The format of the Wolf & Owl podcast, featuring Tom Davis and Romesh Ranganathan simply shooting the breeze, could have been written on the back of the world's smallest postage stamp. The friends have, by their own admission, been "talking bullshit since 2021". And now they are following the increasingly well-trodden path of taking their pod on the road.
At the Hackney Empire the duo kept things simple. Two men, two chairs and hypeman DJ Rob Pursey to get the crowd in the mood with souped up bangers from The Human League and Bon Jovi. The comics clearly have wide appeal, from young hip hop-loving clubbers to middle aged couples enjoying some midweek escapism. All were soon pumping their fists in the air to Living On A Prayer as Davis and Ranganathan ambled on.
Their conversation flowed immediately. Ranganathan might be the more famous leader of this animal pack, but he allowed Davis plenty of room to riff, listening to his action plan on rumours about the Beckhams, occasionally chipping in with his trademark cynicism when he could no longer restrain himself. The Davis solution involved physio, chutney and flying to New York, "where Brooklyn is and also where Brooklyn is."
Ranganathan looked on, amused and bemused by this cranky scheme, before picking up the banter baton with an anecdote about how he had been about to sort out a new pair of football boots for his son Alex, only for his wife to arrange the footwear. Ranganathan was peeved to the max that his attempt at perfect parenting was undermined and with Davis tried to resolve his feelings with some less-than-serious therapeutic role play.
Elsewhere the chat ranged from the quality of the interval burgers to Romesh's public toilet phobia, Davis cheerful and friendly, Ranganathan a black belt in sarcasm. On the podcast they seem more prepared to go deeper emotionally. Onstage the emphasis was on traditional male communication, insults and put-downs, Davis being described as dumber than "Joey in the later series of Friends."
The unfiltered material was hardly sophisticated, but consistently funny. In the second half they answered audience questions. One fan wanted flatsharing tips, another to know if the twosome thought a story of a friend's eyeball falling out of its socket at a bus stop was true. Ranganathan was understandably sceptical.
This live instalment was not being recorded for release, so you really had to be there to see the alchemy in action. There was even a chance to see Ranganathan's surprisingly lithe dancing, which wouldn't have worked in audio anyway. His moonwalk was worth the ticket price alone.
Tonight then touring. Tickets and information here: https://wolfandowlpod.com/
