Duncan Oakley
Musical comedy act who started in the late Nineties and can perform with guitar, harmonica, drums and piano
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Duncan Oakley's Favourite Things at the Manchester Comedy Festival
He’s a rock musician, who talks a lot about sex and uses the most offensive four-letter words with abandon. Yet somehow Duncan Oakley is strangely reminiscent of benign comic legend Terry Scott.
For at the heart of his often dirty set, there’s a cheekiness and childishness that’s about as offensive as Scott singing about ‘pinching little girls up the High Street’ in his ancient comedy-pop ditty My Brother.
Oakley’s material is, in its own way, just as far from the edge. Talking about boozing and shagging is de rigeur for the modern stand-up, and Oakley ticks these boxes. But while his material might not always be strikingly original, it is relentless. He has an ear for the joke, and they come thick and fast – no matter how daft, or occasionally how obvious.
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There is, indeed, a frequent dash of silliness to his material, both in the one-liners and in tracks such as The Girl With A Bum For A Face, or the song about his pet fly who forms a band. They sound like titles the more whimsical and more established Boothby Graffoe might come up with, but Oakley’s driven by daft, simple gags rather than Graffoe’s stylised surrealism. You might even call him the unthinking man’s Boothby Graffoe.
But whatever limitations he has in other areas, he more than makes up with his gag rate; punchlines come at a heckler-proof rate and he has the confidence and the gift of the gab that will help him spa with the most lively audience, or inject a spark of energy into the most moribund one. The mischievous charm stands him in very good stead, and you can forgive a lot from someone who comes up with a joke as silly as his plectrum-swallowing one.
Oakley is an accomplished guitarist, drummer and harmonica player, but his biggest talent is his relentless bonhomie, making for an engagingly inane performance.
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Duncan Oakley Dates
Sat 22 Jun 2013
- Covent Garden Comedy Club
- 20:00
- Call for prices
- Adam Crow, David Whitney, Duncan Oakley
Sat 29 Jun 2013
- Hartlepool Rugby Club
- 20:00
- £10 (£8 in advance)
- Duncan Oakley, Scott Gibson, Ray Bradshaw (MC)
Fri 16 Aug 2013
- Liverpool Slaughterhouse
- 20:00
- From £15
- Duncan Oakley, Phil Butler, Susan Murray, Chris Cairns (MC)
Sat 17 Aug 2013
- Liverpool Slaughterhouse
- 20:00
- From £15
- Duncan Oakley, Phil Butler, Susan Murray, Chris Cairns (MC)
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Older Comments
zack - 27/09/2010
Absolute genius, go see him now
Ros Mills - 06/08/2010
Just seen him at the Cambridge Comedy marquee and found him very funny, best of a not very inspiring lot. His play on words and stringing the audience along got the best laughs of the evening. Original and talented, without usual obvious and not funny shag/f**k jokes he was a breath of fresh air. Would happily travel to see him again.
simon - 08/05/2010
Great in Reading, enjoyed his humour, especially transport references :)
michelle gruder - 30/12/2009
Saw him at Middlesbrough town hall over christmas, he was awesome, some of the best comedy songs I've ever heard. I was wetting myself by the end
Kevin Jackson - 16/01/2007
I have seen Duncan Oakley twice, once at a gig at Scarborough in front of students and once in Harrogate in front of, well Harrogate people! Both nights he killed. Had the crowd from start to finish. I personally found him hilarious both times, even though his set hadn't varied much. Also true that he does a string of knob gags (erm, pun not intended!) and the like, but still very funny. Give him a try. You seem to love him or hate him!
Doris Wilson - 24/11/2006
Just seen Duncan Oakley no one seemed to find him remotely funny and I had diffictulty hearing anything he said cos of the guitar. Didn't even finish with a decent song!
Andy Tattersall - 06/06/2006
Great comedian, seen him twice, although his material hadn't moved on much in over a year. He needs to hold off from the predictable cheap gags that pad his set out, but all in all and truly talented performer with loads of potential.
