Jimeoin Jimeoin

You may be surprised to discover, Jimeoin is now considered a "Melburnian".

The popular stand-up comedian who is actually English moved to Australia in 1988 and now lives in Melbourne with his Aussie wife and children.

James Eoin Stephen Paul McKeown born 24 January 1966 in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England to Irish parents. Interestingly, imdb.com says he was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. We'll ask?..

He is known for his extensive live comedy tours in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

In an interview with the Townsville Bulletin on 11 March 2009 he stated that "I'm not really into that nationality thing but I've been watching the Socceroos in the football and when it comes to sport I really go for Australia. Well, Ireland's shit at everything so what choice do I have?"

Q&A: Jimeoin, comedian, 55

This year marks your 30th year in standup comedy. As a Melburnian, how does it feel to be on the road again? When I first came back after lockdown and started my tour in Adelaide [in February] I was properly terrible. I had forgotten my act, but now that I've been travelling for a few months I feel match fit. I've written new material, and I'm enjoying myself. Lockdown was obviously devastating for a lot of people, but actually I embraced it and just utilised my time at home. I realised my mental health is not good if I work too hard, and that I needed a year off.

How did James Eoin Stephen Paul McKeon from Northern Ireland become a one-name sensation Down Under? I moved to Australia [at 22] and worked in a construction office in Sydney giving quotes. One night at a comedy club somebody put my name down, so I got up and told a few jokes. I had never seen stand-up before; I was just being myself and it took off. Around the third or fourth time I did it a woman approached me looking for a support act for a comedy club in Melbourne. Shortly after I was booked for three weeks.

Was your accent a bonus or an obstacle? In my first year in Australia people couldn't understand me; it was like I was speaking a second language. I would ask people for directions and they would say, "Eh mate, whaddya bloody sayin'?" But doing standup, not only could they understand my accent but they could understand my thoughts! I felt like I had found a whole new group of friends.

You're well known back in the UK, but that wasn't always the case... In the '90s it was very interesting because I was really famous on one island, Australia, and then ordinary on the other. I got used to that and really enjoyed it. Having the fame break was great because you can observe the world better from anonymity.

Does your material travel well between hemispheres? It translates really well, and I also don't talk about politics in general. The only thing I have to change is the dollars to pounds and some colloquialisms like doona and duvet. The biggest trouble is remembering which one is which!

Between gigs on your Turn It Up! tour you've been staying in campgrounds. What's wrong with a hotel? I've been in a lot of hotels and I find them too sterile - they love you when you check in and then every morning at 10.30am it's "Get out! Get out of here!" During this pandemic more people are going camping so I thought, maybe I could film a TV series capturing camping misadventures. We drive from A to B and do some live shows and activities; we try to keep it as loose as possible but also true to what families or mates would do when camping: conversations, campfires and guitars.

Any border troubles? Yeah, I feel like Ned Kelly - the borders are opening and closing and I'm on the run. I've been very lucky this year, travelling from March to May, but it feels like Covid has finally caught up with me. We tried to do a show in Byron but instead we had to make a run for the border and finish the TV series in Queensland. The tour dates have been dramatically affected, but the show will go on!

Source: Q&A: Jimeoin, comedian, 55
By JACK KELLY
THE WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN MAGAZINE AUGUST 7, 2021

DVD

Jimeoin: Yeehaa

Join Jimeoin for a night of boot scootin', thigh slappin, tootin' and a hootin' laughs this side of funnysville.

Buy: fishpond.com.au

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❊ Web Links ❊

➼ Jimeoin 

➼ www.jimeoin.com

➼ www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimeoin

➼ www.imdb.com

➼ www.alist.com.au

➼ www.youtube.com

➼ www.twitter.com

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