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James Roderick Moir (born 24 January 1959), better known by his stage name Vic Reeves, is an English comedian, artist,
surrealist Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to ...
, musician,
actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...
and television presenter, best known for his double act with Bob Mortimer as Reeves & Mortimer. He is known for his surreal sense of humour. In 2003, Reeves and Mortimer were listed in ''
The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the ...
'' as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy. In a 2005 poll to find the ''Comedians' Comedian'', Reeves and Mortimer were voted the ninth-greatest comedy act ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.


Early life

Moir was born in
Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popula ...
, the son of Audrey (née Leigh) and James Neill Moir (1926–2004). At the age of five, he moved to Darlington, County Durham, with his parents and younger sister Lois. He attended Heathfield Infants and Junior School and went on to the nearby secondary school, Eastbourne Comprehensive in Darlington. After leaving school, Reeves undertook an apprenticeship in
mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, an ...
at a factory in
Newton Aycliffe Newton Aycliffe is a town in County Durham, England. Founded in 1947 under the New Towns Act of 1946, the town sits about five miles to the north of Darlington and ten miles to the south of Durham. It is the oldest new town in the north of Eng ...
. Eventually he moved to
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, where he attended the
Polytechnic of North London The University of North London (UNL) was a university in London, England, formed from the Polytechnic of North London (PNL) in 1992 when that institution was granted university status. PNL, in turn, had been formed by the amalgamation of the No ...
and
Middlesex Polytechnic Middlesex University London (legally Middlesex University and abbreviated MDX) is a public research university in Hendon, northwest London, England. The name of the university is taken from its location within the historic county boundaries of ...
.


Career

Moir formed the Fashionable Five, a group of five friends (including Jack Dent, who ran the original Fan Club) who would follow bands like the Enid and Free onto stage, and perform pranks (including Reeves pretending to have a
brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other wit ...
hand, and following a
Terry Scott Owen John "Terry" Scott (4 May 1927 – 26 July 1994) was an English actor and comedian who appeared in seven of the ''Carry On films''. He is also best known for appearing in the BBC1 sitcom ''Terry and June'' with June Whitfield. Early lif ...
lookalike around Darlington town centre in single-file formation). Moir had an early breakthrough with the help of comedian
Malcolm Hardee Malcolm Hardee (5 January 1950 – 31 January 2005) was an English comedian and comedy club proprietor. His high reputation among his peers rests on his outrageous publicity stunts and on the help and advice he gave to successful British Altern ...
. Before finding fame with his comedy, Moir was a member of several bands with many different names and musical styles, in which he usually played bass guitar and/or sang. He sold tapes of his early material in the back pages of ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' magazine under the name International Cod. Mark Lamarr, later to become a team captain on '' Shooting Stars'', was sent a tape of Moir's band Fan Tan Tiddly Span. When Moir appeared, as Vic Reeves, on ''
Never Mind the Buzzcocks ''Never Mind the Buzzcocks'' is a British comedy panel game show with a pop music theme. It has aired on Sky Max since September 2021, having originally aired between November 1996 and January 2015 on BBC Two. The original series was first hos ...
'' in 1998, Lamarr repeatedly played a sample from the song "Fantasia (Side A)" in an attempt to embarrass him. In 1983, Moir began a part-time course at a local
art college An art school is an educational institution with a primary focus on the visual arts, including fine art – especially illustration, painting, photography, sculpture, and graphic design. Art schools can offer elementary, secondary, post-second ...
, developed his love of
painting Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...
and eventually persuaded a local art gallery to stage an exhibition of his work. Although still primarily known as a comedian, Moir is gaining a reputation as an artist. His
drawings Drawing is a form of visual art in which an artist uses instruments to mark paper or other two-dimensional surface. Drawing instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, various kinds of paints, inked brushes, colored pencils, crayons, c ...
and
paintings Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...
have been used in his
television shows A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed betw ...
and form a major part of his 1999 book, ''Sun Boiled Onions''.


