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Noel Fielding

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Noel Fielding
Noel Fielding performing at The Mighty Boosh Live
Born (1973-05-21) 21 May 1973 (age 51)
Westminster, London, England
MediumStand-up, television, film, radio
Years active1996–present
Genres
Relative(s)Michael Fielding (brother)

Noel Fielding (born 21 May 1973) is an English comedian, writer, actor, artist, and musician. Fielding is best known for playing Vince Noir and numerous other characters, such as Old Gregg, in The Mighty Boosh, which he co-wrote and co-starred with comedy partner Julian Barratt. From 2009, he was a team captain on BBC Two music/comedy panel show Never Mind the Buzzcocks until it was cancelled in 2015. He also writes and appears as the central character in Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy. Fielding portrayed Richmond Avenal in The IT Crowd. He is the founder of the band Loose Tapestries, formed with Kasabian's Sergio Pizzorno.

Career

Stand-up comedy

Fielding performed regularly as a stand-up comedian during the late 1990s, and appeared repeatedly on the television stand-up showcase Lee Mack's Gas. His highly animated stand-up routine included surreal stories, physical comedy, characters, and songs, much like his later work in The Mighty Boosh.

In 2010, Fielding was to perform a solo tour across the country. It was cancelled, however, so he could concentrate on writing The Mighty Boosh film with Barratt and creating an album. Fielding announced via Twitter that he was too busy to do the tour.[1] In 2015, Fielding told the Guardian that the film was something he talked about writing with Julian.[2] The album was released in June 2016.[3]

In 2010, Fielding took part in Channel 4's Comedy Gala, a benefit show held in aid of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital and filmed live at the O2 Arena in London on 30 March.

The Mighty Boosh

Main article: The Mighty Boosh

Fielding is best known for playing the role of Vince Noir, a childlike eccentric, opposite Julian Barratt (Howard Moon) in the cult comedy series The Mighty Boosh.

Fielding met Barratt when he was performing a gig. Impressed by Fielding's skill, Barratt offered him a place to perform, and the two went on to form a partnership. Barratt and Fielding are said to have compared their relationship to a marriage; the character of Vince Noir is a kind, somewhat naive and loyal friend to the self-centered, neurotic and ambitious Howard Moon. Vince can talk to animals, earning him the nickname "Mowgli in Flares". Vince is vibrant and flamboyant, contrasting with his friend Howard, who is more like a "geography teacher from Leeds".

As well as Noir, Fielding plays various supporting characters in the Mighty Boosh, including: Tony Harrison, a small pink head with tentacles and member of the shaman council; The Hitcher, a cockney hitch-hiker with a polo mint for an eye; The Moon; Spider Dijon, a bongoist in Rudi's band; and Old Gregg, a hermaphroditic merman obsessed with Baileys Irish Cream and watercolours.

The Mighty Boosh has won the Shockwaves NME Best TV Award three times: in 2007, 2008, and 2010.

Television

Outside his work on The Mighty Boosh, Fielding has also had bit parts in many of Channel 4's somewhat off-beat comedy programmes, including Nathan Barley, The IT Crowd, AD/BC: A Rock Opera and Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, more often than not appearing alongside Julian Barratt. He also appeared in 1998 sketch show Unnatural Acts. In February 2007, Fielding appeared on Never Mind the Buzzcocks as a panellist, before going on to become a permanent team captain. Fielding also made a short appearance in the film Plunkett & Macleane as a bystander to Robert Carlyle's scuffle in a brothel. Fielding appeared on The Charlotte Church Show as a special guest.

At Bill Bailey's request, Fielding stood in as a team captain for three episodes during Season 21 of Never Mind the Buzzcocks. He also achieved a record for the highest team score ever on the show. When Bailey returned, presenter Simon Amstell made various jokes about Fielding's departure. In 2009, Bailey left the show and Fielding became one of the regular team captains. According to Neil Gaiman's blog, Fielding was scheduled to appear in the film Stardust, but had to drop out due to ill health.[4] He also participated twice with Russell Brand in 2006 and 2007 on the annual quiz show The Big Fat Quiz of the Year. He participated again in 2010 and 2013 with Richard Ayoade.[5][6]

In 2008, Fielding appeared with comic partner Julian Barratt on Transmission. As usual, he wore a somewhat flamboyant attire, this time featuring Cuban heels and polka dot trousers.

