Week 1, Monday.
'The Summer Place' Open Mic
From 'The Brainwash' we rolled over to 'The Summer Place' to hit the mic!
The night before last at 3am while sitting in a car in Mexico before I flew to San Francisco, I promised my friend John Rey (a self-made over achieving 26yr old magazine owner) that I would get up on stage during my second week. I had my doubts when I said it, but I like to think my word is my bond. That's why I sometimes tell people I am going to do something. Not to brag but rather to trick myself into doing something hard, and drive myself on despite the pain. A bit like this blog… GET IT! It's public accountability. By me writing this for all to see, I am throwing myself in so deep the only way out is to succeed :)
So anyway yeah… as I said…I promised to do an open mic by the second week. True to form I got annoyed with being afraid to try and was now ahead of myself at my second open mic on my first day in San Francisco. I was outdoing myself thanks to Chris, Tom and my ridiculous brain. In the words of the awesomely manic tiger blooded Charlie Sheen...I was WINNING!!!
The only thing I fear more than being unfunny onstage is dying without trying. I've thought about being a comic for at least 10 years. Last year was the first year I finally told anyone. Why I don't know, but I think it might be because I want to do it so badly that if it doesn't work out my dream may be shattered. The overwhelming reality that my life on this planet is finite has driven me through life and through a myriad of insane life challenges and difficult feats. Someone whose work I admire once said "Frank, you're fearless." To which I quickly and honestly responded to deflect unwarranted praise "It's not that I am fearless, it is that I fear failing myself and dying without following my dreams SO MUCH, that I can't help but try." I nearly applauded myself when I said that shit!
Anyway, at the 'Summer Place' the owner has decided that its patrons can smoke and they will just pay the fine if they get caught. You got to respect those principled balls. I was feeling GREAT! I guess I was riding high after my first experience of not 'Bombing' i.e. failing publically onstage. Also. I was not feeling sick like I used to from stage fright. The host called my name and I grabbed the mic. It was a small dark bar with great acoustics and a floor light that gave me free laser eye surgery for my full 5 minute set.
San Francisco's finest was ubiquitous but I try and stay clean. No anesthetic before going up! ;)
There was a 3/4s full room and three girls who were non comics down the back. At the bar there were about five people, one of which were a gay couple. I launched into a bit about how wonderful it was that San Francisco was so accepting and so free and the clientele as a whole appeared to enjoy it. I was conscious of my accent not being completely intelligible, so I made sure to annunciate more clearly than ever before. Every comic worth his salt will agree; people can't laugh if they cant understand you! Unless of course you are doing physical humor. I would not be famous for my diction.
On stage I was able to carry out a type of live meta analysis of what was going on as I performed. I was conscious that I had improved the clarity of my voice and my diction in the last year. I guess all that time I spent doing voice overs for mixed audiences on my youtube channel was finally paying off. I got some solid laughs and lots of smiles. I was trying to work the few bits I had into a routine and be 'likable' which actually worked. Reports back from those who watched were that "IT WAS NOT BAD." They are of course going to sugar coat it but I could tell it was not terrible. There is obviously room for major improvement but I was pleased with myself and the fact that I had got up twice in one day with nothing prepared from a complete standing start.
I improvised a lot. I feel like that is an important skill. I see too many comics lock into their set word for word and they are in a way trapped by the words. Hopefully I can maintain and improve the dexterity of my mind. I think my time in the relatively harsh social environments of both the army and the bar trade have made me quicker to the punch than I would have been otherwise. All in all just proud of myself for doing it and not wimping out. Big thanks to Chris and Tom for helping me make the jump a week ahead of schedule. It has been such an exciting and good day that I can't sleep. I'm going for a walk….
Peace
Follow on Twitter/Facebook/Vine/Instagram/Google+&Youtube @GLOWPUNK
This GLOWPUNK Blog was sponsored by www.brightworks.ie .
No comments:
Post a Comment