Hope you like it any feedback or opinions shared would be appreciated! Or any other comments would be cool to hear, and also that really was the first cigarette I ever smoked.
Kyle Greenberg Standup Comedy (First Headlining Set!)
You have an amicable persona and good delivery. Liked it. I'd invest in a better quality video.
A decent performance with some decent material.
It's nice to know you posted your video here in order to attract feedback from the members on this site rather than simply as a means to get a little free publicity.
I, for one, feel very much appreciated.
Quote: Firkin @ 18th January 2019, 8:30 AMYou have an amicable persona and good delivery. Liked it. I'd invest in a better quality video.
Thank you so much for saying that! I really appreciate you taking the time to watch and leave feedback and I think I should be getting a better camera soon. Thanks so much!
Quote: Rood Eye @ 18th January 2019, 10:55 AMA decent performance with some decent material.
It's nice to know you posted your video here in order to attract feedback from the members on this site rather than simply as a means to get a little free publicity.
I, for one, feel very much appreciated.
Thanks for taking the time to watch and leave a response I really do appreciate it. Im glad that you found it to be decent and thank you for your words.
Great observations, good delivery and funny as well.
Quote: Carlos Manwelly @ 19th January 2019, 12:49 AMGreat observations, good delivery and funny as well.
Carlos, thanks so much for taking the time to watch. I thank you for saying that and am glad you found it funny.
The original post mentions smoking a cigarette, but having watched the clip, I didn't remember any cigarette.
I've just clicked the link again and, for some reason, it opens at 4m 42s. I then clicked it again and, for the second time, it opened at 4m 42s. I now realise that, the very first time I clicked it, it also opened at 4m 42s. Accordingly, the first time I watched this clip, I only saw the last three minutes.
Having just re-watched it in its entirety, I still think it's pretty good.
Quote: Rood Eye @ 19th January 2019, 5:13 PMThe original post mentions smoking a cigarette, but having watched the clip, I didn't remember any cigarette.
I've just clicked the link again and, for some reason, it opens at 4m 42s. I then clicked it again and, for the second time, it opened at 4m 42s. I now realise that, the very first time I clicked it, it also opened at 4m 42s. Accordingly, the first time I watched this clip, I only saw the last three minutes.
Having just re-watched it in its entirety, I still think it's pretty good.
Thank you for the heads up you were right the link was opening it up halfway through but I fixed it. And thanks so much for going back and rewatching it that means a lot to me thank you and I hope you have a great day.
Hi Kyle,
You earnt your first thumbs up from me!
My feedback is as follows:
So the cigarette works great as an introduction for a new act, further down the line you'll find the opening line that lets you start with a bang but at the moment opening with a spontaneous moment let you find your feet in front of a friendly crowd, could see your nerves settling (which is what happens when you smoke cigarettes ironically enough).
'Loving interior design' has shop references that don't make sense to me - but you're not in the UK so I can't blame you for that. What I like about it though is that without calling yourself a beta male or a snowflake you're bringing some - androgynous quality to your material. You're a man who loves interior design, which is a good way to assert your personality.
Parents and alcohol / shoes - the issue is that the better you get at stand up the less shy you'll be, so this persona will fade as you become as narcissistic and arrogant and embittered as a real comedian.
Dad to the zoo - Having said the previous point, this is fantastic. It ties into the drinking bit, and it makes you sound a bit Marc Marony, which is no bad thing.
Credit card - the thing is, if you're going to go into social commentary you need a stronger voice than this. The 'outstanding' punchline, it's a little hacky (we all are). Sorry if this sounds abrupt and direct, but you're not going to beat a Stanhope in Beer Hall Putsch on credit cards.
Pirating - this is quite interesting, the idea that there's a crime that clearly you're not going to be caught with. More subtle than credit cards.
Paying for text messages - that sort of Louis CK style comedy was an asset and is now a burden.
---------
I think in time you'll find your rhythm, at the moment you have a bit of a Hedberg lilt, but try to find ways to find the joke structure that works for you, the best thing I've found (for me) was to open with short, sharp one liners and then open up more throughout the set, that way if I had a horrible crowd I could make it out alive. To be clear, any comedians I've named are the ones that are in the zeitgeist, so for the first year or two one has to fight to escape those as they sort of defined what a comedian is (some for better, some for worse).
Best,
Quote: Joshua Ross @ 1st February 2019, 4:18 PMHi Kyle,
You earnt your first thumbs up from me!
