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Stand Up Open Mic Night: Suggestions for not failing
BrotherVoodoo
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Registered User regular
So it's my first time doing this, and I don't necessarily think I'm Eddie Murphy or Lewis Black or anything. I just want to give it a go, and it's free so you know why not.
But I'm looking for suggestions if anyones ever done this before. It's a monday in february, so it might not be as packed as usual, but it is probably the biggest comedy club in the Twin Cities, so I'm sure there will be people in the audience as well as comedians backstage that know that drill.
Anyways I just want to do the best job possible, preferably...make some people laugh but would take any suggestions, be it on delivery, voice, stage presence...anything. Sorry this is vague, but I have no idea what Im doing haha.
But I'm looking for suggestions if anyones ever done this before. It's a monday in february, so it might not be as packed as usual, but it is probably the biggest comedy club in the Twin Cities, so I'm sure there will be people in the audience as well as comedians backstage that know that drill.
Anyways I just want to do the best job possible, preferably...make some people laugh but would take any suggestions, be it on delivery, voice, stage presence...anything. Sorry this is vague, but I have no idea what Im doing haha.
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Can you handle the negative criticism if you start getting booed? Can you turn the boos around and make a joke?
I hope I'm funny.
I'm working on a routine so I'm definately gonna have material (hopefully its good material). I think I can handle being heckled.
I tend to be funnier when angry, but I'm hoping I don't get heckled.
Supposedly the club has a no booing policy, but I'm sure that doesnt stop everyone, and I don't plan on it stopping anyone who truly thinks I suck.
I was a on-air DJ for a few years so I'm used to turning on the speech concentration machine within my brain and affirming and speaking consistently. I guess I'm most worried that being up on stage might challenge my concentration.
I've done public speaking before, and If It's something I believe in or know I want to be doing, I'm usually very loud as well as affirmed but I tend not to be as loose as I think I'd like to be.
Expect to be bad, and it should take some of the pressure off. And yes, have a "thing." An angle that you stick with for your performance, or a delivery method (deadpan, manic, weird, normal) and stick with it.
There's a lot of amateur standup out there, though, so don't feel like you need to be the next Stephen Wright or whoever.
The second biggest thing I've noticed - Good comedy is original. your standup routine should not have too many references in it, quotes, that kind of thing. That's terrible, 8th grade forensics level funny.
I host a podcast about movies.
Keith Malley just took a load of submissions in the past month or so to open for his annual show in April. If you grab their podcasts for the last few weeks you'll get to hear two-minute amateur stand-up submissions, judged and commented on by Malley, his co-host/girlfriend, and other professional comedians such as Jesse Joyce and Joe DeRosa, which might help you critique your own work.
@gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
I host a podcast about movies.
RULE #1: DO NOT BE AFRAID TO BOMB.
What works for some comedians is to try and think of the audience as your best friend or the guy sitting next to you at a bar. Just don't tense up and relax. These guys are hear to listen to a joke or some funny experience you had recently. Like the time your dad walked in you masturbating so you switch to TLC quickly. Then he tells you the two words you never want to hear when you have a remote in one hand, lube in the other, and your pants around your ankles; "Move Over."
Steve Martin wrote a book recently called Born Standing, and its a very interesting look into his life and career as a comedian.
Born Standing Up is the actual title.
That is a great boom btw.
I love Steve Martin and am willing to try stand up too.
This is all good advice.
3DS FC: 5343-7720-0490
Also, the ultimate comeback that has been passed around from comedian to comedian for years is, "Hey, this is my thing; don't tell me how to do my thing! You don't see me hanging around your street corner, slappin' dicks outta your mouth, do ya?"
All of the other advice given thus far is aces; have a routine ready to go, broken up into five minute intervals in case you get the green light to hang onstage longer. Avoid race humor, stay the hell away from political humor and listen to your crowd.
This is unreal, I've never seen a heckler get so casually dismantled.
