Let’s look at some of the pub and club venues he performed at, in the early days. I always find it fascinating to see who he was on the bill with (and to consider where they are now).
In the 2021 Have a Word podcast (here) Jimmy chats with Adam Rowe / Dan Nightingale about venue sizes and, although he started doing UK Arena shows in 2025, he said here that he prefers a room under 3,000 as he can tell what’s going on if a fight breaks out at the back. They generally all agree that smaller rooms work better for comedy.
He also said, in that podcast, that he used to do 300 shows a year but, in 2021, had cut down to about 200. This number seems to have crept back up again – see the How Many Gigs? post here.
There is a post (here) about what the UK Comedy Circuit was (is) like.
As I write about more of the early venues – this list will be updated. See also Pubs and Clubs 2002 – here.
1998
Having made his debut at the Tut ‘n’ Shive in late 1998 Jimmy recalls his 2nd gig as being at Up The Creek, which was run by Malcolm Hardee. Details are here.
The Frog and Bucket in Manchester was another early gig, probably in 1998-9 (although the website says 1996). They arranged a B&B for him and described it as a “knocking shop” (see here).
And the short video, at the bottom of this post, shows Jimmy in around 1998-9 saying that he “works in places like this, The Comedy Café”.
1999
In relation to what actually followed on from there, the waters are a little muddled by this Independent interview where it was said he met his manager, Hannah, at one of his gigs and that she signed him in 1999. This was a gig at Aquarium on Tottenham Court Road.
Entering the Amused Moose Comedy Award (here) in 1999 meant that Jimmy would have been appearing at a music pub in Chalk Farm (near Camden), London.
August 1999 saw Jimmy hanging around the Edinburgh Festival for the first time. He entered a competition called So You Think You’re Funny? which was at a venue called the Gilded Balloon (more info here).
October 1999 Jimmy appeared at Club Fandango in Plymouth. See here.
On October 29th 1999 he did a gig at a pub in Chesham (The Unicorn) with 3 other comedians. See here.
And another October gig was at Hotspots Comedy Club, which was on a University campus. See here.
December 1999 saw him on the bill, with 4 other comics, at the Grange Tavern. See here. And he was on the bill with Andy Parsons, performing at Christmas nights at Richmond’s Orange Tree on December 18th and 22nd – here.
2000
February 5th 2000 and Jimmy was the support for Stephen K Amos at The Clock Inn, Shenley Leisure Centre. See more here.
September 29th was a gig at Up The Creek (Greenwich) with Andy Parsons headlining (best known for Mock the Week). See here.
December 5th 2000 saw Jimmy performing in a Northampton pub with a Canadian and an Australian. See here.
2001
January 2001 was a tiny venue in Tunbridge Wells called the Trinity Bar and Café. See here.
Jimmy was on the bill with Stephen K Amos on Jan 14th, at the Hobgoblin. See here.
February 8th to 17th was the Leicester Comedy Festival and Jimmy appeared at the Y Theatre (exact date unknown). He was a finalist Comedian of the Year.
7th April 2001 saw Jimmy at the East Dulwich Tavern, details here.
4th May 2001 saw him back at Up The Creek (here) on the bill with Daniel Kitson.
August was the 2001 Edinburgh Fringe – written about here.
November 15th 2001 was a gig in Aylesbury with Dara O’Briain. See here.
At some time during 2001-2 Jimmy played Newcastle’s The Hyena Comedy club (on more than one occasion). See here.
Now see “Pubs & Clubs 2002” – here and UK Comedy Circuit (here) for background on what the circuit was like.
And another page (here) for The Year 1999. It lists everyone that I can confirm were on the circuit with him, plus which comics were on TV / Radio that year.
*Concessionary rates are tickets sold at a discount to senior citizens, students etc. Each venue may have their own variation on who is allowed to pay the reduced ticket price.
Last updated: 2026 May 20th
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