My Favourite London Open Mic Nights & Tips For New Performers

A lot of people have been asking me recently what nights I would recommend for newcomers, or for trying out new material, so here are a few of my favourites. Many nights won’t book acts unless they have seen them perform previously, so I have left those out as they tend to be overwhelmed by gig requests as it is. If you’d like your night to be included on this list, Tweet me or leave a message on my Facebook wall.

That Thing Monday Night
When: Generally first Monday of every month (check site for details), 8pm
How much: Free
Where:
Bar Vinyl
6 Inverness Street
Camden Town
NW1 7HJ

Stand Up For the First Time
When: First Tuesday of every month, 7:30pm
How much: Free
Where:
The Miller
96 Snowsfields Road,
London Bridge,
SE1 3SS

Party Piece
When: Every Tuesday, 7:30pm
How much: Free
Where:
 The Queen’s Head,
66 Acton Street,
WC1X 9N

Rudy’s Revenge
When: Every Wednesday, 8pm
How much: £3
Where:
Rudy’s Revenge
168 High Holborn,
WC1V 7AA

Freedom of the Fringe
When: Every Thursday, 8pm
How much: Free
Where:
The Torriano
71-73 Torriano Avenue
Kentish Town
NW5 2SG

Laugh Out London LIVE!
When: First Friday of every month, 8pm
How much: Free
Where:
Queen’s Head Inn
Denman Street,
W1D 7HN 

If you’re new to stand-up, here are a few tips which will help you get bookings:

• Stick to your time limit.
  I see too many new comedians booked for 5 minute spots and waver towards (and sometimes past) 10. While it’s not always vital, sticking to your allocated time shows professionalism and preparation and is more likely to get you repeat bookings. Remember: It’s best to leave the audience wanting more, rather than have them tire of you. Nick Sun won Australia’s Raw Comedy Competition AND went on to win So You Think You’re Funny - his set was 3 minutes long.
• Have some jokes prepared.
  It sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised at the amount of new comics who decide “just to go on stage and be naturally funny”. They’re so very rarely “naturally funny”. Having jokes prepared is especially important if you’re performing in a new room. Gain the promoter’s trust by starting and ending with some material you’re confident with. Prove you’re funny and next time you’ll have some more lee-way to experiment with new stuff.
• Suss out your rooms.
  Sussing out rooms is fun. It’s when you can pretend you’re a big-shot talent scout. Check out listing sites (such as http://laughoutlondon.co.uk/gig-listings/ or http://www.timeout.com/london/comedy/) and see what Open Mic Nights are near you. Then grab some friends and be punters for a night! This way you can gauge what a room’s atmosphere is like, the sort of acts they book and the crowds they get before you try getting on the line-up. The other good thing about attending a gig before requesting a spot there is that it shows respect and loyalty to the promoter. Plus, you’ve got a bigger chance of booking something if the promoter has met you in person. This is why I haven’t supplied any contact details for the promoters of the rooms I listed.
• Stay for the WHOLE gig if you can.
  Some people double up their gigs, so this can be difficult, but if you don’t have a proper excuse, try staying ‘til the end. Not only does this give you a good chance to network at the end of the night (many acts run their own comedy nights which they may book you for), but also - it’s just polite! Treat your fellow performers with the same amount of respect you’d like them to treat you with.

I hope this has helped. If any punters out there would like me to list my favourite London rooms in general, you can also Tweet me or leave a message on my Facebook wall.

Good luck!