INTERVIEW 19
I ’ VE NOT SEEN SNAKES COMING OUT OF PEOPLE OR LEVITATION OR ANYTHING , BUT I HAVE CREDIBLE FRIENDS WHO SAY THEY ’ VE SEEN THINGS LIKE THAT . I HAD A WORD OF KNOWLEDGE FOR SOMEONE ONCE AND HE LITERALLY THREW HIMSELF AGAINST THE WALL . I DO BELIEVE IN THE SUPERNATURAL FOR SURE , BUT THE STUFF I DO IS JUST TRICKS . the Boy ’ s Brigade but it was this dead church – so boring it put us all off . Hearing the gospel in a way I understood , I thought this is either the biggest load of rubbish I ’ ve ever heard or it ’ s true . If it ’ s true I need to do something about it . I remember at the end of this wonderful week in Devon at the camp , I got home and got down on my knees in my bedroom and said ‘ God if you are real , come and change me .’ I figured if it was rubbish nothing would happen , and if it was true , I ’ d start the most amazing adventure . And of course it is true and it changed my life .
JS How does your faith make a difference to the kind of performer you are ?
I was serving at Spring Harvest as a steward a few years later , still working at Barclays Bank , and someone was talking about God calling people and I felt God tap me on the shoulder and say , ‘ I ’ m calling you to tell other people about me .’ I ’ m first and foremost an evangelist . Some people say to me , ‘ Isn ’ t magic and comedy just a gimmick ?’ but it ’ s got me so many places I would never have been able to go – live telly , I ’ ve preached the gospel at occult festivals , been all over the world – it has been absolutely amazing . I love making people laugh , and making them think as well .
Once I performed in Mexico City around the Day of the Dead . Such a buzz . It was a last-minute , spur of the moment thing . I was there working with YWAM . I did an altar call at the end and 300 people responded – meeting the Lord of life at an occult festival . It was very bizarre . Coffins , people in black . I had a photo taken of me on one of the coffins .
The other way my faith effects things is that I strongly believe as Christians we need to be really good at what we do , and not let people down . I ’ ve turned down really good jobs because I ’ m committed somewhere else . My word is my bond .
JS You perform in churches and in other places , comedy clubs and pubs and so on ; any differences ?
Christians need permission to laugh . I ’ ve seen people looking at the minister , almost as if they are checking it is OK to find something funny . That ’ s really sad . Laughter is wonderful . Churches are harder audiences . Lots of Christians don ’ t go out enough – they wouldn ’ t go to a comedy club or to the theatre . When I do gigs , I say look , you ’ ve got to charge £ 5.00 or £ 10.00 a ticket , because particularly if you invite non-believers and its free , they think it ’ s going to be rubbish . Christians sometimes have a problem because they ’ re not used to going out .