“I sneak a song into everything I do,” says Ricky Gervais…as if we didn’t know that already
Comic legend says he is a “frustrated, failed musician” who has enjoyed having the “get out clause” of irony when he gets up on stage
Ricky Gervais has revealed quite how much he enjoys playing the rock star in his various comic incarnations.
Speaking on last night’s Graham Norton Show, the comedian confirmed that the new David Brent movie Life on the Road will also be accompanied by an album of “15, 20 songs” written and performed by the former Slough paper merchant. And he loves the excuse he gives him.
“I sneak a song into everything I do. I wrote a song for The Simpsons, I wrote a song with David Bowie for Extras. I’m a frustrated, failed musician,” he joked.
“I have a get-out clause because it’s sort of ironic. It’s so much fun playing with a rock band and they are really brilliant,” he added.
Brent's band Foregone Conclusion are all highly accomplished and include among their number Andy Burrows the drummer from Razorlight, noted Gervais.
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He was then shown a retro glam shot from Gervais’ days as an aspiring pop star with 1980s synth band Seona Dancing.
Pointing from the screen and then at his face he quipped: “I’m not embarrassed by that, I’m embarrassed by this. Everyone’s going, ‘What the **** happened?’ I’ll tell you what happened: Pizza happened.’”
Gervais was appearing on the show alongside his Special Correspondents co-star Eric Bana, actress Helen Mirren and Star Wars star Ewan McGregor. Here's the clip:
Life on the Road will chart Brent's last-ditch attempt at pop stardom. As Gervais has noted: "He's still a sales rep, and he's still wasting all his hard-earned money on trying to become a rock star. He works for the Slough-based company 'Lavichem', distributing cleaning products up and down the country.
"But he wants to leave all that behind and get an album deal. He's taken all his holiday leave, cashed in a pension, and put together a group of top session musicians. Now he's off on a live tour with the aim of getting a record company to sign him."
Life on the Road is released 19th August 2016 in the UK
