Live chat: Aaron Barschak transcript

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Comedy Terrorist Aaron Barschak gatecrashed This is London today for a live chat with our readers. Find out what Prince William's uninvited party guest had to say about that event, how he became a Comedy Terrorist and what he plans to do next...

Moderator: Welcome to today's live webchat with self-styled ‘comedy terrorist’ Aaron Barschak.

Last week, Aaron dressed up as Osama Bin Laden and gatecrashed Prince William's 21st birthday festivities at Windsor Castle, causing a major security scandal.

Before the royal stunt, Aaron had become a notorious figure in the world of alternative comedy - gatecrashing events, interrupting other acts and staging publicity stunts.

Earlier this year, he grabbed a microphone from London Mayor Ken Livingstone at an anti-war rally and sent up Graham Norton by storming on stage dressed as the hook-handed Muslim cleric Abu Hamza.

He joins us today to answer your questions - from where he gets his inspiration to what Prince William's birthday bash was really like!

Aaron, are you all ready to get started?

Aaron: Yep, absolutely!

Moderator: Great! Let's get to our first question.

Yeehaw: Hi Aaron - Did you get a chance to hobnob with all the celebs at Williams's party before you got on stage? Is it really worth gatecrashing that type of high society party or are they a bit of a let down?

Aaron: I didn't get a chance to hobnob with any of the celebrities, it's just like any other bar mitzvah. You know, William, I believe is giong intothe family business, which is property. Is it worth doing? yes, because you can't buy that sort of publicity.

Also, I did the bit outside for the publicity for the show, but when I gatecrashed the party, that was just like any of the other stunts that I've done. It could have been in a comedy club... it just happened to be in a room with a German immigrant family this time, on the 21st birthday, but the way I looked at it is - you go in, you're funny for 30 seconds and you leave, before anybody realises what has happened.

As to is it worth gatecrashing? Well, try it and tell me!

Overseas: Although you probably embrace the publicity gained from your ventures/performances, do you feel like things have gone too far this time? Is it quite daunting?

Aaron: Um, well, certainly when you're on the Evening Standard website, I think you have gone too far.

No, I don't think I've gone too far. I don't think I can top this, in terms of hijacking and come out alive. If I'd have done this in America, well, probably I would be alive, but they would have shot Prince William. It's very surreal, the whole thing. I'm getting asked for my autograph which I find really strange

Chocolatehobnob: Hello Aaron, is it true that you had planned to strip naked in front of the queen?

Aaron: No, it's rubbish. I precisely got the merkin on for that. An ex-girlfriend of mine said that, but it's rubbish.

Chokkers: Hi there. Why do you call yourself the 'comedy terrorist'?

Aaron: Because a: I dress up as a terrorist in a ball gown, which, I suppose, well yeah, that brings an element of terrorism. Also, because I hijack gigs.

I used to hijack comedians, then I started hijacking various stunts, other things that I thought would have relevance, such as running on the pitch at Whitehart Lane dressed as an Arsenal player. I think I'm trying to take back comedy, to liberate it. Comedy has got very staid in the last few years, there's so much rubbish on TV.

Maryamerica: Hi - what are you planning next???

Aaron: I have to rewrite the Edinburgh gig and I don't think as far as the hijacking goes, I don't think ‘can top this?’. To do that, would be to make Sir Alex Ferguson's mistake of staying on after the treble. I think you should finish on a high.

Hannahriley: How are you enjoying your 15 minutes of fame? And how long will it last?

Aaron: That's a great question, how long do you think 15 minutes will last? I hope it will last 15 years and more. The thing is, to get to the top is not really the toughy, it's to stay at the top. I've got to back up the hype, because everybody, critics, other comedians, are just sharpening their knives ready for me to fall. If I can't make the Edinburgh show funny, then I should be crucified because that's my fault.

Everybody says ‘come and have a go if you think you're hard enough’. I've said ‘yes I do’, and I have to now been three times as funny, in order for people to say 'yeah he's alright'. How long will it last? As long as I keep producing good work. That's how long it should last.

