Blog Archive
	This is all old shit, but I'm leaving it here for historical value anyway...

"Why isn't this guy on TV?" - June 18th 07 So, Kilkenny is done and dusted for another year. It's taken me this long to write a blog, cos I've been positively wrecked since I got back, between being sick and being busy. But, all's well now. Had a great festival. We had packed out houses for all our shows. Most ineteresing gig was the one I closed where, due to the new drinking hours laws in Kilkenny ( the aftershow bar opened from 12.15 -2 am! Wow! Party town, or what! ), I basically had to condense my closing slot to 4 MINUTES! Good time was had. Thanks a million to Tony and the Craichouse lads for gigs and accomodation, and to Keith and the Neptune gang for gigs and tips on world domination! Been hitting the ground running since I got back. My main news now is that I've been offered the chance to put on my own one-man show in September for Bulmers Comedy festival, here in Dublin. I think I'll try all brand new stuff (there's nothing like gigging 3 times a day over a five day period to make you sick of your current material), so gonna get cracking on that now. It'll be on initially in the Bankers, but I'm hoping once I get it up and running, I'll get a chance to hold it in a few more venues. Oh, and I've also got my own brand of T shirts coming out soon. Selling out, or what? So, all is good. I'm off to kick some ass. Robbie

mar 19th

Nearly bought that word-twisting rag of a paper The Evening Herald, tonight. Thankfully their cover blurb of "21 pages of Junior soccer" put me right off, so I managed to save my euro...what's this relationship sports has had with 'news' all these years? They're more entwined than politics and religious institutions (even though they completely contradict each other's aims). Is sport REALLY the lowest common denominator in the world of entertainemnt? It amuses me when some sports 'scandal' makes it into the news.. like who gives a flying fuck?. The same people who manage to get through school just because they're good at sports, I s'pose... Live in the ghetto? Can't be arsed reading? Learn the exciting sport of 'hitting'! Also, it's funny seeing the Herald trying to mirror the British tabloids (forgive the pun) by featuring storylines from Fair City, and dressing it up as news, for the entertainment of the 6 people here who watch it. Sorry..you'll have to forgive me..I'm halfway through a 6 day dry spell of gigs (there are quite alot of gigs I could be hustling for, but frankly, I've no interest in doing business with 'functioning' alcoholics and / or 7 year-olds in the body of a halfwit ), and that tends to make me a little ancy. Or 'bitter', if you prefer... I still get accused of bitterness by alot of people, but sure fuck it, you might as well accuse wrestlers of acting, or Philip K Dick of being paranoid. It's my bag, man.

2nd March 07

So, it's time to kick off the day job! I'm doing well at the comedy at the moment, so I reckon it's time to go 'pro'! Any and all advice anyone has for me at this point will be graciously ignored and scoffed at by my indignant self! Ah, no..only messin' there, Ted! Please feel free to hurl advice, congratulations, comiserations, abuse, cheers, or ancient curses at me! Even chide me for my over-excessive use of exclamation marks! I've also found I'm losing interest in drawing, as a form of work (I don't even honestly think my drawing skills are fine enough for 'professional' work) , and would like to just start drawing my own personal stuff ( the plan being, one day, to publish my own cartoon book, with an accompanying CD - see artist's depiction - of a live gig, that I can hock out to people at gigs!)! I wasn't sure if that last exclamation mark I used was supposed to be in FRONT of, or BEHIND that last bracket, so I put it in BOTH sides! Shit, now I'm getting ADDICTED to CAPS LOCKING all the IMPORTANT words!!! Anyway, here's to a life of 300 gigs a year (some day)! Life's about to get interesting again, methinks... !!! Robbie

