A blog about grass-roots live comedy.
I started standup in 2017, and since then I’ve written this on-and-off blog about my experiences at open mics. It used to be called “Diary of a Comedy Newbie” but I’m not really a newbie any more, just a comedy industry bottom-feeder who doesn’t know how to quit.
A couple of months ago somebody posted on the Comedy Collective asking if anybody would be interested in an open mic in Horsham, East Sussex. I didn’t know the guy, but I signed up for it because I live on the very southern border of London and it’s just as easy to get to Surrey … Read more
By way of a quick recap; I started doing standup in 2017 because I was struggling a bit with life (3 kids and a career you hate will do that to you) and doing standup felt like a way of taking back some degree of control, something I could just do by myself, for myself. … Read more
It’s been a while since I posted so I should probably give you an update on how it’s been running a comedy open mic. When I got the opportunity I was pretty excited because having an open mic on my doorstep is very convenient, especially since I host it myself so I get at least … Read more
I’ve only done a few gigs since my last update – all seemed to go pretty well, but nothing to write home about. I’ve been mixing up new and old material, and it’s all progressing nicely. The big news is that I’m now going to be running an open mic in New Malden on Tuesday … Read more
Last week I did my first spot at LOLipops Comedy – an open mic that runs at a couple of different venues in Southwark on Tuesday and Thursday nights. I did the Thursday night show at The Ship on Borough High St. I didn’t really know what to expect from the night, but it ended … Read more
After nearly a couple of months out of circulation I really needed to start doing some spots again, so I could try out some new material and work on building a completely new set. As I’ve mentioned previously, I’m very bored of the material I’ve already got and, even though it works pretty well a … Read more
Just a quick update, as I realise I’ve not posted anything since May. I’ve not done many spots for the past month or so, mostly because I had a lot going on in my day job, some minor health problems (all sorted now) and then going on holiday for a while. All of which coincided … Read more
Last night I was back at Sam Rhodes Comedy Explosion at Maltby St Market, where I closed the show again, and just like last time it went pretty well. I even remembered to film myself this time, so I have an objective record that it was a great set and not just my memory playing … Read more
I’ve not been gigging as much as I should recently, mostly because of being too lazy to get any spots booked in. I sometimes forget that doing stand-up actually requires a shitload of admin at this level, and unless I’m constantly on the ball with applying for spots then it’s all too easy to find … Read more
I feel completely stuck in a rut at the moment. I’ve been doing a lot of 10 minute bar shows and, while it’s been great to get those longer sets, they’ve just not been going particularly well. While I’m always keen to beat myself up over everything I did wrong after a mediocre set, most … Read more