Well, I signed up for this talent show thingamajig thing where there are cash prizes to the winners. So in my feeble little mind I thought, "Why Not? I'll give it a go." I'm not a singer or a dancer and the only talent others have told me is that I should do stand up. I have never taken that first step any where like with open mic nights at comedy clubs or any other competitions. But I have always wanted to give it a go and see what happens. So I signed up to do stand up. Now I am doubting my self and scared as hell. I go through the set in my head and it appears funny but I may be deluding myself. It is this week. Yikes.
I hope it goes better than how it is going in my head.
Has there been something your had to do or needed to do but your were so scared to do it? How did you deal? What was the out come?
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Bravery or stupidity?
Get drunk.
Get really really drunk.
Hey, I did that!
I play a lot of guitar, at gigs and jam nights and so forth, but last year I made a pact with a friend to sing at my local jam night. Never did it before but it seemed like a fun idea. That was a mistake. As the time got nearer I was feeling much like you describe, then on the night, crapping meself!
I put my name on the list and thought "I know, I'll have a little drink to calm my nerves". That was mistake No.2. And 3. And 4 and 5 and 6. After six pints of 5% lager, not only could I not sing, I couldn't play either!
Next day I wanted the ground to swallow me up, but then something funny happened. Nothing - I didn't die of shame. The world kept turning. Nobody tortured me over it - much. By the next jam night it didn't seem to matter if it all went wrong, so I kept it down to a sensible four pints and got up to do my thing. Went down a storm!
I suppose the moral of this tale is, don't be afraid to fall on your ass, 'cos when you're on your ass, the only way is up.
Good luck and let me know how you get on.
Sometimes you gotta throw yourself to the wolves. Fearing something and not going through with it can often be worse, as you have to live with it. If you did bad, at least you KNOW where you stand.
Practice first if you can. Even if you're bad. Getting familiar with whatever you need to do can help.
A drink can certainly help. Maybe enough to feel just buzzed, usually calms the nerves. Drunkenness is basically asking to fail.
I think I've come better out of any situation where I needed to be brave beyond where I stood. I did karaoke for the first time about 2 months ago. Did two songs, no one really clapped or cared much.
Did it again half a month ago to AC/DC's Dirty Deeds. Turned some heads this time, but I felt a million times better about it. Heck, I had fun that time.
First cut being the deepest, afterall.
Has there been something your had to do or needed to do but your were so scared to do it? How did you deal? What was the out come?My tax return… -_-
My experience teaching digital animation had that crowd element. I was a little worried about talking in front of a big group of people that were only a bit younger than me, and a 3rd of them much older than me… But it worked out ok. Perhaps it's the "superiority" arrogance thing I can't help doing sometimes (I get that from my dad), but the thing is the students seemed to turn into biddable, obedient kids… Strange, among them was a 60 year old mining executive, professionals, grandmothers, artistic moustachioed hip young groovers…
You can't expect the same thing from an audience though, especially not ones listening to comedy. They usually consider themselves your equals, unlike students. :)
But maybe if you didn't really think too much about them? Just think of it like telling jokes to your family members, or friends. Think of the audience as a big group of friends who've come to see you. I don't know if that helps, but it'd work for me. ^_^
I could probably do stand up once if I had to, you just compile the stories you tell people that make people laugh and then try to smooth them out to be as funny as possible.
i wouldn't want to make a habit of it though. Most of the comedy I write is in dialouge or is self depricating. I would choke out on a stage.
Good luck!
I suppose the moral of this tale is, don't be afraid to fall on your ass, 'cos when you're on your ass, the only way is up.
I got to agree with this, I'm a drummer since I was a 15 years old, now at 40, I remember the many times I blew some intros or how many times I dropped a drumstick at the start of a drum solo, at the moment I felt like the ground below me opened up and swallowed me but as Ironscarfs said; In the end what doesn't kill you makes you stronger and you'll get the experience with time. Now i don't fell the need to impress anyone, now I just look forward to have a good time and enjoy the show and once in a while drop the stick or miss the intros.
Public speaking and instruction is easy for me. You could even say I'm a natural. I can teach just about anything and have gone through several intensive courses on how to do it right. Most people don't. At times it hurts for me to sit through a bad presentation. Power Point is a tool and visual aid, not a crutch. (or a wheel chair in some cases)
As for stand-up I could do it, I've been told I should do it as I'm very quick with come-backs which is one necessity with most stand-up audiences. I just don't want to break into it. I have horrific stage fright which I can channel into the performance, but it's exhausting and I don't know if I manage two shows a night. :)
Six classes a day is a bit easier because you don't have to talk the whole time. There it's the planning that sucks.
As for facing other fears: it is very hard, but sometimes you just got to say "What the fuck?" and do it. FIDO.
Like that Dog and Pony show I did for the governor and a bunch of high political types or that luncheon with a bird colonel and a full ambassador or going totally speechless when I met my favorite Civil War History author in person (William C. Davis, the guy who is on the History Channel alot)
It depends on what you're comfortable with and what you can be confident about.
I once had to introduce an event which also included a fashion show in Atlanta, about 10 years ago. I started off by reading a proclamation of the event day from the City's office, which almost killed things, because apparently I was nervous reading things. A friend came up behind me and softly said "BREATHE, Allen!" I got through the rest and started telling a personal story. As soon as I started the improvisation, I was relaxed, comfortable and made it through the rest with no problems. Reading something was confining for some reason but I like to talk to people.
If you're going to do stand up, you have to believe in your own jokes, or noone else will.
I remember I used to tell stories to people. For example two friends that were at my place, I used to tell them a very visual story (with striking poses and all) about how they fight superhero style. The one punches the other, and that the other bounces of the third wall (after smashing through the first two) and retaliates, stuff like that. So I was showing the moves, waving my arms around and all fo that was happening in real locations of the neighbourhood, so it was pretty visual.
