Don't aim for passable, Sootyj! Anyway, we have hijacked this thread long enough. Good luck Leigh!
First gig 23rd. Brickin' it Page 6
Passable's good enough. Certainly I've found 2 or 3 short linked jokes of average quality get more mileage than one big crafted one.
And still you're mysterious about this gig. You hven't gone kick of comedy on Micheal Macintyre?
Quote: sootyj @ January 22 2012, 11:29 PM GMTPassable's good enough.
Not if you want to actually get anywhere, or be proud of the work you're doing! You should always be aiming to do the best work you can.
You can think that, in my view you'd be wrong. The best standups I see on the way up don't have a long list of note perfect gags. More they have a collection of really good gags and some decent passable ones. Mainly they work on having a good raport with the audience , people laugh because they like them and want to.
Certainly when I relaxed my style, I found that the best reactions and luaghs I got were for neat, not especially brilliant gags.
Doing your best doesn't have to mean strainig.
I've seen some one get constant laughs and very loud applause. Who when you looked back didn't have one genuinely great gag.
Quote: sootyj @ January 23 2012, 9:10 AM GMTYou can think that, in my view you'd be wrong. The best standups I see on the way up don't have a long list of note perfect gags.
Of course not, they're starting out, they're building material, it's not going to be brilliant, but you should build material by trying to come up with stuff you think is really good, not just thinking 'this will do', that's a terrible way to approach anything creative.
Perhaps we're using diferent terminology...
Quote: Matthew Stott @ January 23 2012, 9:13 AM GMTOf course not, they're starting out, they're building material, it's not going to be brilliant, but you should build material by trying to come up with stuff you think is really good, not just thinking 'this will do', that's a terrible way to approach anything creative.
Whilst I agree it's not the best approach I would also say that a couple of jokes that I do which get big, big laughs from the audience started off as "filler" rather than "killer" material.
Jokes which I've expected to get massive laughs have died and conversely ones that I've occasionally put in to fill a few seconds, as a throwaway, have brought the house down, this is why the audience is the ultimate judge of your material, if they laugh, it's funny, if they don't, no matter how brilliant you, and the other comics, might think it is, it's not funny.
Exactly.
In my routine I have a long joke about a tramp with a dog. Joke gets a good reaction, but it's very long and sometimes it just gets lost.
So one night I add the line "the dog had 3 legs, one eye and no testicles I think he was called Lucky"
Then give it a big "jazz hands" on the punchline Lucky. And if the audience laughs I thank them.
It's a shit joke, overcooked, unoriginal etc. But guess what it's one of the biggest laughs I get.
Quote: Tony Cowards @ January 23 2012, 9:50 AM GMTWhilst I agree it's not the best approach I would also say that a couple of jokes that I do which get big, big laughs from the audience started off as "filler" rather than "killer" material.
I suppose it also depends what sort of comic you are though, or want to be. But sure, starting out I'm sure it's nice to know you have at least one or two lines that will probably work in any room, even if you know they're not your best. But I suppose my point is, that personally I'd want to do stuff that I was really behind, not that I didn't much like, or thought was a bit pants, but I did anyway because I knew it would get a laugh.
I'm really behind my sub par stuff!
Naff as it sounds the more I enjoy myself the funnier I am.
The problem with complex, structured jokes is there's no fun in trying to remember them.
That said I have a clinically bad memory.
Quote: Matthew Stott @ January 23 2012, 10:03 AM GMTI suppose it also depends what sort of comic you are though, or want to be. But sure, starting out I'm sure it's nice to know you have at least one or two lines that will probably work in any room, even if you know they're not your best. But I suppose my point is, that personally I'd want to do stuff that I was really behind, not that I didn't much like, or thought was a bit pants, but I did anyway because I knew it would get a laugh.
Whilst I can appreciate this view of the stand up as an "artist", as someone who has to pay my bills through being paid to make audiences laugh I can say that this is not always 100% possible. Stand up is all about the balance between leading and being led by the audience, give them a bit of what they want and then they'll accept some of what you want them to have.
Top actors and directors (George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh come to mind) often make commercial films so that they can afford to make artistic ones.
Have moved the social networking part back to near the end and am going to start straight into the part about walking the dogs on the beach and meeting the ex. I really like this part (approx 4 mins) and can see this growing over time to fill a full set.
Still debating removing the song at the end and replacing it with a bit about the time I was the milk tray man and was replaced by funky pigeon.com.
Thanks for all the advise guys.
Maybe it's the word "passable" that's the problem here. Perhaps a better word would be "simple" or "uncomplicated". I have a couple of those kinds of joke in my act and they're my most reliable in terms of getting laughs. There's nothing wildly original or envelope pushing about them but for a few seconds they grab the audience's attention and get them on my side for the more absurd/whimsical numbers to follow.
I wouldn't like to hear them described as just "passable" though, as they're an important part of the act's structure.
Fine I apologise for using the word passable.
I like passable, figs are passable.
How about I say workable or standards?
Had my first gig last night, was fine until I got on stage then got very nervous. I stumbled a few times, forgot a few parts including a large piece after the pirate joke. I removed all traces of beastilaty and am glad I did. Im sure they would have gone down well as people we laughing at down syndrome and rape. That is a route I don't want to get started down.
Didnt think it went that well but watching it back wasnt as bad as I thought. I was nowhere near the worst on the night. I have a lot to work on before the next one. Need to sort the start and change quite a few bits but for a first gig not that bad.
Just uploading video, taking ages will post here later.