James Mullinger is a British comedian who left London, England and moved to Saint John, New Brunswick in 2014. He toured Canada with his shows poking fun at our ways and quickly found a following. In 2016 he headlined New Brunswick’s biggest indoor venue, outselling Jerry Seinfeld in the process. In April 2018 he did it again, this time outselling himself and inviting me along for the ride to capture what went down.
One of the first times I really got to meet James was during a fundraiser portrait event I was putting on a few years back. Anyone who knows James knows he’s the king of fundraisers, and that’s something I’ve always admired about him.
Support is his thing, and it has never been so obvious to me as it was the night of this show.
See, I wasn’t entirely sure what this collection of photos was going to be about going into things, but after maybe an hour of shooting I became pretty clear. Support.
With your typical gig, the supporting acts are there to support the headlining act, but with James, it felt very much like they were there so he could support them. And that was the theme of the night for me. There was a lot of work that went into making this show happen, and during it all, James didn’t once miss an opportunity to praise/enjoy/promote/support any of the other acts that night.
To me, that’s what makes James Mullinger a “bloody legend”.
Saint John brings its weather A-game.
No roadies. This wasn’t just a show-up-and-perform gig.
James gets a good look at the visuals for the first time.
James and his manager Robert in good spirits during setup.
James was sure to photograph every other act, even during sound check.
The tunnel shuffle.
James applauds Kyla Lingley during sound check.
Practicing his stage entrance.
Sound check.
James once described his pre-show routine to me as “Lypsyl, Lypsyl, Lypsyl”.
Greeting fans during the red carpet VIP event.
Genuinely happy to meet everyone.
Color coordinated.
The unwitting rule breaker
Moose lights.
Grabbing a selfie with his wife Pam before the show gets underway.
Saying hello to Saint John mayor Don Darling.
James and Garrett Clark watch as the crowd gets seated.
I try my best to be a fly on the wall, but sometimes I get noticed.
Anxiously waiting for the show to start, James looks out at the largest crowd he’s ever performed for.
James greets Kyla backstage.
Ansar and James, just before Ansar took the stage.
James enjoying Ansar’s set.
Once the show started, the back stage ‘tunnels’ really nailed it on the mood lighting.
A brief moment alone.
James and Ethan Ash.
James and hairdresser to the stars Chris Barrieau
Hitting the stage. Garrett engages with the video cameras.
Just before closing the show in his Saint John Sea Dogs jersey.