Comedian, documentarian, renowned publicist: Jamali Maddix is ​​the ideal person to launch Time Out’s new, meticulously researched list of the best films. 50 Best Pubs in London. (Yes, we drank a lot for this.) Who better for this job than a man who spent the formative years of his career climbing the slippery ranks of stand-up, telling jokes in the back rooms of boozers from all over the world. capital? “I grew up in pubs,” he explains. “From the age of 18 I was working in pubs every night. But I don’t pull pints – I probably would have made more money doing that…’

The early afternoon session is already in full swing when Jamali arrives at our newly crowned number one pub, the Army and Navy. If you haven’t had a pint at Army & Navy in the last six months, are you really a Londoner? A large red brick beauty built in the 1930s and located in the Islington hinterland, somewhere between Dalston and Newington Green. It’s a real bar for real locals, with everything that makes a London pub special. From swirling red carpets to chaotic karaoke sessions to raucous match days (Arsenal, of course), and a clientele that oscillates between John Smith-sipping old boys, your favorite pickle heads, adult icons of indie sleaze and long-time regulars who’ve seen it all. All human life is here.

The regulars are decidedly baffled by the presence in their midst of one of the UK’s greatest comedic talents. Maybe they missed Maddix’s fantastic but disturbing new series, follow the leaderwho saw him account for everything, from pedo hunters to passport brothers, or its location on the restarted Don’t pay attention to the buzzcocksor its ignition Tyrant – all providing outlets for his unique brand of deadpan audacity. Such a star is not new to the Army and Navy, who recently reached the heights of Netflix fame, with a leading role in Baby reindeerlike the place where Richard Gadd’s Donny does his series of Edinburgh concerts. Even when Jamali tries on the increasingly dapper selection of suits our stylist shopped for with him, none of the assembled pintiers blink an eye.

Born and raised in Ilford, and now living in east London, this is the kind of pub Jamali vibes with. “I don’t really like pubs that are too heavily populated by people who aren’t from the area,” he explains. “I’ve never been to a gastropub or a hipster pub. I like an old-school aesthetic with good music.

In the Army & Navy’s sprawling beer garden, we sat down with Jamali Maddix to talk pubs, comedy, Carnival and why he will never do karaoke.

What are your first pub memories?

Jamali: “The pubs I grew up in were the ones my dad took me to. They weren’t good ads. There was the Joker in Ilford and it was a tough pub. We heard stories about it – it was the kind of place where a man would come and sell meat he had stolen out of his jacket. Or the Green Gate to Forest Gate, that was tough too. I went there with my father when I was about 14 years old.

What did you think of these places when you were a child?

“I always like nightlife, where things happen at night – that’s what I like, when the sun goes down. In some pubs they do late night shit during the day – guys bang grams during the day. This is definitely a night time activity. As I get older, I like quiet pubs.

So are you already in the era of old ads?

“Well, I want people with an old man’s mentality. For example, I enjoy a good roast from time to time. There’s a place in Brixton that does good ones. The cannon? Something with a weapon name. I also like the Twisted ticket via Clapton station. The food isn’t the best, but it’s close to home.

The Army & Navy is known for its karaoke…

“I remember my first time when I saw karaoke was at the Green Gate. I never thought people took it so seriously. There were real arguments. People get so territorial, but they become a superstar at that point.

Have you ever been tempted to do karaoke?

‘No. Never, never.

Not even at Rowan’s on a Friday night?

“Especially not at Rowan is a Friday night. There are certain activities I want to participate in, and there are certain moments I like to watch. And for me it’s one of them, it’s like a nature documentary.

West London has some good shit, but no one goes east to west

Which ad would you like to add to our Top 50?

“Tablespoons at Stoke Newington; Rochester Castle. I love the Jamaican old man vibe. I’m half Jamaican and I really like this pub. Obviously there are Wetherspoons prices, but it doesn’t really feel like a ‘Spoons’. Sometimes when I go to a Spoons I feel a bit dirty, like “there are so many good pubs and I’m in a Spoons”, but this pub – except, of course, the “Spoons” food, which is some of the worst food in the world – I like that pub.”

Do you think Hackney has the best pubs in London?