In 2009, he helped host Comic Relief Does Top of the Pops with Reggie Yates and Fearne Cotton.

Fielding played the role of "Marcus" in the series 3 of How Not to Live Your Life, which was broadcast in November 2010.

Fielding produced his first solo series for the Channel 4 network's E4 channel in 2011,[7] as the broadcaster invests an additional £5 million in its comedy budget following the cancellation of reality show Big Brother.[8] Fielding said of the project, tentatively titled Noel Fielding: Boopus: "I want to make something in the spirit of Spike Milligan or the Kenny Everett Show but using modern techniques. Blending filmed comedy with animation. Television needs a madman! I want the show to be psychedelic and beautiful but have charm and personality. If Dalí made a show hopefully it would look like this."[7][9] The show has since been renamed Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy and began broadcasting on Channel 4's E4 channel on 26 January 2012. It contains many aspects of animation composed with live action. A video shown to a select audience of C4 staff, producers, writers, performers and journalists showed the Boosh star as a stingray, discussing the recording of albums. Similar to the Mighty Boosh, in Luxury Comedy Fielding plays a wide array of characters including an optimistic lion, a chocolate finger, a deranged clown, a New York cop, a music producer stingray, and a futuristic Don Quixote called Fantasy Man. [citation needed]

Fielding performed a dance to "Wuthering Heights" by Kate Bush for Let's Dance for Comic Relief reaching the finale. He has also appeared in a Kate Bush video for the remix version of "Deeper Understanding".

Radio

Fielding starred in the 2001 Mighty Boosh radio series as Vince Noir and other characters. It was broadcast on BBC London Live. He also appeared on The Russell Brand Show on BBC Radio 2 on 26 May 2007 and 13 October 2007, and Team Disgusting's show on Life fm as a co-host for one episode, along with fellow Team Disgusting members Melvis and Birdy.

In November 2007 Fielding starred in five episodes of BBC Radio 2 show Vic Reeves' House Arrest as a local vagrant who knocks on Reeves' door once a week to ask for work.[10] His character is often given seemingly pointless tasks, such as building a galleon out of sausages, and is paid in small change.

Music

Fielding has appeared in several music videos, including Mint Royale's "Blue Song", alongside Julian Barratt, Nick Frost and Michael Smiley. He also made a brief appearance in the video for Razorlight's "In the Morning". He appeared in music videos for the Robots in Disguise songs "Girl" (alongside Chris Corner who was, at the time, boyfriend to Sue Denim), "The Tears", and "Turn It Up". In 2009, Noel was involved in the Kasabian video "Vlad the Impaler", in which he plays the titular character, and he's referenced in "La Fée Verte" (his friend Sergio Pizzorno said "The line, 'I met Dalí in the street.' Dalí is Noel Fielding. And he is the modern-day Dalí"). Fielding also makes a brief appearance as Vlad in the video for another Kasabian song, "Re-Wired", riding a five-seater bicycle with the band. He has also appeared in Kate Bush's music video "Deeper Understanding" as a means of thanks for the Let's Dance for Comic Relief performance.

Fielding is friends with the members of Razorlight, and involved them in the "Priest and the Beast" episode of The Mighty Boosh. Fielding lent his voice to the Midfield General song "Midfielding". Fielding also sometimes plays bass live for Robots in Disguise. Furthermore, he has been known to DJ, often playing at The Barfly in London with the rest of The Mighty Boosh or with his DJ collective known as Team Disgusting, made up of six women and the Rev (formerly of Towers of London). Lately, he has been DJing with Dave Brown, who plays Bollo in The Mighty Boosh, under the DJing phenomenon, the Doctor and the Pencil, who first appeared in the Boosh episode "The Chokes".

Fielding is half of Loose Tapestries, a comedy music partnership with Kasabian's Sergio Pizzorno, set up to create music for Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy.