My Christmas Message! Greetings, people of Earth. Haven't blogged in a while, and this'll most likely be my last one of the year, so I thought I'd share with you my wisdom for this holiday season. So... Christmas..what's it all about. Y'see...I dunno if I believe in all this Jesus stuff. Yes, I'm sure he was a real person, but not too sure about his godly heritage. But if you were God, and you sent your kid down to the planet to clean up your OWN mess, wouldn't it have been wiser to wait til the natives had developed a better system of documentation, instead of having to rely on the word of a few malnourshed prophets, to record the events for all humanity? Y'see..there are 2 things stopping us from progressing as a race. Dogma, and assholes. But let's tackle just the dogma issue for now. Not just religious dogma, but the dogma of 'tradition' and the way things currently are. Everyone's trying to figure out the meaning of life, but missing the key word here. Life. Not the after life, not death, not trying to get to heaven to fuck a load of virgins. Life. We all get one, and the most likely outcome when that life ends is nothingness. If the most likely outcome was heavenly bliss, we would all have just ONE religion. But we don't. I'll tell ya this, there's no variation of atheistic beliefs. Atheists all have the one belief. Now.. I ain't knocking any spirtual beliefs anyone may have. I consider myself a spiritual person. Spiritualism is there, in everything we do. Art, music, literature, kids, family, friends, all that stuff. it comes from us, and it benefits us. That's how the world should work. Ever noticed that all religious fundamentalists are shouty angry people. Think they're fucking happy? No. They expect to achieve happiness in the afterlife, so they're using their mortal life to stress about it. The phrase 'get a life' has never been more appropriate. Western civilaisation rocks, people. We can like what we want, dress how we want, do what we want, and the majority of us make sane day to day decisions WITH all that personal power. Don't get me wrong here. Western religion is fucked too, as is western politics. By the way, I don't think Bush is an idiot. I also don't think he is really the one in power. I think he's a helpless puppet of the REAL American powers-that-be, who's trying to warn us all that something's amiss by SEEMING like an idiot. The equivalent of a kidnap victim mouth the words 'help me', if you will. It HAS to be an act 'cos NO-ONE in power could be that much of a fuckwit. But no-one else is seeing the signs, or telling the American government "NO! Enough of this bullshit! We, the people, are taking back the power!" I've never voted. Not 'cos I'm lazy, or trying to be a rebel, but because all politicians spout the same bullshit. It's all old rich people that want stuff other old rich people have, and I have NO INTEREST in that world. But I digress. So yeah. Religion. I'm now officially a Jedi, as I have written on the last concensus form. Yeah, it's a pseudo religious order made up by one man with a beard, who has now garnered millions of followers, but that's different from other religions how? I'll tell ya, when I was a kid, and getting the shite knocked out of me by 'Christian' brothers, and then coming home to a house fucked up by my father's alcoholism, it wasn't 'god' that got me through it, it was Star wars. Or comic books. Or whatever. If a movie, or a TV series, or a book says more to you than any belief (of another person) thats knocked into you, go with it. It's my religion. But I ain't gonna go round telling everyone to believe in the nurturing powers of the force. Why? Cos it's my own thing. And everyone else's spiritual beliefs should be THEIR own thing. We don't need to follow anyone else beliefs. Thats fucked up. How can you believe what other people are telling you to believe. Not ONE other person on this planet knows god better than anyone else. So fire all the priests! Here endeth the lesson. By the way, I was voted the Capital Comedy Club's best support act second year running. Hurrah! May the force be with you!

nov 12th 06

Anyone remember CDs? I bought a CD yesterday. It was Queen's Live At The Bowl double CD, and I bought it 'cos I've never seen it before (thanks, Fred, by the way). I've never seen it listed in any of Queens doscographies, though I suspect it's just an audio rip of their Milton Keynes gig, from '82. But I realised as I was buying it "Shit. When WAS the last time I bought a CD?" I've hundreds of the feckin' things (and DVDs), as I'm a bit of an archivist (as opposed to a 'hoarder'), but they all sit untouched in a couple of large carry cases. I've found lately, that when I see a DVD or CD I want, I ask myself "Ok...do I pay 20 yoyos for this, or try and see if it's downloadable?" And that, my friends, is the future, I think. Queen have always been my number one band, and I've owned the originals of ALL their albums at some stage, in vinyl, cassette AND CD format (in some cases, more than once), so I feel no shame in downloading any missing tracks that have eluded me over the years. I remember when CDs became the new 'thing', alot of oldies lamented the death of the vinyl LP, and the sheer joy of holding a 12 inch square piece of 'art' in their grubby mits, but now it seems, in the new 'iRevolution', packaging is a thing of the past. Gah...and I wanted to start drawing album covers for people.