Hatterm: Have you got any plans to gate crash Big Brother?

Aaron: I think that's been done.

Rosstomlin: If you were surprised that it was so easy to get into Prince William's Birthday Party, why were you so upset that a Prince William lookalike was trying to gate crash your birthday party? If you invaded his privacy, surely others should be allowed to invade yours, besides, it is all in good humour, isn't it???

Aaron: But what is strange, is that those inside [William’s party] didn't know what had happened. No, he is a public figure that is why I should be able to gatecrash his party, but after a week of the media hunting me and harassing my family and friends, I would have hoped that they would have had the decency to respect my privacy on my birthday. However, of course they didn't and I don't know why I'm surprised, because they're all sharks.

Emmahawes: OK - I'd like to know if you feel guilty about the policeman who has been demoted? Was that your intention? It seems unfair on him.

Aaron: Yeah, you're right, it does seem unfair. It wasn't my intention, of course not. My intention was just to - at the time - get as far as I could. It does seem unfair, but at the same time I can understand the powers that be demoting him. I think he'll be one of the most vigilant policemen ever from now on.

Jasoneh: Dear Aaron, What was going through your mind as you scaled those royal walls, did you think you might get shot?

Aaron: Precisely. When I got in the first wall, I immediately put the dress on because not only is it part of the image, but if people saw me dressed in a suit, looking like a terrorist as I do, they might shoot. However, if they see a man in a dress, they're just going to think ‘it's just some clown, some idiot, but it will keep me alive.

Number23: This event has made you quite famous, are you receiving any cash for your story? Do not not feel guilty now as you seem to have made quite a few enemies!

Aaron: No, I'm doing it all out of the goodness of my heart. I despise money - and I don't understand - how am I going to feel guilty about making enemies?

999: I've been going through the summer social calendar in my head to see where you might turn up next. Will we see you at Henley next week?

Aaron: You might.

Ally_reuben: With hindsight, would you have put more effort into your costume?

Aaron: No, because I think the whole dishevelled ball gown appearance is very like Castro, very guerilla summer ball

Babaganoush: How did you enjoy Price William's Party - before you were rumbled?

Aaron: I was rumbled within two minutes.

Gin7tonic: Hi Aaron - I thought your stunt was hilarious. What was it like inside Windsor castle?

Aaron: Tense. I was just going from wall to wall, peering around corners, then the contractor asked if I was lost, and he offered to walk me back in, while I pretended to be a drunk party guest.

And what was going through my head at the time is like 'my life has turned into the Great Escape and this guy's actually taking me there'. When he said I've got to check you in with the police, I thought the game was up, but then again, the policeman just said: ‘Are you lost?’, showed me how to get back to the party, and then the contractor offered to take me. It was like being in your own war movie. I do remember it was very plush, like a party at the Dorchester.

Number 23: I heard the Queen was wearing fancy dress. Was everyone dressed up? What were they wearing?

Aaron: Wills was wearing a leapord skin costume, which went from his neck down to his waist.

Babaganoush: Did you go in for the tongues when you kissed the Prince?

Aaron: I kissed him on the cheek.

Tiptreegirl: Who is your own favourite comedian past or present?

Aaron: Peter Cook

Ally_reuben: Do u fell that the Tonight programme with Trevor McDonald helped people understand where u were coming from?

Aaron: Martin Bashir twisted my words. He misrepresented me, I only kissed William.

Evano: Why on earth did you gate crash someones private party? I find that really offensive! How rude!

Aaron: I think you're right. It was incredibly rude and offensive of them not to invite me. None of this would have happened, if they'd have just asked me in the first place.

Righty_ho: Is there anyone you would never impersonate?

Aaron: I'd never impersonate a policeman, because it's against the law.

Vodka gal: Don't you think you we're being slightly disrespectful when you crashed Spike Milligans' memorial? I thought you we're being quite self-absorbed.

