If you are a comic, and you have been grinding on open mics and bar room shows for months on end, and someone finally books you on a show. Perhaps, promote it, invite people, to see what you have been working on for months, years, decades.
I've been doing this for a while, and I am pretty good at it, but I have yet to make a chair laugh. If you can, you didn't, but I would like to meet your pharmacist.
Especially when it is a FREE show. If you can't inspire people to turn off some shitty TV show like, "Two and a Half Men" and get off their fat American asses to come watch you do something original. You either A) know you suck, B) aren't original.
I know the whole, "I'm an artist issue," I get,Honestly I do. I tell dick jokes too. I realize that comics in LA are a commodity, just like 99 cent stores, tranny prostitutes and taco trucks. There is a fine line between good and bad, and no one cares if you get on stage again, unless YOU do.
Here's another idea, tell people a few days/week BEFORE the show. Not the day of.
People have significant others, childcare issues, stuff they want to DVR, and the like. Don't wait to the last second to invite people to see something you SHOULD be proud of.
There are a 1000 comics in LA that want/need stage time, and if you aren't proud enough to invite your friends...well fuck you. Posting something on facebook is great, but printing up fliers, and giving them to your coworkers, neighbors, family, the cute chick/cat at Starbucks, drycleaner, classmate, rapist, poker buddies, maid, tranny prostitute.
If the only people you know are other comics, then you are lying and/or are a failure at life.
Effort is all that is asked. I can't expect you to tell jokes when I doubt you wipe your own ass.
Chairs don't laugh, don't buy drinks, and clubs close when people don't try.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Go Raiders, Go OState
Here, here! I'm a promotions whore. Chairs suck.
ReplyDeleteSO true... you're right Matt.. everyone has this.. I'm a comic not a promoter attitude, which is true and i agree with that.. but damn it.. promote yourself if you don't want to promo the show itself... it's few and far between that rooms turn up allowing you to do more than 10 minutes of stage time, unless you know the club owner personally, or are the obvious headliner, which most of us are not yet..when finding a place that allows you to do you... it'd be nice if you let people know you're going to be doing it... take pride in you, if you don't promo you, no one will... and if you can't prove that you can bring people out then you are not a marketable artist... therefore you are not profitable, and we all know where this is going...
ReplyDeletegreat blog matt:)