Know What You Have

Know what you have. Don’t take gigs unless you’re 100% ready to do the time. If its a clean show and all you have is blue, decline. This is a great reason to learn to work clean, as a clean comedian can usually work a blue room but not the other way around. If you go blue in the wrong place it can have serious industry repercussions. Shows can get cancelled and livelihoods can be damaged.

Under-guarantee the time you have so you KNOW your set will be tight. While not a rule, most guest spots are 5-7 minutes. Feature spots 10-20 minutes and 30-60 minutes or more is headline… but every show is different. If a booker can’t tell you the exact length of your set and/or the vibe of the average crowd, be wary. You might be walking into something very unprepared.

Lost of people “fake it til they make it” but that’s pretty hard to do in comedy. If you exaggerate your talent and experience, it’s going to be obvious when you take the stage. It’s better to be honest and humble than deceptive and arrogant. Bookers like to see comedians improve and get better, but not if they jeopardize their production. If you do take a gig out of turn you’re either going to finish early and hang up the mic with time on the clock (breach contract) or run out of material and bomb. If you bomb… expect an early light. It sucks, but not more than walking an audience on your set.

Prepare! Set a timer and do your set in the mirror or shower without looking at the timer. Real sets vary in length because laughter breaks vary. If you’re going over, don’t speed up. Cut jokes. Have a strong opener and closer. (tip: the easiest way to seem clever is to use a “callback” to your opening joke as a closing punchline)

Ending strong is particularly important, it keeps audiences engaged and in their seats and eager to see the next act after you.