How to Break into Stand-up: 10 Tips for Beginner Comedians

Starting out in stand-up comedy can be overwhelming and a little scary. Before you freak out, check out this helpful list of tips on improving your act and getting over failure for new and struggling stand-up comedians.

1. Get On Stage Now

No amount of helpful tips or discussion can take the place of experience, and that's pretty much all that counts when it comes to stand-up. It's a true "learn-by-doing" art form, and you won't know what works (and what doesn't) until you've gotten on stage in front of an audience. The more chances you have to perform, the more you'll be able to learn. Many comedians perform multiple times a night in the early years, hopping from club to club or open mic to open mic. There is no substitute for stage time in comedy, so make sure you're getting lots of it.

2. Don't Be Afraid to Bomb

You're not going to bring the house down every time you step on stage, particularly in the beginning. That means, from time to time, you're going to find out what it's like to bomb. That's ok; bombing can be very useful. You'll learn which parts of your act aren't working and possibly why. You'll quickly find out how you react in these situations: are you fast on your feet? Can you recover the set? If nothing else, the experience of bombing will be unpleasant enough that you'll work that much harder on your act to avoid it ever happening again. Fear can be a powerful motivator.

3. Keep Up With Your Old Stuff

Even if you're working up new material, don't forget to keep your old stuff fresh. Maybe you've got a great setup, but there's a punchline or tag that will make a joke work even better. There's always room for improvement; go back every once in a while and punch up older jokes with new tags or punchlines. This can also be a great way to break out of a rut -- it gets your creativity going without requiring you to generate new material out of thin air.

4. Don't Steal

Don't steal. Just don't. Don't even "borrow" or "rephrase." It's never cool, and it will end your career as a stand-up very quickly. If you ever think you might be lifting a joke from another comic -- even if it's unintentionally or subconsciously or whatever -- just drop the joke. It's not worth being labeled as a thief and a hack, which is ultimately what could happen.

5. Stick to Your Time

Always be sure to stay within the time slot given to you by a promoter, club manager or open mic organizer. It's rude and unprofessional to go longer than your allotted time; remember, there are other comedians that are following you, and they should get every minute they've been promised. Conversely, it's also unprofessional to do less time on stage than what you're expected to deliver. That puts an unfair pressure on the comic after you to fill in the gap and perform longer than he or she had anticipated. Even if you're bombing, you're expected to fill a certain slot and should fill it. You want to establish a reputation for yourself as being a professional, and sticking to your time slot is a good way to do that.

6. Tape Yourself

If you're able to (depending on where you're performing), take video of your performance. Think of it like a football team's "game film"; you'll be able to go back and watch yourself to see what worked and what needs changing. Were you talking too fast? Did you step on laughs from the crowd? These are things you probably won't be aware of in the moment, when nerves and adrenalin may get the better of you. A videotape will give you the opportunity to examine and reflect on your performance so you can make changes for the future. Just remember not to obsess over it too much; if you over-evaluate, you may lose so of the freshness and spontaneity in your act.

7. Hit the Clubs

Even if you're not ready to get on stage at a comedy club yet (and you may be better off starting at open mic nights), you should still try to get out and see as much live comedy as you can. With every comedian, you're going to be learning something new; study the ones you like and learn from the mistakes of the ones you don't (just remember: NEVER STEAL JOKES). Plus, you may be able to start making connections with promoters, club owners and -- most importantly -- other comics. Comedy is a community, and the sooner you can become a part of it the better off you'll be.

8. Make Nice with the Audience

Just because you've seen other comics (like, say, Lisa Lampanelli) insult their audience doesn't mean you should -- at least, not yet. And it may be tempting, particularly if you're feeling strapped for material or if someone is heckling you. Of course you should respond in that instance, but watch how far you take it. It can be easily to alienate your audience, and you always want them on your side. Plus, you never know if an audience member is going to take a joke the wrong way; many a comic has a story about someone from the audience waiting for them after the show. If they feel humiliated and have been drinking (which, given the nature of the comedy club, is likely), you may be bringing trouble on yourself.

