Anyone ever done stand up comedy properly? Advice

[uncle bob]

Re: Anyone ever done stand up comedy properly? Advice

Introduce yourself as a taxi driver, explain you're a bit nervous, and then turn your back on the audience and take a mirror out of your pocket. Then talking to the mirror, say, thats better, i feel at home now.

😭😭🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Classic!

[uncle bob]

Re: Anyone ever done stand up comedy properly? Advice

I start my training tonight for 8 weeks. Gig is on 27th November.
I'm bricking it now.
I've been writing some shit gags building up to this.

[Taunton Blue Genie]

Re: Anyone ever done stand up comedy properly? Advice

I start my training tonight for 8 weeks. Gig is on 27th November.
I'm bricking it now.
I've been writing some shit gags building up to this.

You are very brave. I have always wondered about people even getting to the point of considering a first gig. Any stories as to how any of you got to that juncture?

[uncle bob]

Re: Anyone ever done stand up comedy properly? Advice

Training was pretty basic tonight. Just introducing ourselves and a quick story of who our favourite comedians are and one simple joke.
My memory is so so bad. I've written about 20 jokes to fill in about 5 minutes of stage time but I couldn't get through telling just one without me stuttering and quivering in front of 25 people who were all in my shoes.
Some who were there were like me had never done it before and others were doing it for the umpteenth time.
I realised tonight karaoke confidence is completely different to telling a joke in front of total strangers or to your mates.
It can only get better with practice

[Taunton Blue Genie]

Re: Anyone ever done stand up comedy properly? Advice

Training was pretty basic tonight. Just introducing ourselves and a quick story of who our favourite comedians are and one simple joke.
My memory is so so bad. I've written about 20 jokes to fill in about 5 minutes of stage time but I couldn't get through telling just one without me stuttering and quivering in front of 25 people who were all in my shoes.
Some who were there were like me had never done it before and others were doing it for the umpteenth time.
I realised tonight karaoke confidence is completely different to telling a joke in front of total strangers or to your mates.
It can only get better with practice

Keep us informed as it's an interesting story.

In the meantime, what made you interested in getting from telling jokes with your mates to trying it onstage. I'm really interested as it's a huge leap.

[cityhammer]

Re: Anyone ever done stand up comedy properly? Advice

Training was pretty basic tonight. Just introducing ourselves and a quick story of who our favourite comedians are and one simple joke.
My memory is so so bad. I've written about 20 jokes to fill in about 5 minutes of stage time but I couldn't get through telling just one without me stuttering and quivering in front of 25 people who were all in my shoes.
Some who were there were like me had never done it before and others were doing it for the umpteenth time.
I realised tonight karaoke confidence is completely different to telling a joke in front of total strangers or to your mates.
It can only get better with practice

I can empathise with your final sentence. I've got up at open mic nights and played guitar, but however bad you are if everyone knows the song they'll sing along. Its completely different standing on stage telling a gag you've written and trying to make people laugh. Scariest thing Ive done in my life, but im pleased i had a go.

[Jimmy the Jock]

Re: Anyone ever done stand up comedy properly? Advice

Having read Kevin Hart and Kevin Bridges books , the one thing they had in common is they put in 100,s and 100,s of hours getting slaughtered on stage ,people not laughing .
Good luck Bob its a long road , but they will tell you worth it now :hehe:

[light up the darkness]

Re: Anyone ever done stand up comedy properly? Advice

This is advice about being a stand up comedian from Rhod Gilbert. I’ve tried to remember exactly what was said to share .

It may be useful. !

Comedians have different styles. What works for Tim Vine is completely different from what works for Dara OBrain.
My guess would be that your humour would come from being the ‘bloke in a bar’ . Taxi drivers must have a load of funny stories about the passengers or places.

