Gettin in the right mood for a show

[Ioxunimous]

I was doing my first 2 shows today in Stockholm, Sweden. I know its really hard Havnt done any shows since september last year, when i did one of my best shows ever.

The problem: I couldnt get in the right mood for my first show, and i remeber it happend sometimes last summer as well. Altough i did manage to keep the crowd and do the finalie.

I was just wondering if anyone have some good tip/pointers to get in the right mood to start off a show. Sort of get into "the funny-zone"...

Im probably gonna be out again next weekend

[Lee Nelson]

not to worry about it

When your doing a show you are really just the host of a big party or social gathering. Not only are you the host but you are also the guest of honour and the birthday boy. Unfortunately the other guests have no idea why they are there and it your job to let them know why they are going to have a good time.
I think a good host should try and be the centre of attention, charming, full of surprising anecdotes and witty observations.
Now when the first guest arrives at the party just your personality alone in an empty space could be a little intimidating and after some polite chit chat it is possible that the guest might not have the same amount of faith in the fate of the festivities as you and elect to leave in search of other entertainment or opt to come back later once the shindig is in full swing.
They might also find your company stimulating and exciting enough to see the next guest arrive. The sight of which justifies the faith they have shown in you as a host and allows you the benefit of a personal reference to vouch for your credibility as subsequent guests arrive which in turn significantly aids in your seduction strategy.
You can never know which sort of guest you will have when they arrive so all you can do as a good host is try your best to be likeable or endearingly disgusting. Luckily the people that see your failures are long gone so there are no witnesses to hinder your future attempts. The first successful attempt is just that. A success. Congratulations, you are charming, and like at a party, unless you have had too much to drink, you should continue to be so until the last guest has left.
So basically, you find your "form" when you have your first success. The show actually starts when someone is watching. So everytime you do a show you are in the right mood.
Sometimes you spend quite a bit of time getting in the mood. Your the person that waits the longest for the start of the show with the odd exceptions of...

1. Your mother when she comes to see why you dropped out of university

2. Your landlord/ex-wife/drug dealer who is waiting for some money

3. The couple that are waiting for the start of the show from a park bench 30 metres away

4. The other performers in the queue waiting for the pitch

But that is a wee bit of a digression. Just start performing a wee bit before you plan to start your show and by the time the pitch is ready so are you!!!

[gav]

I never do a show if I'm not in the mood for it.
I figure why put myself and the audience through something that I obviously don't feel like doing at the moment.
Of course if I'm being paid to do a show then and there and I'm not in the mood, I just fake it.

Rarely happens that way though.

[steal garbager]

Hey Ioxunimous


This feeling you've had I call the streetperformers stage fever.
Hangin at the pitch and seeking for apologizes not to perform.
Not feeling in the mood to perform.
Don't listen to Lee (hi Lee, how you're doin?).
Success you get only if your show is improved enough.
The only way to get rid of this feeling is to perform as often as possible.
I always try to do at least four or five shows a week.
Usually more. the often you do your show the more you get used to it.
the better your show is the more success you have and the feeling of uncomfortability will disappear to the minimum.
The feeling comes back in a maximum level after a long break.

hi Lee what about your drug dealer?
your still in island?

All the best wishes from cologne

[Julz]

I think lots of people have gone through a similar thing. How to get in the right state for performing.

There are so many ways to do this - some healthy some not so healthy...

drink a tea/coffee/beer

smoke a cigarette/joint

put down the previous performer as he leaves the stage

but my current favourite is a series of vocal warmups that leave me centered, aware of my environment and with a feeling that the outcome of the show is not so important...sounds pretty hippy drippy but it works. sometimes if im really tense i go for a 30 min run.

there is a Japanese Suzuki technique where you spend half an hour trying to push down a brick wall with your shoulder and at the pinnacle of your exhaustion you walk on stage...

speak to actors, they deal with this stuff all the time. find what works for you.