As Vic Reeves


Television and Radio

As well as working and performing in bands in London, including being an original member of the Industrial/Experimental band
Test Dept Test Dept, sometimes credited as Test Department is a British industrial music group from London, England, that was one of the most important and influential early industrial music acts. Their approach was marked by the use of "found" material ...
and performing onstage with them at their debut gig (then leaving soon afterwards), Moir also joined the alternative comedy circuit under many different guises. These included a loudmouthed American called Jim Bell, a
beat poet The Beat Generation was a literary subculture movement started by a group of authors whose work explored and influenced American culture and politics in the post-war era. The bulk of their work was published and popularized by Silent Generatione ...
called Mister Mystery and eventually, "The North-East's Top Light Entertainer"- Vic Reeves, whose name is derived from two of his favourite singers,
Vic Damone Vic Damone (born Vito Rocco Farinola; June 12, 1928 – February 11, 2018) was an American traditional pop and big band singer and actor. He was best known for his performances of songs such as the number one hit "You're Breaking My Heart", and ...
and
Jim Reeves James Travis Reeves (August 20, 1923July 31, 1964) was an American country and popular music singer-songwriter. With records charting from the 1950s to the 1980s, he became well known as a practitioner of the Nashville Sound. Known as "Gentleman ...
. His stage show '' Vic Reeves Big Night Out'' began life as a regular Thursday night gig at Goldsmith's Tavern,
New Cross New Cross is an area in south east London, England, south-east of Charing Cross in the London Borough of Lewisham and the SE14 postcode district. New Cross is near St Johns, Telegraph Hill, Nunhead, Peckham, Brockley, Deptford and Greenwic ...
(now the New Cross House). Here, he met Bob Mortimer, a solicitor who attended the show and enjoyed it so much that he soon began to participate. Reeves' television début came in December 1986 on Channel 4 Television's '' The Tube'' in a comedy game show segment called "Square Celebrities", suspended by a wire to ask the "celebrities" questions. His next appearance was on the short-lived chat/comedy show ''One Hour with Jonathan Ross'' in a
game show A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or demonstrative and are typically directed by a host, ...
segment known as ''Knock Down Ginger''. Reeves' growing TV profile led to ''Big Night Out'' being given a slot on
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
the following year. It was about this time that Reeves and Bob Mortimer rented a back room at Jools Holland's office/recording studio in
Westcombe Park Westcombe Park is a largely residential area in Blackheath in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, South East London, England. It is bounded by the main London-Dartford railway line to the north, the Blackwall Tunnel southern approach to the east, ...
,
Greenwich Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich ...
where they would spend hours writing material. Reeves continued to work alongside Mortimer as a comedy duo in a series of 1990s programmes, '' The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer'', '' Shooting Stars'', and ''
Bang, Bang, It's Reeves and Mortimer ''Bang Bang, It's Reeves and Mortimer'' is a British comedy television series, the third by comedy double act Vic & Bob, Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer and their second in a Sketch comedy, sketch show format. Directed by Mark Mylod and produced by Al ...
'', some of which also featured future cast members of ''
The Fast Show ''The Fast Show'', known as ''Brilliant'' in the US, is a BBC comedy sketch show that ran from 1994 to 1997, with specials in 2000 and 2014. The show's central performers were Paul Whitehouse, Charlie Higson, Simon Day, Mark Williams, John T ...
'' and '' Little Britain''. A 1994 pilot written by
Paul Whitehouse Paul Julian Whitehouse (born 17 May 1958) is a Welsh actor, writer and comedian. He was one of the main stars of the BBC sketch comedy series '' The Fast Show'', and has also starred with Harry Enfield in the shows ''Harry & Paul'' and ''Harr ...
and
Charlie Higson Charles Murray Higson (born 3 July 1958) is an English actor, comedian, author and former singer. He has also written and produced for television and is the author of the ''Enemy'' book series, as well as the first five novels in the ''Young Bo ...
entitled ''The Honeymoon's Over'' was due to feature Chris Bell, a character from ''The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer''; however, the series was never commissioned. The same year, Reeves made a guest appearance on the Radio 1 series ''Shuttleworth's Showtime'', hosted by John Shuttleworth. Between August 1998 and May 1999, Reeves and Mortimer presented the Channel X produced
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
Saturday game show ''Families at War'' with Alice Beer. Reeves played Marty Hopkirk in the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
's 2000–2001 thriller series ''
Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) ''Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)'' is a British private detective television series, starring Mike Pratt and Kenneth Cope respectively as the private detectives Jeff Randall and Marty Hopkirk. The series was created by Dennis Spooner and p ...
'', a revival of the original 1960s series, with Mortimer as Randall,
Emilia Fox Emilia Rose Elizabeth Fox (born 31 July 1974) is an English actress and presenter whose film debut was in Roman Polanski's film '' The Pianist''. Her other films include the Italian–French–British romance-drama film '' The Soul Keeper'' (2 ...
as Jeannie Hopkirk, and
Tom Baker Thomas Stewart Baker (born 20 January 1934) is an English actor and writer. He is well known for his portrayal of the fourth incarnation of the Doctor in the science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' from 1974 to 1981.Scott, Danny. (1 ...
as Wyvern. In 2000, Reeves presented a series entitled, ''Vic Reeves Examines'' on UK Play, featuring celebrities such as Ricky Gervais,
Johnny Vegas Michael Joseph Pennington (born 5 September 1970), better known as Johnny Vegas, is an English comedian, actor, writer, and director. He is known for his thick Lancashire accent, husky voice, overweight appearance, angry comedic rants, and us ...
,
Lauren Laverne Lauren Cecilia Fisher (née Gofton; born 28 April 1978), known professionally as Lauren Laverne, is an English radio DJ, model, television presenter, author and singer. She was the lead singer and additional guitarist in the alternative rock ba ...
and
Emma Kennedy Emma Kennedy (born Elizabeth Emma Williams on 28 May 1967) is an English actress, lawyer, comedian, and travel writer, comedian, television presenter and author. Early life and education The daughter of teachers,
discussing a topic of their choice. The same year, Reeves presented a one-off radio show on
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
, entitled ''Cock of the Wood''. In 2004 Reeves and his wife, Nancy Sorrell were both contestants in the fourth series of '' I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!''. He also appeared in the series '' Catterick'' with Mortimer appearing as several characters. In September 2005, Reeves hosted a show for
Virgin Radio Virgin Radio launched in the United Kingdom in 1993. In 2008, Virgin Radio UK was sold to TIML, a subsidiary of The Times of India group, and the name was changed to Absolute Radio; the Virgin Radio name was not included in the sale. In 2001, ...
called ''Vic Reeves Big Night In'' produced by Mark Augustyn, for a short period on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 7.00pm. Reeves presented a historical ten-part series, entitled ''Rogues Gallery'', which was shown on the Discovery Channel (UK) in 2005, where he investigated, and portrayed
Anne Bonny Anne Bonny (8 March 1697 – disappeared April 1721), sometimes Anne Bonney, was an Irish pirate operating in the Caribbean, and one of the few female pirates in recorded history. What little that is known of her life comes largely from Capta ...
and
Mary Read Mary Read (1685 – 28 April 1721), also known as Mark Read, was an English pirate. She and Anne Bonny were two famous female pirates from the 18th century, and among the few women known to have been convicted of piracy at the height of the " ...
,
Captain Kidd William Kidd, also known as Captain William Kidd or simply Captain Kidd ( – 23 May 1701), was a Scottish sea captain who was commissioned as a privateer and had experience as a pirate. He was tried and executed in London in 1701 for murder a ...
,
Claude Duval Claude Du Vall (or Duval) (164321 January 1670) was a French highwayman in Restoration England. He came from a family of decayed nobility, and worked in the service of exiled royalists who returned to England under King Charles II. Little els ...
, Jonathan Wild, Rob Roy, Colonel Blood, George Ransley, Deacon Brodie,
Blackbeard Edward Teach (alternatively spelled Edward Thatch, – 22 November 1718), better known as Blackbeard, was an English pirate who operated around the West Indies and the eastern coast of Britain's North American colonies. Little is known abou ...
and
Dick Turpin Richard Turpin (bapt. 21 September 1705 – 7 April 1739) was an English highwayman whose exploits were romanticised following his execution in York for horse theft. Turpin may have followed his father's trade as a butcher ea ...
. Sorrell also appeared in some episodes. Continuing in this vein, ''Vic Reeves' Pirates'' was shown on
ITV West ITV Wales and West, previously known as Harlech Television (HTV), was an ITV franchise area in the United Kingdom until 31 December 2013, licensed to a broadcaster by the regulator Ofcom. There is no channel, past or present, named "ITV Wale ...
and, subsequently, on the
History Channel History (formerly The History Channel from January 1, 1995 to February 15, 2008, stylized as HISTORY) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney ...
in 2007. In May 2006, Reeves presented a programme on
