Diaries Of a Dirty Open Mic-er - Feb

This is my show im writing. Cool right?... RIGHT!!

February Blog Yayyyyyy!

February could not come soon enough. Weirdly, for the past couple of years, I’ve struggled to enjoy my comedy during January. I have no idea why—maybe it’s part of the January blues or something—but I just don’t have fun.

Then February rolls around, and bam! I’m back into it and loving every second, even when it’s going awfully. February is also cool because it marks another year of comedy for me—three years total now. I’m still a long stretch from the Apollo, the heights I thought I’d achieve within a couple of months as a comedian, but hey, I’m still here, eating shit at open mics, trying to put together enough good jokes to make a set. And after three years, I think I’ve finally achieved a solid five-minute set—yayyyyy!

Now, I’m happy to report that I am writing a show for Edinburgh, where I’ll be doing 45 minutes, and I’m very excited about it. It’s going rather well so far, despite trying out a lot of material, much of it being god-awful and received with stony silence. At least one or two jokes land—according to the audience.

Something that has made a massive difference is recording my sets. I know—three years in and only just started recording sets? What are you doing, Sam?! I don’t like watching myself or particularly enjoy the sound of my own voice, so listening back is usually hellish. But it’s a necessary evil!

It has made a big difference because it gives me a real chance to listen to the audience and hear their reactions to my jokes. I’ve come off stage before, convinced I did terribly, feeling insecure that I’m rubbish at this thing I love, and deciding that none of my jokes were good. But listening back, I’ve noticed that I do actually get some laughs—occasionally. I mean, sometimes I’m bang on the money, and other times I’m just reliving a terrible, terrible experience on stage.

I cannot recommend it enough! It helps you decide what to work on, what to drop, and what’s already solid. It also gets rid of some delusion. Not all of it… just some. And not for everybody—I’ve seen people eat absolute shit and then come to a gig with better recording equipment, claiming their old stuff was “unable to pick up the laughs.”

I wish that was a lie. But it is a funny idea. I think scientists will create microphones so advanced they can pick up past conversations in a room before they’ll ever pick up a phantom laugh.

Anyway, onto my gigs! I did a few, and I enjoyed them all. Here’s the rundown:

• The Swan, Farnborough – Honestly, I can’t remember how this went. Could’ve been good, could’ve been bad. I’d say it’s 50/50 whether I do well here, which is good because it means it’s an honest audience. That’s exactly what you want when trying new things. If you go to an easy room and crush every joke, it feels great but ultimately teaches you nothing.

• Belgium and Blues – My gig, but I didn’t MC. I did some material, and it went surprisingly well. It’s my gig, so I don’t want to big it up too much, but the crowd that accumulates there is always up for it, and it’s always fun! 6/10

• Follow Comedy Club – Always a beautiful place to do a set. It seems to be one of those rooms that are impossible to bomb in… though I have seen it happen, and I have done it myself. But I always enjoy my time there! 7/10

• Dorchester – Didn’t do this gig because I had an allergic reaction, but if I had, I probably would have actually died instead of just almost dying.

• The Snug – I believe I MC’d, and it went averagely if I remember correctly.

• Funny Boiler – Went there, did new material, and honestly crushed it! Great night. 8/10

• Mirth Gig – Went all the way to Exeter and performed on a pro bill, and it was nice and fun. Recently, I’ve been focusing more on playing to my audience. Of course, I want everyone to like my set, but that’s not realistic. So now, when I see someone really into it, I lean into that rather than pulling back because I spot someone who isn’t. 6.5/10

• The Swan (again) – I think this one went pretty well. 5.9/10

• Belgium and Blues (again) – Another one that went very well. All new material, which is the best feeling ever! 7.3/10

• Comedy Noir – Got called in last minute, and I’m glad I went. Lovely night in a great room. An intimate feel, which is my favorite kind of room. It’s like wearing a condom that’s ribbed for my pleasure. Weirdly, the people running it told me they saw my video online and really enjoyed it. They acted like fans, which was very kind but also strangely unnerving. 7/10

• Unnamed Gig – My comedy chum Heski and I drove all the way to the east coast to perform at a weed festival. We arrived to find cars getting stuck in the “car park” (a muddy field). When we introduced ourselves, a comedian was already on stage absolutely bombing—not because he was bad, but because the setup was terrible, and everyone was too stoned to care. Then the boss got a message that the police were at the gate. The festival had so much weed that if it got raided, we’d all be in trouble. Vendors started packing up and heading straight for the only exit, which was weird because that’s exactly where the police would have come from. But hey, they were all high—give them a break for being stupid. Heski told me I was creating suspicion because I was dressed nice. In a field full of stoners wearing Christmas tracksuits from their nan, my Levi jeans were apparently too suspicious. We got the fuck out of there before performing. Eight hours of driving for nothing. 3/10

• Comedy Noir (again, at The Horseman) – Might have had the gig of my life. Did 20 minutes of mostly new stuff, and it went spectacularly! 8/10

• The Snug (again) – Bit of a bomb, honestly. Got a few bits from it, but overall—a bomb, pure and simple. 3/10

  
  

• The Biscuit Factory, Reading – Great show, lovely audience. It felt like dancing with a girl who seems super into it, only for her to say, “Let’s go to another club” instead of heading back to yours. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. 6.5/10

And that’s all of them! It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. For anyone reading this, my rating system is just based on how I felt I did on the night. It’s not a reflection of how good the night itself was—because all of these gigs were a blast, simply because they gave me the opportunity to stand up and tell jokes like an idiot.

I usually do an arse-kiss section where I shout out people who smashed their sets, but honestly, I can’t remember many this time. Not because they were bad, but because I’ve been preoccupied with trying to create video content for my socials. You know how it is.

I have a YouTube. It’s here if you wanna check it out: https://www.youtube.com/@SamsPlace92

If you want to follow me, feel free. If you don’t—then fuck you.

Thanks for reading. Cya!