Simon Sandler - 27/03/2006
Saw Duncan in Chester yesterday and thought him an excellent entertainer. Excellently delivered his cheeky material and had the audience in the palm of his hand.
Glenn Ward - 11/03/2006
Saw Duncan last night in a sleepy market town venue in St.Ives, Cambridgeshire. He wasn't headlining, but he should have. Me and my friends p*ssed ourselves from start to finish. Reeves and Mortimer, watch out. This guy was awesome to watch, and we are still laughing now
Tony - 17/02/2006
I saw Duncan perform last night at the Pocklington Arts Centre. One of the funniest class acts for the last 20 years. Not going to give anything away - you've got to see him live. Duncan deserves fame and fortune beyond even his wildest dreams
Aaron - 17/02/2006
Seen this guy, no this legend last night at Pocklington N Yorks and the crowd were varied in both age and class, and all including myself seemed to be falling off thier chairs in laughter. Genuinely the best comedian I have ever seen bar none
Paul Jone - 19/12/2005
Saw him at Baby Blue in Liverpool and he is one of the worst, if not the worst, comedians Ihave ever seen. He had no comeback to hecklers, and most of the audience just started talking amongst themselves as they, like me, were bored.
Leo Edwards - 03/12/2005
At first I just didn't get what Duncan Oakley was about - but after realising that I had soiled myself after just a few minutes, I knew I was in for a treat. If you get over the initial - "is this guy actually funny" bit - you'll love him.
Nick - 19/09/2005
Absolutely brilliant! Had me, and the rest of the 400 or so crowd in stitches from start to finish. Would definitely recommend.
Banksy - 28/05/2005
Saw him last night at the Bollington Comedy Night. Personally, I thought he was pretty good, but he bombed with large sections of the audience, as his act wasn't billed correctly, so a lot of older folk were after a Ken Dodd style act. Left the stage to a chorus of boos & cheers.
Nelson - 31/03/2005
In a student club he can appear to be comedy dynamite. In front of a more discerning crowd his fisting/knob humour and wafer thin one liners die on the vine. Nelson 31.03.05
Kev Cork - 28/12/2004
Very skilled musician, but seems to have stolen the O Fortuna skit that Rainer Hersch was finishing on years ago.
Nelson - 11/11/2004
Can be both absolutely inspired and horribly predictable. If he was a harsher editor of his material he could be superb.
Anna K - 31/10/2004
Stormed a rowdy university crowd, and created his own fan club in the meantime.
Nick Malek - 15/06/2004
If anything, Duncan Oakley appears to have got worse since your review. A singer/guitarist doing twenty minutes of miserable one-liners and string of nob jokes - that is just what I don t need at the end of a long day. His closing routine with misheard lyrics held up to the tune of Carmina Burana has been plagiarised from a much better act.
Karen Maybury - 28/05/2004
Stunningly poor.
Brent - 27/05/2004
One of the best musical acts on the circuit. In fact, just one of the best acts, period.
Chris Brooker - 22/05/2004
Superb. Anyone that can mix awesome guitar riffs with belting comedy has won me over right away.
Glenn - 30/03/2004
Two encores at the Scarborough comedy club last night. Very very talented with real warmth and energy. A joy.
Lucy - 17/03/2004
Saw Duncan Oakley last friday at UCLANs Comedy Club, and he was fantastic, saw numerous other TV comedians in the same weekend and nothing compared to him. Reading the other reviews it seems he does the same routine, but as they say, 'if it aint broke dont fix it'. Brilliant.
Ellster - 18/02/2004
Duncan is simply hoolarious, and a brilliant musician too. Makes you sick, doesn't it?
Gerry Kyei - 12/12/2003
A pleasure to work with and a talent I believe more people should be exposed to. He received and deserved the standing ovation.
Salty - 05/11/2003
Saw him last night for the second time. Unfortunately this man needs new material. There's only so many times you can find a song about knobbly knees funny. The first-timers loved him, though, so I can't say he isn't a talented man.
Ace - 30/11/-0001
Absolutely fantastic! By far one of the best comics I've seen in a long while, he had the audience in stitches from start to finish. A superb mix of humour and musical talent.