Ricky Gervais' unrecognisable in unearthed snaps from surprising pop star past

Comedian Ricky Gervais is champion known for his enactment connected TV shows similar The Office and After Life, but helium erstwhile had a little stint arsenic a popular prima - and helium looks worlds distant from normal

Ricky Gervais, known for his comedic roles successful TV sitcoms similar The Office, Extras, and After Life, erstwhile had a stint arsenic a musician. During this time, helium looked wholly different, arsenic revealed successful unearthed photos. The 63 twelvemonth aged took a travel down representation lane, discussing his aboriginal dreams and revealing immoderate snaps that amusement him successful a caller light.

Ricky admitted that initially, "first emotion was science, learning and having a laugh" were his passions, but euphony rapidly "dominated everything for a while". At conscionable 14, helium bought his archetypal guitar, which proved hard to play owed to his "soft hands", often starring to expletive-filled outbursts of frustration.

The comedian shared: "I was truthful annoyed... I would deed the guitar, 'For f*** sake! ' similar that and clasp it down again... the much you held it down the much your fingers hurt", reports the Express. He persisted and said: "So I had six months of that and past I could benignant of play, again it's nary revelation that if you effort your hardest astatine thing you'll astir apt get bully astatine it."

Drawn to the "beautiful folk" genre and influenced by artists similar Cat Stevens and Simon and Garfunkel, Ricky tried his manus astatine songwriting but admitted that helium didn't rather deed the mark. Reflecting connected his aboriginal days, helium confessed: "It was a precise benignant of concealed pursuit, I don't deliberation I adjacent played to anyone due to the fact that I knew I wasn't bully capable and the songs weren't bully enough."

He admitted that initially, helium was excessively shy to execute but later, during his clip astatine University College London, helium formed a set with his mate Bill Macrae. They christened their set Seona Dancing and aft crafting a 16-song demo tape, they were snapped up by London Records. Images from that play picture Ricky sporting a gelled quiff and Mr Macrae rocking agelong spiky hair, sometimes dressed successful suits and different times successful much casual attire.

The promotional photos, taken successful 1983, showcase the comedian successful a short-sleeved garment with an oversized scarf draped astir him. Ricky struck a fig of superior poses for these shots, which were acceptable against a tie-dye-esque bluish and achromatic backdrop. Two singles from the keyboard popular duo, Bitter Heart and More to Lose, were released, but neither managed to ace the UK Top 40 Singles Chart.

Seona Dancing soon faded into obscurity, but their opus More to Lose became a monolithic deed successful the Philippines and was reported to person been a "teen anthem". Reflecting connected his little stint arsenic a "pop star" during a 2020 episode of the Stuff of Legends podcast, Ricky claimed their occurrence was down to "beginner's luck". Despite releasing "a fewer songs", they lone performed unrecorded erstwhile astatine the Camden Palace, present known arsenic KOKO.

He said: "But again, it was each implicit arsenic rapidly arsenic it started, I deliberation that full happening was 2 singles and we were out. I realised successful retrospect erstwhile it went distant that my mistake was that I should person wanted to beryllium a instrumentalist not a popstar." He shared however this acquisition altered his presumption of fame, which subsequently inspired him to constitute The Office.

Ricky stated: "Then erstwhile I came to bash this, the 2nd wound of the cherry truthful to speak, I knew that I wanted to beryllium a writer-director. I didn't conscionable privation to beryllium a celebrity, the connection inactive embarasses me, I inactive accidental I'm not due to the fact that I deliberation it's charged with thing else. I cognize I'm a known-person, I cognize I'm a celebrated idiosyncratic but I'm celebrated for thing and the connection personage inactive embarrasses me."