Comedian Frank Skinner reveals the moment he experienced peak Liverpool

Frank Skinner will have been back to play in Liverpool three times by the end of 2024, twice at the Phil and once at the Empire, so he’s no stranger to a Scouse welcome.

Ahead of Frank Skinner returning to Liverpool in November, he insists the bond between him and the city isn’t a one-way thing.

“Oh it’s definitely mutual, I love Liverpool, I wouldn’t be doing it three times in a year if I didn’t.” he says.

“I remember I went to see Paul McCartney at the dock, a long time ago, with my partner who I’m still with now. I hadn’t realised it was an outdoor gig so I was just in a short-sleeved shirt and I thought, I’m going to freeze tonight.

“I was really cold, we both were, and then these two fleeces appeared. Someone had heard us saying we were cold and it had gone round the crowd and someone had passed us a couple of fleeces to wear for the gig.

“When I think of Liverpool that’s what I think of. I don’t think there are many places that would have happened.”

It’s not just the random acts of kindness he enjoys either, the audiences are something special too.

“I’ve always had cracking times in Liverpool. There are some places where you think they need to unbutton a few more buttons and you never feel that with Liverpool. You’re totally unbuttoned, I don’t know if you’ve even got buttons!

“I think maybe there is a bit of, ‘well we could do this if we wanted to but we’re having a night off so we’ll let someone else do it’.”

After selling out the Phil in March, he’ll return there on November 17 with his 30 Years of Dirty tour before going to the Empire a week later.

Audiences and critics have been agreed on rave reviews, calling him everything from a ‘comedy master’ to ‘so funny it’s almost obscene.’

Despite clearly being a natural performer, the former lecturer – he has a BA and a Masters degree in English – admits he treats his writing days as work time.

“That’s really because what I’d like to do all day is watch cricket on the telly, I’m actually brilliant at doing nothing, but because of that I know I need a timetable so I am quite strict on myself.

“For me, I think it’s alright to have set hours but the great joy of this is it isn’t a proper job and I don’t want to make it one. I value it too much for that.

“I’ve actually already started writing the next tour but one of the problems with that is I’ll think, oh that would fit in tonight and before I know all the stuff that’s supposed to be on the next tour is on this one.”

The title of the tour gives a hefty clue about what to expect, but Frank says the content has actually morphed a bit since the early shows.

“When I start touring I’ve written it, but I’ll keep tweaking and changing, messing and hopefully improving.

“When it started back in Edinburgh it was one of my cleanest shows but as I’ve gone away from the South East and Edinburgh and gone on tour I’ve been dragged down!” he jokes

“I’ve gone a bit ruder. It’s a constant battle with me, I usually start off with a fairly clean show but because the audience are essentially my editors, if they laugh it stays in and if they only laugh a little bit it goes.

“You end up with the dirty jokes getting on top. At the moment, I think it’s a reasonable balance but there’s definitely more filth than there was at the beginning of the tour.”

Frank Skinner 30 Years of Dirt is at the Philharmonic Hall on Sunday November 17 and the Empire on Sunday November 24. You can book tickets here.