My feedback is as follows:
So the cigarette works great as an introduction for a new act, further down the line you'll find the opening line that lets you start with a bang but at the moment opening with a spontaneous moment let you find your feet in front of a friendly crowd, could see your nerves settling (which is what happens when you smoke cigarettes ironically enough).
'Loving interior design' has shop references that don't make sense to me - but you're not in the UK so I can't blame you for that. What I like about it though is that without calling yourself a beta male or a snowflake you're bringing some - androgynous quality to your material. You're a man who loves interior design, which is a good way to assert your personality.
Parents and alcohol / shoes - the issue is that the better you get at stand up the less shy you'll be, so this persona will fade as you become as narcissistic and arrogant and embittered as a real comedian.
Dad to the zoo - Having said the previous point, this is fantastic. It ties into the drinking bit, and it makes you sound a bit Marc Marony, which is no bad thing.
Credit card - the thing is, if you're going to go into social commentary you need a stronger voice than this. The 'outstanding' punchline, it's a little hacky (we all are). Sorry if this sounds abrupt and direct, but you're not going to beat a Stanhope in Beer Hall Putsch on credit cards.
Pirating - this is quite interesting, the idea that there's a crime that clearly you're not going to be caught with. More subtle than credit cards.
Paying for text messages - that sort of Louis CK style comedy was an asset and is now a burden.
---------
I think in time you'll find your rhythm, at the moment you have a bit of a Hedberg lilt, but try to find ways to find the joke structure that works for you, the best thing I've found (for me) was to open with short, sharp one liners and then open up more throughout the set, that way if I had a horrible crowd I could make it out alive. To be clear, any comedians I've named are the ones that are in the zeitgeist, so for the first year or two one has to fight to escape those as they sort of defined what a comedian is (some for better, some for worse).
Best,
wow thank you for taking the time to give me this review. I really appreciate it. This is really helpful as I just rewatched after reading this and see what you mean and am gonna try to strengthen and straighten out my voice for when I perform again next week. This has been one of the most helpful reviews Ive ever gotten on anything comedy related so thank you again. And although I really want to have a friendly and soft voice I think you are right that strong and bitter make for better comedy and I think I really needed to hear that.
Kyle Greenberg
Quote: kev jod @ 3rd February 2019, 3:43 AMwow thank you for taking the time to give me this review. I really appreciate it. This is really helpful as I just rewatched after reading this and see what you mean and am gonna try to strengthen and straighten out my voice for when I perform again next week. This has been one of the most helpful reviews Ive ever gotten on anything comedy related so thank you again. And although I really want to have a friendly and soft voice I think you are right that strong and bitter make for better comedy and I think I really needed to hear that.
Kyle Greenberg
Hey Kyle,
I didn't really mean 'strong and bitter' and a 'stronger voice' so much as an organic process of gigging regularly and finding the balance between connecting to the audience and being vulnerable and still yourself. You want to reach a point where you find a way to make your jokes flow into each other so that you're leading the crowd into your head - but this takes hundreds and hundreds of gigs to do. There are a lot of new comedians that try too hard too quickly to have a strong voice and a bitter perspective and they get more opportunities more quickly, but then often hit a ceiling where they are getting paid work but don't really have anything to say and never really get any further. There are also some comedians that are just naturals from their first gig and get paid work and keep getting better. Most people at open mic gigs never have any hope of getting anywhere, but can be the funniest most well balanced people off stage.
For a new act, the rules of getting better are always really simple. Always write, but also build a framework of a set that you know does well and fit your new ideas around that. You'll always have some gigs where the audience laugh at everything and some where they just don't get it at all. It's also always hard not to feel in competition with the other acts on, but really you're always in competition with yourself. Try and be nice to people but also don't try to be in an entourage of 5 or 6 acts that always socialise together.
Once you're a great new act, the path to getting successful is a nightmare. So if you take that in your stride and, this is hypocritical, but you can't listen too much to received wisdom as it's changing all the time. When I started in London everyone did 7 open mic gigs a week, 5 years before that everyone was trying to get open spots at the big clubs, today there are a lot less club gigs but a lot more TV opportunities and alternative gigs. Comedy is like the mafia, it's best to show everyone respect and not let people push you around too much.
I made the mistake of overanalysing old videos and thinking that would help my stage presence, really the best reason to record yourself once every 6-12 months is to have a record of old jokes for years down the line and something to send a promoter if you want to apply for a gig.
