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Carrie Chan

JAN LAMB HOI-FUNG is something of a renaissance man. He first came to prominence in the 1990s as half of the wisecracking talk show duo Soft Hard Kids, and has since ventured into scriptwriting, album design and songwriting. Lately, though, he's been feverishly preparing for his stand-up comedy debut.

Looking more like an overgrown child than the father of two that he is, the 38-year-old romps around in front of the cameras, urging our photographer to, 'Please iron out [the wrinkles on] my face.'

Lamb has kept a comparatively low profile since marrying former singer Cass Phang Ling in 1998. The couple have two daughters, aged one and five.

But the speed of ticket sales for his stand-up performances  has made him the focus of attention once again - the first four shows, which open in less than two weeks, sold out in a day, and when he added three more, they were snapped up in an hour.

'[The sell-out shows] really surprised me,' Lamb says. 'I didn't want to have too many expectations. Just look at Disneyland. They got so many complaints because expectations were too high.'

Responding to demand, he's staging an eighth show, with the Grasshoppers pop group. Tickets  go on sale today.

Lamb hams it up for the cameras, but in conversation the entertainer reveals a more serious side, far removed from the zany persona he adopted for radio and television, playing pranks on colleagues and poking fun at celebrities.

He broods over each question, even a basic query about why he wanted to branch out into stand-up comedy.

'I have to think of a good answer,' he says, apologising for being unprepared. 'As a radio DJ, you get [delayed] feedback to your show from programme ratings or letters from fans,' Lamb says. 'With a stand-up performance, I can see people's reactions immediately.'

But Lamb  isn't a complete novice to stand-up comedy. He's had some practice as host of Commercial Radio's annual music awards, typically taking the mickey out of the singers.

The comedian has had a charmed career so far. After graduating with a diploma in graphic design in 1984, Lamb worked briefly in advertising and public relations. He began working in radio,  four years later, when his elder sister, Lamb San-san, a former radio DJ, helped him land a job co-hosting a music  programme.

But the big break came when he and former schoolmate  Eric Kot Man-fai formed the Soft Hard Kids to host a late Saturday night programme, Lo Yan Yuen. Their  brand of humour won them a legion of fans. A versatile pair, they began writing rap songs in 1991, with lyrics that tapped into the lifestyles of young Hongkongers. Rei Kawakubo Has a Big Fight with Yohji Yamamoto is an early release dealing with the local craze for brands. Another hit, Murder on Broadcast Drive, describes the all-pervasive adulation  of pop idols.

Lamb also rose swiftly up the corporate ladder, and served as creative director of Commercial Radio 2 for four years until 1996. Meanwhile, he also wrote the occasional movie script, designed album covers for pop acts such as Grasshoppers and Hacken Lee, and in 1997 released his own album, Discotheque.

Lamb's latest release 30'mething topped local charts this month, with more than 10,000 copies sold so far. The material reflects his more adult concerns: the title track, for example, describes how a group of men wax nostalgic about their wilder youth as they comb the aisles at Toys 'R' Us as fathers.

He's also introduced a new collection of Jan Lamb toy figures designed by local artist Michael Lau Kin-man.

And he's   contributing to  Commercial Radio's current affairs programme On a Clear Day with co-hosts  Sandra Ng Kwun-yue and  Chapman To Man-chak.  The job requires a  switch in reading matter, from glossy magazines and gossip columns  to the  Hong Kong Economic Journal.

'I read everything, basically, just not in detail,' he says. 'You've got to find out how people look at a certain issue. Through that, you find your own perspective.'

Taking a break from the radio show to prepare for his upcoming stand-up gigs, Lamb has spent much of the time working on his routine. This ranged from scouring the internet for material, to reviewing classic comedy shows such as those of Bill Cosby, and constantly rehearsing in front of a mirror.

The performances won't have elaborate costumes or stunts. It'll be just Lamb talking to the audience. 'That's a challenge,' he says. 'I have to get some jokes which can last, something that can still make you laugh [after a number of years]. I wouldn't use the kind of material that I would on a daily programme.' Fans of his days with Soft Hard Kids will hope he recaptures some of that lively spirit. And Lamb aims to deliver with celebrity send-ups and spoofs on overused gags.

'Just like  Sam Hui Koon-kit's comeback this year was a healing moment for Hong Kong people, now it's the stage when the Soft Hard fans can review the happy moments,' he says.

Although often tagged in the entertainment media as a trendsetter in pop culture, Lamb isn't bothered about such labels. As a family man, he says, he's more interested in spending on food than the latest fashion.

'This is a media game, or sort of musical chairs,' he says. 'In issue No 120, it could be me; the next issue could be  Edison [Chen Koon-hei],  Michael Lau or Eric [Kot Man-fai].  Now, I want to use a mirror to look at myself instead of through the eyes of a third person.'

Lamb prefers the freedom to do things his own way. He hates working to schedules as required by many corporations. 'If your time is controlled by others, it would be very suffocating. It's not about slacking off. It's the difference between controlling your own life and being controlled by others.'

For all the government's declaration of support for creative industries, Lamb  says the environment for innovation has shrunk. 'It is only with  [Commercial Radio] that I found creative freedom,' he says.

Would he stay at the station forever? 'I leave the station every day when I finish work,' he says.

Jan Lamb Stand-up Comedy, 8pm, Oct 11-13 and Oct 17-20 (all shows sold out), Queen Elizabeth Stadium, Wan Chai. Grasshopper x Jan Lamb Cracked Performance, 8.15pm, Oct 22, $100, $200, $400, HK Coliseum, Hunghom. Inquiries: 2734 9009 (Urbtix)



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