[Ioxunimous]

Julz: I know a couple of actors, i will check with them.

Also, im going on a course on improvised theater next weekend, im gonna talk to them to.

The Japanese Suzuki technique sounds intresting, i might try it...

steal garbager: I suppose i have to go out more than i do now Is it a good idea to practice the show, without a audience as often as you can?

[bilbo]

Yes the more you practice, the better you'll be.

the goal with rehearsals is to know your show by heart. you should be able to do it in your sleep, or even if your sick or drunk. When you know your show inside out you can concentrate on the most important thing: connecting with your audience.

when I rehearse, even with no audience, I also practice getting in the mood for a show. By doing it when you are practicing, your body will respond in the same way when you'll do this before going in front of an audience.

For me my warm up is my way to get into the mood. I start by moving around, picking up the pace doing jumping jacks and anything to help my blood flow in my body. Then I move every part of my body one at the time (starting from my toes, my ankles and going up the body to the face , to make sure I don't forget any moving part). The third part of my warm up is stetching I try to strech every muscles in my body or at least the ones that I'll be using. Finally I relax my all body and check that there is no tension it . after all this I'm ready to go on stage

Cordially,

Alex Reeve

http://visual.comedy.free.fr

[Evan Young]

I use my crowd gather as my warm up and motivation to start a show. If I still don't feel like it I just force it anyway because I will usually get into it further into the show... and it's my job, so I pretend I don't have a choice.
Tell the people you are excited, you might start believing it.
If I still don't feel like it at the end of the show I'll consider going home, but only if there isn't any more money to be made.


it can be hard on a pitch with a big line of performers and you only get to do a couple shows a day. If you get to do shows back to back you get more chances to get it right and make yourself feel good.

[scot]

The way I feel at the beginning of the show is always different from the end and it's no indicator. sometimes I feel bad, do the show and feel great and I'm so glad I did the show, sometimes worse.

The best thing for me is to remember why I'm a performer and I try to give myself a "physiological rush" -- make the show really important in your head and force yourself to get nervous.

I agree with the opposites game of Evan's. If I feel crappy, I say, "I feel great" and I try to not make it sound sarcastic because sarcasm is plaid out. If the audience is quite, I say "You guys are really getting warmed up now!"

what ever it is, be in the moment. It's part of your life. For me it's an important part of life. If I'm sad when I do a show, and I don't accept it, why even communicate with others?

[Schuyler]

Blatantly stealing a bit from Micheal Goudeau, before show's it feels sort of good to cross your arms and yell "By the power of Greyskull!"

[Mr.Taxi Trix]

I like to hit myself in the head with a hammer until the hammer breaks.

[Dan The One Man Band]

I used to do the old "hit myself in the head with a hammer" trick, but I found I started getting headaches and I had difficulty remembering the words to songs. Now I'm able to switch on and off the "happy entertainer guy" at will.

[Retardo]

One thing you could try is to just mingle before you start the actual show. Walk around and make jokes, do comedy-gags, do magic tricks or whatever works for you. This way you get into the mood before you start your real show.

[Doctor Eric]

I make sure to get drunk and surly, but that's just me.

Rod Serling apparently threw up before every broadcast of "The Twilight Zone".

I find that I have to not talk to people for about 20 minutes before I go on (this is for indoor gigs), I pay attention to everything around me, and see how I can make fun of it. If I start writing material in my head, my game face comes on, some of it I use when I walk up, some is forgotten, but it snaps me into the mode I want to be in when I'm telling jokes. It also uses up some of the nervous energy so that I don't have to go throw up first.

[Ioxunimous]

I did a couple of shows 2 weeks ago and it went better!

Im gonna try out different technuiqes before each show and see what works best.

Anyway, i was trying to remeber how it was to be funny last summer and really getting myself into it. To force my mind into "the funnyzone". It works ok.

Thanks for all the tips and hints!