Comedy:
How to Book a Comedian’s Gigs
Going to stand up comedy gigs is a favorite pastime. Young and old, male or female, they just can’t resist to let themselves hang loose whenever they go to a comedy bar and listen to a great comedian package things in a funny way.
If you are an aspiring comedian, having the charisma and good punch lines are, unfortunately, not enough. There are seemingly unimportant parts of the gig that you have to go through to be able to make it to the big leagues, or at least make a name for your self.
One of the most important things that a comedian has to do before he starts a gig is to prepare. Hours of practice in front of a mirror or a small audience won't mean anything if you don't have a gig. Booking gigs is a major part of the career of a comedian.
Not all comedians have the luxury of having a personal assistant or a manager who takes care of the matters concerning the gig bookings and preparation, especially those who are just starting out.
Here are some effective tips and reminders for anyone who would like to start a gig somewhere in town:
-Buy a decent recording device
The first thing that comedy clubs and bars look for from an aspiring comedian is some sample materials. You probably have so many funny ideas which have slipped away because you thought that you’d remember it an hour after you thought of it, but you didn’t. If you thought of something funny, it’s always better to record it verbally rather than write it. Stand up comedy is a performance art and isn't a script writing thing.
Recoding it verbally allows you to be able to hear yourself deliver the line so that you can change the way you do it if it doesn’t appeal to your taste.
After recording some notes, you would probably want to do a sample tape. Sample tapes are important especially if you haven’t had a first gig yet. There are comedy bars which require some sample tapes from the applicant comedians before they invite him for an assessment performance.
What you would want to do is invite some of your friends to come over for a sample performance. When you make a sample tape, it’s important that the sound of laughter (genuine, and not canned laughter) is present. Don’t coerce your friends to laugh if they don’t find your performance particularly funny.
-Scout the different comedy clubs
Comedy isn't as generic as some people would think. There are different “genres” of stand up comedy and not all can be appreciated by a certain group of people. Make sure that you have had a first hand feel of the composition of the club’s audience before you request for a gig. Start with the bars which you feel would appreciate your scripts best.
-Be organized
You may want to jot down notes and keep an organized calendar containing the different activities for the gigs, including the preparation and the minute details. Once you get the gigs to roll in, there will come a time that more than one gig can occur in one night. So make sure that you know all the details of your gigs.
-Build connections
The hardest part in booking gigs is finding the right people whom you can talk to. Once you have a network and have infiltrated the existing ones, getting gigs will be much easier.
-Don’t stop with comedy clubs
There are other venues where you can show your funny stuff. Parties and different functions can serve as good gigs. Some of them pay much higher than a regular gig at a comedy club. So have your calling card ready all the times so that you can quickly build a pool of potential audience.
-Build a website
Marketing is very important in getting a continuous supply of gigs. A website is a dynamic marketing tool because it can be accessed by anyone. What makes it effective is that it is tool that uses multimedia. You can upload recordings and scripts up on the net for anyone to see.
All the tips and reminders that are discussed above wouldn’t really amount to anything if you don’t work hard. Make sure that you balance your preparation for the performance and handling the nitty gritty details that come along with booking your gigs.
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