nov 1, 06 Howdy, my dears! Hope you all had a nice Hallowe'en! I think my friends are getting tired of my hobo costume, but c'mon...there's not much choice when you've got long hair and a beard. It's either a hobo, Jesus, or a 'young' Kris Kristofferson. Had a good week cartoon-wise. I've now got my cartoon, 'Happy in the Haze', running regularly in two magazines... Soft Secrets, and Highlife (probably only known to those in the hemp-growing community), but it also means that my stuff will be printed in Dutch, French, Spanish and Italian, too! Comedy-wise, I've finally started to get all my pre-Xmas gigs booked. Any promotors reading this, if I don't get some more paid gigs, the kids get no gifts! So think of the children, damn you! Gimme gimme gimme (I don't know which kids I'm refering to yet, as I am childless myself, but I'm sure I can find a family member's kids to disappoint) Excelsior!

Heeeey, Children! Had a blast the last couple of weeks. My visit to the UK went well. although i didn't get to play the Comedy Store, as they'd 'fooked the buckings' up (see what I did there?), but had some great gigs, including winning the open mic night at the Comedy Cafe...lol. Did a lot of sight-seeing too, my favourite place being the Cartoon Museum, in London. Lots of great art, including some old 2000ad stuff I remember from the 80s... We should have a Cartoon Museum here in Dublin. Things are going well, career-wise. Am starting an 8 month course in Radio production and presenting, so hopefully that will give me the credentials to get my foot in to a radio station one day. I'm itching to get my own show! (altho I have done co-presenting on community radio, but...eh...who listens to community radio? lol. Also started renting my own office, in Dublin's glorious city-centre, as a way of kicking myself up the arse, to get some actually work done, cartoon-wise... I've been trying to get my own comic book launched , but I rarely get to do any work on it, so hopefully having a place to do it will help. We'll see... Anyhoo, that's all from me for now! Be seeing you!

Sept 25th, '06 Greetings, world! Yep...it's been nearly a month since me last entry (oo-er, madam), so loads to tell you about! Anyhoo... the Bulmers Comedy Festival is practically done...I was at the launch in the Olympia where I had the pleasure of meeting Lewis Black again! He was there, I think, because he happened to be the first act of the festival. When he pulled up in a car, I was outside having a smoke, and as the car door opens, I can see Lewis is in there with another guy, at which point a waiting papparazi leans over to me and asks me hurriedly "Which one is Lewis?". Oh dear... Then it was all "Mr Lewis! Mr Lewis! This way for a photo! Can you sit on this motorbike?" and voila, some chav-style 'motorbike' suddenly appears on the footpath. No sooner has Lewis plonked himself down to pose for cameras, then Twink suddenly appears, from nowhere, on the back of the fucking seat!!!???! Fucking Twink!?! What, she's the face of Irish female comedy now? What is this, 1981? They couldn't get Tara Flynn, or someone equally photogenic, on the back of the bike? Twink? What else? Oh yeah, got to do support for Jimeoin in Limerick. That was a blast. Had some nice gigs in the Laughter Lounge, too, slap in the middle of the festival. Changed me set a bit each night, even trying a new bit with the 'guitar'...you'll know what I mean if you were there... I've been bumped to the longer middle slot for my next run, later in October, so I'm really looking forward to that! I also heard that one of my cartoons was robbed from outside the Bankers comedy club the other night! Yes!! I hope that means I'm achieving cult status, and not just that someone really needed something to wipe their arse with. (although the idea of Robbie Bonham(TM) toilet paper DOES appeal to me).. So... I'm off to the UK this Wednesday, for a few gigs, including ten minutes in the Comedy Store's late show, in London. Really looking forward to that.

