Sam Brady's Video Podcast Adventure Thingee

I've been thinking recently about ways to develop material by sharing new ideas with friends and fans on-line.

The best (in fact only) way to develop material is to perform it for an audience. That's why stage time is so crucial. But you can only cram in so much stage time - especially if you have a day job.

So how would you feel if I presented some of my blog posts by video rather than text? Or what if I performed some stuff in development to camera and posted it? Or what other ideas should I use to help you to help me to become a comedy legend? Your ideas would be very welcome.

Yesterday, Stuart Morrison, who runs The Gag Factory comedy club in Guilford, started Gag Factory TV - an online channel for comedians, comedy promoters and comedy fans. He is thinking along the same lines as me and is trying to come up with ways for new comedians to interact with the world. Check out his first video here.

The Second Five Minutes

My next gig is a 10 minute open spot. No gong. Hooray! But it means I need to build another five minutes onto the back of my current 5 minute set. I'm wondering what to do.

My first five minutes is fairly gag-intensive - mainly because I developed it at gong-shows where you've got to keep people laughing the whole time.

But I'm thinking that it might be good to have a change of pace after the first 5 minutes, as gag after gag after gag can get boring. So maybe I could try a longer story that builds to a punchline.

One format I have tried in my previous incarnation as Tony Cannelloni, was to use an embarrassing story. I once did a gig for a Buddhist audience where I told a story about a woman who had collapsed in the shrine room. Tony gives her the kiss of life and then asks her how she is feeling. "Wonderful!" She says, "Just let me finish my prostrations and we can do it all again!"

OK so that joke might need some explanation. 

When a Buddhist is prostrating, they throw themselves down on the floor in supplication to the Buddha as an act of worship. However, Tony, not knowing this, thought she had fainted. By leaping on the woman, loosening her blouse and giving her mouth to mouth, Tony was making something of a faux pas. With that punchline, the Buddhist audience were suddenly aware of the toe-curling cringe-worthiness of the situation and howled with laughter. Job done.

However, I doubt that a crowd of drinkers in a pub in the Black Country will get the "prostration" reference. 

Anyway, the point is I am trying to come up with an example of an embarrassing misunderstanding on which to build a new story. 

Any thoughts?

Sam Brady Stand-up Comedian

Pregnant Man! It's a Miracle!

There are some interesting stories in the news at the moment.

I was amazed to see that Thomas Beatie, the US "pregnant man" who gave birth to a daughter in June, is expecting his second child.

This is a bloke who had a baby! It's a miracle! 

I mean, ok, he did used to be a woman. 

But he had a sex-change operation and now he's legally a man.  

And, ok, this sex-change - he had his breasts removed, but he did keep just a few female bits. Like a womb. And ovaries. And a vagina. 

Wait a minute...that's a woman, isn't it? 

So basically the story is this: a woman with no breasts dressed as a man had a baby. 

It's a miracle!

Sam Brady Stand-up Comedian

On A Roll

Bloody hell I did it again!

Last night I beat the gong at the Maze Club in Nottingham.

It was a lovely gig. The Maze Club is tiny - a little room with about 60 people crammed into it and a neat little stage in the corner. I didn't know what to expect as I had already formed the belief that I don't do well with small audiences (based, very rationally, on the evidence of one bad night in Liverpool).

I did exactly the same set as the night before with exactly the same results which was extremely satisfying. I now feel I've got a solid five minute set to build on.

The format was similar to Beat the Frog except that, before the clap-off, every act who had beaten the gong got one more minute to make the audience laugh. This is good if you are on first as it gives you a chance to remind the audience of your act before the vote. And I was on first. Again.

I sat and thought about what to do in that final minute. I had 2 short routines in mind, one which was tried and tested and one that I had never done before. I decided that trying new material was more important than trying to win so I went with the new material. I was glad I did because: a) I wouldn't have won anyway - the winner was brilliant and b) I found out that my new material was a bit shit. It got a laugh - but the punchline didn't merit the quite complicated set up and it wasn't up to the standard of my earlier set.

