Working in a factory in Brackley, and gigging in London once a month, was never going to launch Andrew Bird’s career as a stand-up, until he was offered a life-line by a friend. Did he want to live in his flat in Streatham and take on his job as a barman to enable him to give the comedy career a proper crack?

“That was my first joke. 'Cheers mate, have you got a girlfriend'?” Andrew smiles.

It wasn't until year’s later that Andrew realised that his guardian angel had an ulterior motive – "he got to do the ski season while I paid his rent and kept his job. But it worked out for both of us,” Andrew smiles.

Now firmly established on the comedy scene he is one of three comedians chosen to headline on Saturday night for The Glee Club’s closing night before it closes for good and relocates to the Cowley Road’s Bullingdon.

Delighted to be appearing at The Glee which he loves, the only problem is that as he now lives in Bicester his wife, all her friends always come, which last time got him in trouble.

“My wife is Slovakian and she used to come everywhere with me on tour, because it was always a novelty for her to visit all these new places. And then we had children and everyone kept coming up to me and saying: “Wow you’ve got angrier and moanier” but it was just that I could say what I wanted because she wasn’t there,” he says roaring with laughter.

“But I love the Glee Club in Oxford because it’s got low ceilings, lighting and it’s spacious so you can see everyone and people can hear you so I always enjoy it there. I’ve played there loads of times and when it was Jongleurs.

“And the kind of stag and hen do’s that get t-shirts printed never come to Oxford, so you get a better class of stag do there,” he laughs.

Andrew, now a writer for 8 Out Of 10 Cats and Mock The Week, went into comedy the hard way, putting in the hours, spending eight years working the clubs, practising and fine tuning his act. “It’s the only way to do it,” he shrugs, “but I knew it was what I wanted to do even when it was really harsh. Put it this way, it wasn’t like the Lee Evans video that I expected. My first gig was at the Kings Head in Crouch End in front of nine people, most of them comedians waiting to go on next.

"But it’s like parachuting; if you do it often enough, you get used to it.”

Known for his anecdotal humour, the 36 year-old says he’s moved on from the early days when he just talked about “beer and condoms.”

"Well I live in Oxfordshire now, so everyone thinks I’m intellectual. And as both my children were born herethey are destined for Oxford University."

So what does he think about the Glee's relocation? “It’s a sign of the times, while people used to go out Friday and Saturday nights and go to a comedy club spontaneously, the recession hit and now they only go out once, usually to a guaranteed name they’ve seen on TV.

“But Oxford has always been a good spot for comedy and Glee knows what it’s doing, so maybe the move in the New Year to Cowley Road will be better."

As for the upcoming gig with Carl Donnelley and Pierre Novellie, Andrew can’t wait. “They are brilliant comedians so it will be great to share a stage with those two again. They are really, really good. It’s a great bill so I’m really looking forward to it."

Oxford’s The Glee concludes its six year run at Hythe Bridge Street on Saturday. www.glee.co.uk