And, on a funny note... Bill Bailey tells Emma Pinch about his debut with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for his new show.

Byline: Emma Pinch

BEFORE the attachment to trolls and panel shows, for Bill Bailey, there wasmusic. And his passion was ignited by an unusualmuse.

Bill, 45, remembers the moment clearly. It was the early 70s and he was sitting in his living room with his mum and dad watching TV.

"It was watching Les Dawson as a kid," he says. "I was listening to him play wrong deliberately and I thought, how does he do that? I couldn''t. It took skill. You have to know what you're doing to know how to do it to do it badly. That stored away in my subconscious."

Music has long formed part of his stand up show. But he's decided to turn his attentions more fully to music with his show Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra.

He'll perform with the full RLPO.

He describes his show in terms of structure "like a Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra but not quite so stiff and staid."

"I introduce the various instruments of the orchestra and give a bit of info about them in a slightly irreverent comedy way," he explains.

"I'll introduce the oboe for example and we'll here some of that, then all the different sections.

"It's like deconstructing the orchestra and allowing people to see how it fits together.

"It was the right kind of approach for me, because I like to explain things and do the comedy version of it," he says.

"It'll be 'this is how you will know it; I think of it like this'.

He knows most people will be coming to see Bill Bailey comedy genius, rather than Bill Bailey musician. They might be taken aback by the lack of reference to hobbits - "Lord of the Rings is my bible", weasels, Klingons and trolls.

He's keen tomake it an educational experience.

But the educational element will be doused liberally with laughs.

"It's a comedy show, that's the thing "It's in the guise of lots of music but we twist it and change it and put lots of musical jokes in it. The education element is you might come away thinking 'I didn't know that.

"I'm hoping to get schools in in the mornings to rehearsals.

The thing I feel is it's really exciting and fascinating to listen to an orchestra and I want people to share in that, and not be intimidated by classical music."

His choices of music for the show are eclectic.

"Things like theme tunes that have stopped being used," he enthuses. "Like the old theme tune to the ITN news which they had until about 1982.

"The news theme then was supremely optimistic. It must have been a pretty good time to live.

"All current affairs tunes now are solemn.We've got bad news, we're not being silly. It's nice to juxtapose the two and look at how certain notes set up expectations."

The show evolved over two years.

It felt like the right time to do it," he explains. "Music has been a large part of my life so I wanted to incorporate it into a stand up. I wanted to really apply myself a bit more to it."

It started as a youth listening to Monty Python records and rehearsing with a band called the Famous Five, who he confesses "were very bad but still much better than him", and who, unexpectedly had only four members.

He became a classically trained musician. He's the owner of a very Baileyesque Associate Diploma from the Society of Crematorium Organists.

"I listen to music all the time at home," he comments. "Every day I listen to new kinds of music and practice and try to learn more. I like to try new instruments all the time. I've got a new Middle Eastern string instrument at the moment a lots of lyres."

The show seems to mark a turning point for Bill.

He amassed a cult following after years on Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Have I Got News For You and Black Books.

He says he'd never go back to appearing on Never Mind the Buzzcocks, despite people's pleas.

"No. Nooooo," he laughs. "Done that. I still do QI, I've got a series of that yet to come out."

There's no shortage of jobs he could turn his hand to.

In his show, Bewilderness, he claims to have attended Bovington Gurney School of Performing Arts and Owl Sanctuary.

Jobs he claims to have had before becoming a comedian, include lounge pianist, crematorium organist, door-to-door salesman and accompanist for a mind-reading dog.

Whatever direction Bailey chooses to wander in, a willing crowd is bound to follow.

It was mooted he'd have a role in an upcoming film of the Hobbit.

"There was an online petition to get me in the Hobbit and there was another petition for me to be in Eurovision. I'll look at maybe auditioning for it rather than just applying with a petition. Never mind the CV, look at how many signed the petition, there were weasels, bears, everyone signed it."

So, what would he like to do next? At this point there's a crackle and Bill is gone. Then he phones back. "Sorry, I was in the garden and had the phone under my chin," he apologises, "and I pressed the wrong button." Birdsong can be heard in the background.

"What would I like to do? Be an astronaut. Just for the view, and the peace and quiet."

We wouldn't bet on it - he's one man who wouldn't have to look far for a crew.

* Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide To The Orchestra is on November 23 2009 at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. For tickets phone the Box Office on 0151 709 3789

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Bill Bailey is tuning in to his musical side for his new show