Aaron: No, I think actually, Spike would have loved the fact that a mass murderer (Bin Laden) was lampooned in a dress at his memorial. I think it showed that although Spike wasn't with us in body, his spirit was. I have always been self-absorbed, ask my family.

Evano: What do you do for a full time job? Surely gate-crashing parties doesn't pay the bills does it?

Aaron: I used to do corporate entertainment - nightclubs, bar mitzvahs, opening supermarkets, Ali G lookalike work.

Sim18: What did you do to get banned from every football ground in the UK?

Aaron: At the Arsenal vs Spurs game, at White Hart Lane on December 16, when Dennis Bergkamp was substituted, I ran on the pitch in full Arsenal gear with an Arsenal shirt that said Osama on the back, because Osama is an Arsenal fan.

I got done for public disorder under the Football Banning Act. But this was the great thing about it: when the stewards tried to take me off at the East Stand, Spurs fans tried to headbutt me and hit me, but not because because I was dressed up as a mass murderer, but because I had the gall to dress up as an Arsenal fan and run onto their pitch - and I'm a Spurs fan!

Aussieandy: Are these ultimate high society do's really as stuffy and dull as we imagine them to be? What was your (brief) impression?

Aaron: What was surreal was that at the Tatler do, you had people like David Gilmour, Salman Rushdie, Brian Ferry, really talented people, but who did everybody want to photograph? Me. That's crazy. As to stuffy and dull, I was just consuming all the free champagne and vodka!

Ally_reuben: What's your best joke?

Aaron: My best joke - there once was a man who gate-crashed a royal party and upset lots of typical Daily Mail readers - and then got paid a five figure sum, for selling his story to a paper that they buy regularly!

Aussieandy: Have you always been a prankster? Did you pull stunts as a youngster?

Aaron: I nicked my dad's car and went for a joyride when I was 13, crashed it, or rather dented the fender, brought it back, parked it, and then in the morning, woke him up to point out that some inconsiderate so and so had crashed into his car in the night.

Also, I was always doing phone pranks - like the wall joke:

May I speak to Mr Wall please?
I'm afraid there's no Mr Wall here.
Well what about Mrs Wall?
No, I'm afraid you've got the wrong number.
Well is Junior Wall there?
There's nobody of that name here.
So, are you telling me the Walls aren't there?
Yes.
Then how do you keep the roof up. Hahaha

Aussieandy: Do you think they'll learn from their mistakes and send you an invitation to Will's next birthday party?

Aaron: I certainly hope so. It was just a Royal Command performance - and I was in command.

Moderator: Did you get a round of applause from the guests after your song to the Prince?

Aaron: Yes. Everybody loved it. The tabloids reported that they didn't, but you can choose to believe me, or them.

Moderator: We've only got time for a few more questions, so please get them in as soon as possible.

Laurent: Remember you used to share a house with three other blokes in East Dulwich? My question is, why the hell did you leave that half baked/half eaten fish in your cupboard for days? The poor beast was all rotten and it stank the whole place up, dude!

Aaron: I have always kept fish in cupboards. I think it's the only place to keep them. Luca Brazzi sleeps in my cupboard.

Alasdair:, who sent this question in advance, asks: Are you hoping to emulate Ali G's success?

Aaron: Is Ali G hoping to emulate my success!

Babaganoush: Are you more of a fan of Osama or George W?

Aaron: Interesting. While I would have to say that the American way of life, ie freedom of speech, to a certain extent, being able to do what I do, is headed by George Bush, I have more of an admiration for Osama, in that I believe he has more integrity than Bush.

Before he was on the dialysis machine when he was fighting for the Mujahedeen in Afghanistan against the Soviets, he led by example, and fought from the front, like Alexander the Great. However, I'd rate my chances of survival better under George W, than under Osama.

Moderator:This will be our last question for Aaron:

Who is the fittest member of the royal family?

Aaron: Ooh, interesting... difficult, very difficult. Victoria.

Moderator:Thanks to everyone who submitted questions and special thanks to Aaron for joining us today! How did you find it?

Aaron: Lots of fun!

 

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