9. Carry a Notebook With You

You never know when or where comic inspiration is going to strike, and it would be a shame to lose the moment because you have no way of writing your thoughts down. Always be ready to take notes or jot down ideas; before you know it, you'll have the rough beginnings of an act.

10. Be Yourself

A lot of comedy sites will offer tips about how you should imitate other comics, write in the style of established comedians or develop a persona for yourself. Don't worry about any of that. No one wants to see an imitation Dane Cook when the real one is out there, and you're denying the audience the chance to get to know you as a comic. You want to perform stand-up because you're funny and you love it, and those are the two most important things you need. Be true to yourself.

Michael McIntyre shocked at 'hostility' from other comedians

In an in-depth interview with Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, Michael McIntyre has admitted to being surprised at the 'hostility' shown towards him by some comedians.

Interviewer Kirsty Young observed: "The success you've had generates a lot of attention, it also generates a lot of envy, and sometimes derision. Some people are very rude about your comedy. Stewart Lee said that he felt that you were 'spoon feeding your audience warm diarrhea'."

Asked about what he thought about such comments, McIntyre responded: "I think it comes with the territory. I'm sure it does, actually. Of course, I can't say it is water off a duck's back and I'm so thick skinned I could just say that - I can say it now because I'm getting used to it, but it did come as a shock at the beginning, I can't deny that. It was confusing because my big break came - certainly at the beginning - with an amazing amount of hostility."

He went on to say: "I would never be rude about someone else in my profession, because we're all doing the same thing - trying to make people laugh. I have my audience and other people have their audience."

"I went to The British Comedy Awards and quite a few people were making jokes at my expense and it just made me feel awful. I was there with my wife and she had gone out and bought a new dress, and it was my big night and I won... and the over-riding experience was that of nastiness. For what reason I don't know. What I was doing was just making people laugh."

10 Best Comedians to Follow on Twitter

Following the best comedians on Twitter beats reading multi-level marketing spam. These are 10 funny celebrities worth following.

Michael Ian Black: He's got over 1.5 million followers. He rarely tweets more than 3 times a day and they're almost all funny like saying he needs to get better at doing things that people want to pay money for. That's actually good career advice.

Stephen Colbert: This comedian just hit over 2 million Twitter followers but just wishes there was some way to let you know he also has a TV show. He limits the tweets to a few a day and keeps them comical.

Sarah Silverman: This SNL graduate has over one million followers thanks to several tweets a day and virtually no promotion I could find. Love the observation that mass insanity is harder to spot.

Steve Martin: I love even the dumbest Steve Martin movies, and he takes a serious interest in art unlike celebrities who seem to treat it as a commodity. He's got a little over half a million followers. His tweets sometimes run over 10 a day, but they're usually hilarious or at least interesting.

John Cleese: Too much promotion but there's occasional gems like the anniversary tweet suggesting the show was nearly called Monkey Piston's Frying Circle. Over 800,000 people are following. You can also sign up for John Cleese's newsletter.

Sarah Thyre: This Los Angeles actress has under 3,000 followers but she's worth following if you think "Rape-ublican" is a funny word.

Sarah Palin: Sure, her bio doesn't mention being a comedian, but laugh at her not with her. Actually, I think following her sends the wrong message so just look discreetly.

Justin: This guy claims he's 29 years old and just writes down stuff his 74 years old dad says. With almost 2 million followers, he's sprucing up the image of adult men who still live with their parents, and he only tweets about once a month.

Louis C.K: If you like the TV show, you may want to join his 300,000 followers.

Tweet The Joke: Here you can follow lots of famous comedians who act as the day's host by writing an opening line. Then, you tweet the punch line with the hashtag "#tweetthejoke." They've only got 1,117 followers now, you don't get anything for winning, and the volume of tweets could get annoying. But, you may find more humorous people you want to follow.

Have fun following these funny comedians on Twitter.

Comedians Tweet The News: The Week's Best Jokes On The Week's Hottest Topics

Gone are the days when someone must tune into a late night talk show or go to a comedy club to hear topical jokes about the day's headlines. Today, Twitter has given many comedians a reason to turn joke telling into a 24/7 business. Even during relatively slow news cycles, like right now, comedy wordsmiths still make topical jokes about the events in the news available to a mass audience. Here are some of the best tweets from our favorite funny tweeters that cover today's biggest stories, from the "Huckleberry Finn" controversy, to John Boehner, to Ted Williams:

Morgan Murphy:
I bet Ted Williams will get a great job. And the guy he replaces will end up homeless.

