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Respect where it’s due for his career and help to others. But as an open mic MC? Pretty dismal.

flumbles, May 2013

pj/ robin banks would probably be the first to admit that he is not a great comedian or even close. He is a promoter who introduces new acts and takes a lot of flak away from them by being so bad. A lot of the acts that are now household names have gone through his clubs and will still appear in his clubs as favours for a pittance if he asks them to. I'm not a friend or act he's helped but a fan of comedy that used to be a regular at Joe Bananas in Croydon back in the 90's when acts like al murray, lee mack, tim vine, milton jones, stewart lee, phil jupitus were still playing the circuit

kevin, May 2011

I feel like I have to add a bit of balance on here. Robin Banks definitely needs to be commended on his work with amateur comedians in so much as he runs several open mike comedy nights in London. He also promotes/manages lots of new acts for seemingly next to no financial reward, if any at all, and helps them forward their career. Genuinely, hats off to him for that. However, his act can barely be classed as comedy, and by this I don’t mean it is an artistic and impossible to pigeon hole kind of “anti-comedy” act like an Angelos Epithemiou or Jerry Sadowitz. I mean it is just plain horrible and not funny. Hideously tedious. His delivery is so poor that punchlines are sometimes barely audible. (I may be giving a bit too much credit by using the term “punchlines”). If you look into the positive comments on this page they tend to be written by relatively new acts that Robin has/is representing, or at least has given them spots at one of his many open mike nights. Fair enough, they are his friends of his and are doing what friends do. If Robin is on at one of his open mike nights in south London definitely go to it. Although he is a terrible MC, you’ll have a good chance of seeing a future household name. He puts on some genuinely great amateur acts, as well as some bad ones which is even more commendable.

Tony, January 2010

I think Robin Banks/ PJ is a great comic and promotor who has helped a huge amount of acts get gigs and develop material. He is always fair and will give you an honest opinion. I always enjoy watching him and feel the London comedy circuit wouldn't be a fun or accessible without him!

Suzi Ruffell, March 2009

I too was at the Banana Cabaret on Saturday night and if “going down well” is the same as to ‘go down like a lead balloon’ then Robin Banks certainly achieved this. Why would anyone want to see this man at both the downstairs and upstairs sets? I agree with a previous comment truly an agonisingly terrible Comedian.

Stimpy, March 2009

I'm not sure at which gig Esmee was in attendance, but I watched Robin Banks at the Banana Cabaret in both rooms and the impression I got was that he went down very well with the audiences and there was plenty of laughter - I'd defy anyone not to love the line about stealing a few pens before starting work. And I reckon that almost every comedian on the circuit could pick up a few tips from the way he dealt with a drunken heckler in the front row in the upstairs room. For more reasons than one the London comedy circuit would be a lot less lively a place without Robin Banks.

Danny Ward, March 2009

I love PJ / Robin Banks, hes an awesome compere/ promoter, hes really helped lots of comics get seen with great stage time, and has given male and female comics equal opportunities to have some wicked gigs! Saw him at The Bedford on Saturday, he was awesome, excellent material, he's got a wicked persona both on and off stage! He's on a old skool comic who showed the newbies how its done. Big up Robin Banks! And as he affectionately calls us, we, the Coven love him!

Luisa Omielan, March 2009

Agonisingly terrible comedian. He had idiotic material and a boring monotonous delivery. I and the vast majority of the audience did not laugh, in fact not a single person in the audience found him remotely funny. It was embarrassing to see someone so unaware of how unfunny he actually is. If I wanted to listen to an old man talking and not being funny, I would go to an old peoples home.

Esmee, March 2009

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