That empty feeling!

So I want some advice I guess guys, I am now about 30 or 40 gigs in to my stand up comedy career and I have still not died or bombed and had only one heckler who I dealt with quite well, I always get laughs so far anyway and I am constantly trying to tweak and improve my act, but after the first few gigs I used to come off stage feeling elated and good, yet recently I am not getting that feeling anymore, nor am I ever nervous about getting on stage where as I used to be very nervous before.

I have had some really good gigs recently but I am still not getting the same adrenaline out of it I used to and I miss it. I also feel small things are pissing me off more about the stand up circuit, like getting very frustrated at a gig recently where the PA system was terrible (this was not on stage and to be fair I told the MC and it was a little better by the time I performed in the second half) and also after getting huge laughs at a gig last week and then have the promoter come on and say "well he clearly has got his fans" when actually only 2 audience members knew me as if to de-value my set, before I was just happy for stage time, now I am becoming a bit of a diva.

I am not saying I have fallen out of love with it, not yet anyway but is it usual to start to feel this way as you become more experienced? and what can I do to start to get the adrenaline back?

Hi, Have you thought about maybe dropping a few minutes of experimental or controversial material into your set? Step out of your comfort zone? Maybe your set has become a little safe, only in your mind, I hasten to add. Perhaps adding a small section of 'tester' material will bring back the nerves and adrenalin. Mind you, who am I to comment? I'm still trying to pluck up courage to do my very first open mic spot.

Hi Handimar

Thanks for your advice, I actually got that feeling back again in my last 2 gigs, by using a very similar technique as to your advice, I realised I had been gigging so hard and sticking to my 5 minutes of rigid, tried and tested material, I was thinking of it as work rather than enjoying myself, so last Thursday I did a little bit of audience interaction something I had not really had the courage to do still being a fairly new comic, which went really well and then on Saturday just gone I did a 10 minute spot that included a little piece I had done on my YouTube channel on how to Latin dance which I had been too nervous to do before but went down a storm.

I am now being offered 10 and 15 minute spots all over the country and loving doing comedy again.

But thanks Handimar, it was nice someone actually replied and it was sound advice.

Oh it's a pleasure Julio, I'm really pleased that things are now going so well for you. Just don't forget me when you hit the big time!

Haha thanks and I won't! Let me know when you do that first gig, If you are gonna do it in London I'll come down and support.