ITV Tyne Tees ITV Tyne Tees, previously known as Tyne Tees, Channel 3 North East and Tyne Tees Television, is the ITV television franchise for North East England and parts of North Yorkshire. Tyne Tees launched on 15 January 1959 from studios at a converte ...
about Northeast comedy culture called ''It's Funny Up North with... Vic Reeves''. In 2007, Reeves hosted a show called ''Vic Reeves Investigates:
Jack the Ripper Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer active in and around the impoverished Whitechapel district of London, England, in the autumn of 1888. In both criminal case files and the contemporaneous journalistic accounts, the killer w ...
''. Reeves, with the help of historians and leading experts, tried to discover who Jack the Ripper was. At the end of the show, he came to the conclusion that Jack the Ripper was
Francis Tumblety Francis Tumblety (c. 1833 – May 28, 1903) was an Irish-born American medical quack who earned a small fortune posing as an "Indian Herb" doctor throughout the United States and Canada. He was an eccentric self-promoter and was often in trouble ...
. On 8 May 2007, Reeves was the main presenter of '' Brainiac: Science Abuse'' during the fifth and sixth series, replacing Richard Hammond. Beginning in June 2007, Reeves presented a BBC Radio 2 panel game called '' Does the Team Think?''. On 17 November 2007, Reeves appeared in a weekly sketch show on BBC Radio 2, entitled '' Vic Reeves' House Arrest''. The show's premise was that he had been put under house arrest for "a crime he didn't commit", and each episode consists of the various events that take place in and around his house on a particular day. Mortimer plays his housecall-making hairdresser, Carl, while other performers include ''
The Mighty Boosh The Mighty Boosh is a British comedy troupe featuring comedians Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. Developed from three stage shows and a six-episode radio series, it has since spanned a total of 20 television episodes for BBC Three which aired ...
'' star
Noel Fielding Noel Fielding (; (born 21 May 1973) is an English actor and comedian. He is best known for his work with The Mighty Boosh comedy troupe alongside Julian Barratt in the 2000s, and more recently as a co-presenter of ''The Great British Bake Off'' ...
as a local vagrant who comes to Reeves' door on a weekly basis looking for work, as well as Nancy Sorrell in multiple roles. On 27 February 2008, Reeves announced that he and Mortimer were working together on a new sitcom about superheroes who get their powers through a malfunctioning telegraph pole. He also reiterated his desire to bring back ''Shooting Stars'' for a 6th series. Along with his son, Reeves is also featured in one edition of a factual series for Five, ''Dangerous Adventures for Boys'', based on the best-selling book written by Conn and Hal Iggulden, '' The Dangerous Book for Boys''. In February 2009, Reeves appeared as presenter of the first episode of ''My Brilliant Britain'', one of the new television shows commissioned for UKTV People channel's relaunch as
Blighty "Blighty" is a British English slang term for Great Britain, or often specifically England.
. On 25 August 2009, Reeves appeared as a guest on
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
's ''
The One Show ''The One Show'' is a British television magazine and chat show programme. Broadcast live on BBC One weeknights at 7:00 pm, it features topical stories and studio guests. It is currently co-hosted by Alex Jones, Jermaine Jenas, and Ronan K ...
'' with Mortimer. Series 6 of ''Shooting Stars'' began airing on 26 August 2009 with Reeves and Mortimer, along with
Ulrika Jonsson Eva Ulrika Jonsson (born 16 August 1967) is a Swedish-British television presenter and model. She became known as a TV-am weather presenter, moved on to present the ITV show ''Gladiators'', and as a team captain of the BBC Two show '' Shooting ...
and
Jack Dee James Andrew Innes Dee (born 24 September 1961), known professionally as Jack Dee, is an English stand-up comedian, actor, presenter and writer known for his sarcasm, irony and deadpan humour. He wrote and starred in the sitcom ''Lead Balloon'' ...
as team captains. Reeves appeared as one of the guests in ''
Reece Shearsmith Reeson Wayne "Reece" Shearsmith (born 27 August 1969) is an English actor, writer and comedian. He is best known for being a member of '' The League of Gentlemen'', alongside Steve Pemberton, Mark Gatiss, and Jeremy Dyson. With Pemberton, he l ...
's Haunted House'', a light-hearted radio discussion show broadcast on
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
in two parts on either side of Halloween on 29 October 2009 and 5 November 2009. In July 2011, Reeves and Mortimer released a selection of YouTube improvised comedy sketches, in association with Foster's. They released their "Afternoon Delight" clips every weekday afternoon in July. In 2020, Reeves co-hosted the
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
original, reality series '' The Big Flower Fight'' alongside
Natasia Demetriou Natasia Charlotte Demetriou is an English comedian, actress, and screenwriter. She is best known for her roles as Nadja in the FX horror comedy series '' What We Do in the Shadows'' (2019–present) and Sophie in the Channel 4 sitcom '' Stath L ...
.