No political humor? Why per say?
Don't worry about bombing, but pay attention to the bomb. Was it delivery? Was it the gag? Was it the audience? You want to guage the issue because sometimes you just need to dump a routine and sometimes it needs tweaking. Sometimes the act before you tanked and the audience just needs to be won back. Sometimes it is the wrong crowd. Like the post above about political humor, you can guage a crowd and chose to use or not use political stuff. Nothing should be "off limits" but you want to entertain, so work to your audience. Since this is your first set, you have no routine. Just get out there and do your gags. Pay attention to how the audience reacts and make notes. Sometimes just a change in delivery, a pause, a knowing look, or inflection, can make all the difference.
If you really want to do this, write a bunch, then be your own worst critic.
If you really, really want to do this, hone your material down in the mirror(or on tape) til you know just how long each bit takes, know the material back and forth, and can do a 20 minute set or be able to cut it to 10 minutes on the spot if the manager needs you to.
One thing I really liked to do(And I beleive works really well) is a call back. When you have a great bit, that you can call back to in your closer, the audience just eats that up.
My guess would be because it's easy to divide a room/turn them against you. It works well for comedians that have built up a following or are well known enough for such views. Like Bill Maher. No one is going to go see Bill Maher and be like, "wait... why is this guy bashing Republicans? I'm pissed!" No one wants to go see an open-mic stand-up where they're expecting some light, fun jokes and then have some dude (or dudette) crap all over their views.
Starting off, I would stay with situational/insight comedy. Once you get known, maybe delve a bit into politics if you want, but be aware that it might alienate some people. It's like with Jeff Dunham. He usually gets pretty good laughs because a lot of his material is apolitical. But before he breaks out the puppets he sometimes does do a few political jokes and you can hear that he's not getting anywhere near the same enthusiasm/laughs.
I kind of disagree. I mean, Lewis Black isn't like that all the time. Dave Chappelle isn't really like how he is on stage. Andrew Dice Clay's routine is just one big act. Nearly every comedian is playing a role to some degree. It just depends on how far you want to take it/how believable that character is.
Steam ID - BewilderedRonin
The difference is that all those people are ridiculously popular because of their stand-up. For someone who's just at an open mic, the audience are a lot more critical.
@gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
Personally, as long as it isn't some obviously exaggerated caricature, I don't think the audience will even know if it's the real person or a character. The real reason why so many comedians "go into character" with their routines is because it is actually easier that way. It's easier to not laugh at yourself or to get self-conscious if you're playing a part. You just stick to the script, play the bit, and hope you get the laughs. If you're getting booed or no one gets it, it's not you out there, it's that character. It's sort of a defense mechanism. DJs, pundits, talk show hosts, etc all use this to varying degrees. Often the character share similarities with how the actual individual feels or thinks, but is exaggerated or changed in certain elements for various comedic effect. Brian Regan does a good job of this. He delivers a lot of straight on material and then deviates in various characters. Another example that isn't as extreme as Regan is Louis C.K.
There are, of course, numerous comedians that are on stage exactly who they are in real life. Bill Maher, Dennis Miller, George Carlin, Paton Oswalt are all good examples. Of course, much of what they did/do was/is observation and political humor, which can be difficult if no one knows who you are nor knows your style. I would be willing to bet that just being yourself on stage is much harder than playing a part.
Steam ID - BewilderedRonin
Practice, practice, practice. Know every routine you are going to say forwards, backwards and in Latin. Practice writing it down (and write down everything you plan on saying from the very second you step on stage to the second you step off), practice saying it out loud, audio tape yourself, video tape yourself, do it in front of a few friends at home first. You'll want to be as comfortable with what you are going say as humanly possible, because when you step on stage, you'll be excited, nervous and anything that can go wrong, will go wrong..
Telling a joke or going into a routine that's bad or gets zero laughs is one thing, but not knowing what you're going to say or mumbling through it is the true killer.