Let me see if you are. Answer these questions. You were the class clown in school. You’ve opened for big time comedians and a few big time artists. You get laughs whenever you are on stage. You use music in your routine to hype the crowd. Your friends and fans tell you, “You are funny [...]
Joke Stealers are usually Joke Jackers
July 20, 2011
Peter Hamlett
Either you are a joke stealer or you are not. If you are performing other comedians material, you will always be an amateur in the business. You will find the climb to stardom (TV Specials – Hollywood Films, etc…) more difficult if not impossible. I see lots of comedians who borrow a joke, aka Joke [...]
Spanky Brown, Anything Is Possible
July 20, 2011
Peter Hamlett
Listen to one of my favorite comedians, Spanky Brown talk about how he got in the comedy business.
Using Music in your Stand-up
May 29, 2011
Peter Hamlett
Watch what happens when you don’t control your joke: Was this the DJ’s fault. NO! DJs have different versions of songs, sometimes two or three. George assumed I had the version he hears on the radio. I play requested music from a PC. This did not give me the ability to adjust the start time [...]
Hosting in a Comedy Club
January 29, 2011
Peter Hamlett
Ok…the first problem I have with comedians I hire to host is they forget who they are working for! Hosting a comedy show is tough. It is the lowest paid position on the show but has more rules and regulations than most jobs. The road to becoming a Feature act usually requires you to Host [...]
Get Booked
January 13, 2011
Peter Hamlett
I’m always surprised by the number of open mic’ers and young comedians who try to get booked with nothing but a conversation. Seriously? A club owner is going to put you on her stage, in front of her customers, just because you said you were funny? Just because you won a contest that allowed you [...]
Smart Phone as Fan Database
January 13, 2011
Peter Hamlett
I know several comedians and entertainers that that use their smart phone to collect and store their fans telephone numbers. I was quite surprised the first time I saw it. At the end of his set, the comedian actually pulled out his I-phone and asked his audience to do the same. Then he asked them [...]
Comedy Club Light
August 25, 2010
Peter Hamlett
Getting the light in the Comedy business is SOP, standard operating procedure. It means time to get off stage. Sometimes it means, when you finish this joke or if prearranged some specific allotted time. ie;5 minutes, 10 minutes, etc… however it is a courtesy extended to you. You should know your set well enough to [...]
Song Parody & Tim Wilson
August 23, 2010
Peter Hamlett
Many comedians are musically inclined and have brought their sense of humor to music and video. Some comics use it in their set. One particular favorite of mine, Tim Wilson, offers his talent to radio DJs John Boy and Billy for airplay to get recognition and build name awareness. If you have the gift of [...]
Daniel Tosh & Jay Leno
August 15, 2010
Peter Hamlett
The first time I saw Tosh.0 on Comedy Central I thought another AFV. But I had seen Daniel Tosh do a stand-up special on Comedy Central. His humor is the kind that takes you down a road and then doubles back and slaps you in the ass. Sometimes you get tired of the typical fart/gay/dick [...]
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