WE ASKED

NAME? George Hamilton Braithwaite

STAGE NAME?  G Funk, The Notorious G.H.B., Nut fudge.

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS CALL YOU? 

George. My father stopped calling me George at the age of 3 and for the rest of my life called me Sir.

WHAT DO YOU CALL YOURSELF?

I like to call myself a stand-up comic. There’s a lot of people out there who are comedians but they’re not stand up. (Eyebrows say, ya dig?)

WHAT’S YOUR SIGN?

I’m on a libra-virgo cusp. There’s a bit of duality in me.

WHAT IS YOUR PLACE OF BIRTH?

Sidcup, Kent, UK. I lived in Windsor, Detroit  and London.

WHAT’S YOUR DAY JOB?

I am a project manager for remote monitoring systems.

BEEN IN THE GAME SINCE? 

1997. I have a scar over my right eye that’s from a McGill improv show . From before I even started doing stand-up, in 95 or 96 when I was playing Geordie Laforge. I walked into the corner of the wall, started bleeding, went to the Royal Victoria, they glued it shut and I went back for the end of the show. I have scars from doing comedy. I’ve been doing this forever.

APROXIMATE NUMBER OF GIGS?

 I’m definitely over my first thousand mistakes.

WHAT IS THE WORST THING ABOUT BEING A COMEDIAN?

It’s lonely. It’s fun being in a band and being able to share the ups and downs. As a comedian, when you’re killing it, you’re working alone, you’re in hotels alone, it’s hard to have a family….It really is the loneliest sport.

BEST THING ABOUT BEING A COMEDIAN?

It’s so hard you feel like you’re in a super exclusive club.

IF YOU COULD BRING ONE COMIC BACK FROM THE DEAD (TO FUCK THEM) WHO WOULD IT BE? 

To fuck them??? (Unhesitatingly)  Lucille Ball. She’s one of the funniest people ever, I dig redheads and she was the ultimate Hollywood hustler. ‘The Big Trailer’ with Desi Arnez, it’s absolutely ridiculous and is some of the best the best physical comedy ever done.

WHAT IS THE BEST COMEDY JOINT IN TOWN AND WHY?

Oh, Jimbo’s man. Comedy Works. It feels like a real comedy club. Everyone’s been there. Louis CK played that place regularly.

COMEDY DREAM?

I just want to be able to produce big stages. Everyday we’re getting better at this independent production game. I’m learning the skills to be able to put the teams together that can manage larger risks and bigger budgets. Bigger, bigger, bigger stages. As big of a stage as I can produce.

COMEDY PHILOSOPHY?

Work harder than anyone else.

ADVICE FOR UP AND COMERS?

Work harder than me.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE JOKE?

Gilbert Gottfried at the Grammy’s some years ago had this masturbation bit. “If masturbation was a crime then I’d be Al Capone!” (Doing the Gottfried) “Stay away from his right hand!!!  Its very powerful.”  I’ve never laughed harder than at a Billy Connolly joke about a fart at the dinner party. He describes it like Errol Flynn in those old pirate movies who would jump down and dig his knife into the sail and cut the entire way down. Best description of a fart ever.

WHAT MAKES YOU FUNNY?

I’m being myself onstage. It takes forever to be yourself. The more I strip away about what people think, the more I become 100% me. If everyone is just themselves its unique, it may not be funny but it’s interesting. And it may not be interesting but it will be interesting to watch.

THUS SPOKE GHB

George will be hosting UNDER COVER Saturday May 7th at 10 PM. 3519 St. Laurent.  $20