=Advertising

= Reeves has appeared in television advertisements, both with Mortimer and alone. He has done solo advertising work for a variety of products including Guinness, MFI, Müller Light, First Direct, Mars Bar,
Fanta Fanta is an American-owned German brand of fruit-flavored carbonated soft drinks created by Coca-Cola Deutschland under the leadership of German businessman Max Keith. There are more than 200 flavors worldwide. Fanta originated in Germany as ...
, Heinz
Tomato Ketchup Ketchup or catsup is a table condiment with a sweet and tangy flavor. The unmodified term ("ketchup") now typically refers to tomato ketchup, although early recipes used egg whites, mushrooms, oysters, grapes, mussels, or walnuts, among oth ...
, Domestos bleach, Maryland Cookies, 888 Ladies and East Coast Trains. Reeves also advertised Jools Holland's 2006 album ''Moving Out to the Country''. With Mortimer, he advertised
Cadburys Cadbury, formerly Cadbury's and Cadbury Schweppes, is a British multinational confectionery company fully owned by Mondelez International (originally Kraft Foods) since 2010. It is the second largest confectionery brand in the world after M ...
Boost and
Churchill Insurance Churchill Insurance is a British insurance company based in Bromley, London. Founded in 1989, as one of the country's first direct to customer car insurance companies, the company has expanded to offer a range of general insurance products. Sin ...
. Mortimer voiced the nodding bulldog, Churchill, and in early adverts, Reeves’ voice would ask questions about car insurance, to which Churchill replied with his catchphrase, “Oh, yes!” However, in 2005 Reeves was dropped from the adverts after being arrested on charges of drunk-driving.


Music

As part of early ''Big Night Out'' performances, Reeves would sometimes hand out promotional materials to the audience. On one occasion he handed out a 7"
flexi disc The flexi disc (also known as a phonosheet, Sonosheet or Soundsheet, a trademark) is a phonograph record made of a thin, flexible vinyl sheet with a molded-in spiral stylus groove, and is designed to be playable on a normal phonograph turntable. ...
of original song "The Howlin' Wind". Having surplus copies of the discs, Reeves passed them on to Darlington-based band Dan, who then included a copy of the disc with their album ''Kicking Ass at T.J.'s''.


=Album

= '' I Will Cure You'' was Reeves' only album. It was released in 1991 by Island Records and peaked at No. 16 in the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
. It featured the Number One single " Dizzy" which was a collaboration with
The Wonder Stuff The Wonder Stuff are a British alternative rock band. Originally based in Stourbridge in the West Midlands, England, the band's first lineup released four albums and nearly 20 singles and EPs, enjoying considerable chart and live success in th ...
. It included a mixture of covers and original songs in a variety of musical styles, many of which were originally introduced in ''Big Night Out''. Along with "Dizzy", two other singles were released from the album, a cover of the
Matt Monro Matt Monro (born Terence Edward Parsons, 1 December 1930 – 7 February 1985) was an English singer. Known as "The Man with the Golden Voice", he performed internationally during his 30-year career. AllMusic has described Monro as "one of the m ...
song "
Born Free ''Born Free'' is a 1966 British drama film starring the real-life couple Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers as Joy and George Adamson, another real-life couple who raised Elsa the Lioness, an orphaned lion cub, to adulthood, and released her in ...
" and a dance reworking of Christian
hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hy ...
" Abide With Me" which reached No. 6 and No. 47 in the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, respectively.


=Singles

= In 1995, Reeves and Mortimer released a cover of
The Monkees The Monkees were an American rock and pop band, formed in Los Angeles in 1966, whose lineup consisted of the American actor/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor/singer Davy Jones. The group was con ...
song "
I'm a Believer "I'm a Believer" is a song written by Neil Diamond and recorded by the Monkees in 1966 with the lead vocals by Micky Dolenz. The single, produced by Jeff Barry, hit the number-one spot on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart for the week endi ...
" with British band EMF which reached No. 3 in the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. Reeves had a history with the track, having both sung it at the beginning of early '' Big Night Out'' performances in London, and opened the
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
series with it. In the music video, which was directed by Reeves, the duo dress as Mike Nesmith and Davy Jones of The Monkees. On the CD release of the single, a studio version of "At This Stage I Couldn't Say" was included, a track originally sung by characters Mulligan and O'Hare in '' The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer''. On the 7" release, the bonus track was "At Least We've Got Our Guitars", which was the opening song for the last episode of ''The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer''. In April 2007, the theme to British stop-motion animation ''
Shaun the Sheep ''Shaun the Sheep'' is a British stop-motion television series and a spin-off of the '' Wallace and Gromit'' franchise. The title character is Shaun (previously featured as the sheep named "Shaun" in the 1995 short film '' A Close Shave'' and t ...
'', sung by Reeves, was released as a single. The song reached No. 20 in the UK Singles Chart.


