Here we go...

[Daniel Forlano]

Here we go: in a show don't say, "Here we go."

[Mark Wessels]

interesting, any particular reason why not?

mark
f
w

[Crescent]

Daniel F, I agree with you actually...it makes the performer sound sort of unsure and nervous about their performance, I think it might be better to say nothing at all, or maybe "1,2,3!!" rather than "Alright, here we go"

but, it's just a personal opinion, really it doesn't matter THAT terribly much [img]wink.gif[/img]

[ 09-07-2002: Message edited by: Crescent ]</p>

[Stretch]

You can use "1, 2, 3 " in audience participation - let them "help" you by counting.

[gazzo osborne]

I heard Peter Gross say "here we go" 47 times
in one show , Peter Panic Jim Show , was there too
(jim says he counted 67 times but it was 47)trust me

[Butterfly Man]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by gazzo osborne:
...trust me


[img]rolleyes.gif[/img]


Bettter a lie that heals than a truth that wounds.

[Peter G]

Wow finally a topic I feel I can really speak to. I have so much to say, where do I begin?

Well here we go…

Stitch – I’m so pleased you have finally left the humdrum world of wide-eyed, open-minded student and joined the world of know-it-all experts – just what the world needs ,another expert. And so young. Your parents must be proud.

Gazzo – I guess you had plenty of time to count my words, because you needed so little time to count your hats. I never think to stick around and watch crappy acts at Fanuiel; I always just rush home to see my kid. Oh wait, I’m not the one with the kid.

Leave it to you, the great Gazzo, to walk away from all your success, wealth and fame to go back to your roots: doing 20 shows a day in the hot sun on a Tuesday. Wow, someday I hope to be like you.

By the way it must make you proud to know your act is making more money now than it ever has. It’s just too bad you’re not the one doing it. I’m sure Nick buys a round whenever he sees you. Not a bad trade. But you weren’t doing much with it anyhow. Remember the first year of Windsor?

To be fair, I did repeat the same phrase over and over again during that show, but it wasn't "here we go." I remember it too because I kept looking over at Gazzo sitting next to Peter Panic, and all I could say was "Hair where go? hair where go?" . Shaving may make Shaq look cool, but it just makes you look…bald. Maybe a nice tattoo.

And since I’m giving you advice about fashion maybe you can give me advice on working out. You must tell me who your Boxing Trainer is? Sam Adams?

Robert – What kind of saccharin crap is that. I thought Ann Landers was dead.

Peter ‘here we go’ Gross

[ 09-09-2002: Message edited by: Peter G ]</p>

[Daniel Forlano]

[quote]Originally posted by Crescent:
<strong>I think it might be better to say nothing at all</strong>
<hr></blockquote>

[Jim]

[quote]Originally posted by gazzo osborne:
<strong>I heard Peter Gross say "here we go" 47 times
in one show , Peter Panic Jim Show , was there too
(jim says he counted 67 times but it was 47)trust me</strong><hr></blockquote>

I think it was 47. But I only began counting after he finished with Misers Dream... 47 was just during the finale. [img]wink.gif[/img]

Sorry Peter... you're not the only one with a "here we go" problem. Ken Zemach and I once counted 87 "here we gos" during the first half of Mark Farneth's show in Harvard Square. Then we just got tired of counting.

I think we all have annoying little habits and repetitive vocals that we don't realize we're doing in our shows. I'd love it if someone pointed it out to me if I was doing something that obvious. I think I say "folks" a lot, actually. I'll work on that.

[HiveQueen]

In bad novels, no one every says anything. All the characters' lines are "remarked" "replied" "sniped" "simpered" "purred" "snapped" etcetera ad nauseum. It gets old really fast. When something is "said," the reader doesn't notice the attribution, they notice the dialogue. All the other stuff just distracts from the meat of the story.

Certainly you should be aware of annoying aspects of your shows. However, think about what the audience notices, not just what you notice about each other. Don't get so hung up on new and clever ways to start doing something that you distract people from what you're doing. They're not thinking about your limited vocabulary, they're thinking how cool it is that you can juggle five balls at the same time while standing on only one foot! and wondering what you're like in bed.

Lying to the public for fun and profit,
--claire

[Peter G]

[quote]Originally posted by Jim:
<strong>
I'd love it if someone pointed it out to me if I was doing something that obvious.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Operative words " to me "

I love it when other performers I respect offer suggestions or comments on how I could improve the show. I try to take serious suggestions to heart. I also try to offer my best thoughts to others. A lot of the ideas I have given people (including Daniel) have flourished because of the performer’s skill in presenting them.