Aug 28th Just realised I haven't posted a blog in a couple of weeks. Haven't gigged now for 2 weeks (all my regular gigs happen to have fallen together at the start of the month), and my next gig ain't til the 6th of September, and boy, am I going up the walls without one! LOL! But that's how I know I will never give up doing comedy! On the plus side, I've gotten a lots of work done, and written shitloads of new stuff, which I can't wait to try out. Also very pleased I've managed to get 3 nights in the Laughter Lounge slap in the middle of the Bulmers festival, and then, in October, I'm being bumped up to middle slot! Hurrah! Currently enjoying a marathon of classic Twilight Zones, Enterprise and other sci-fi goodness...

aug 13th Been a busy couple of weeks, but now I'm actually clear of gigs for the rest of August (this will be the longest I've gone without a gig since I started!) which means I can now catch up on all the art jobs I've to get done! September is gonna be busy, comedy-wise, with lots of new stuff, so expect a mini-breakdown from me sometime in mid-october! Yayness! By the way, the accompanying image is my poster art for a new show in Andrews Lane Theatre, Sept 4-9th, called the Comedy Improv Jam, being run by the Craicpack, from 'Improv @ The Bankers! Get to it if ya can. It's gonna be a good 'un!

July 31 I have decided to take a day off, tomorrow, from everything! I won't be doin' nuthin'! Not a thing. In fact, if I didn't need to pee, I would not get out of the bed. Expect some insane ramblings by the end of the night... Weekend's been good. Did my first set in the Roisin Dubh, in Galway. Really enjoyed it. Then did the weekend in the Laughter Lounge. I'm really loving that as a venue, I have to say. That's it for now. Hoping to have more to say tomorrow.

July 24th, 2006 Hi all, Well, just finished an all too brief respite before the madness begins again. Busy few months ahead, between gigging, travelling over to the UK, putting together this new comic book for work (as well as my own comic, The Loon, issue1 ), and a ton of other art projects. It's been hard work just organising it, so I shall be living in 'no-sleepland' on a regular basis now... Talking of comics, I've a new cartoon in the latest issue of Shiznit ( the free comic you see lying around in record and comic shops ) out next week, and there will be a launch party to go with it, in a couple of weeks! Watch this space for details! By the way, my next gigs are the Laughter Lounge Galway, on Wednesday, and the Laughter Lounge Dublin, this Friday and Saturday!

July 19th, 2006 Jesus, it's hot... I've a list a mile long of things to do, but the heat is only draining the life outta me. I have the fan here THREE FEET away from me, and I STILL can't feel it. (Hmmm....maybe if I turned it on...) Anyway, busy making plans for the coming months. August seems to be quiet, gig-wise, so maybe I'll catch up on all the other crap I've to do, before the madness that will be September. I've started writing some new comedy, and am hoping to get a completely new set together soon, as I'm starting to tire of the old stuff... Got lots of cartoon work on, including a strip in the new Shiznit, which will be out soon. I'm also trying to get together a portfolio of more serious comic-strip art, to submit to some British publications, in an attempt to get some sort of foothold in the UK (it'd be nice to work AND do comedy there, so this would be a good way to ease into it), but, as you know, best laid plans of mice, etc. The drawing thing takes alot of work, patience, and waiting, unlike the comedy, which is, quite frankly, a piece of piss, although the new comedy I'm planning is gonna be a step above what I've been doing so far. So much so, that it's gonna be either amazing, or die horribly on it's arse. Place your bets now! Funnily enough, even though I'm busy, there's a vague feeling of boredom creeping upon me, and a strange desire to get myself into trouble. Funny that. Oh, the accompanying pic is a little 'before and after' I found, in amongst my old art files.

July 17th, 2006 Had a great weekend of gigs in the Laughter Lounge, supporting the wonderful Rhod Gilbert, and the equally wonderful Colum McDonnell. I've been asked back for a weekend of gigs there in 2 weeks, which will also feature some Edinburgh preview shows from the likes of Karl Spain. Should be a good weekend. Also get to support Scott Capuro in the Galway branch of Laughter Lounge (Roisin Dubh), on the 26th! All in all, things are only quite good!