=Contributions

= In 1990 both Reeves and Mortimer contributed backing vocals to Jools Holland's " Holy Cow" (a
Lee Dorsey Irving Lee Dorsey (December 24, 1924 – December 1, 1986) was an American pop and R&B singer during the 1960s. His biggest hits were "Ya Ya" (1961) and "Working in the Coal Mine" (1966). Much of his work was produced by Allen Toussaint, with in ...
cover). The track was included on Holland's album ''World of his Own'' and released as a single. Later, Reeves would advertise Holland's album ''Moving Out to the Country''. Also in 1990, Reeves provided backing vocals for former Smiths singer Morrissey's cover of " That's Entertainment", originally by
The Jam The Jam were an English mod revival/ punk rock band formed in 1972 at Sheerwater Secondary School in Woking, Surrey. They released 18 consecutive Top 40 singles in the United Kingdom, from their debut in 1977 to their break-up in December 1 ...
. Reeves' vocals were not used in the final edit but he was thanked (as Jim Moir) in the sleeve notes of Morrissey's
Sing Your Life "Sing Your Life" is a single by English singer-songwriter Morrissey released in April 1991. It was the second single taken from the ''Kill Uncle'' album. On release this was Morrissey's lowest charting single in the UK charts, reaching only num ...
single, which featured "That's Entertainment" as a bonus track. A fan of the Smiths, Reeves opened some episodes of ''Big Night Out'' with covers of the band's songs including "
Sheila Take a Bow "Sheila Take a Bow" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths, written by Morrissey and Johnny Marr. Featuring a glam rock-style beat and guitar riff, the song was originally planned to feature Sandie Shaw on backing vocals, but Shaw's dist ...
" which he intended to include a cover of on his album '' I Will Cure You''. It did not make the final cut. In 1992, Reeves contributed a track to ''
Ruby Trax ''Ruby Trax - The NME's Roaring Forty'' is a compilation album released by the 'rock inkie' (newspaper) NME (New Musical Express) in 1992 to commemorate 40 years of publication. The album features 40 cover versions of classic Number 1 songs by p ...
'', a compilation album released by ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' magazine to commemorate 40 years of the publication. He covered the
Ultravox Ultravox (earlier styled as Ultravox!) were a British new wave band, formed in London in April 1974 as Tiger Lily. Between 1980 and 1986, they scored seven Top Ten albums and seventeen Top 40 singles in the UK, the most successful of which was ...
song "
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", but drastically altered the original lyrics. In 1998, Reeves contributed to '' Twentieth-Century Blues: The Songs of Noel Coward'', a tribute album featuring notable singers and bands such as Elton John, Sting,
Robbie Williams Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut stud ...
and
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
. Reeves covered Coward's 1934 track "Don't Put Your Daughter on the Stage Mrs. Worthington", which was arranged by
David Arnold David Arnold (born 23 January 1962) is a British film composer whose credits include scoring five James Bond films, as well as ''Stargate'' (1994), '' Independence Day'' (1996), ''Godzilla'' (1998) and the television series ''Little Britain'' ...
for the album. The song, described by Reeves as "sinister", was initially recorded with all original verses intact, but as the last included foul language, it was edited out of the final release. In 2000, Reeves' cover of "
Ain't That a Kick in the Head? "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?" is a pop song written in 1960 with music by Jimmy Van Heusen and lyrics by Sammy Cahn. It was first recorded that year on May 10 by Dean Martin in a swinging big band jazz arrangement conducted by Nelson Riddle. ...
" was featured as a bonus track on the theme single to the ''Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)'' series in which he starred. Reeves was originally to duet with
Nina Persson Nina Elisabet Persson (; born 6 September 1974) is the lead singer and lyricist for the Swedish rock band The Cardigans. She has also worked as a solo artist, releasing two albums as A Camp and one under her own name, and has also appeared as a ...
(of
the Cardigans The Cardigans is a Swedish rock band formed in Jönköping, Sweden, in 1992 by guitarist Peter Svensson, bassist Magnus Sveningsson, drummer Bengt Lagerberg, keyboardist Lars-Olof Johansson and lead singer Nina Persson. Post-hiatus shows sin ...
), who provided vocals, but missed the final cut. A shortened version of Reeves' cover also featured in the series itself. Both Reeves and Mortimer appeared in the music video for the single.


=Music videos

= Other than the music videos for his own singles, Reeves has appeared in others. His first was the 1987 video for
Shakin' Stevens Michael Barratt (born 4 March 1948), known professionally as Shakin' Stevens, is a Welsh singer and songwriter. He was the UK's biggest-selling singles artist of the 1980s. His recording and performing career began in the late 1960s, althoug ...
' single "What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For". He was hired for the shoot and paid £10 for his appearance. Reeves also appeared in the 1988 music video for Band of Holy Joy's song "Tactless". He introduces the band and can be seen at the bar part way through. The video was filmed in Deptford, London and original advertising posters for ''Big Night Out'' can be seen at the beginning.