But that's with two people. Perhaps three. Around five people I start to get nervous, and I start stuttering if I have to speak to 20 or more people. The bigger the group, the more nervous I get.
So yeah, sorry but I have no advice there :)
Ha Ha… yeah…Has there been something your had to do or needed to do but your were so scared to do it? How did you deal? What was the out come?My tax return… -_-
I teach Cartoon Art to anywhere between 20 and 120 children four days a week. (My lessons are popular because I entertain while I teach)
My tip: Be Yourself. If you stay true to yourself you may at worse appear slightly uninteresting…
However if you try to be someone or something you're not then you will always come across as a try hard loser.
And when you are simply being yourself you are confident and relaxed… look at other stand-up performers… there have been a few 'flash-in-the-pan' successes who have made a show out of pretending to be something….
…. but the ones that last are always simply themselves, often their jokes aren't really that funny, but people laugh because the performer is confident and relaxed, making their audience confident and relaxed…. relaxed people laugh easily.
Oh, and be happy to make yourself look like a fool, if you screw up your lines or whatever, confidence makes you laugh at your own screw-up and that makes others laugh too. Don't be scared to do a funny walk or movement or be very expressive in some way.
And don't try and memorise your lines, the funniest moments will come off the cuff, your story may wander a bit but that's funny too.
But once again it comes down to self-confidence. Pre-performance nerves are ok, but make sure you take some deap breaths to relax, swing your arms a bit just before you go on too, loosen up and RELAX!
Always remember people will be there to hear YOU, not your lines and pre-made up jokes… they want a glimpse into what makes you tick, your personality, your unique viewpoints on this adventure of life we are all on… this is what people relate to.
HAVE FUN!
Drunkenness is basically asking to fail.
I take exception to this! We didn't just suddenly get up on two legs and invent language and art you know: if it wasn't for those fermented apples, we'd still be living in caves and calling our kids Ug and Og.
Tree of knowledge? It comes in bottles now.
Drunkenness is basically asking to fail.
I take exception to this! We didn't just suddenly get up on two legs and invent language and art you know: if it wasn't for those fermented apples, we'd still be living in caves and calling our kids Ug and Og.
Tree of knowledge? It comes in bottles now.
And you know who invented beer; the Egyptians and Sumerians. They invented civilization. Do you think anyone who was sober would have come up with the pyramids?
Hey, let's pile up a shitload of rocks!
How the Set are we gonna do that?
Get ev-ev-everybody to help us!
By Horus how we gonna do that?
Well I am the son of Ra and a living god, and we got this beer stuff. Give everyone enough of a buzz (like us) and they'll do it!
Works for me. Pour me another beer Pharaoh and put a head on this one!
One thing I always wondered Che-che-ops how the Horus do-do we pronounce our names when we're drunk?
I am Phar-roah, row, row, row, row your barge right down the Nile…
Hmm maybe I could do stand-up. I have been told I am one heck of a story teller (I kind of like the word raconteur, it's actually on my business card)
Drunkenness is basically asking to fail.
I take exception to this! We didn't just suddenly get up on two legs and invent language and art you know: if it wasn't for those fermented apples, we'd still be living in caves and calling our kids Ug and Og.
Tree of knowledge? It comes in bottles now.
I agree, let's rename this post…Brewery or stupidity I choose beer anytime, LOL
Update:
I didn't win.
It was a talent competition so the top three were all singers with great singing voices but would never make it on American Idol.
But everyone in the audience laughing and love the set and congratulated me several times over after my set. But it came down to the judges who preferred the music acts over my stand up.
Oh well.
I have to tell I was nervous as a baby kitten in a dog house.
My leg kept twitching with nervousness and afterward I was sweating like a hog.
I am glad I did it however.
May I can try again next year or maybe an actual improv open mic night… who knows?
Update:Midgy stand up?
I didn't win.
It was a talent competition so the top three were all singers with great singing voices but would never make it on American Idol.
But everyone in the audience laughing and love the set and congratulated me several times over after my set. But it came down to the judges who preferred the music acts over my stand up.
Oh well.
I have to tell I was nervous as a baby kitten in a dog house.
My leg kept twitching with nervousness and afterward I was sweating like a hog.
I am glad I did it however.
May I can try again next year or maybe an actual improv open mic night… who knows?
I wish I could've seen it!
Yeah, I may end up singing in a band for either my school's talent show or a at coffee house. I hope I can, because it would probably be a lot if fun!
Update:
I didn't win.
It was a talent competition so the top three were all singers with great singing voices but would never make it on American Idol.
But everyone in the audience laughing and love the set and congratulated me several times over after my set. But it came down to the judges who preferred the music acts over my stand up.
Oh well.
I have to tell I was nervous as a baby kitten in a dog house.
My leg kept twitching with nervousness and afterward I was sweating like a hog.
I am glad I did it however.
May I can try again next year or maybe an actual improv open mic night… who knows?
I'm glad for you dude, you had the courage to do it and that what's important. Congratulations anyway, you still won experience. Way to go!
Update:
I didn't win.
It was a talent competition so the top three were all singers with great singing voices but would never make it on American Idol.
But everyone in the audience laughing and love the set and congratulated me several times over after my set. But it came down to the judges who preferred the music acts over my stand up.
Oh well.
I have to tell I was nervous as a baby kitten in a dog house.
My leg kept twitching with nervousness and afterward I was sweating like a hog.
I am glad I did it however.
May I can try again next year or maybe an actual improv open mic night… who knows?
Congrats. At least they laughed. That's means something.
If I tried to do stand up, the only laughs I'd get would be from tripping.
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