When should you stop doing new act nights? - If ever?

Kevin Shepherd · Joined: 18 Dec 2001 Posts: 78 Location: London

I have recently heard a few comic's suggesting that in order to be taken seriously by larger clubs you should stop doing the smaller clubs.Is this the case and if so when should you stop and which clubs should you avoid.
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Frankie · Joined: 14 Oct 2001 Posts: 453 Location: London

ooh, I dunno... I think there's something quite admirable about an established act who still does the odd small club now and then. Especially if it's as a favour to someone they know, etc. Smaller venues can be quite useful at times for a larger act (Trying out new stuff, etc.) I think the problem with suddenly going "I'm not going to play any new act nights anymore" is that this could maybe, by some folks, be mistaken for slight snobbery- which is not nice! Especially seems you've played at my club and were a pleasure to book.

Bottom line is, really: I dunno. but I don't think that doing new acts clubs restrict you as far as people taking you seriously goes. No way. BUT I do agree with the "clubs to avoid" thing.

But I know jack shit, really to be honest! he he! I don't listen to myself a lot. Just that the voices are so loud in my head sometimes, it's hard to avoid them...heh heh.
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toby the third · Joined: 01 Nov 2001 Posts: 1375 Location: yorkshire

What a load of bollocks, who are these people because they should be taken outside and shot. The vast majority of household named comics will still play smaller clubs to try new material out and to feel closer to an audience, small clubs are a vital part in the comedy network and should be encouraged and supported by higher profile acts, without these venues and nights, the comedy scene would dry up very quickly.

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

I've been getting people say this to me recently.
Similar thing with new act comps as well, i.e. whose gonna pay you for 20 if they think of you as a new act.

Not sure how to play it. I still need all the stage time I can get so for the moment I'm still playing anywhere. Well actually that's not quite true there's a few places I'm not doing now, but only the really crap ones. And I'm not gonna name 'em. But you know what they are.

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Caimh · Joined: 11 May 2001 Posts: 1127

I've heard this too I'm afraid, and while it's clearly unfair it does go on. I've heard of people being told by promoters that they can't book them seriously if they're still clearly gigging on the openmic circuit. I'd imagine it's very much a London thing. What's particularily strange is that punters aren't going through TimeOut checking in that much detail so I can only assume the promoters who don't want to book for that reason are worried about what other promoters or acts think?

I've also heard an act, booked as a headliner at a smallish but well known club in London when asked by the compere(who also runs the club) why he didn't do a couple of favorite bits of material answer - X (bigger, more well known club) doesn't like me doing that material in other places around London and won't book me. I thought that was bloody appalling.

James · Joined: 14 May 2001 Posts: 523 Location: Birmingham, UK

London thing.
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Kevin Shepherd · Joined: 18 Dec 2001 Posts: 78 Location: London

My theory on gigs has always been to do as many different gigs as possible.So the idea of not doing six different venues in order to get a gig at one venue is not a nice one.It does seem however, that this sort of thing does happen, but if it is true of only a few venues could we not name and shame those involved to save time spent on phone calls,emails,C.V's,etc.
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Gary J Delaney · Joined: 11 May 2001 Posts: 794 Location: London (Stokey)

There are some acts who'll still take these bookings but ask not to be listed. Which is one way out of it I guess, but rather harsh on the small promoter...
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Nick Page · Joined: 25 Nov 2001 Posts: 30 Location: The country

Surely the point of doing the smaller clubs and the open mic spots is to a: get better b: get noticed; so that you can c: get paid.

The only time to stop doing new act spots is when you've got a years bookings ahead of you and you're turning down work. Even then, if you can help someone out who helped you then it's only British to do so.
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Caimh · Joined: 11 May 2001 Posts: 1127

I had no idea manners were an exclusively British thing. That Cromwell bloke fell rather far from the tree didn't he?

I think the trick is when booking clubs to get about 5 diffent spellings of your name in Timeout so nobody has a clue who you are and what you're doing. After about a year of this get a full page ad in Timeout that says - "The following acts are all the same person" - and all of a sudden you're an overnight sensation and the perceived glut of Irish badger impersonators disappears and you've cornered the market.

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

First LOL for ages. Nice
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DeafSteve · Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2001 1:40 am Post subject:

Brian Damage · Joined: 11 May 2001 Posts: 1114 Location: Londinium

Clubs to avoid:

Paul Foot advised me to avoid Pear Shaped...

It could damage my reputation.

Is he right?
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Karen · Joined: 14 May 2001 Posts: 524

Define smaller, audience with three punters, one dog, and 37 acts, and a badger(don't want you to feel left out Caihhhmmm) or 30-80 up for it crowd who want comedy.
I love watching established acts working smaller rooms, and in my limited experience of booking them, they are well up for it. If you can achieve something from a gig, do it, be it, stage time, trying out new material or just bloody enjoyment... but what do I know.. I've been out and am pissed!
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Karen · Joined: 14 May 2001 Posts: 524

Have now sobered up, almost.. I think we are confusing smallerclubs and new act nights which are two very different things. It does tend to be a London thing, only because you would not be able to get a bunch of acts prepared to play your club for nothing anywhere else in the country. So smaller clubs out of London, tend to be more professionally run. They have to be, to make money to pay acts. Although there are some v professional smallclubs in London too, before I get shot down in flames.
The open mic circuit and comedy circuit tend to be two completely different circuits and I guess the difficulty is making the transition across.
London based acts who seem to make the transition more easily are those who put in the effort and get out of London. (I am still amazed when I meet acts who've been gigging two or three years and have never done a gig out of London!) because they have the opportunity to do longer sets and can then put these on their CV's.
Toby is right, established acts seem to like doing smaller clubs, they get the opportunity to try out new stuff and mess about more, if they were in London I'm sure they might pop into a new act night to try stuff out, however whereas they would travel to a smaller club to do a paid gig, I doubt very much they would do it for nothing...
sorry I'm waffling , think there is still a surplus of alcohol in the blood stream! Christ I've got a hangover. Now where did I put that class of kids!

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