Jasper Carrott and friends roll back the years with Dudley gig

He may have been born in Birmingham but Jasper Carrott was bred in the Black Country.

Some of the comedian's earliest gigs were staged in Dudley, and after decades of tours and TV shows which have taken him around the country, the 68-year-old still has fond memories of honing his act through performances in the town back in the 1970s.

And performing in Dudley again for the first night of his latest tour, called Made in Brum, rolled back the years for the comedian, who was born in Acocks Green, Birmingham.

"I remember performing at JBs. The first time I came I was not known and the club was a well-known heavy rock venue," he said before taking to the stage.

"The crowd was very bemused when a bloke with an acoustic guitar walked out and started telling jokes and stories. It was absolutely wonderful and at the time it was all new to me.

"It was always a great atmosphere. I came back a few times afterwards.

"I remember the last time I came was after having a hit record and the venue was just packed solid. It was a fantastic night. I have never forgotten those gigs in Dudley."

The 68-year-old said he was also fascinated by the town's limestone caverns.

"Everyone knows Dudley has a castle and a zoo but not so many people know about the caverns and they sound absolutely fascinating," he said.

"That's the great thing about the town and the area as a whole, there is so much of interest."

He said it was the thrill of doing something new which had prompted the Made in Brum tour.

Jasper appears alongside luminaries from the Birmingham music scene of the 60s and 70s – including his friend of more than 50 years – former The Move, Electric Light Orchestra and Black Sabbath drummer Bev Bevan.

The comedian starts both acts of the show with a 15-minute stand-up routine before acting as compere for the rest of the evening during the musical performances.

He and Bev shared an easy banter as they prepared for last night's opening show at Dudley Town Hall and both admitted there were some 'butterflies in the stomach' before the performance.

Jasper said: "I have known Bev for more than 50 years as we went to the same school. In all the time I have known him he has never got any prettier.

"Seriously though we have worked together in the past and always enjoy it. That really is how this tour came about. It is a group of mates who wanted to put on a show.

"Even after all this time and all the gigs I have done there are still butterflies in the stomach before a performance. You just never know how you are going to be received. Some shows are great and at others there is just a stony silence.

"However it is that element to it which also keeps it interesting.

"You just never know what is going to happen."

And in Dudley, the comedian need not have worried as the audience laughed and applauded his stories which ranged from growing older to bungee jumping.

He also received a loud round of applause after telling the crowd they had decided to launch the tour in Dudley because it was "the centre of the Universe".

The comedian was also well placed to be compere on a show celebrating the region's musical history after being a manager of band The Little People and part-time roadie for Ronnie & The Renegades and Denny Laine and The Diplomats.

He also enjoyed a pop career of his own after scoring a hit with the 1975 novelty record Funky Moped and many of his early shows on television featured a musical spot.

And the performer once again straps on his trusty acoustic guitar during Made in Brum to perform a folk number.

Also joining Jasper on the tour are The Move's Trevor Burton, Joy Strachen-Brain, of Celtic Rock band Quill, The Rockin' Berries Geoff Turton and singer Danny King, who is known as Birmingham's first pop star.

The comedian said: "We wanted to celebrate Birmingham's music scene and the contribution it has made. Some of the show is quite technical but we are all very proud of what we have put together."

The comedian said he had not done stand-up for some time after branching out into plays and other productions.

Bev Bevan, who played drums throughout the entire show with his band, said: "Jasper and I have known each other for years.

"I have appeared on a lot of shows he has done in the past and we wanted to do something a little bit different.

"This show is a tribute to bands from the Birmingham area and the chance to perform some of those well-known songs."

The performance ends with all of the acts on stage together for a performance of ELO's Don't Bring Me Down and an encore of The Move's Blackberry Way.

The tour will take in venues including the Garrick Theatre in Lichfield on April 17, 18 and 19, and Wolverhampton's Grand Theatre on May 25.