Art

Moir has produced art both under the name Jim Moir and Vic Reeves. This reflects that his art, while serious, also combines with his comedy. Moir works in many media including painting, ceramics, photography and lino prints, and has a distinctive style. His work has been described as
Dada Dada () or Dadaism was an art movement of the European avant-garde in the early 20th century, with early centres in Zürich, Switzerland, at the Cabaret Voltaire (in 1916). New York Dada began c. 1915, and after 1920 Dada flourished in Pari ...
-esque, surreal and sometimes macabre. For Moir, his art and comedy are different ways of expressing the same idea. He says "I think putting your imagination on canvas or a television screen is the same thing" and "I don't differentiate between painting, acting or comedy. I think everything I do is art." Moir has stated that he is an artist first and a comedian second, and that in ten years time he would like to be remembered for his art and writing, rather than his comedy. Much like his comedy, Moir is not one to analyse his artworks. He has said that art should be "just for laughs" and that he dislikes people looking for statements in his work, because there are none. "If something makes me laugh, that's it." "I've done straight drawings and paintings ... and I haven't got as much pleasure out of them as if I'd done something that would make me laugh." His work has been described by artists
Jake and Dinos Chapman Iakovos "Jake" Chapman (born 1966) and Konstantinos "Dinos" Chapman (born 1962) are British visual artists, often known as the Chapman Brothers. Their subject matter tries to be deliberately shocking, including, in 2008, a series of works that ...
as "able to command our laughter as a purgative, to encourage the viewer to leak at both ends". Artist
Damien Hirst Damien Steven Hirst (; né Brennan; born 7 June 1965) is an English artist, entrepreneur, and art collector. He is one of the Young British Artists (YBAs) who dominated the art scene in the UK during the 1990s. He is reportedly the United Kingd ...
, a friend, has also described Moir's work as Reeves as an influence. This crossover of comedy and art often features within Reeves and Mortimer's television shows. A notable example is '' The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer'' first episode. Several of Reeves' drawings are featured, illustrating the lyrics of the opening song. (These drawings would later be published within his book ''Sun Boiled Onions''.) As seen in the script book for the show, Reeves often drew sketches for the BBC's costume and set designers saying that "if we just tell them what we want, it never ends up looking like it does in our minds".


Background and education

Arts and crafts played a large part in Moir's upbringing. His mother and father, a
seamstress A dressmaker, also known as a seamstress, is a person who makes custom clothing for women, such as dresses, blouses, and evening gowns. Dressmakers were historically known as mantua-makers, and are also known as a modiste or fabrician. Not ...
and
typesetter Typesetting is the composition of text by means of arranging physical ''type'' (or ''sort'') in mechanical systems or '' glyphs'' in digital systems representing '' characters'' (letters and other symbols).Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random ...
by trade, made extra money by selling handmade wooden crafts and
ceramics A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain ...
at local markets. Building on these money-making schemes, Moir began charging for his own artistic services such as customising and painting his school friend's
Haversack A haversack, musette bag or small pack is a bag with a single shoulder strap. Although similar to a backpack, the single shoulder strap differentiates this type from other backpacks. There are exceptions to this general rule. Origins The word ...
bags and elaborately embroidering clothing. Later he would go on to forge artworks his acquaintances liked with the aim of selling them to them. Wanting to study art, but being pressured into work, Moir began a five-year
engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...
apprenticeship Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners to gain a ...
at a factory in
Newton Aycliffe Newton Aycliffe is a town in County Durham, England. Founded in 1947 under the New Towns Act of 1946, the town sits about five miles to the north of Darlington and ten miles to the south of Durham. It is the oldest new town in the north of Eng ...
with the aim of working in their technical drawings department. After completing the apprenticeship, Moir applied to
Goldsmiths College Goldsmiths, University of London, officially the Goldsmiths' College, is a constituent research university of the University of London in England. It was originally founded in 1891 as The Goldsmiths' Technical and Recreative Institute by the Wo ...
in London to study art, but failed to get a place. He has admitted to sneaking in and using their equipment regardless. In 1983 he completed a one-year foundation course at Sir John Cass College, where he is now an honorary graduate. Once leaving college, he worked as a curator at The Garden Gallery, an independent London gallery. It was there that he held his first art exhibition in 1985, with the help of a grant from
Lewisham Lewisham () is an area of southeast London, England, south of Charing Cross. It is the principal area of the London Borough of Lewisham, and was within the historic county of Kent until 1889. It is identified in the London Plan as one of ...
Council.


