Dave Fellows -  aka Psycho Dave
D.O.B. 30/06/59
Education: Graduate with a First Class Honours Degree in Art & Modern English.
Location: Swansea Outskirts

My interest, nay passion, with things dark and gothic stem back to my childhood. I have indelible memories of the old "Thriller" television series (Boris Karloff Presents) shown in the 1960's and the nightmares they induced. I became hooked on horror movies at a very early age. As I got older I developed a taste in horror and gothic literature: I read Dracula at the age of 12, I also discovered Dennis Wheatley around this time (one of my treasured possessions is a letter I received from the author). My bedroom draws were filled with comics such as the UK Dracula ones and the American Tales From The Crypt and other such reading matter including the Barnabus Collins series of books from the US gothic soap Dark Shadows. I also collected the Hammer Horror Magazine which opened out into four foot high posters depicting gory scenes from the movies - whilst other kids had pop stars on their walls I had Peter Cushin and Chris Lee. As I got older I progressed onto Edgar Allen Poe, and the romantic poets (Keats, Shelley, Byron). My musical tastes were varied: Glam Rock (especially Bolan and Cooper) and classical (especially Mussorsky). I began writing poetry - very dark and explorational of the psyche. I developed quite a following on the Welsh poetry scene - publishing three collections and editing a number of magazines (one funded by the Welsh Arts Council) - I also promoted many live poetry events.
All this time, running parallel to my interest in the dark side of life and art, I also had an obsession with comedy. The two interests finally collided in 1987 when I stood for local council as a Vampire Hunter. I got plenty of local press coverage and even a mention in The Sun. Ironically I took more votes as a Vampire Hunter than I did when I stood four years earlier for the Green Party (the Ecology Party as it was known then).
After this time I took an interest in theatre, enrolled on a performing arts course, did a degree, became a stand up comedian.
I have a strong academic interest in the dark arts - that is, the arts - movie - music - art - literature - which deal with dark themes - especially themes of madness. I'm currently writing a book, based on the dissertation I did as part of my degree, which looks at how Hollywood constructed the myths associated with the artist Vincent Van Gogh, wherein I argue that the biographical movie Lust For Life fits more comfortably into the horror genre than it does into the melodrama genre (where most film historians have placed it).

General Biographical Notes:

CURRENT COMEDY STATUS:

Stand up comedian (character based) - Writer - Experimenter.
Working the circuit as a character called Psycho Dave (a cross between Harry Hill, Kramer from Seinfeld, and The Adams Family).
Numerous gigs, including headlining at London's Laughing Horse Comedy Club, and compere of the BBC New Comedy Awards heat in Wales.
Currently recording a pilot episode of a new comedy series for Xtreme Radio (broadcast from Swansea University to a 30 mile radius and live over the Internet). The show, which he writes and presents, is called "Cutting The Vain", and is a pastiche of 1950's & 1960's comedy radio shows (eg. Round The Horne, Hancock's Half Hour, etc.) with a contemporary slant - the show is broadcast from a disabled lavatory at the fictional Mary Hopkin Memorial Psychiatric Hospital in Swansea - Psycho Dave, the presenter, constantly interrupted by patients, staff, and cleaning ladies. The show will also be available to download from the Internet in Real Audio and MP3 .

PAST INDISCRETIONS:

A. Writing
Began performance career as a performance poet in 1983 - published three collections of poetry, co-edited a poetry magazine funded by the Welsh Arts Council, was a member of the West Wales Arts "Writers On Tour" scheme.
Writes a weekly column for the South Wales Evening Post since 1995.

Freelance articles on the local entertainment scene for the South Wales Evening Post.

B. Theatre
Shortlisted for the prestigious "Vivian Ellis Prize" for new musicals in 1988, with a musical about the life of Vincent van Gogh - as a result was invited to a private workshop and lunch with Andrew Lloyd Webber at the Barbican Theatre, London. Took a BTEC Performing Arts course 1989-1991 (nine distinctions, five merits) - invited back to the college shortly after gaining the BTEC as a part-time lecturer on the aforementioned BTEC Performing arts course. Between 1990 - 1999: much theatre experience (acting, writing, directing) - theatre in education, children's theatre, community theatre, etc.

C. Film, TV, Radio
Througout the Nineties: television extra work (mainly independent productions for S4C); was the man in the pink towel in the massage parlour scene in the movie "Twin Town",  Interviewed a number of times on BBC Radio Wales, also performed a comedy sketch on the Roy Noble show as part of a comedy team called Channel 69; in February 2000 co-presented Psychos Radio Show on Xtreme Radio - a mixture of comedy sketches (written & performed by Dave Fellows) and music from unsigned Welsh bands.
Introduced a number of new comedy characters on the show, including Simon The Big Issue Seller; Sir Ackrington Muffbuckett - First Knight Of The British Stage; and Artimis Northwalian - The Man With The Local Knowledge (the Artimis sketches which were broadcast on the show can be listened to in Real Audio format on the Psycho Dave Web Site: http://i.am/psycho-dave).

D. Admin & Organisation
Organised numerous arts events: 
1983 Founded and co-ordinated the Neath Community Arts Festival.
1985 Founded and co-ordinated the Poetry In Wales Festival at the Dylan Thomas Theatre.
1985 - 1987 Organised the poetry events at the Pontardawe International Folk Festival.
1999 - 2000 Run the Psychos Comedy and Acoustic Club in Swansea.

Organised various other arts events in Neath, and Swansea between 1983 and 1987.

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