G: Tell us about what do you do?
I run a few businesses, an online entertainment business called Oxygen Entertainment creating music, branded and celebrity content for brands such as Virgin, Warners, MSN, Ministry and V Festivals. It’s been pretty fun, I worked for a while in Asia for a few years, got chucked out of South Korea, and hotstepped it just off the coast of China where I travelled Asia interviewing hip hop and pop acts such as 50 Cent and Black Eyed Peas.
When I finally came back to the UK, I fortuitously won an international competition with Virgin to go round the world as their V Festival reporter and on my way back from a 2 V Fests in Australia, decided to popstar stalk Oasis who had been chucked out of China a few days before a major gig in Shanghai due to pro tibetan comments made a few years earlier.
Fast forward to now, I live and work in Shoreditch. I love it here, it reminds me of my time in Taiwan because I can walk everywhere [a rarity in London], and it’s a place where anything goes and creative ideas can grow with commercial traction. Whether you like the Victorian pickpocket dress sense or not, it does have charm. Altho’ that might be puke on the floor.
I now run a couple comedy brands, one is a monthly comedy chat show entitled ‘Time of the Month’ (www.totmcomedy.com) which I took to Edinburgh and has been featured in The Independent and on BBC4 Extra. It’s quite raucous, audience interaction heavy and we’ve had some amazing people guest such as Andi Osho, Imran Yusuf and Mark Dolan.
The reason for moving from music to comedy? Well, why not? It has a longer life span and larger demographic and it’s easier to monetize. And why a comedy chatshow? Well I’d like to ultimately host a prime time chatshow, so if any commissioning editors are reading this…..
G: What were your most successful shows so far or what shows did you enjoy the most so far?
The shows that I’ve enjoyed have been the ones that been extremely unpredictable. As both a promoter and a host you have two mindsets and if one goes terribly wrong you have to let go in the same way as watching a car crash date or someone dancing badly trying to woo someone, and then there’s sick voyeuristic element coupled with the surprise and satisfaction of something working with the driver not at the wheel.
G: How do you select the people for the shows?
They have to make me laugh. I book people that I think are going to make it big, or are already proven on the circuit or TV. TV credits can be a win or fail situation status but the loose nature of the show is generally a conduit to some amazing moments. And all acts have to be receptive to the unknown and freestyle nature of that. Doing a tight ten or twenty doesn’t always lend itself to that. Basically heckling and fucking the comic up is encouraged. It’s a real measure of their talent.
Which is why you should come on down. Time of the Month, it’s a monthly night. In Shoreditch, Concrete under Pizza East on Shoreditch High Street.
G: What are the main challenges maintaining your business and how are you overcoming them?
Comedy can be difficult to monetize in some ways on a larger level. Which is why I’m starting up another comedy brand called ‘Comedy Lounge’.
What is comedy lounge??? Comedy lounge deals with corporate events, tours and weekly intimate events. If you’re a venue and would like a comedy lounge night in your venue, you should contact info@oxygenonline.tv
G: What are your favourite places in Shoreditch?
Concrete for amazing Musical Bingo and Comedy, Shoreditch House for pouncing it up , The Dolphin Pub for when things get messy and The Joiners for one last drink and ‘vogue’ en route home ;-)
G: What does the future has in store for Shoreditch?
I think it will continue to thrive. Let’s face it the image of the ‘East End, cockles and eels’ has long gone. And the ‘trendy’ ‘too cool for school’ I think will always be there but has already faded into cliché. However you only need to look to the amount of digital, creative and tech led startups that have spawned and continue to thrive leading out of the recession coupled with the proximity to the world’s leading financial district to know that Shoreditch is here to stay baby. Shoreditch is HERE TO STAY.
Find us on:
Website: www.eleanorconway.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/EleanorConway
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EleanorConwayUK
Blog: www.totmcomedy.com
