Posts tagged 2011

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!

Even Whores Get Paid

I was slipped a £10 note after a gig the other night which surprised me. Not because I’m not used to getting paid (your Mum pays me all the time - Heyooo!*), but because it was a new material night. I’d only done 5 or so minutes and it was experimental at that, so I wasn’t expecting any payment. Comedians do new material nights because the payment IS being able to try out a new set to a relatively supportive crowd, not for any financial gain.

Then I thought back and realised that every time I’ve done that particular gig, I’ve been slipped a bit of money afterwards; because the guy who runs it is awesome. He gets a good paying crowd in and while it’s always an intimate affair, there’s usually enough money made to split amongst the acts at the end, or at least pay for a round of drinks. He could just take all the money as payment for his time and trouble for running the whole thing, but he’s aware that without the acts, it’s not much of a comedy night, so he does what he can to thank them.

This is an increasingly rare phenomenon within the comedy industry.

Since becoming a full time comedian** I’ve had to be more vigilant when taking bookings. I’ve had to start asking myself, “What am I worth?” It’s a difficult thing to do, as value - like humour - is subjective. When it comes to booking gigs, I ask myself the following questions:

• What do they want? (Is it an MC or Headliner spot? Do I need to pull out my gold, or is it a casual affair? Do I need to write anything specifically for it?)
• Can anyone else do it? (Are they booking me because they want me specifically, or am I on a list of people they’re approaching?)
• What’s their budget? (Is it corporate, or a charity event?)
• What can I gain from it? (Will I make contacts there? Is there a possibility I will get a paid booking if it goes well? Can I try out new material?)
• Where is it? (Can I get there easily? Do I have to pay for transport?)

These help me decide whether I’m happy to perform for free (if that’s what’s asked of me) or work out how much I should charge.

Bear in mind, while some gigs out there may not pay, they’re good for honing your skills and testing ideas. However, there are rooms who will blatantly exploit comedians and it’s these gigs you need to watch out for.

So, in the words of Liz Lemon, here are my dealbreakers:

• If you’re specifically told you must perform your best material and it’s not a charity event, and you’re not getting paid… that’s a dealbreaker!
• If you’re asked to pay to perform… that’s a dealbreaker!
• If you get less than the pre-agreed amount for a gig because the organiser doesn’t want to dip into the amount they pay themselves… that’s a dealbreaker!
• If you headline or MC a gig where the audience pay money and you’re not offered anything in return… that’s a dealbreaker!
• If the promoter is disrespectful to you or the audience to the point of down-right douchiness… that’s a dealbreaker! (If they offend the entire audience, this reflects badly on you. Don’t be associated with those people, or those nights, unless that’s “your thing”.)

Unfortunately, due to the vast amount of competition out there, a lot of comedians will return to these types of rooms, even if they know they’re being taken for a ride. After all, a free gig is better than no gig, right?

The problem is, when comedians allow themselves to be exploited, they’re making it harder for themselves and others to ever reach a position where they can turn it into a career. Yes, we do comedy for the love of it. (I doubt anyone does it for the money.) But ideally, wouldn’t we all rather do it full time, instead of juggling it with a day job and a social life?

Permitting rooms to exploit you devalues the time, effort and passion you put into your routines. You’re worth more than that. Remember: Even whores get paid.

*Sorry.
**”Since I’m yet to find a day job…”