Stephen Colbert:
It's great that they took the N-word out of "Huckleberry Finn." Now get to work on "Moby D-Word."

Rob Kutner:
Just ordered my copy of Mark Twai's Huck Fi from Amazo.com

Chris Regan:
The GOP are doing the "People's Work" of reading the entire Constitution. Or the "People's Homework They Should've Done in 9th Grade."

mileskahn:
I've replaced all the racist words in Huck Finn with "Boehner." Reads much better now.

Guy Nicolucci:
Michelle Bachmann was appointed to the Intelligence Committee. Didn't George Carlin do a routine about that?

Chelsea Peretti:
Scientists! Look at what's right in front of you. The dead birds were killed by Mark Twain's ghost. He's lashing out bc he loves the n word

Top 9 Black Stand-Up Comedians

In the world of comedy, segregation may be a good thing. Black comedy is something like extended time with a member of our family. Instead of the person on stage coming up with ridiculous situations only they went through, black comedians thrive on finding ways to relate to their people via the audience before them. It’s as if they say, “Being a black person in this world is a trip, and I know you know what I’m talking about.” Here are nine black comedians who took us on trips we were all familiar with, and made us laugh throughout the entire journey.

EDDIE MURPHY

Eddie Murphy may still be making at least one movie ever year, some of which are good, but a lot of his die-hard fans miss the Eddie Murphy of old. He was the one wearing the red leather suit in Delirious making jokes about men claiming the house when they’re drunk and memorable impressions of Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and James Brown. Or, for some fans, the Eddie Murphy in the leather purple jump suit from Raw. Whichever one you choose, no one can deny, before Murphy went all “Nutty Professor” on us, he was the biggest black stand-up comedian in the world.

RICHARD PRYOR

Before Murphy, there was Richard Pryor, the larger-than-life stand-up comedian who broke through the mainstream in a way few had before him. Pryor’s act was unapologetic, aggressive, and deeply steeped in black life. The man didn’t just know how to tell a joke, he knew how to tell a joke in areas of life where people hadn’t thought laughter existed. From drug addiction to his public demolishing of the N-word in his off-stage conversations, Pryor knew how to make others laugh at things he could barely smile about.

DICK GREGORY

Dick Gregory made a name for himself as the face of black comedy during the Civil Rights era. At a time when black comedy was and stand up comedy in general was still a somewhat cottage industry, Gregory came of age to an audience that was both black and white. His popularity was undeniable, just ask Hugh Hefner who hired Gregory to perform at the Chicago Playboy Club.

BILL COSBY

Before he became America’s dad in his sitcom series, The Cosby Show, Bill Cosby was one of the biggest stand-up comedians in the 60s and 70s. Unlike his peers like Pryor and Gregory, Cosby gained notoriety for keeping his stand-up acts clean and without curse words.

CHRIS ROCK

Arguably the best comedian performing stand-up today, Rock’s stand-up comedy is so smart, his jokes would not sound out of place in a college classroom. Rock rifts from the heart but most noticeably from his brain, where he comes up with some of his most well-known bits like his long tirade and explanation about the difference between “black people” and “niggers” and rich” and “wealthy”.

DAVE CHAPPELLE

Chapelle will go down in history as the man behind one of the greatest sketch comedy shows of all time, “Chappelle’s Show”. But prior to his show, Chappelle was one of the sharpest stand-up comedians working in the 90’s. His aw-shucks style on the microphone gave his routine a childlike innocence, but his jokes were strictly for grown folks who never could stop laughing.

CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER

Before Cedric became the host of BET’s popular Comic View, and one of four comedians featured on the Kings of Comedy Tour, he was a funny man who sold insurance during the work week and told stand up jokes on the weekend. The grind paid off and now, Cedric The Entertainer has lived up to his stage name in venues around the world.

