Jazz Emu blending TED Talk satire with disco-fuelled chaos, turned his high-gloss alter ego into a viral phenomenon, drawing millions of fans across YouTube, Spotify, and TikTok. With a sold-out tour, a hit concept album, and a Fringe return on the horizon, Jazz Emu is turning self-help nonsense into comedy gold. We caught up with him to dive into glitter, masculinity, and funk robots.
Q: ‘The Pleasure Is All Yours’ dives into the cracked mirror of masculinity and image. What made you want to finally unmask Jazz Emu—or at least smudge the glitter?
The character of Jazz Emu is something I’ve felt an urge to perform onstage since my late teens- probably a combination of watching too many Austin Powers re-runs as a child, and meeting so many fragile male egos when performing with bands at music gigs. I think having done this for a few years, and having dug deeper into it, I just found my urge to perform this character interesting. Why do I find this character so funny? What bits of me and people I know do I see in him? And more generally how does this timeless archetype of the braggadocious male idiot fit into the modern manosphere and the way I’ve absorbed masculinity as a child growing up with access to All Ideas Ever.
With increasingly discombobulating and confusing narratives about masculinity being shoved down our throats by algorithms, I think boys and men are having a particularly weird go of it now – trying to work out which of the rules being screamed at them on social media and on forums they should absorb and emulate. This show is this narcissistic loner Jazz Emu’s specific take on this feeling of the overstimulating overwhelm of rules.
Q: Your act blends synth-pop bravado, TED Talk absurdity, and fragile ego spirals. Is Jazz Emu what happens when Silicon Valley meets Studio 54?
Yes – they have met, had a passionate night of lovemaking and produced an illegitimate son who has been hidden away in a bunker with nothing but a load of synths and internet connection until adulthood. I’m really interested in how these different images of “Men In Power” are developing, especially with the new flavour of Amoral Geek Technocrat becoming so powerful in the last decade or so. What does this do to the psychology of ambitious nerds like Jazz Emu?
Q: You’ve been called the “breakout comedy act of 2023” and “genius” by the Telegraph. What’s the most unhinged piece of praise you’ve ever received?
Honestly, I would say these aren’t nearly effusive enough. I do receive a lot of bizarre comments – positive and negative – on my online channels. My favourite positive feedback on Youtube was a guy who had lost his virginity to a song I’d written about a Funk Robot, and had come back to thank me for the song’s seductive properties. Wherever you are, my friend, you are most welcome.
Q: Jazz Emu promises “near-explosive joy” to every audience member. How close have you come to accidentally delivering that… literally?
In my performances, there are no accidents.
Q: Your concept album Ego Death features everyone from Harry Enfield to Alex Horne. How did those collaborations come about—and who’s next on your Emu hitlist
I was aware that both had seen my videos and/or live shows, and just took a punt on email to see if they’d like to be involved. They were very gracious with our miniscule budget and said yes. It was a real treat and an honour. I have a lot of hitlists going. In terms of assassination, probably David Dimbleby. In terms of collaboration, probably also Dimbleby but I’ll obviously need to keep the proceeding attempt at his life under wraps.
Q: We hear the Fringe show might include some suspiciously motivational self-help language. What’s your biggest personal ick about the internet’s obsession with self-optimisation?
I actually have no icks with it. I fundamentally think no one in the world is good enough, and the only way for them to get better would be to buy a subscription to my 24 month neuro-improvement programme with discount code HENCH to receive a free legal dose of my AlphaMindNuggets™.
Q: From BBC Radio 4 to TikTok cult status—your comedy moves across platforms like a disco ninja. What’s your favourite medium to play with right now?
I find that my attention with specific online platforms has a shelf-life – they all have their own restrictions and can disappear in the snap of a finger like dust to the wind when they’re bought up by a technocratic megalomaniac. I’ll always love making full length songs and music videos, and putting them wherever they make sense to be (Youtube right now). But live performance is by far the hardest and the most rewarding and psychologically draining. And the robots can’t take that away from us!
Q: If Jazz Emu walked into a Shoreditch house party—what’s he drinking, who’s he offending, and how many neon belts is he wearing?
Jazz Emu’s drink of choice is an Ice Tea: Cold, Long and Island. He would be lurking by the chips and dips trying to wheedle his way into a conversation with a guy he’s heard is apparently the cousin of the dog-walker the head of of Universal Music. He’s triple-dipping his carrot sticks in the communal tzatziki.
xxx
The Pleasure Is All Yours runs at Pleasance Dome (Queen Dome) 30th July -24th August. Tickets available HERE.