Art

He held his first exhibition, entitled Psychedelic Dreams of the Jelly Fox, at Maison Bertaux, a patisserie in Greek Street, Soho in early 2008. He claimed that he was inspired by Henri Rousseau, René Magritte, Willem de Kooning, Roy Lichtenstein, and Dexter Dalwood.[11] He has stated that he has been heavily influenced by the works of Salvador Dalí. A second exhibition entitled "Bryan Ferry vs the Jelly Fox" took place at Maison Bertaux, from 5 July 2010 through to 5 January 2011.[12]

On 6 September 2011, Fielding received Honorary master's degrees from Buckinghamshire New University for his ongoing interest in the graphics area and support for many art organisations,[13] In October 2011, Fielding released an art book called 'Scribblings of a Madcap Shambleton', which he produced alongside with The Mighty Boosh cast member, Dave Brown (comedian). It features many of his old and new paintings, drawings and photography.[14]

Fielding's video installation of 'The Jelly Fox' was shown at the Saatchi Gallery, and in 2012 he created a unique piece inspired by The Beatles for Liverpool Love at the Museum of Liverpool. In March 2015, his exhibition 'He Wore Dreams Around Unkind Faces' was shown at the Royal Albert Hall.[15]

Personal life

Fielding was born in Westminster, London,[16] and grew up in Pollards Hill, south London. His brother is Michael Fielding, who appears as Naboo the Enigma in The Mighty Boosh and also portrays various characters in Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy. Fielding resides in Highgate, North London with his partner, Radio X DJ Lliana Bird. His parents are Dianne and Ray Fielding, both of whom have appeared in Mighty Boosh episodes. He also revealed on Russell Brand's radio show that his grandmother is French.[17] According to an article in The Sunday Times he has said that his "parents had lots of parties" during his childhood. He has also stated that his parents "were just 18" when they had him.[18] Fielding is close friends with Julian Barratt, Richard Ayoade and Rich Fulcher, whom he has worked with on numerous occasions, and he is also friends with Courtney Love, Russell Brand and Johnny Borrell, as well as the members of Kasabian. Kasabian's Sergio Pizzorno is part of Fielding's Loose Tapestries project, set up to make music for his series Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy. Fielding played the role of Vlad the Impaler in the video of the Kasabian song of the same name, and reprised his role at the 2014 Glastonbury Festival.[19] The music video was directed by Richard Ayoade. Fielding is a fan of the bands Frank Zappa, [20] The Ramones, Captain Beefheart, Led Zeppelin,[21] Roxy Music, Kiss,[22] Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett, Nirvana,[23] Tame Impala, Everything Everything and Bo Ningen.[24] He is also a fan of Gary Numan, Bryan Ferry, David Bowie, Jim Morrison, Mick Jagger, Cher, Adam Ant, David Lynch and he has portraits of Freddie Mercury in his flat.[25]

Fielding was educated at Croydon School of Art in South London then studied for a BA in Graphic Design and Advertising at Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College (now Buckinghamshire New University)[26] in High Wycombe, where he lived with friends and future collaborators Dave Brown and Nigel Coan.[27] He graduated in 1995.[28] At some point, Fielding has also shared a flat with comedian Lee Mack, as revealed by Mack on Never Mind the Buzzcocks.

Fielding has stated that he has no middle name, was never baptised, and does not follow a religion.[29]

In 2009, a Sunday Times article revealed that Fielding had hepatitis during his art college years and later revealed he was helped through this by friend and collaborator Nigel Coan. This forced him not to drink for six months which got him into the habit of not drinking for a couple of years. "I used to be able to enjoy myself with just nothing. I'd stay up till four in the morning, with everyone else being drunk. Just make a bit of effort and you can get used to it. "[18]

Since around 2010, Fielding has been in a relationship with Radio X DJ Lliana Bird.[30] He previously dated Dee Plume, half of female electropunk band Robots in Disguise for around ten years before splitting in 2009/2010 and the duo appeared alongside Fielding and Barratt in The Mighty Boosh.