STEVE HARVEY

Harvey wears a lot of hats, but none of them would be worn without his first one: stand-up comedy. Unlike most comedians who pander to a younger audience, Harvey takes a different approach. Harvey laces his humor with bits of wisdom he learned back in his younger years, like the older uncle you love to hear talk at the family barbecue.

BERNIE MAC

The late great stand-up had a long career before coming into fame as a member of the Kings of Comedy tour back in 2000. After his performance — the raucous, prfoanity-laced finale — Mack went onto find success with his own sitcom on FOX and numerous roles in successful movies like the Ocean’s Eleven franchise.

The Best Comedy Albums of 2011 (So Far)

Even though 2011 isn't over yet, we've already had an impressive number of excellent comedy albums, both from veterans and relative newcomers. Check out the best comedy albums of 2011 so far.

1. Louis C.K. - 'Hilarious'
It almost seems unfair that comedian Louis C.K. releasedd his latest album, Hilarious, within the first two weeks of 2011. It's unfair because the album is so outstanding that it set an impossible standard for every other record that followed it; over and over again, I can hear myself saying "Sure, it's funny...but is it Hilarious?" It's so rare to find a comic with a point of view these days that coming across one as sharply defined as Louis C.K.'s is a kind of miracle. Hilarious finds the best comic of today at the top of his game, and truly earns its title.

2. Natasha Leggero - 'Coke Money'
On her first comedy album, Coke Money, Natasha Leggero does exactly what her contemporary female comics like Kathy Griffin and Chelsea Handler do -- only much better. She's the spoiled-brat-as-comic, the girl who is all too aware of her own shortcomings but who still isn't going to suffer fools lightly. That's how she ends up taking on L.A. club girls, douchebag guys, egotistical rappers, toilet babies and many, many more in routines that only get funnier as the album goes on. Coke Money is so much better than what several of Leggero's more successful or better-known contemporaries are putting out. It's one of the funniest records of the year.

3. Tommy Johnagin - 'Stand Up Comedy 2'
Tommy Johnagin is way too funny to have finished in only second place on Last Comic Standing in 2010, as evidenced by his second album Stand Up Comedy 2. Johnagin is a terrific joke writer and, like a lot of great comics, has a knack for applying logic to situations that may not call for it and pulling the humor out of that juxtaposition. It's the kind of comedy album that will hold up to repeat listens, and it moves quickly; Johnagin knows how and when to get out of a bit and into the next one. Bring on Stand Up Comedy 3.

4. Amy Schumer - 'Cutting'
Overlooking the double meaning in the title of Amy Schumer's debut album, Cutting, it's a great example of the comic's approach to stand-up: take a subject that might otherwise be sensitive or off-limits (in this case, teenage cutting) and turn it into comedy. When she's not destroying political correctness for its own sake, she's comes up with some terrific black comedy one-liners, and her album shows a real intelligence and knack for using language. Oh, and it has maybe the best final joke of any comedy album I've heard in a long, long time.

5. Norm Macdonald - 'Me Doing Standup'
There's something so laid back about Norm Macdonald's approach to comedy -- as evidenced even by the title of his latest album, Me Doing Standup -- that I think some people have a hard time taking him seriously. Macdonald segues from a deconstruction of language into long-form bits about 24 hour news, the woman troubles of Tiger Woods and gives an involved, detailed description of just how he would go about getting away with a murder (not that he's planning on killing anyone, but a river can only go so long before there's a bend). The material is funny enough on its own, but it's made even better by Macdonald's trademark delivery.

Comedian Jimmy Tingle jokes about running for president in new stand-up show -- or is he?

from: DailyNews.com

To the running joke that is the Great American List of Unqualified Presidential Candidates, add one more joker.

This one actually admits he's running as a joke.

"I have absolutely no legislative accomplishments whatsoever," says comedian Jimmy Tingle, through a chowder-thick accent that reminds voters he was born in Cambridge, Mass.

"I want to take the great political principles of the United States and combine them with the great spiritual principles of the world's major religions that focus on love, compassion, peace, mercy and forgiveness."

It is really funny to have his say all these especially now that the games for next year's presidential elections have already started.
Is he going to be the new president???? I guess if you stay tuned you will hear more about this.

In the mean time we just want to stay entertained so let's hit the comedy shows and see the best performances !