Comedy legend Eric Idle spoke to the ECHO in an exclusive interview about his pancreatic cancer diagnosis and his connection to Merseyside as he brings his new show to the Liverpool Empire next month
Eric Idle spoke to the ECHO in an exclusive interview as Always Look On The Bright Side of Life, Live! comes to the Liverpool Empire next month
“When I was born, Hitler was trying to kill me, but luckily he missed.” Eric Idle may now be 82, but he’s lost none of the quick wit and sharp delivery that established him as one of the greatest minds in comedy.
The Monty Python legend’s quip comes as he describes how being born during World War II inspired the philosophy behind the song he is perhaps best known for, Always Look on The Bright Side of Life. He told the ECHO in an exclusive interview: “I think it’s a good motto. It’s a good way to live.
“When we grew up in the 1950s, [everyone still talked] about the war, we had to eat spam. There wasn’t a lot.” Eric also explained he learnt the importance of the mantra first hand when he was in boarding school for 12 years. He said: “You really did have to look on the bright side of life.
“And there wasn’t much to look on. There was the walls, climbing over the walls to get some beers at the off licence and chasing the girls who lived next door. I learnt to enjoy yourself you had to not do what authority says, and I think that was something that conveys into Python too. The fun lies in not doing that. I don’t think you lose that attitude just because you get old.”
This is certainly true of Eric, as he remains as passionate about pushing the boundaries of comedy to make people laugh as he was during the first episode of Monty Python’s Flying Circus in 1969. He is about to embark on a new tour of the UK that is titled after his hit song as Always Look On The Bright Side of Life, LIVE! is coming to the Liverpool Empire on September 14.
The one man musical is described as “an evening of comedy, music, philosophy and one fart joke”, as Eric plays with a virtual band, performs new songs and shares stories from his incredible life in comedy. The Spamalot writer is particularly excited to perform in Liverpool for the tour as he lived in Merseyside for a brief time when he was a child and remains a huge Liverpool FC fan.
He told the ECHO: “On my fifth birthday, I took the ferry across the Mersey and we went on the Liverpool Overhead Railway. That was the treat. And then we went back to Wallasey. We went to some cosy tea house, I had about three meringues and I threw up. And I’ve never eaten a meringue since.
“I’m sure it’s changed a lot, but so have I. It’s one of those places that’s full of real people. The people connect with each other and they’re proud of their city. I really like it for that.” He added: “I love Liverpool. and I love the the team. I’ve always loved The Reds. They’re just f*****g great. Excuse my French, they are amazing.”
Eric has particularly fond memories of filming his parody of The Beatles, The Rutles, in the city and said Sir Paul McCartney gave him his blessing for the comedy film when he found out about his Merseyside roots. He said: “He was a bit weird and bit off. His wife loved it. And then he found out I went to school in Wallasey and he said, ‘Hey you’re one of us. Linda, he’s a Scouser. He’s one of us,’ so that was fine then.”
A Beatle who needed no convincing was George Harrison, as Eric was one of the late musician’s closest friends and the While My Guitar Gently Weeps writer even made an appearance in the mockumentary, All You Need Is Cash. Eric said: “I’ve never met anybody like him before, when you immediately fall in love with them and you talk all night. It was always fun times with him.”
A moving segment of the tour sees Eric pay tribute to his friendship with George. The two sparked a bond when they met as adults in the 1970s, but Eric told the ECHO he often wonders whether they were friends as children growing up in Merseyside, as their connection always felt deeper.
He said: “I felt I knew him as soon I met him. I hung out with someone called George on the Red Noses in New Brighton when I was about 5 and I often wondered if it was him because we got on so well when we met.
“It was like I already knew him and we were talking all night. He was wonderful and he had such a great effect on my life. I was a bit depressed and he cheered me up by telling me I was going to die. He said, ‘You can have all the money in the world, you can be the most famous person in the world, but you’re still going to have to die’. That was his mantra. I was with him at the end on his deathbed. He wasn’t frightened or scared, he was happy he was going to be reborn because he was Hindu. He was the loveliest man.”
Eric said him and George hit if off so well because of the similar positions they held in their respective groups, adding: “We were both the individual in between two strong powerful forces. He had Lennon and McCartney, I had Chapman and Cleese; Palin and Jones.
“I think we were both in a similar role. The younger one, a little bit overpowered and you had to find and fight for your own space in it.” George was a huge influence on Eric’s career as The Beatle remortgaged his house and his assets in order to fund one of Monty Python’s most famous films, The Life Of Brian.
He said: “£4.5m. He raised the entire money. That was everything he had and he put it all in on a Monty Python film. Imagine telling the wife. ‘What did you do today?’ Well, I’ve remortgaged our house, I’ve remortgaged our company and I’ve put it all into a Monty Python film about religion.
“It’s an unbelievable story. I don’t think people quite appreciate how extraordinary that is. Putting all your money on a Python project. I asked him why he did it and he said, ‘It was because I wanted to see the movie.'”
Fortunately, George’s gamble was more than worth it as The Life of Brian changed comedy forever and gave the world Always Look On The Bright Side. The song Eric performed over the credits of the 1979 film continues to have a huge impact on culture 46 years after it was released, as it remains one of the most requested songs played at funerals.
The comedy legend practices what he preaches as he even managed to see the funny side during one of his darkest moments when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2019. He said: “I was writing a thing called Death: The Musical and I thought it would be very funny if the guy who is writing Death: The Musical finds out he’s dying. So I asked my doctor, ‘What is the quickest way to kill a character?’ And he said, ‘Pancreatic cancer every time.’
“12 years later, I’m looking at a screen and I said to my doctor, ‘What’s that?’ He told me, ‘It’s pancreatic cancer’. And I laughed because it’s hilarious. The guy writing a story about a guy writing Death: The Musical, who finds out he’s got pancreatic cancer, finds out he’s got pancreatic cancer.”
Eric credits early detection and the work of healthcare professionals for why he survived the condition that kills so many. The comedian has got a new lease of life after his recovery and vowed to always return to the world of making people laugh.
He said: “I’m committed to being funny. It’s a weakness. No it’s a strength.” He added: “I keep myself fit by swimming. I love trying to make a new show that will make people laugh and surprise them. My aim is always never let them for a second be bored. And you never know what’s going to happen next.”
Eric is excited for the future as he reflected on his amazing career and explained why Monty Python was able to change comedy forever when it premiered on the BBC 55 years ago. He said: ” [At the time] there was a satire boom, but we didn’t do any satire. It wasn’t topical, so it doesn’t date. It was just about silly and silly survives.”
Eric Idle – Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, LIVE! is coming to the Liverpool Empire Theatre on September 14. You can find details on how to get tickets here.