The chances of 'making it' as a professional stand up comedian are incredibly slim, it requires a strength of character to go out on the road, travel the country, sacrifice your career, have your family worry about you, take fame in your stride etc. Let alone having something to say that sets you apart from the masses and is relevant to the times.
But if you look at comedy as an industry that encompasses sketch shows, sitcoms, film scripts, books etc. then there are a lot of opportunities and a lot of transferable public speaking and writing skills for regular jobs. If you'll stick with it then you'll find in a few years you'll have grown in a way your social circle hasn't. It does make you funnier and more confident offstage, and it makes you realise how you've done something that a lot of people think about doing in an idle way, get scared and think one day they'll write a novel or something. The arts is a young man/woman's game as you need that energy and hope and spare time and to still be in the process of defining yourself.
Also there are dozens of examples of successful comedians who followed none of the advice I just gave.
Best of luck,
Joshua
Quote: Joshua Ross @ 3rd February 2019, 4:01 PMComedy is like the mafia
Except that in comedy, there's no formal rule prohibiting the participation of women and, of course, you can get out whenever you want.
Also, if you're in a bar chatting with a group of comedians and you tell one of them "You're a funny guy", you're unlikely to find yourself regretting it almost immediately.
Quote: Rood Eye @ 3rd February 2019, 4:24 PMExcept that in comedy, there's no formal rule prohibiting the participation of women and, of course, you can get out whenever you want.
Also, if you're chatting with a group of comedians in a bar and you tell one of them "You're a funny guy", you're unlikely to find yourself regretting it almost immediately.
I disagree with you on all three points! ;-)
Quote: Joshua Ross @ 3rd February 2019, 4:01 PMHey Kyle,
I didn't really mean 'strong and bitter' and a 'stronger voice' so much as an organic process of gigging regularly and finding the balance between connecting to the audience and being vulnerable and still yourself. You want to reach a point where you find a way to make your jokes flow into each other so that you're leading the crowd into your head - but this takes hundreds and hundreds of gigs to do. There are a lot of new comedians that try too hard too quickly to have a strong voice and a bitter perspective and they get more opportunities more quickly, but then often hit a ceiling where they are getting paid work but don't really have anything to say and never really get any further. There are also some comedians that are just naturals from their first gig and get paid work and keep getting better. Most people at open mic gigs never have any hope of getting anywhere, but can be the funniest most well balanced people off stage.
For a new act, the rules of getting better are always really simple. Always write, but also build a framework of a set that you know does well and fit your new ideas around that. You'll always have some gigs where the audience laugh at everything and some where they just don't get it at all. It's also always hard not to feel in competition with the other acts on, but really you're always in competition with yourself. Try and be nice to people but also don't try to be in an entourage of 5 or 6 acts that always socialise together.
Once you're a great new act, the path to getting successful is a nightmare. So if you take that in your stride and, this is hypocritical, but you can't listen too much to received wisdom as it's changing all the time. When I started in London everyone did 7 open mic gigs a week, 5 years before that everyone was trying to get open spots at the big clubs, today there are a lot less club gigs but a lot more TV opportunities and alternative gigs. Comedy is like the mafia, it's best to show everyone respect and not let people push you around too much.
I made the mistake of overanalysing old videos and thinking that would help my stage presence, really the best reason to record yourself once every 6-12 months is to have a record of old jokes for years down the line and something to send a promoter if you want to apply for a gig.
The chances of 'making it' as a professional stand up comedian are incredibly slim, it requires a strength of character to go out on the road, travel the country, sacrifice your career, have your family worry about you, take fame in your stride etc. Let alone having something to say that sets you apart from the masses and is relevant to the times.
But if you look at comedy as an industry that encompasses sketch shows, sitcoms, film scripts, books etc. then there are a lot of opportunities and a lot of transferable public speaking and writing skills for regular jobs. If you'll stick with it then you'll find in a few years you'll have grown in a way your social circle hasn't. It does make you funnier and more confident offstage, and it makes you realise how you've done something that a lot of people think about doing in an idle way, get scared and think one day they'll write a novel or something. The arts is a young man/woman's game as you need that energy and hope and spare time and to still be in the process of defining yourself.
Also there are dozens of examples of successful comedians who followed none of the advice I just gave.
Best of luck,
Joshua
I really cant thank you enough for taking the time to impart some words of guidance for me, I really do appreciate it. I guess the main take away is perform and write often and dont focus try and force a persona that is something I am not, but I also found this very motivating and Im sure I will be coming back to re-read it in the future.
Thanks Josh!
You're very generous with your advice, Joshua. You're an invaluable new member of the forum.