July 12th, 2006 Well, started in my 'day-job' yesterday... My position? I'm on the team that will be producing a new monthly comic book for the Irish market! Also, my 'Happy in the Haze' comic strip shall now be in every issue of the 'Soft Secrets' magazine (every 2 months). Things is good.

June 20th, 2006 So...yeah...lots happenin' since my last entry. Kilkenny was ok, if a bit of a struggle...Don't think I'd be too bothered about doing it again, unless I'm invited to, tho the gigs I did do were great fun. Big thanks to the Craichouse lads for the extra slots!. Also, there was the Childline gig in Vicar St last Friday. A great show all round (and my first time to play there)I have to say, I loved it! I wanna get back up there soon and do more! It is, as Brendan Bourke would say, the 'Lamborghini' of comedy venues! I'm also taking myself over to the UK later in the year for a load of gigs, so hopefully that'll be fun. Then of course there was that business with the newspapers, which I suppose I should address, tho it's probably all old news now. Anyhoo, just to put the record straight (as some people are a bit unclear about some of the facts) I was contacted by both papers in question who were running with the whole comic strip thing whether I talked to them or not. I gave very non-commital answers (in fact, non of my 'jokey' answers were used), only name-checked comedy clubs that had no vested interest in the running of the club in question, and refused the radio interviews I was offered. There was no 'grasping for publicity' (I've not even met a single member of the public who knows anything about it, nor would I even consider the whole affair newsworthy) so if I was, it didn't work. I still stand by my decision to let Dubliner print the strip, cos, well...I'm a cartoonist! That's what we do! (maybe that makes me part of the 'evil' Media - I dunno)and, yes, it will conflict with my comedy career, but, fuck it, that's my lookout...

May 9th, 2006 TWO entries in as many days! Just finishing up in college this week, so I'll be getting into the hang of the new 'job' in a few weeks. Busy writing new material for the Kilkenny shows, too, and lots of cartoon work! Thank god I only need 4 hours sleep a night!

May 8th, 2006 Yay! Got a strip printed in this month's Dubliner magazine!

April 28th, 2006 Well folks...Its been a while since my last 'blog'. Lots of stuff happening at the mo. I'm just finishing up in college, so hopefully that will free up time for me for other projects. Myself and Gary Jones have a venue booked for the Kilkenny comedy festival this year (The Pumphouse, June 2-4th), where we will be putting on our 2-man show, 'Undrugged'. I also recently won 98fm's 'Dublin's Best Comedian' in the Laughter Lounge, which means I've firmly got my foot in the door of that place (I hope), as well as a gig in London's Comedy Store! All in all, a productive couple of weeks!

March 12th, 2006 Just finished what should have been 5 gigs in a row (last one didnt happen, as its very hard to get a crowd when someone has taken down all your posters) but the rest went great! New gig started in Letterkenny in the Casbah, which will hopefully become a regular gig.

March 5th, 2006 Brilliant opening night last night of the new Standup @ The Bankers gig, on every Saturday! The lineup was myself, Brian Joyce, Dermot Byrne, Ciaran McMahon and the brillaint John Coleary headlining! I will be MCing next Saturday, so do drop by if you're in town Saturday night!

Feb 27th 06 Yay! Things going great at the mo! I'm getting more gigs than usual, so I choose to take that as a sign that I'm getting a reputation. As well as that, a leading Irish magazine has just picked up one of my cartoon strips for publication (I'll tell you who soon as it's printed. Don't wanna jinx it). Its great to be drawing for a magazine again, as I haven't done so in years. Also, look out for my new comic strips coming soon: 'Skanger Dan', and 'Captain Hugeballs'. I'm liking this new productive streak I'm getting. To counter-act it tho, I promise next blog I shall be clinically depressed. You have my word as a gentleman.

