Most British people know Craig Robinson as the warehouse foreman, Darryl, in the US version of The Office, or for his entertaining turns in the Hot Tub Time Machine movies and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
Others love him for playing the lead in Killing It, the comedy show about a man trying to achieve the American dream (and having to catch pythons instead).
But did you know that he’s also a gifted musician, and that he’s heading to the UK with his band, The Nasty Delicious, as part of the new Just for Laughs festival in London, plus a couple of other dates?
The band’s shows are an infectious blend of Chicago-flavoured funky music and comedy, the proportions of which depend entirely on the mood of the night.
‘It’s definitely a vibe,’ says Craig. ‘Sometimes it turns into a dance party, sometimes straight-ahead comedy but, hey, I’m not bringing the band to just sit behind me. The ultimate goal is to get people laughing, singing and dancing.’
He sits at the front at his keyboard, and the nine musicians behind and around him do their thing.
‘I might get up and fool around now and again but it depends on the vibe,’ he says. ‘This is my world, let’s go. I’m riding that wave. Who knows what’ll happen. We’ll have some improvised things, with jokes and stories, all interwoven. It’s a beautiful marriage of music and comedy. If we have people going crazy for this one song we’re going to give the people what they want.’
The set includes classics from Chaka Khan, Beyoncé, Maroon 5, Stevie Wonder and John Legend. Over our Zoom chat, Craig sings a sweet version of Take On Me by A-ha to show the kind of surprises they’re capable of. In honour of the location, there might even be some Beatles or Rolling Stones but, as Craig puts it: ‘Once my band gets hold of some music it’s probably gonna turn funky.’
Craig, who grew up in Chicago, was taught about music ‘in the womb’, he says. His mother was a music teacher, and ‘I was born on the piano, essentially’.
He’s making people laugh for as long as he can remember, but always thought being a comedian was unattainable. Then one day, while at college, he saw some people he knew doing stand-up at a talent show and he caught the bug.
‘Until then I’d seen comics as superheroes or something – people you couldn’t touch. And then people I could touch – people I knew – were up there doing it and I was drawn and obsessed, and watching comedy all the time,’ he recalls. ‘I wrote a note to myself that said: “You’re going to be a great comedian,” and then I crossed out the words “going to be”.’
Now living in Los Angeles, he’s got a hankering to do more serious drama (‘My acting coach said comedy is ping pong; drama is tennis, and I’d like to really take my time and sink my teeth into something’), as well as continuing to release music, and producing some of his comedian friends.
‘Comedy is such a joy and tension reliever,’ he adds. ‘It can take your mind off things, even if for a few moments. Someone can hypnotise you for an hour. It’s a beautiful industry to be part of.’
If you happen to see Craig out and about, don’t be surprised if he starts playing music spontaneously. As he puts it: ‘I’ve never met a piano I didn’t like.’
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