So a little disclaimer to start here… I’m not a professional comedian. I don’t think I’m the greatest comedian ever. I’m not perfect at following these tips and part of the reason I’m writing this is for my own benefit. Also, some of these tips might not be good advice for every type of comedian. But I feel like I’ve learned some important lessons over the last few years that some people haven’t thought about.
Don’t be overly critical of yourself.
I may have a good set, but I find myself focusing on the one joke I fucked up. It’s good to find ways to improve, but you have to let yourself enjoy having a pretty good (though not perfect) set.
Don’t be a douche to other comics.
Realize that just because YOU don’t think another comedian is funny, doesn’t mean an audience won’t. Also realize that just because a comedian sucks now, doesn’t mean they won’t be phenomenal in 2 years. So limit your shit talking and be kind to other comedians.
Get the audience to like you first.
I like to start my sets with some, quick personal jokes about my name and appearance as an introduction and to get people comfortable with me. If the audience is on your side, it’s much easier to make them laugh. Some comedians can be successful coming off as douchebags… so perhaps that could be you, but it’s not for me.
Save edgy material for later in your set.
Certain famous comics can be edgy in a set from start to finish. People know them. They do not know you. So you need to ease them into your edgier shit. You need to gradually feel them out and get dirtier and dirtier. If you start with an edgy joke that doesn’t land, have fun digging yourself out of that hole for the rest of your set.
Keep your ego in check.
You may think you’re the funniest think since sliced bread. But acting like a primadonna who was sent from heaven isn’t going to endear yourself to the audience or to other comics. And no matter how good you are, you can always get better.
Realize there is a line.
I’m not a fan of cancel culture and I believe you have the right to say whatever you want; but people (club owners, other comedians, and the audience) have the right to get mad at you for what you say. Everything I say, even if it’s super harsh, I try to make it clear in my tone of voice and expressions that I’m just joking and it shouldn’t be taken that seriously. Especially if you’re a white guy, you’re under more scrutiny for what you’re allowed to say as far as race and gender are concerned [this could be a whole separate blog post, but I won’t get into it now]. Most people who get offended at jokes are being unreasonable (it’s a freaking joke) but sometimes you need to realize when you’ve crossed a line and not cross it again.
Put on your own show.
Sometimes the easiest way to get stage time is to put on your own show. But keep in mind that booking, hosting, and promoting a show can be a royal pain in the ass. For the money I make producing shows, my calculated hourly wage is ridiculously low… but it’s something I enjoy doing, and it’s rewarding to help other comics in their journey, so it doesn’t feel like work.
Don’t take anything personally.
As a comic, you are putting yourself in a position to be absolutely shit on. Realize that everyone has a different sense of humor and that there are some people out there who will never find you funny, and that’s ok. In my worst sets I’ve seen one or two people who are really enjoying me, and in my best sets I’ve noticed a person or two who just isn’t amused. You don’t have to take anyone else’s opinion of you or your material personally. It’s JUST their opinion, not the objective truth.
Don’t live for compliments or die from criticism.
Getting compliments can feel good. But it’s actually feeding your insecurity. You may have had a great set, but if you’re conditioned to receive praise, your ego will take a hit if nobody praises you afterward. All that matters is if you had fun on stage and if the audience had fun laughing at you. And especially take compliments from other comedians with a grain of salt, because they could just be kissing your ass, plus they shouldn’t be the target demographic for your jokes. (Comedians tend to have a more twisted sense of humor than the general population.) Take criticisms into consideration, because they can sometimes be valid, but at the end of the day it’s your decision whether it’s useful, or whether you should completely ignore it. The person offering you criticism was *probably* trying to be helpful, but either way, just use the dis as motivation to get better.
Write some clean material.
Dick jokes are pretty easy to write. Clean material is more difficult. And being able to work clean can open up more opportunities for you.
Don’t use curse words as filler words.
When I say the word “fuck” in my set, there’s a very specific reason for it. And when you’re peppering your set with your Tourette’s, you may cheapen the effectiveness of a well-placed curse word. Plus, some club owners don’t want some unprofessional kid just slinging curse words around for cheap laughs.
Don’t steal material.
I’ve noticed some famous, and not so famous comics steal material and premises. It’s a shortcut to being funny, but it will come back to bite you in the ass. There are also some basic premises and topics that are just so well-worn that you’d be hard-pressed to write a truly original joke about it.
Pay attention to your volume.
I hate when comics hold the microphone so far away from their mouth it’s not even registering, or they speak so softly (or mumble) that they can’t be heard. And if you’re going to yell, for the love of god, move the mic further away from your mouth. People don’t want to have their ears bleed when they listen to you.
Not all stage time is quality stage time.
Being several years into comedy, I see no reason to go to an open mic where the audience is 5 other comics. It’s not a good test of your material to deal with a small crowd, and comedians often have a twisted or weird sense of humor. You could get a room of comedians laughing with a joke that would get crickets from an actual crowd.
Don’t do a full set of new material.
If your new material isn’t working out for whatever reason, you’re up a creek without a paddle. You should be prepared to throw in some old standbys to get you back on track.
Don’t give up on jokes right away.
You may have a good joke in there that just needs to be reworked. Or you may just be performing a good joke in front of the wrong audience for it.
Get a voice recorder.
A quality voice recorder is great for recording and reviewing your sets (a phone is fine for this). But I love having a stand-alone voice recorder I can turn on in the middle of the night and record a funny thought without even opening my eyes.
Find a way to give yourself a calm confidence before your set.
I like shadowboxing when I have a lot of nervous energy, or some quick breath focus exercises… but you do whatever makes you feel good.
Update your set.
It has to be boring doing the same jokes night after night. Keep your greatest hits around, but definitely throw in some newer bits from time to time to keep things fresh for you and the crowd (if they’ve seen you before).
Do material that makes you laugh.
I’ve done some of my jokes so many times that I don’t think they’re funny, but I realize the audience think’s they’re funny so I’ll keep doing. But pretty much every joke or song I do now has made me laugh or chuckle when I wrote it.
Don’t get lazy with your delivery or feel scripted.
I had a closer that used to kill every time. Then after a couple years I realized it was barely getting any laughs. I went back and watched an old video where I saw that I was really into and selling the joke… when I do it today it just sounds overly rehearsed and scripted.
Keep your day job.
I bet there were people that quit their jobs in February 2020 right before the pandemic hit and then overnight their new livelihood was stripped away from them. If you get to that level just be reasonably sure you can make it as a working comic. There’s pursuing your dreams, and then there’s being a reckless dumbass.
Have goals.
You don’t necessarily need to have the goal of “Be a Rich and Famous Comedian”. It’s probably better to have smaller goal along the way. Maybe your goal is just to perform once a month on a decent show. Don’t look down on other comedians if their goals are different than yours. Everyone is on their own journey in comedy.
You can always get better.
It seems like many comedians peak at the age of 50+. They have decades of experience, still have their edge, and haven’t declined mentally yet. If you’ve read this far, you’re not their yet and have years to grow. So just try to learn and improve with each set.
Other bits of advice.
Move the mic stand. – If you remove the mic from the holder, move the mic stand to the side. It took me way too long to realize that I wasn’t doing this.
Don’t run over the light. – It’s not worth potentially pissing of the booker.
Get a tight 5 minutes together. – Some new comics constantly do new material. Focus on perfecting a few bits before adding in more stuff.
Get a ton of stage time. – Duh.