A tight 10

I had wanted to talk about gong shows a little in this blog as I am back taking part in them to ease some new stuff into my set and also re introduce some older bits that work in a more low brow way.
There is no need for me to say much about gong shows really as one of my peers Jay Islaam has written a superb blog about the gong shows and I urge anyone who is reading this that has not read Jay's piece please do, it leaves me needing to say nothing about the gong show other than I will be taking part in a few this year as I work on little new elements to my set and try up my laughs per minute.

So what can I talk about?? well I will talk about being self aware is a subject I think that new comedians need to think about, what is being self aware? I often though that being aware of what I write was my strength but I'm not even sure I am clued up as to how poor my quality control may be?

I'm still a new act less than 2 years since I started performing, although thanks to a hugely busy August, September, October and November I shot past my gig target which I guess ages me as a comedian, that said, London acts scoff at my gig rate I'm sure.

I'm lucky to be in a position where I am able to gig a lot, but what is the point in gigging every other night if I can't look at myself and be critical. when I say critical I mean I mean in a constructive sense as its pointless just hating everything although characteristic of a lot of acts to be eternally self critical and not just in their work. I don't wish to dwell on the state of mind of acts as I could only really talk from my own personal experiences so to stay on topic I want to look at myself as an act. I have written hours of stuff, hours of awful stuff to get minutes of less awful stuff, I have such poor quality control but I spent 3 months watching new act nights before I 1st took to the stage back in March 2012, I saw what audiences seemed to like a tailored my writing to that, I totally forgot the 6 years of monthly pro nights I ran or the hundreds of pro nights I attended and all the brilliant acts I saw I just focused on what the audiences liked at these amateur nights and wrote to a style. This style works to a degree, I learnt how to be funny, how to use the mic and how to conduct myself on stage and off even. All this is well and good but to move through the ranks you have to identify what would work an a pro night to a more knowledgeable comedy crowd, I mean why don't open spots laugh at other open spots? because they are secretly hoping all other open spots are rubbish to clear the way for them to success? maybe but mainly because they can see the punchlines coming and the reason? because they themselves are connoisseurs and most open spots haven't yet identified the stuff that needs to be dumped and how to evolve. I haven't, i hate that but I'm trying so hard to move into the quality of stuff that makes me an in demand act. The fact I'm aware I need to work harder on material this year does not make me self aware, I have been asked to take my 1st attempt at a solo show on a mini tour. Now why would an act at my level even have a solo show? writing a quality routines is hard, writing a 20 min set very hard, so writing an hour? at my level? well be honest with yourself Jim it will not be very good, in fact I knew this so opted to only do 45 mins. This is a tall order for a new act yet I wanted to see if I could manage it.

As it happens when I watched the video back there was a very passable 25 mins. 25 mins that is passable is hardly Edinburgh worthy but at least I know and taking the show on this mini tour (small venues in Leeds Hudds Donny and Blackburn) is more a case of me trying to make it a solid enough show to go to Edinburgh.

So how much self awareness am I showing? i'm not sure but i'm at least trying to ensure some kind of quality, but another issue is the idea that I have 20 mins when the reality is that its heavily convoluted and actually only a 10 min set in reality, don't tell people you have 20 if you haven't identified that your set needs tightening.
I'm not saying this to be critical of open spots or newer acts, just that the idea they may not be aware of things that are in need of a touch up.
There are a few other things that could fall into self awareness category. A lot of acts think having 10 mins means they should prepare a 10 min set and finish the set even if audience interaction or something else means that 10 mins are up before they have finished all the prepared set. Just stick to your time even if you haven't got it all out going to 12 mins is not fair if acts later need to cut their set down. Oh and a tight 10 is not getting off stage at bang on 10 mins, its having a lot of jokes and quality stuff in your 10 mins.

Also new act who take on MC duties but make the night about themselves in many ways, they fail to spot when the audience are laughing and its prime to get an act on and feel the need to do 'stuff' between every act, don't get the acts on to a warm audience or just go on too long this another thing I feel a little self awareness would resolve. Especially as the MC is the most important act in many ways, a discussion for another post perhaps.

Acts who are edgy, dark or dirty don't have to shock people either, if that is the direction you want to go then fine, but you are not going to be Frankie Boyle, Anthony Jeselnik or Jim Jefffries straight away so maybe just reel it in a little 1st and learn the how to make people like you 1st so you have some control before going on the offensive!

I believe everyone, no matter what level you are at, how poor or great your writing and how poor or great your performing is, can make themselves a quality act if they just have a little self awareness, sadly not enough acts do and that may be all that is holding them back.