This style involves you telling a story as if you were chatting to a bloke in a bar over a beer.
Relaxed, you only have to remember the key points and the punch line. But you have to practice the timing of your delivery.
First get the key points of the story/stories down in writing. Some comedians use a white board or flip charts Then tell the story to yourself in a mirror. Practice the movement and gestures which underlines the points which keep your story on the track towards your punch line. Hands, body language, gestures, eye movements all contribute to getting the audience engaged and interested

When you think you have ironed out the presentation you can try it for real on friends and or family and seek honest feedback. It’s not about whether or not they think what you are saying is funny to them but rhythm and timing of how you present it. Practice practice practice

That’s all I can remember but I wish you well. You’ll sort it out for your self as you go along.

[the other bob wilson]

Re: Anyone ever done stand up comedy properly? Advice

Training was pretty basic tonight. Just introducing ourselves and a quick story of who our favourite comedians are and one simple joke.
My memory is so so bad. I've written about 20 jokes to fill in about 5 minutes of stage time but I couldn't get through telling just one without me stuttering and quivering in front of 25 people who were all in my shoes.
Some who were there were like me had never done it before and others were doing it for the umpteenth time.
I realised tonight karaoke confidence is completely different to telling a joke in front of total strangers or to your mates.
It can only get better with practice

Best of luck with it bob - something I could never do, so you have my admiration :thumbup:

[light up the darkness]

Re: Anyone ever done stand up comedy properly? Advice

This is a story I did to an expat comedy night in Ho Chi Minh. A mixed crowd of English, American and Australian mainly.

So… I’m standing at the lights on xxxx street waiting for the smallest gap in the traffic to allow me the opportunity of being run over by a mad local on a motorcycle .

I’m looking around and catch the eye of a guy who owns the shop on the corner.
I look into the shop and all the shelves are bare. It’s empty.

So I said to him ‘Alright mate. Business must be good ‘ gesturing to the shop.

‘No. Business is crap’ he said
‘You’re joking your shops empty. What do you sell ?

He said ‘Shelves’

[uncle bob]

Re: Anyone ever done stand up comedy properly? Advice

Cheers for the advice all and for the good wishes.
There will be a video being given to us of our nights performance so I will share it when it becomes available.
The gig is in prism on Greyfriars Road on 27th November a Sunday and I'm going to just practice practice practice when I can. Cheers

[delmbox]

Re: Anyone ever done stand up comedy properly? Advice

Cheers for the advice all and for the good wishes.
There will be a video being given to us of our nights performance so I will share it when it becomes available.
The gig is in prism on Greyfriars Road on 27th November a Sunday and I'm going to just practice practice practice when I can. Cheers

You've got a set of balls on you mate, I couldn't do it. Good luck!

[Splott-light...]

Re: Anyone ever done stand up comedy properly? Advice

good luck uncle bob, I wouldn't know but it seems like something you'll grow into, the more stage hours the more confident you'll become

[Majorblue]

Re: Anyone ever done stand up comedy properly? Advice

Never done stand up but I do have to do public speaking as part of my job.

As others have said 5 minutes is a long time to talk with no one to feed off.

Best advice I can give is do your prep and practise it on a family member first ,to get the delivery sorted.

On the night remember to control the speed of your delivery and if you have a prop , such as a microphone, then use it ,as for reasons unknown they do seem to have a calming effect.

Always but always have a few put downs tucked away in order to deal with hecklers, drunks and idiots.

Good luck.



Good luck.

[Jimmy the Jock]

Re: Anyone ever done stand up comedy properly? Advice

This is a story I did to an expat comedy night in Ho Chi Minh. A mixed crowd of English, American and Australian mainly.

So… I’m standing at the lights on xxxx street waiting for the smallest gap in the traffic to allow me the opportunity of being run over by a mad local on a motorcycle .

I’m looking around and catch the eye of a guy who owns the shop on the corner.
I look into the shop and all the shelves are bare. It’s empty.

So I said to him ‘Alright mate. Business must be good ‘ gesturing to the shop.

‘No. Business is crap’ he said
‘You’re joking your shops empty. What do you sell ?

He said ‘Shelves’

Did anyone laugh?