Feb 20th 06 Hello, readers! Been busy with all things funny these past couple of weeks. Getting lots of gigs for March (including supporting David McSavage in Navan on March 31st) Also getting lots of feedback on my cartoons, especially with the honourable mention I got at clamnuts.com! (Thanks Bob) Next month will turn out to be even busier as my cartooning makes a triumphant return to the printed media, and look out for my follow-up comic strip, Captain Hugeballs, the tale of young comedian whose secret identity as a crime-fighting superhero gets him into all sorts of shenanigans! Hilarity will ensue!

Feb 13th 06 Greetings, readers! Welcome back to my occasional 'blog'. Latest Bob-news: I rock. In other news: I am starting to gig more in the UK this year, bringing my usual sensitivities to the UK comedy goers (you know...the plight of homelessness, religious tolerance etc.) I shall probably be jumped on and beaten to a pulp by the year's end, but it don't matter, cos guess what? I still rock! That is all.

Jan 13th, 2006 Thanks to Claire at Capital magazine for the nice little write-up (new photos are on the way, by the way)

Oct 19th, 2005 Yay!! At last!!! A new blog entry!! Huzzah! Sorry...been so busy over the last few months, and the animation thing I'm doing now is taking up all my free time. Things are also getting very busy in the world of comedy, now, too. Did a stormer of a gig last night up in the Empire, in Belfast, and shall be returning there in Febuary. The amazing Micky Dee was headlining. If you get a chance to see this guy, take it! He musta done a good hour last night, it it was astounding!

July 25th, 2005 Busy weekend just gone. The Spot On gigs were good crack. Andrew Stanley and Kevin Gildea are great fun to gig with. Cork was a bit mad. Rain rain rain... I want a big magic comedy bus to tour in...a Bob-mobile...any bus manufacturers out there wanna sponsor an up and coming comedian?

July 21st, 2005 Great gig in the Capital Comedy Club last night. Fun was had by all!! Simon did a great closing set at the end. I can't convey it in print tho, you just had to have been there... I'm off to do my Spot On gigs this weekend with Andrew Stanley and Kevin Gildea (see my 'Upcoming Gigs' page for details).. Looking forward to it. Also in Cork this Saturday.

July 11th, 2005 Good weekend was had.. I headlined down in the Half Moon, in Cork, with 5 other comedians, Padraic Fox, Eleanor Tiernan, Jason Coughlan, Mags LeHane, and Ross Brown. Martin Hesh MCd the show, and it was a great gig... Doing the L.V. down there in two weeks.

July 5th, 2005 Bejaypurs, I ain't done a whole lot keeping up this blog, have I? Well, ya know yerself, best of intentions, an' all that... Tis now officially summer, so time for me to really start selling my ass to comedy clubs etc. I've a couple of gigs down in Cork this month, keep an eye out for that if you're down that way. Just did a show down in Waterford, in the Revolution Bar, with the wonderful Steve Cummins. If you're down that way, drop in of a Tuesday night!

June 28th
	Is Shane McGowan a changeling? Photographic evidence... No-one human could drink that much. And the tragedy is, changelings don't even NEED to drink.

June 18th, 2005 Well, the Kilkenny Cat Laughs has been and gone. Have to say, great weekend was had by all. Thanks to Martin Henchion for giving me some gigs in the Widows pub. We had 5 great, house-packed shows. There was also some excellent performances from Gary Jones and Neil Hickey, as well as Martin's Cork comedians. We blagged our way into the after-show party on the Sunday night, were I got to sneak off for a sly indoors smoke with Lewis Black and Mike Wilmot. I stood there 'chatting' with 'em for 15 minutes, stuck between being awestruck and trying to act casual. Way to go, Bob! Hopefully next year,. I'll be part of the official line-up...

May 8th
	Yay!! Sunday night is upon us, and I have a gig in the Hapenny..Looking forward to it. Reuben will be headlining, so should be good.

May 5th 2005
	Yay!! New blog, starting today. Off college now for 5 months, so I'm gonna be putting more effort into my comedy, as well as some other projects (as well as a book I'm writing). The Kilkenny festival starts in a month, and I'll be involved in one of the fringe shows there, along with some other irish and American comedians. All details will be published when they're in...