Open mic stand-up comedy links

Over the last 12 months, I have performed at a few venues across London that host open mic stand-up comedy nights, so I have put these useful links together for anyone who is interested in giving stand-up comedy a go.




The Comedy Bin
The Comedy Bin arrange several open mic comedy nights at different venues right across London. It is certainly worth getting in contact with Comedybin Jay on Facebook or following on Twitter for more information on how to get on the mailing list and how to book spots.
- Venues include: The Carnivale, The Alchemist, The Retro Pub, T-Bird, The Bowery, The Old School Yard, Dr Inks, and The Railway.

The Cavendish Arms
Every Monday and Tuesday, the Cavendish Arms host Comedy Virgins. This is where I did my first ever stand-up gig and it is one of the best open mic venues on the circuit. The crowd is really supportive and get behind all of the acts. For more information you can follow on Twitter at @CavendishArms or check out the Facebook group.

The Railway
I have a soft spot for the Open Mic nights at The Railway. This is a fairly new night on the circuit, promoting new comedy and music acts. I was there on the first night and I keep going back. One of the few venues where you'll get more than five minutes as a new comedian. Send Openmic Matt a message on Facebook for more information. UPDATE: This is now part of Comedy Bin.

Dirty Dicks
Open mic comedy in the city every Wednesday night called Toyching Cloth. Check out the Dead Comedian's Sock group on Facebook for more information, or email frank.cassidy@gmail.com with the words "Touching Cloth" in the subject title, your name, the date you would like a spot, and if you would like to be filmed (costs £5).

5 Minutes of Fame
These guys host open mic comedy nights at two venues: Rudy's Revenge in Holborn on Wednesday nights, and the Camden Head in Islington on Thursday nights. To book a spot email 5minutesofcomedy@gmail.com with either Wednesday or Thursday in the subject line.

TNT
Tuesday and Thursday nights of comedy at The Torriano in Kentish Arms. If you want to book a gig then email tntgigs@googlemail.com.

The Laughter Lung
A weekly comedy night at The Kings Head in Clapham. Check out the Facebook group for details of how to book slots.

East Meets Jest
Covent Garden open mic comedy at Belushi's. New acts looking for open mic spots can email eastmeetsjest@googlemail.com.

West End Comedy
Open mic night in Leicester Square, not a stones throw from the legendary Comedy Store. Check out details on Facebook by contacting Paul Laight.

Great Comedy Nights
Organisers of the Golden Jester new comedy competition across the South East.

Lions Den Comedy Club
Open mic comedy in the West End at Bar Rumba every Tuesday.

Comedy Cafe
Now into its 20th year of promoting comedy. Every Wednesday they have a New Act Night.

Hoopla
Hoopla hold open mic nights for people who want to try stand-up for the very first time. Check out Steve Roe on Twitter to find out more.

The comeback kid!

Diary of a stand-up comedian Entry #14
After the horror show at The Railway last week, it was nice to get back up on the stage and put that gig to bed. Last night it was back to the Cavendish Arms and I'm pleased to say things went well.

Openmic Matt was on hand to film the set as proof that I can get a bit of a laugh out of a crowd. It wasn't enough to get the Stockwell audience to 'buy me a drink' Cavendish Arms style, but it was enough to make me feel that things were back on track.

New material and a new opportunity!

New gig: I got carded after my gig at
The Cavendish Arms tonight

Diary of a stand-up comedian Entry #6
I have to admit that the gig a couple of weeks ago was a bit of a blow to the ego. It didn't exactly go according to plan, but the good news is that it didn't put me off either.

Earlier in the week I caught up with Gemma Beagley, who hosts Monday nights at the Cavendish Arms, to ask for a bit of advice. Gemma has been on the open mic circuit since November 2009, and she advised me to write some new material and to avoid doing a whole set on one subject, because if the audience don't like the story you're telling them, you don't really have anywhere else to go.

Trying to write something funny that will appeal to everyone is not easy, and I've realised that most of the time when I'm being 'funny' around my friends, it is because I am taking the piss out of them. It's easy because I already know them - I'm not too sure I'll have enough time to go around each audience member to find out a bit about them before going on stage to carry off that routine.

So I sat down and wrote. I tried to write about every day things, like relationships, having babies, holidays, and a bit of nostalgia. It seemed to go okay, and it certainly felt like it was punchier.

