Gong show

So guys I did the Gong show last night in Picadilly circus, It didn't go very well, I had read some advice online the night before and it said you need to get a big laugh early so I slightly changed my act and rather than starting with the introduction about me (well my character) I went straight in with a new line I had used to good effect in a few previous gigs.

The line itself got a big laugh, and then 1 judges card went up followed immediately by the other two who looked across and saw the first card and raised theirs, I lasted all of 24 seconds before the dreaded gong.

The joke itself is I guess in poor taste but being a deluded character it fits in with my stage persona.

I feel a bit hard done by but I know it can only really come down to my fault, maybe I was a bit over confident (blowing kisses to the audience as I went up etc) and perhaps that made them not like me from the start, my friend who came to watch said the character is more likeable when there he shows a bit of vulnerability, but he was never designed to be likeable it was meant to be someone to laugh at not with really.

There had been calls earlier in the night to change the judges because as soon as one card goes up the others were following suit, but again I am probably looking for excuses.

Do you think it is pointless doing something like the gong show as a character?
Does anyone else have experience of it and any advice for the future?

That's king gong, a show visited by drunk people who don't like comedy

Its as random as performing to chickens

Otherwise gong works with a lot of one liners and attitude

I wouldn't cheapen yourself

The judges were perhaps right to gong you off. How do we know? Tell us the joke at least.

Thanks Sooty, I think you are right but I wanted the experience, Don I need to explain the character a little first, this guy believes he is the best looking man in the world and the best lover in the world.

Normally I open by talking about being from Paraguay but for the gong show I opened like this "As you can see I am the best looking man in the world, before I get started I must warn the ladies in the front few rows, very much like sea world, you will get wet"

It got a big laugh, and then I saw the cards go up.
Obviously it's not going to endear me to an audience but I have never been trying to win their affection with this character, I want them to go "wow this guy is really deluded, but he's making me laugh"

There are techniques to doing well at gong shows and the "King Gong" at the Store in particular, but even so you are still in the hands of three people's whims, so it can be very random.

Your opening line is funny but, at a gong show, it's going to annoy the alpha males in the audience as they'll think you're being too cocky and they'll immediately take the opportunity to bring you down a peg or two.

The thing is, don't take it to heart and don't set too much store (no pun intended) by the audience's reaction. The crowd at "King Gong" are pretty much unique in being such a bearpit AND having control over the comics.

There are plenty of great acts who would be like lambs to the slaughter at a gong show.

Thanks Tony, your comment made me feel much better and I think you are spot on with the alpha male thing (the two male judges cards went up first).

I would have loved to have beaten the gong just to put on my comedy CV but oh well maybe one day in the future but I'm not gonna take this one to heart.

Decent joke that

Thanks Sooty, I respect your opinion and know you can be a stern critic so if you think it's good then I am very pleased.

It has always got me laughs before, I guess that's why I started with it because I figured if I could get a big laugh early they would allow me more room and time to move in to my normal act but then it backfired on me!

I guess also I can't think of it as bombing because I got a laugh and then went off. Anyway it's all good preparation for my spot at the Leicester square new act of the year comp next week, and at least there is no gong so they have to hear the full set so I may well stick with the sea world opening.

Gong shows are gong shows. If you were doing a 15 minute slot on a comedy night and you just pounded them with puns and one liners, then you'd probably lose the audience at the half way mark.
Gong shows aren't visited by comedy fans, they're there for drunk people who like easy humour and a bit of sadism.
So you need more like 40 or 50 quick jokes and the ability to fire them off.

Stern eh?

I like that, I'm once more being courted to write smutty material. I may quote you.