Stand Up Comedy

[Nemo]

In a moment of stupidity/brilliance (I'll get back to you on which) I've promised a few close friends that I'll have a go at standup comedy.

I seem to remember someone on the TEF (Costanza?) giving it a go a few years ago but can't find anything on the Search function. Can anyone remember who it was? If they're still around or anyone else knows something, how do you go about it, any experience/tips etc?

For everyone else, mindless heckling would seem the order of the day.

[donkey]

In a moment of stupidity/brilliance (I'll get back to you on which) I've promised a few close friends that I'll have a go at standup comedy.

I seem to remember someone on the TEF (Costanza?) giving it a go a few years ago but can't find anything on the Search function. Can anyone remember who it was? If they're still around or anyone else knows something, how do you go about it, any experience/tips etc?

For everyone else, mindless heckling would seem the order of the day.

Tell some good jokes.

[Saxondale]

I believe it was indeed the westbury ben elton, the seinfield of the west, Costanza.

[Costanza]

Ooooh yes, I do it. Currently inactive due to my move to Bristol.

[Costanza]

1. Find a friendly open-mic night. Most comedy nights in Newcastle (including places like The Stand) have a strict no heckling policy so I imagine this will be the case in the south.

2. Before committing, go to said friendly open-mic night for a few weeks. I sort of scouted out what jokes people were laughing at.

Being told by your mates that you're funny is one thing but being able to make strangers laugh is another. There are people there who have an odd love of watching people crash and burn.

It's good fun, I've nailed it and I've bombed - all part of the fun. Mind you, when I bombed I already had a good few successful gigs behind me so it didn't feel that grim.

I was scared shitless before doing my first gig, until I took the mic and all was well. I went 'off the cuff' to start with, did a few observations from the night itself, they got some laughs and it calmed my nerves.

There's nothing worse than an amateur shock-comic, so if that's your thing make sure it's good.

I'm thinking of starting a night in Bristol next year (depending on time and demand).

[Peter Venkman]

I'm thinking of starting a night in Bristol next year (depending on time and demand).

I will support some of your comedy evenings if you do set one up in Bristol, I often go to the Komedia in Bath, the Oppo in Bristol,  as well as Yeovil Comedy Club, Bristol BrouHaHa Comedy Festival and Jongleurs @Bristol as well as always visiting the Edinburgh festival each year for a week.

I have a lot of close friends in the business and respect them very much for what they do for a living which takes a lot of guts and nerve.

Even though several of my comedian friends think I could do it I do not have the confidence to do so and doubt at my middling age that I ever will now.

With my band as well we went through a stage of inviting seasoned comedians to support us before gigs, a crossover of comedy and music, which went down well.

Oh and a tip.......telling jokes is not always funny its often the observational humour that gets much more laughs, tell stories that people in the audience can relate and avoid the "old fasioned gag telling" in the main, even though a lot of comedians make a good living at it, its very difficult to just go on stage and tell jokes.

[Costanza]

Cheers JJ,

I do anecdotal and observational, I think you're brave at open-mic level if you try anything else. I do it for fun, no aspirations to 'make it'. Wil Hodgson is Wiltshire's finest (as JJ will confirm).

The stand-up audience are often very knowledgeable and know other peoples jokes. I've seen people do outright steal jokes from DVDs that have sold millions of copies. It wasn't pretty

Oh and for crying out loud, don't let them convince to do a gong show until you feel you are ready. BRUTAL.

[Peter Venkman]

Wil Hodgson of the Chippenham massive is indeed excellent value for money.

[Reg Smeeton]

Wil Hodgson of the Chippenham massive is indeed excellent value for money.

Saw him in the Vic, back in February, he was doing a bit of MCing, for a band, and some ladies who wanted to expose their assets...all in all, a win win situation. 

[Nemo]

Cheers for the advice gents, it's likely to be observational type humour in any case as I'm not great at sticking to scripts in any context! Will have a look round London and see what's available...bit difficult not being there in the week as these things tend (unsurprisingly) to be on midweek rather than on the weekends.

[Peter Venkman]

Saw him in the Vic, back in February, he was doing a bit of MCing, for a band, and some ladies who wanted to expose their assets...all in all, a win win situation. 

He is a top bloke a big ska fan and a good mate of mine, he loves MCing at Burlesque nights and does them often in Swindon, the only minus point is he hates football, so would make an excellent Swindon Town fan

And nemo all the best mate I am sure it will be a very nervy night for you but take the bull by the horns and do it, I am sure that you won't be the worst act on all night even if you have a stinker, theres always someone worse than you!

Just go on with confidence and do your thing, it will be an experience for you so do it because if you don't then it could be something that you will always regret for the rest of your life.

[Nemo]

So, almost ten months later wasn't quite what I had in mind but it's happening...I've signed up for Comic Relief's Stand Up If You Dare south west event at Komedia in Bath on Monday week. 20 of us completely new to it (one other from Swindon, anyone know an old chap named Tony Kay?) and Mark Olver, who knows what he's doing.

Was on BBC Wilts yesterday morning to promote it and back on Monday morning 8.50 and Points West that evening, so it's probably a little more high profile than the quiet open mic night I had in mind but there you go

If anyone lives around Bath and fancies coming the event details are here: http://komediabath.ticketsolve.com/shows/873491512/events

[Peter Venkman]

Mark Olver is a good mate of mine he is the warm up act for Noel Edmonds deal or no deal, very funny Bristol comedian.

Good luck, if it was closer we would have popped up for that.

[Nemo]

Yeah, we had a training session this morning that Mark came to- really nice guy and he's been doing it for donkey's years so plenty of help.

[Peter Venkman]

Yeah, we had a training session this morning that Mark came to- really nice guy and he's been doing it for donkey's years so plenty of help.

He is a proper old hat and a top bloke, big football fan....but not Swindon!