Lovdev Barpaga: 
"That's it, that’s what you need to do. Go and do some comedy." 

 

I first met Lovdev at a launch party for the Birmingham Mail. He was the only comedian there trying to warm up the crowd. He was met with icy glares and a few sparse laughs from the audience (mainly coming from my direction). A week later, he agreed to meet me at a café in the Custard Factory to discuss his life, his comedy and relationships.

At half past seven that morning, I get an email to say he might be late because he's interviewing Louisa Johnson for his radio breakfast show. I’m waiting patiently with my overpriced cappuccino, he swaggers through the door donning a matching burgundy tracksuit and a Peaky Blinders style grey hat. He greets me with a big smile and a hug. Immediately we get chatting.

Lovdev Barpaga, 40, was a carer for 13 years before turning his hand to stand-up comedy. Crowned the UK pun champion 2017 and often referred to as the 21st century Asian Ken Goodwin, he tells all about how he started out in the comedy business, and his 14-year wait before his big break. Originally, he was a multimedia student at Birmingham City University, until he dropped out, aged 19, and found himself a data entry job.

"So, I used to work in data entry, boring. I hated my job, and then I decided to walk out. At the same time, one of my cousins was getting married in India, so I thought you know what? Sod this job, I'm going to India."

It was in India, explains Lovdev, where he had his epiphany. "About half an hour away from the Taj Mahal is another palace that the king built. The view was amazing I could see for miles, I've never seen that far in my life. I was sitting there and thinking 'I’ve got to go back to England soon, I need to do something with my life.

“I thought well you’ve packed in a job that you hate, but you like comedy though. That’s it, that’s what you need to do. Go and do some comedy."

"I don't know if they were laughing at my material or just laughing at me, but I remember thinking to myself, you know what, you’re doing alright man. Just keep going, carry on."

He came back to England and found himself a care job through his uncle. Six months later, on a day trip to the MAC centre in Birmingham with his patients, he was handed a course brochure. "Something in my head went, there's something in there for you, you’ve been looking for it. I literally just randomly opened the page and it said, 'comedy workshop.’

“I signed up on the day, and I did the course. It was a 10-week course and in the last week you do a show. I remember going through my set and people were just laughing at me, I don’t know if they were laughing at my material or just laughing at me, but I remember thinking to myself, you know what, you’re doing alright man. Just keep going, carry on."

Since then, Barpaga started doing gigs around the UK and has continually evolved as a comedian. “When I first started I used to be more of an observational comedian, so I basically just told stories. And then I realised my stories weren’t that great, maybe it was because it was the way I explained them. But I realised I had good one liners.

“So, I started to be a dead-pan act. And I was like that for a while, I was like that for a good couple of years. Until one day, my friend told me to be myself.”

"She knows I'm funny because I'm always trying to be funny at home. She’s got used to it, she doesn’t mind now."

Over the years, his career has gone from strength to strength and has well established himself on the comedy scene. It was his confidence and ego that kept him going, even through the quiet periods and doubt. He didn't have much support back home; his family didn’t understand why he wanted to be a comedian. "They didn’t know what stand up was. They just kept thinking is it a waste of time? They didn’t really know what comedy was about.

“And then when I got married I told my wife I’m a stand-up comedian and she wasn’t into comedy either. She’s only been to one of my gig’s and that was in Birmingham. She doesn’t get jokes, especially one liners. She knows I’m funny because I’m always trying to be funny at home. She’s got used to it, she doesn’t mind now."

Barpaga met his wife 11 years ago in Pizza Hut, and a year later they were married. "I was at Pizza Hut for a meal, I saw her in there with her friends and I was like she's alright," explained Barpaga, smirking to himself.

“We started chatting to each other, we exchanged numbers and stayed in touch. She’s Indian as well so she wanted to do it properly. We just started dating each other, and then after about a year we decided to get married, it was probably the worst decision I made in my life,” Barpaga said giggling to himself as he retells the story.“We’re alright now, we used to fight a lot, only arguments, but I think we’ve got to know each other better. She’s a lot more supportive now, because I’ve done the Asian network and in 2013 I did Big Value, the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh,” explains Barpaga.


