think is great because we’re showing the public, by placing a mirror in front of them, so to speak, & saying ‘This is what we look like, this is who we are, & this is what we think about each other.’ Now we can either choose to move on & laugh about it or we could become a sensitive nation & try to sweep it under the rug”

 

With regards to what he just said, I just had to find out... How does Gavin Kelly handle hecklers. Like he said, SA is very diverse, & because we’re diverse, certain people will feel offended & try to strike back, so how does a rookie comedian handle such?

 

Gavin: “I personally haven’t experienced hecklers, but like any other professional, I wouldn’t allow for someone to come to my job (the show) & try to take me on while I work. I think as a comedian, you have to make sure that you don’t have hecklers, especially if your jokes are funny, but if there are hecklers then you have to put them in their place. So best way to do so is to diss them personally; If they’re fat you attack that full on, if they’re bald you make fun of their lack of hair. Anything that will shut them up & make the crowd laugh even harder is good.”

So what does the future hold for young Gavin Kelly & does he look to other celebs who have made it as a secondary source of inspiration?

Gavin: “At the end of the day I’m just trying to be successful. I want to be able to sell out crowds in the thousands that come just to see me & no one else. I remember when I started, some friends which I won’t mention hahaha, they know who they are, they were like ‘What? You’re trying to become a comedian? But Gav... You’re not funny’ & all I could think of was ‘Watch me prove you wrong’ So I can’t quit now otherwise I’ve proved all my doubters right, & that’s something no one in their trade wants to do, prove doubters right. I’m just going to put my nose down & work work work, ‘cause at the end of the day, that’s the only way to achieve your dream in this entertainment industry.

 

 

With regards to celebs... I like comedians, those are the true celebs for me. There’s no such thing as a South African celeb in my eyes. I mean what are they famous for? Looking good? Come on now. That’s nothing to look up to. For me a celeb is someone who goes out of their way to motivate people not brag about themselves so no... I just look to my family & other comedians. Especially one named David Powell. I remember I was once watching one of his one-man shows, & a couple of years later I’m performing alongside him so he’s another source of inspiration”

Gavin Kelly recently performed for Comedy Central here in South Africa & is also currently writing a book which he wouldn’t discuss yet, and although not yet a household name, his heart & determination seems to be pushing him into great heights in his life & hopefully soon into your TV screens.

Well that’s it for this week folks! I’m extremely thankful to those who couldn’t wait to hear all about Gavin, he’s story is quite remarkable when you think about it. I mean here was a kid, raised by a single mother, not really sure what to do with his life as he was growing up. Now he's on his way to becoming one of SA’s funniest people. I’ve been in Gavin’s company many times & I can assure you, the man is worth watching!

For more on Gavin Kelly, visit his Facebook page on www.facebook.com/GavinKelly

Or follow him on twitter: www.twitter.com/GavyKelly

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this piece done by yours truly. I will be posting more articles about the life & times of young, fresh and up-and-coming future stars of this world.

Till Then, Take Care Of Yourselves & Each Other.

 

PEACE!!!!

 

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