First gig virginity - oh bugger only days to go

Rik Taylor · Joined: 21 Dec 2001 Posts: 348 Location: London and Bolton

Only days to go to my first ever stand up gig - at this point I need a few last minute tips ......plus some funny material but the tips will do for now.......

Rik
(breathing deeply)
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Roughy · Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2002 2:21 am Post subject:

Rick enjoy it!
It'll all be over far too quickly but it is something you will treasure for the rest of your life.
Remember even if you bomb and I'm sure you won't, you've done the hard bit just by getting up there.
You'll meet some great people and apart from tossers saying "Ee-er I've got one fer ya!" ypu'll enjoy it.
Just don't expect to get any sleep the night before or the night of the gig!
Have a good one
Roughy

comedyg · Joined: 21 May 2001 Posts: 999

Even if you do die, everyone does early on, some are just unfortunate to have it happen first time round. Get back on the horse.

TheBrookerMan · Joined: 22 Dec 2001 Posts: 737 Location: Nottingham

The moment you get your first laugh from your own material is something amazing. I won't forget the adrenaline from the first time I went on.

Oh yeah, and, having done it, knowing that I could do it was a rush too. Smile

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nicknoluck · Joined: 04 Jan 2002 Posts: 29

i'd like to say enjoy it.. but u probably won't..

not until ur doing ur last gag and u know ur gettin off soon...

do at least 10 before u try and analyse yourself...

get a little confidence, then u will start to enjoy them..

GOOD LUCK... NICK

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Caimh · Joined: 11 May 2001 Posts: 1127

Personally I'd say don't bring a load of mates for "support", better of on your own.

Write down what you want to do.

Don't keep telling the crowd it's your first time.

Don't be afraid to smile at the crowd, any crowd worth their salt will be willing you to succeed, unless it's Up The Creek - In which case wear a cup and inform next of kin.

Whatever happens, and I can't emphasise this enough, get off the stage after 5 minutes.

Tape it if you can, I guarantee you won't remember most of it.

Remember it gets a hell of a lot easier.

and as previously stated, most of all enjoy it.
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Grant · Joined: 11 May 2001 Posts: 6435 Location: Glaschu, Alba

Limit of two pints, but preferably one if you must drink before it.

Don't run through your material three hours before the gig with a friend, they won't find any of it funny.

Remember, the audience wants to laugh. Very few of them (hopefully none) will want you to fail.

Good luck.
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Rik Taylor · Joined: 21 Dec 2001 Posts: 348 Location: London and Bolton

I am writing all this down -

Thanks for the tips - I am feeling a bit better now. The gut wrenching, bowl blowing, rectum ripping feeling is not as bad as it was.......I think I am probably going into shock.....

I think when I do the gig I am just gonna try and have as much fun as possible...and if that means getting naked and dancing round a maypole then so be it.
_________________
Knock Knock at the Back Door - Every other Thursday
8pm - 21, Old Burlington St , London W1S 2JJ
Just of Regent St.

http://www.knockcomedy.co.uk
Website constantly under construction

Gary J Delaney · Joined: 11 May 2001 Posts: 794 Location: London (Stokey)

Speak slowly and clearly.

And lots of punchlines please.

Good luck.

After my first gig I spent the night lying awake thinging 'brilliant - this is it!'. No feeling in life has ever compared to that. I got a few laughs, not many. If I saw the set i did now, I'd hate it I'm sure. But it did the job for me. I was bitten.

good luck. have fun. see ya soon i guess.

gazza d
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Fat Bear · Joined: 26 Oct 2001 Posts: 211 Location: Cambridge

It's in Swansea, isn't it?
Lovely crowd. Seen lots do first gigs there and they all went down really well. I did my second gig there and had a great time. Very friendly, they like their comedy.
As far as venue specific tips go - lights can be a bit hot compared to other places, especially if they bring out the extra set they sometimes use, so don't wear a huge thick jumper or anything. If you want to make any material more "local" then Cardiff is a good place to rip into (I know a lot of people do material including something about x being a sh*thole...). Stage is nice and big, but don't move too far over to the side or back cos the pillar on the stage corner can block the veiw. Sound is good but monitors aren't fantastic so you may sound a little bass heavy - basically don't worry about sound, the bloke who does it is very good. Beer is very cheap and there's a couple of very pretty barmaids. I'm going all misty eyed in reminisense (woops, terrible spelling) now. Oh, and the nightclub Time afterwards is crap unless you're pissed, but it's full of half clad students.
But like everyone said, slow and steady, enjoy yourself.

iszi · Joined: 26 May 2001 Posts: 2309 Location: Reading

Also, don't expect to die. In my first gig, I was so elated that the first joke went down well, I amost forgot the rest.
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Grant · Joined: 11 May 2001 Posts: 6435 Location: Glaschu, Alba

Yeah, talking of Rectums.

Take a roll of your own quality soft as you like it toilet paper. Nothing worse than scraping the piles with tracing paper and broken bottles before a gig.
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Fat Bear · Joined: 26 Oct 2001 Posts: 211 Location: Cambridge

Good point. don't use the toilets in the bar, they're nasty, no proper seats, usually no paper, ofetn covered in wee and/or sick. Use the ones over in the main building (Fulton House) - it's a bit further to walk but it's worth it, so give yourself time (that's if you need a number two, for wee it's OK to use the bar toilets. Go on the floor if you like - most people do).

JohnCooper · Joined: 02 Oct 2001 Posts: 890 Location: Manchester

Remeber it's vitally important to have your own 'lead in music' so bring portable hi-fi with you and a selection of cd's of things like the james bond soundtrack, or the theme from the magic roundabout, so when you go on people will know you have 'arrived'.

...actually thats bollocks, pay no attention to me.

good luck chap, stiff upper and all that.
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Plissken · Joined: 10 Jan 2002 Posts: 346

Once the first laugh appears, you'll relax and the rest of it should flow. I managed to totally dry up on entry to the club as well, but a quick bit of paper and a pen later, I had some prompts written down.

Remember that the crowd is probably willing you on and wanting to laugh.

And at the end, you'll have done something that a heck of a lot of people don't have the guts to do. The adrenalin rush is well worth it.

Good luck!

Mike
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