Published work and exhibitions

As Vic Reeves, he has released two books of his art, ''Sun Boiled Onions'' in 1999 and ''Vic Reeves' Vast Book of World Knowledge'' in 2009. His drawings also appear in his autobiography ''Me:Moir Volume One'', and the published script book for ''The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer''. He provided thirty illustrations for
Random House Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...
's 2011 reprint of
Jerome K. Jerome Jerome Klapka Jerome (2 May 1859 – 14 June 1927) was an English writer and humourist, best known for the comic travelogue ''Three Men in a Boat'' (1889). Other works include the essay collections '' Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow'' (1886) an ...
's classic story "Three Men in a Boat". He was also commissioned to create several celebrity drawings for Jools Holland's Channel 5 series ''Name That Tune''. Reeves has hosted several exhibitions of his artwork, including: *''Sun Boiled Onions'' (2000) at the Percy Miller Gallery *''Doings'' (2002) at the
Whitechapel Gallery The Whitechapel Gallery is a public art gallery in Whitechapel on the north side of Whitechapel High Street, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The original building, designed by Charles Harrison Townsend, opened in 1901 as one of the fir ...
, London *''My Family and Other Freaks'' (2007) at the Eyestorm Gallery, London *''Where Eagles Tremble'' (2009) at Mews of Mayfair, London *''Hot Valve Leak: Visual Ramblings of Vic Reeves'' (2013) at the Strand Gallery, London *''Romans, Daisies, Ones and Twos'' (2022) at Northampton Museum and Art Gallery, Northampton In 2010, a selection of Reeves' paintings were displayed at the
Saatchi Gallery The Saatchi Gallery is a London art gallery, gallery for contemporary art and an independent charity opened by Charles Saatchi in 1985. Exhibitions which drew upon the collection of Charles Saatchi, starting with US artists and minimalism, mov ...
, London as part of an exhibition by charity The Art of Giving. He was also a judge for the charity's open art competition. In 2012, Reeves took part in the Illuminating York festival. His illuminations, known as "Wonderland", were projected across a number of historic buildings including the
Yorkshire Museum The Yorkshire Museum is a museum in York, England. It was opened in 1830, and has five permanent collections, covering biology, geology, archaeology, numismatics and astronomy. History The museum was founded by the Yorkshire Philosophical Soc ...
, St Mary's Abbey, and the ten-acre site of
York Museum Gardens The York Museum Gardens are botanic gardens in the centre of York, England, beside the River Ouse. They cover an area of of the former grounds of St Mary's Abbey, and were created in the 1830s by the Yorkshire Philosophical Society along wit ...
.


Filmography


Television

Reeves has appeared without Mortimer on a number of British television shows, primarily
game show A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or demonstrative and are typically directed by a host, ...
s, poll programmes and charity
telethon A telethon (a portmanteau of "television" and "marathon") is a televised fundraising event that lasts many hours or even days, the purpose of which is to raise money for a charitable, political or other purportedly worthy cause. Most telethons f ...
s. These include:


Books

* ''Vic Reeves' Vast Book of World Knowledge'' – a surreal encyclopaedia with text and artwork by Reeves.
Atlantic Books Atlantic Books is an independent British publishing house, with its headquarters in Ormond House in Bloomsbury, in the London Borough of Camden. It is perhaps best known for publishing Aravind Adiga's debut novel '' The White Tiger'', which r ...
, Released in October 2009. * ''Vic Reeves Me:Moir (Volume One)'' – autobiography by Vic Reeves,
Virgin Books Virgin Books is a British book publisher 90% owned by the publishing group Random House, and 10% owned by Virgin Group, the company originally set up by Richard Branson as a record company. History Virgin established its book publishing arm ...
, 2006 * ''Sunboiled Onions'' – diary, paintings and drawings by Vic Reeves,
Penguin Books Penguin Books is a British publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Allen Lane with his brothers Richard and John, as a line of the publishers The Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the following year.Nancy Sorrell, in 2001; the couple married on 25 January 2003. Sorrell gave birth to twin girls at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford,
Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
, on 25 May 2006. Reeves, Sorrell and their two girls live in Charing, near Ashford. In September 2021, Reeves said he had been diagnosed with a
vestibular schwannoma A vestibular schwannoma (VS), also called acoustic neuroma, is a benign tumor that develops on the vestibulocochlear nerve that passes from the inner ear to the brain. The tumor originates when Schwann cells that form the insulating myelin sheath ...
, a benign and non-cancerous brain tumour. The tumour is inoperable and has left him deaf in one ear.


References


External links

*
Sky one Webpage about Vic Reeves Investigates: Jack the Ripper

Vic Reeves Pirates

Driving Ban For Comic Vic Reeves

Vic Reeves' author page
Conville and Walsh. {{DEFAULTSORT:Reeves, Vic 1959 births Living people People from Darlington People from Leeds Alumni of Middlesex University Alumni of the University of North London Comedians from Yorkshire English television presenters English male comedians English autobiographers English comedy musicians English male television actors English radio DJs Virgin Radio (UK) English comedy writers British surrealist artists I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! (British TV series) participants People from Charing