He was named one of GQ's 50 best dressed British men in 2015.[31]

Filmography

Acting roles

Television appearances

With Russell Brand

With Paul Foot (comedian)

With Julian Barratt

  • Episode 2x02 (2007)
  • 21x02-21x04 (2007) Team Captain
  • Episode 20x02 (2007)
  • Permanent team captain, 2009–2015
  • Episode 11x10 (2006)
  • interview (2006)
  • TRL (2006)
  • Alan Partridge Presents: The Cream of British Comedy (2005)
  • BBC Breakfast
  • Episode dated 26 July 2005 (2005)
  • Episode 1x04 (2000)
  • The Comedy Café (1999)
  • Episode 1x07

Music videos

  • The Claypool Lennon Delirium - Bubbles Burst (2016)
  • Kate Bush - "Deeper Understanding (2011)
  • Kasabian – "Vlad the Impaler" (2009)
  • Robots In Disguise - "The Tears" (2008)
  • Razorlight - "In The Morning" (2006)
  • Mint Royale - "Blue Song" (2003)
  • Midfield General - "Midfielding" (2000)

Awards

References

  1. ^ Powder Blue Internet Business Solutions. "Noel Fielding cancels tour". chortle.co.uk. Retrieved 24 January 2015. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  2. ^ Noel Fielding on going solo and The Mighty Boosh: 'I’d love to do a film' | Culture | The Guardian
  3. ^ Noel Fielding's album released : News 2016 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide
  4. ^ Neil Gaiman – Neil Gaiman's Journal: Stardust news
  5. ^ "Noel Fielding's new show : News 2010 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". Chortle. 29 October 2010. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  6. ^ "The Big Fat Quiz of the Year – Episode 1.8. The Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2010 – British Comedy Guide". Comedy.co.uk. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  7. ^ a b "Noel Fielding joins E4 – E4 blog". E4.com. 29 October 2010. Retrieved 13 August 2012.[dead link‍]
  8. ^ "Heard the one about Channel 4?". The Independent. London. 29 October 2010.
  9. ^ Plunkett, John (29 October 2010). "The Inbetweeners to return for two specials". The Guardian. London.
  10. ^ BBC – Radio 2 Comedy – Vic Reeves' House Arrest
  11. ^ "Noel Fielding's life of Bryan". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 June 2010.
  12. ^ "Noel Fielding - Artist". Hooligan Art Dealer. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  13. ^ "Mighty Boosh stars back at university to receive honorary master's degrees". Bucks New University. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
  14. ^ "Noel Fielding: The Scribblings of a Madcap Shambleton". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 November 2011.
  15. ^ "The Mighty Brush: Behind the scenes at Noel Fielding's new exhibition". Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  16. ^ "Noel Fielding". BBC Comedy. Retrieved 18 May 2009.
  17. ^ Russell Brand Show – BBC Radio 2 (13 October 2007)
  18. ^ a b Rumbelow, Helen (28 November 2009). "The Mighty Boosh's Noel Fielding says that 'Kids are frightened of me'". The Sunday Times. London. Retrieved 19 October 2010.
  19. ^ Ed Keeble. "Kasabian close Glastonbury in style, joined by Noel Fielding". gigwise.com. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  20. ^ Noel Fielding’s favourite song at the moment | Double J
  21. ^ "The Mighty Boosh on Friday Night With Jonathon Ross 5/9/08". YouTube. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  22. ^ "Mighty Boosh star at Edinburgh Festival". YouTube. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  23. ^ "BuzzcocksQT: The Sixties to the Noughties". YouTube. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  24. ^ "YouTube". youtube.com. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  25. ^ "Noel Fielding interview: ‘I live in the daytime now, and I meditate and play tennis’ ". Time out. Retrieved 20 January 2015
  26. ^ Jones, Sam (14 December 2007). "He's a Mick Jagger of comedy ... sweet but unbelievably mischievous and naughty, like a very cheeky puppy". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  27. ^ "The Man Who Brings Noel's Dreams to Life". The Velvet Onion. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
  28. ^ "Well-known TV stars to be among honorary graduates at Buckinghamshire New University". Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  29. ^ Life FM – Team Disgusting Show 2 June 2007
  30. ^ "Celeb A-Z - Celebrity Profiles, Pictures & More - heatworld". heatworld. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  31. ^ "50 Best Dressed Men in Britain 2015". GQ. 5 January 2015. Archived from the original on 7 January 2015. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  32. ^ Eric Idle to resurrect Rutland Weekend Television - News - British Comedy Guide
  33. ^ "I Spit on Your Rave". I Spit on Your Rave. 9 August 2009. Archived from the original on 26 February 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2012. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  34. ^ "Noel Fielding To Be Crowned Zombie King At Big Chill Festival". Twitchfilm.net. 17 July 2009. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
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