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Road warrior; a life in stand-up

Cranbrook born comedian Mike Delamont plays Centre 64 August 26
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Comedian Mike Delamont plays Centre 64 Tuesday.

CAROLYN GRANT

Making your living through stand-up comedy is not for the faint of heart. It means getting up in front of hundreds, sometimes thousands, of people nightly and putting a lot of yourself out there for people to laugh at. Hopefully.

It also means a lot of your time spent on the road, hitting comedy clubs and festivals.

Such is the life of Cranbrook-born Mike Delamont, who has been living the dream since 2011.

Delamont spoke to the Bulletin from Edmonton. He is due to perform in Kimberley on Tuesday, August 26, at 9 p.m. Then it's back to Edmonton, Winnipeg and Vancouver before he returns home to Victoria.

Despite the travel, Delamont says of his unusual career choice, "It's been fun so far."

"I make a living at it. I sure like it. I didn't know  if I'd be able to make a living, but I do."

Delamont left Cranbrook when he was 14, but his family still lives there, which he says will make his Kimberley show interesting.

"I talk about family quite a bit. My show is a lot of stories about my life. But now I have to think about what I'll say when my family is in the room."

Delamont began doing sketch comedy in Victoria right out of high school but realized fairly quickly that he was drawn to stand up.

"I found out I couldn't write for other people. I started writing characters for myself."

That evolved into stand up comedy.

Delamont says that there is a fairly nice stand-up scene in Victoria.

"I had a following from sketch comedy so I could fill a room. It's a supportive little world."

Delamont has just finished a series of shows at Just For Laughs  Comedy Festival. He did an eight minute spot for Just For Laughs, which will air early next year.

"I'm more of a story teller rather than quick jokes. So when I was told eight minutes, I said 'okay, that's two jokes. There are little funnies throughout, but two main stories.

"It was my first Just For Laughs and normally on your first offer you just get a club show. But they offered me a televised solo. It went really, really well."

It was somewhat daunting performing for a larger audience and thinking about who may be watching on television, he said, but also great for the career.

"It puts you out there."

This will be the first time Delamont performs in the Kootenays since he became an touring comedian.

"I'm bringing two of my favourite comedians to open the show and I'll do an hour. It should be a good evening of comedy."