Over the past few years, Shanghai comic Storm Xu has been a fixture at Kung Fu Komey Club, serving a vital role in the budding English and Chinese stand-up scene. With international gigs to his name, including an invite to a recent comedy festival in Australia, the funniest man in Yangpu needs your help to be voted the World's Funniest Person. He tells us why he's the right candidate.
So you've been chosen to rep China in the world's funniest person contest. How did this come about?
First of all，I feel absolutely thrilled and blessed about this World Funniest Person contest. They contacted me and Andy, owner of Kung Fu Komedy Club, about it as they want more diversity of good comedians in this world event. So I sent in my video and bio; they accepted.
Do you feel confident being called the funniest person in China?
(Laughs) I consider myself totally entitled to the title of the funniest person in China, although there are only very few Chinese comics in China doing standup. I would love to compete with someone and have them develop alongside with me. It would be a boost for the scene too. [editor's note: Our China Urban Dictionary columnist Mia Li is hilarious and reps Beijing's growing female stand-up scene.]
You recently performed at a comedy festival in Australia. How was the reception?
Yay. Melbourne International Comedy Fest was a total blast. I did 24 shows with four top Asian comedians over three weeks.
Do you think international audiences are receptive to comedians from China?
We had a pretty mixed half Asian and half local Aussies crowd. They loved our stuff. I presume for them, we looked and sounded very exotic. Plus our comedy routine is not like a regular set they could see everyday. But before I went there , I definitely adjusted my material. This is also the road I am headed, doing universal comedy.
You're a fixture at Kung Fu Komedy Club. How important is having that venue to work on your chops and were you doing standup before KFK?
KFK is where I started my comedy career. It's been quite a journey so far. Over four years, we have witnessed each other's growth. The energy there is always positive, the setup is professional and it's easily the best comedy club I ever played.
Last time I saw you do standup, you killed when you revealed your 'To Live and Die in Yangpu' tattoo. Was that a comedy bit or do you seriously have that Yangpu pride?
That is a comedy bit! The initial idea was to come up with this joke because lots of other comics weren't very supportive about tattoos and were also teasing people with them. As a person who has them, I wanted to stand up against their takes. Also, I do believe I have a strong connection with Yangpu, which is where I grew up. I have my own line of "To Live and Die in Yangpu" T-shirts.
A key part of comedy is being able to laugh at yourself. What has been some awkward moments on stage that you now find hilarious?
I will share one short story that happened to me when I was doing the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. One night after the show, I went to a really hipster bar - you know, the kind of place where people wear fur in the summer. I sat down and a girl sat down across from me and recognized me. She said, "you were really funny on stage." I said thanks and asked which joked she liked the most. She paused and said, "Ummm, I didn't understand most of it actually, but your face is funny...."
What other Shanghai or Mainland comics should people be paying attention to?
I recently watched the China version of Roast ,吐槽大会. It was really bright and the jokes were totally up to date. I strongly recommend it. 池子 Chizi is gonna be a star.
How can people vote for you as the world's funniest person and why are you deserving of this title?
Please go to the official webpage, watch my video, like it, share it on social media and tell your friends. All those actions help me gain points. If I can make the Top 20 in this round, I would have to go to Finland for the grand final, before bringing the trophy and the glory back to China! I deserve this because I'm truly funny - my mom said so, so would my dad. China has won hundreds of medals in the Olympics, but not one award for being funny. Come on, 1.5 billion people, let's pull this off!
Is there anything you would like to add?
Don't forget follow me on Twitter: Therealstormxu.
Vote Storm Xu for World's Funniest Person until September 30 and for more comedy, catch Louis Katz at Kung Fu Komedy Club from Sep 23-24.
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