Dave Spikey

A major turning point in the life of Farnworth born comedian Dave Spikey came one Sunday evening in 1993 when Spikey got a phone call to see if 'he could get to Blackpool in half an hour.’ Cannon and Ball were appearing at The Opera House and they needed a compere immediately.
Success soon followed Spikey, the former BioMedical Scientist went on to win the Best Newcomer award at the British Comedy Awards, and then starred in Channel 4’s comedy Phoenix Nights as Jerry St. Clair. Northern Life’s Lee Banks caught up with Dave.

You were born David Bramwell, where did Spikey come from? And do you ever get inquisitive looks when you’ve got to sign your name on cheques?
You do really because people recognise you and ask if it is my real name! And I go no, no... It’s Eric Spikey! (laughs). The name Spikey comes from years ago, when I had a flat top hair cut, well, my hair just didn’t like it, it just spiked out in all directions. The first day I went to work at the hospital with it, everyone was saying ‘hey up, Spikey’s here’ and from then on it just stuck.

You’re currently on tour, how’s it going?
I’ve had a great time; it’s been going for about a year. I’ve done seventy odd shows now, it’s my longest ever tour. My first tour was exceptionally good, it was crafted from material I had accumulated over the years, you know ten years of doing stand up. But with this one I wrote it from scratch, it’s got a theme; best medicine, based on my time in NHS.

You recently launched a new book I gave you my kidney and you broke my heart what’s the book about?
Well, I get to gigs a bit earlier now, and go around and check out the local shops, have a coffee, and read the local newspaper, because there will always be a story there, you just got to mention a couple of local landmarks and characters and they love it! So I ended up collecting them around the country and thought it would make a cracking little book, so that’s what I’ve been doing, getting stories together and editing them and putting them all together. Do you ever have to change your performances for more southern audiences? No, never do. On my first tour I used talk a lot about Wigan, I love Wigan, I love the culture and I love the pie culture. I love the things you hear, I went to the JJB stadium once and I asked this woman how do you get there, and she said ‘Well my brother takes me!’ (laughs) I don’t make things exclusively northern, like going to the shops, going on holiday, what’s in the paper, its generic really.

Where about in the north is your favourite place? Other than Chorley obviously....
I love the Leeds-Liverpool canal; I used to have a canal boat and I love going over there. You see the county from a completely different view, it’s away from the noise and the roads and I love it up through the tops and Barrowford, you come through that tunnel in Foulridge and it’s like Narnia, it takes your breath away. People don’t know how lovely it is, they think the North is all mills, cobbles and whippets.

You’ve been doing a lot of charity work I’ve noticed....
Well yes, it’s good to do when you’re in a privileged position, it’s mad really, I worked in the hospital all those years and after doing a gruelling 36 hour shift helping to save lives no one would ever say ‘Dave, flipping good job last night’, you didn’t get any of that. So, by just turning up or doing the auction or sending some stuff can really lift the profile of the charity and that help to raise money.

How long have you been a vegetarian for?
Oh about 20 years now, it’s just become a way of life. It’s got to come from inside, something you got to feel strongly about and I do. I’m a big animal lover. I’ve had nine dogs, 36 chickens, four goats, turkeys, ducks and sheep that were rescued from an abattoir, and you know it doesn’t take you long when your having your breakfast in the garden with all the animals around, you start thinking I shouldn’t be having this bacon really, doesn’t feel right.

For your chance to win a copy of ‘I gave you my kidney and you broke my heart’ simply answer the following question and place your entry on the competition coupon on page 157.

Interview from issue 28 Oct/Nov 09. To order this issue go to the Northern Life online store.