"But I can see how they said I was like him, he does silly jokes but he laughs at himself because he knows they're silly. That's the kind of style I do."

It was at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh where Barpaga really made a name for himself. He performed every day for the full three weeks, doing as much as six gigs a day. "It was a good experience, and it was great to be on that bill, because Sarah Millican's done it, Jo Brand’s done it, so many people have done Big Value, so it’s nice to be there," explains Barpaga.

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival was also where people started making the referral between Barpaga and Ken Goodwin. “I didn’t even know who he was,” admits Barpaga.

“I googled him and now I’m in love. He’s passed away now unfortunately, I think he could’ve been bigger than he was. But I can see how they said I was like him, he does silly jokes but he laughs at himself because he knows they’re silly. That’s the kind of style I do.”

From there Barpaga went onto perform the Leicester comedy festival, which has seen big comedy names grace the stage such as John Bishop and Dr John Cooper Clarke. The Leicester comedy festival is where Barpaga was crowned the UK pun champion 2017, which landed himself a radio breakfast show spot at Birmingham's Free Radio.


"They scouted me, one of the producers sent me a Facebook message. There’s an opportunity for you to come to the studio, we’ll talk about it more when you get here.

“They explained they wanted to start a new breakfast show, but they wanted people from Birmingham. They asked if they could get me in the studio to record some stuff. They just said tell us some funny stories and then read the travel update," Barpaga chuckles to himself.

""What I love about it is the fact it's made by Brummies for Brummies, that’s how it should be. It’s the people that make Brum."
Source: Luke Matthews, Unsplash.com

Barpaga went back and forth a few times, auditioning for the radio station, and eventually, they offered him the role. However, he didn't accept straight away. "I had to think about it, because it’s a self-employed job, whereas in the hospital you get a salary, holidays, sick pay and a pension and I’ve been doing it for so long," explains Barpaga.

“But then I thought about it, and thought you don’t really get this kind of opportunity. It’s a good show, I enjoy it. We’re on every morning from 6 am until 10am on Freeradio. We’re also on DAB now, and if you haven’t got DAB it’s 96.4 FM on your dial,” he said laughing to himself, in his best radio presenter voice.

“What I love about it is the fact it’s made by Brummies for Brummies, that’s how it should be. It’s the people that make Brum,” explains Barpaga. You can tell he is very proud to be a Brummy; from the way he speaks about his vibrant city, right down to the way he dresses.

"Do you like being a brummy?," I ask, with a smile, already knowing the answer.

“I love it, did you see my peaky blinder hat?” Barpaga asks with a smirk on his face.

Of course, I did.

“I love the brummy accent, I don't know why, but it works well with comedy. People immediately know where you’re from.”

“Birmingham’s got great culture, it’s very mixed, you meet so many different people. It’s also changing as a city. The whole city is getting redeveloped, there’s a lot more prospects that are happening now, and it’s got its own Birmingham breakfast show,” he chuckles to himself, a cheeky grin plastered across his face.


He then goes onto to tell me about Birmingham's comedy scene; we have a comedy festival every year in October, that in his eyes, could be as big as the Leicester comedy festival, one day. "It’s not big and it’s self-funded. There’s little events, and I mean little, scattered around the city. That’s what I think Birmingham is lacking from their comedy scene; funding.

“We need a bit more sponsorship and more venues that can hold a comedy night. There’s some lovely places, but you have to pay for the room. Maybe local venues don’t like taking that risk, if they’re paying for acts but they’re not making it back on the bar. But let’s hope Birmingham gets on the comedy scene – the place to go," explains Barpaga with a hint of hopefulness in his voice.

Barpaga has achieved so much in these last few years, it’s interesting to see what he’ll do next. More comedy festivals, pioneering to get Birmingham a prime spot on the comedy scene, and of course reading the travel update every morning, on the Birmingham free radio breakfast show. But he also has a few more ambitious plans:

“I’m going to start working on my own show, like a proper show now. I need a proper show and a decent venue and just go for it,” he excitedly told me, reluctant to go into more detail, hoping he hooked me in enough to go and see him perform his brand-new show – whenever that will be.