So, all in all, a really successful couple of days. I've achieved my first goal and I've learned loads. I am well chuffed.

Sam Beats the Frog

The Frog is defeated.

Last night I managed for the first time to survive on a gong show. It was a great feeling to hear the winner's music for a change, instead  of "I'm a loserrrrr, so why don't ya kill meeeeeeee".

But the best thing of all was to hear the laughter. It wasn't a full house but there were over 200 people there which made for a good atmosphere.

I used some of the usual material but sharpened it up a bit and was pleased with how it went. I did: Prison; Buddhism; Catholic School; and Boob Jobs.

It was exciting to do some Buddhist stuff as this is something I want to work more into the act. It went down really well. The Boob Jobs routine went down a storm - I thought one woman in the front row was going to have to be carried out. It may be puerile, but hey, it works. Some people think it's old fashioned - I prefer to call it postmodern.

I didn't win the clap off - in fact I my applause level was fairly underwhelming. But I comfort myself with the fact that I was on first and after eleven acts, two hours and several pints, most people had probably forgotten me.

It was also nice to have my mate Manjunaga in the audience.

Bonus Appearance at the Frog

Just got a last minute booking at The Frog & Bucket gong show for tonight!

I don't feel very well-prepared and it seems like ages since that last difficult night at a gong show in Liverpool, but what the hell. You have to take the gigs when they come along.

I was planning on going along as part of the audience anyway tonight so this is a smashing surprise.

Tomorrow I have another gong show in Nottingham so it will be interesting to do two on the bounce. Hopefully I can learn things tonight that I can carry over into tomorrow's gig.

So here we go. Another chance to make a dick of myself in front of 300 people. Some conservative MPs pay good money for this kind of humiliation.

Can't wait.

Obamarama

I've been watching the wall to wall coverage of the Presidential election this morning. Here is what I learned.

1. The USA has elected its first black president. (hooraaaay!)

2. Things are going to change! (hooraaaay!)

3. His grandma is dead (aaaawwwww)

4. He is going to buy a puppy! (hooraaaay!)

Meanwhile, I was very impressed by our own Prime Minister this morning who appeared on TV looking like he had slept rough on a belly full of whiskey. There couldn't have been a bigger contrast between the glamour, excitement and optimism of Obama's speech and the sight of our Gordon in a creased suit with that great gawping jaw hanging open. I almost expected him to cry "See you Jimmy!" and nut the cameraman.

I am also running a book today on how many times David Cameron can say the word "change" today. He is trying to equate himself with Obama on the grounds that they both represent "Change". 

But there's good change and bad change. Example: A man trades his car in for a new BMW. Meanwhile his neighbour drives his car into a lamp-post. Both men have changed their car. 

Change isn't always good. Just because our neighbours got an upgrade, doesn't mean we want a car crash.

As for scruffy Gordon, the only change he wants is 10p for a cup of tea.

Rant over. I'll bid you good day.

A bit of forward planning

Ten days until my gig at the Nottingham Maze.

I've decided to do some work on structuring my set. I've noticed I have a habit of constantly coming up with new material and not giving any thought to how it all fits together. Then, on the day of a gig, I suddenly panic as I start to try and piece it together into a cohesive act.

My last gig suffered because of this. I was still trying to decide which material to do and in what order when the compere introduced me. 

This gig is another Gong Show. You get 2 minutes grace on this one before the crowd decide whether to keep you on or get rid. So now I need to concetrate on how I structure that 2 minutes in such a way that I can make them like me, build a sense of community in the room, and get them laughing before the red cards start to go up.

How hard can that be?

To ill to die

Unfortunately I had to pull out of King Gong tonight with a stinking cold. 

I'm very disappointed not to be facing the usual howls of derision from the Comedy Store crowd, which I find far preferable to aching limbs and a runny nose.

I was going to write this post about the Brand and Ross affair but I reckon enough has been said about what was basically a really crap joke. So I can't be arsed.

I think I'll go and take a paracetamol.