In this case I don't think any of that is the point. Daniel's original post, although harmless, isn't very helpful. As Cresent quite clearly responds, 'why not.' If Daniel's point is that we should all look to cleaning up our shows of unconscious repetitive ticks, then he did a rather poor job in communicating it. But of course he's right. I just found his post pointlessly authoritative and definitive. I just don’t care for people telling me what to do.

Gazzo is another story. I notice in your post you do a couple of things that Gazzo didn't feel was necessary. You apologized for what was a quite mild jab. You also pointed out a valid criticism and further pointed out that others INCLUDING YOURSELF are struggling with the same annoying problem. Thanks for being civil.

As far as I’m concerned Gazzo, who clearly stayed for the whole wretched show ( I remember how painful a show it was too) was entertained (even if it was just counting), and now owes me 5 dollars. But I’ll never get it because he’s one of those people who watches a show and then just walks away!

PS
Well there you go

[Daniel Forlano]

Perhaps I should put my initial post in perspective.

In the past month I saw a handful of different acts I hadn't seen before or hadn't seen in a while in which the phrase "Here we go..." came up like, as you say Peter, "unconscious repetitive ticks." Like other expressions and mannerisms "Here we go..." spread like a virus. Whereas some ticks are harmless others are more harmful, some slip softly by and some detract from a show by blurring essential information or weakening a punch.

In my initial post I wrote "Here we go..." three times, trying to make a point as well as make fun a piont. True, I was nonspecific, and had I posted at a different forum the remark would have had little meaning whatsoever. But here in this context it did have meaning and while Mark wanted more information (which he now has) Crescent immediately commented on "Here we go..." in it's tick form.

I think it comes down to executing our shows deliberately. In a show, "Here we go..." spoken consciously is an improvement over "Here we go..." spoken unconsciously. As for eliminating it completely (which I have been accused of authorizing), well, one might ask oneself, "Do I want to say, 'Here we go..' at this part of my show, or at that part of my show?"

To eliminate the phrase – surely not; but to exterminate the tick, that would be beneficial.

[ 09-09-2002: Message edited by: Daniel Forlano ]</p>

[Peter G]

[quote]Originally posted by Daniel Forlano:
<strong>Perhaps I should put my initial post in perspective.
"Here we go..." spoken consciously is an improvement over "Here we go..." spoken unconsciously.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Tell us Daniel, what are YOUR unconscious ticks during your show? Hard to know from the inside and that's the point.

By definition an 'unconscious tick' is that we are not aware of. I would hate to see performers trying to listen to themselves, instead of listening to their audience. As an interactive performer, I believe in having my attention out and keeping myself 'in the moment.'

I believe the best way to avoid the falling into unconscious ticks is by HAVING SOMETHING TO SAY. Script your show and know what needs to be said and when it's best to be quiet. I admit I am not a great example of this discipline, especially in my preshow, where I am vamping a bit. Luckily I sometimes think of mildly amusing things to say (when I'm not saying, 'Ok here we go.')

In terms of giving advice, I guess I just expected you to better clarify your real concerns, and suggest how a performer might find a solution.

Of course one of the beautiful truths of the street is that ultimately THE STREET will teach you whether your show is working or not. All the training, theory and analysis can be on your side, but in the end the public will decide to stop, to stay and to pay.

Right Giovanni?

[Daniel Forlano]

Giovanni was a tick!

[Jim]

I've noticed that most people say "Here we go" after a non-scripted line to cover up the awkward pause between the "line" and the expected "laugh" or "non laugh." It is almost always after an imporvised line when the performer feels like he NEEDS something to say as a segue.

As a compliment to Peter, one reason he says "Here we go" so often is that he DOES have many improvised lines. (Unlike me... my show is pretty tightly scripted and I don't have a lot of room for "Here we gos.") But Peter uses "Here we go" as a segue. I think Master Lee does it too. (The king is Mark in Harvard Square... He even interchanges a few "Here we are"s now and then.)

I've seen other high-profile comics do the same thing with different vocalizations... Jay Leno says, "So..." Bill Maher used to say "So..." as well. Some comics will just do a loud "inhale" or say "You know..." or the worst... "KnowwhatI'msayin?"

It really only gets annoying once you realize it's happening. Then it becomes ALL you hear. I only started noticing how widespread it was this summer. "Here we go" is also only a street phenomenon as far as I can tell. It's just a really easy thing to say to keep the show rolling along and keep the audience expecting more. It's a shorter version of :
"And now for something completely different..."
or "And for my NEXT trick..."
or "Please don't walk away now...I'm moving on to something good."

We all need to listen to our shows.

Jim