“The problem with East London is that people from other areas go there to go out. West London has some good shit, but no one goes east to west. I have to give some love to the Falcon that was in Kensal Rise. My uncle used to organize jungle raves there and my dad took me there when I was younger. My father was a young dad, he had me in my early twenties. When I was a teenager, he was my age (now). My dad showed me some adult shit. My uncle ran it when he was there. Carnival also and organized the afterparties.

Are you still a Carnival regular?

‘Not now. Because now I’m going to Edinburgh (Fringe). I haven’t been to Carnival since I was about 16, but we used to go to the Rampage. I remember one year when they were playing Ottoman by Lethal Bizzle and it almost caused a riot. When I was young, I went with my father, but this first Carnival with your friends is a real moment of maturity, going to Carnival with your boys. I remember taking the Central line there and people were smoking weed on the train. It was crazy. I think they’ll try to stop him.

The rumor that has been going around for years is that they would install it in Hyde Park.

“Yeah, that would be terrible. They don’t want this festival to exist. The people who live there don’t want it. I don’t understand people who come to London and don’t want what London is. This is what London is, this is what we do.

Have you ever worked in a pub?

“I did a trial in a pub in west London. I was there for maybe an hour and a half, and the manager said, “He’s a nice guy, but he doesn’t know what he’s doing.” I had never worked in a pub before, and it showed. I had a few jobs before acting. I did cold calling and double glazing. I was a paintball referee in Essex. I was there for two shifts and never stopped, so I’m still working there. Basically, just yelling at people to put their masks on, and I got shot in the mouth and the inner thigh.

Do you still play gigs in small London pubs?

“I’m getting ready to go on tour, so I’m playing everything. And I like grafting. I love doing comedy. So I’m going to go to a small room. Do you know what a good club is? Moth Club. I also like working men’s clubs because they were built for performance. The Mildmay Club (Newington Green), where Stewart Lee performs, is a superb venue. I love that they preserved it. And the Bill Murray’s great too.

What’s your favorite order at the pub?

“When I drink, I like a beer. But my favorite – they don’t really sell here because it’s an American beer – is a Miller High Life. Beautiful. It’s one of the few beers I’ll drink and think “that’s refreshing.” I prefer a bottle to a pint. I drink half pints, because I’m not a fast drinker.

You talk openly about having periods without drinking. How often do you do this?

“I don’t drink now. Honestly, if they said I can’t drink for the rest of my life, I’d be fine. For example, I might drink a little while touring America or Asia, but overall you need to be aware of your alcohol intake if you drink alcohol every night and it’s beer free. Because I gained so much weight. If I drink three pints a night, four times a week, I’ll put on a stone. When I stopped drinking, I lost weight.

Your last series follow the leader sees you looking at some pretty strange fringe groups. What is it that fascinates you so much about these kinds of people?

“It goes back to the shit in advertising, you know? You see the madman at the pub, and I always want to know “why is he mad?” » I feel like it’s easy to go through life with a mask on and it’s kind of refreshing to see people without masks. – people who say ‘this is who I am’.

You see the madman at the pub, and I always want to know “why is he mad?”

Have you ever gone to the pub with guests Never mind the buzzcocks?

“We have a drink afterwards in the green room. »

Courtney Love is in the new series – has she come for a drink?

‘No. Man, she’s interesting. Think of a beautiful painting. Think of a Picasso. Now think of a Picasso torn into small pieces and scattered. This does not prevent the painting from being beautiful and brilliant, but it is everywhere.’

RECOMMENDED: The best Time Out pubs in London for 2024.

All episodes of Jamali Maddix: follow the leader are available to stream for free on U now.

Photographer: Jess Hand @jesshandphotography
Design Director: Bryan Mayes @bryanmayesdotcom
Lead Designer: Jamie Inglis @818fpv
Photo editor: Laura Gallant @lauramgallant
Video: Mashana Malowa
Stylist: Zoé Kozlik @zoekozlik
Grooming: Min Sandhu @minnie_mua
BTS Video: Dan Eglinton
Location: Army and Navy
In the look, Jamali Maddix wears @percival_menswear and @ghbass suit. In look two, Jamali wears the @percival_menswear and @ghbass suit. In look three, Jamali wears the @marksandspencer suit, the @percival_menswear shirt and the @ghbass loafers