A good friend of mine from university, Ben Righton, also performed tonight. Ben is an actor and uses stand-up to keep himself match fit as he calls it. He did a hilarious set about the personalities of different railway stations, and his stage presence was spot-on as you would expect from an actor. He certainly put me in the shade!

But being with Ben looks like it has got me a new gig. After the show a guy called Matt came up to Ben and gave him his card as he is setting up a new comedy night in Streatham, and said how much he enjoyed his set. He then looked at me and it slowly dawned on him that I had performed as well. It was an awkward moment, I'm not too sure he was going to invite me down, but he handed me his card anyway.

Sod it, I'll take what I can get at the moment!

Hmmm, reality check?

Diary of a stand-up comedian Entry #5
I'm not going to lie - after my first crack at stand-up comedy I thought I had made it. I thought all I needed was a few more gigs on the open mic scene and then the comedy agents would be knocking down my door to sign me up.

After all, I was voted the second funniest comic of the evening in my debut performance! I'm a pretty big deal I'll have you know! I had the crowd eating out of the palm of my hand - they loved me back in September! And if you don't believe me, then just ask all 25 of my friends who came down to watch me!

And that right there is the problem. If last night taught me anything it is that stand-up comedy in front of your mates will result in you getting the biggest laugh of the evening because they are their to support you. Unless of course you happen to friends with a group of monks who have taken a vow of silence. If you are friends with monks, my advice would be not to take them to a comedy club. You can have that bit of advice for free.

So in hindsight, if I analyse my debut performance, finishing second in a competition where your mates make up 50% of the judging panel perhaps isn't such a great achievement after all. Even worse, chances are that the other half of the room screamed their lungs out to make sure I didn't get top spot!

Last night wasn't a complete horror show, and as you can see from the video clip I got a few laughs. But it has made me realise that this comedy malarky might not be quite as easy as I first thought...

What a blast!

Diary of a stand-up comedian Entry #3

It is the morning after the night before and I am still buzzing! What a great night it turned out to be - and I was voted second best act behind my good friend Gemma Beagley.

Granted I had about 25 friends in the room and the winners are chosen based on audience reaction, but who cares?! I came second and won a little plastic Subbuteo trophy! And I couldn't have come runner-up to a better person. Gemma was brilliantly funny last night.

As for me, the night was aptly named Comedy Virgins for many reasons. The entire night felt exactly like a carbon copy of the emotions I experienced when I actually lost my virginity. I was excited at first, but slowly the enormity of the evening started to fester on my brain, and as the night went on, the more nervous I became.

The Cavendish Arms have a system whereby they call out random numbers to the crowd to choose from. Each number represents an act so you never know when you're going on. I sat through 20 acts before my number was finally called, but that didn't stop my stomach churning every time we went through the number calling process.

* I'd like to point out at this stage that this comparison is not directly related to when I lost my virginity. I wasn't sitting in a room with numbers being called out before I could have my go *

When the time came I took to the stage, slightly blurry-eyed from the alcohol I had consumed throughout the night, and did my thing. And you know what? I bloody loved every second of it!

Two weeks ago I decided to do the set about the night I actually did lose my virginity, because quite frankly, that was a joke in itself. Perhaps not the most original of material, but I had practiced (in front of a mirror with the door closed, holding a biro up as a makeshift mic), and felt it would be good enough for a first attempt.

I'll let you judge for yourself from this video clip. Unfortunately the camera stops before the final punch line! The punch line was: "The doctor told me that the Hayfever jab was a form on injection and because they inject into my bum, there is a good chance the chemicals will make its way to my groin area and render me impotent... The good news is I haven't sneezed in over a week!"

Comedy Virgin

Diary of a stand-up comedian Entry #2
The people of Stockwell will be laughing at me on September 14! Well, that is the dream anyway...

Hopefully you understand the gist of this blog despite this being only my second post, and understand that I am talking about performing stand-up comedy for the first time, and not lacking a severe amount of ambition; my life-long dream is obviously not to just be laughed at by the people of south London.

On the advice of Miss Gemma Beagley I have chosen The Comedy Virgins night held at the Cavendish Arms in Stockwell to break my comedy cherry. Gemma has told me that the Cavendish Arms is a really friendly place and a great place for a novice comic like me to do my first gig.

It also gives me two weeks to con people into coming along to support me, and fake laughing at the appropriate times.

Hmmm, nerves kicking in already...