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Mike Delamont headlines at home

Live at the Metro Theatre local comic's only scheduled headlining show on the Island this year
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Comedian Mike Delamont performs at the Metro Studio on April 3 before heading out on an 11-week tour of Atlantic Canada.

Mike Delamont is missing the pink trees of Victoria as he chats on the phone from an Edmonton hotel restaurant, hiding out from -12 C weather.

“It’s nice that people will come out in bad weather to have an hour of giggles. We’re going to Winnipeg tomorrow where it’s supposed to be -25,” the 29 year old comedian says.

He’s away for just a few days this time, but after a quick return to Victoria where he’ll perform as headliner in Mike Delamont Live at the Metro Studio on April 3, he heads out again for 11 weeks where he will perform at the 2014 Halifax Comedy Festival and tour Atlantic Canada.

With just four years of full-time performing under his belt, Delamont is making a living as a funny man. “People are nice enough to buy ticket for my shows and I don’t need to work other jobs. It’s rare for people, especially those less than four years into their professional career.”

Well-known locally for his show, God is a Scottish Drag Queen, the second version of which Delamont will perform to two sold out crowds this Friday at Intrepid Theatre, his stand up show is filled with self-deprecating humour which Delamont refers to as “quite Canadian.”

“My style is becoming quite popular in the US. I have an entirely different influence than American comedians,” he says. He names British comedian Rowan Atkinson as his main comic influence. “It’s that self-deprecating style – Canadians are always in on the joke.”

The hard-working comic, who sold some 30,000 tickets last year, shares his enthusiasm with young comics, four of whom will share the stage with him at the Metro show – his only headlining performance on Vancouver Island this year.

“Darcy Collins is a really young guy who works at Hecklers. He’s really blown people away, I saw him at an open mic two years ago and just watched him get stronger. He’s going to be a big name at some point. But he’s just 22, he’s a baby,” Delamont says.

Ryan Bangma is another funny guy, says Delamont. “He’s a big teddy bear of a guy. He’s been my opener before. He’s got a great storytelling style – almost theatrical.”

Delamont went to Vic High with Alain Williams – “but he looks like he’s 20 and I look like I’m 45,” he says. “He’s a young, black, comic … he’s got a stutter, but he’s taken that and spun it into a great, confident stage persona. He builds fantastic jokes out of his own life story … I get belly laughs.”

Myles Anderson rounds out the first half of the Metro show. “He scares me because he’s very, very good to watch. The trajectory of his career is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. He brings to mind massive comedian Bo Burnham. He makes odd choices for comedy, he’s unpredictable and he’s very strong and very funny,” Delamont says.

“I’m very excited for the first half of this show – no doubt.”

Tickets for the show are available in advance at 1609 Blanshard St., by phone at 250-590-6291 or at mikedelamont.com.