Bill Hicks' Principles of Comedy
Mercifully I got a decent night's sleep last night and wasn't subjected to the horrors of American Football or Katy Perry insisting at length that I'm a firework. Last week, a website revisited the principles of comedy as laid down by Bill Hicks (or rather posted in the green room of The Laughing Skull in Atlanta in 1992). When I was awarded runner up in the Comedy Knights Fresh Comedian Of The Year 2013, promoter Bobby Carroll gave me a notebook with Hicks' words printed in the front. To my shame, I have not written a single word in the book in the 16 months since. I attribute this to a paucity of ideas and preferring my Moleskin. Anyway, I thought I'd revisit them too.
1. If you can be yourself on stage nobody else can be you and you have the law of supply and demand covered.
I'm very much in agreement here. I personally feel that I'm still in the process of "finding my voice" and I hope to get there some day. In the meantime, two comedy critics consider my current voice to be "Jo Brand".
2. The act is something you fall back on if you can’t think of anything else to say.
In my case, the act is largely a structured script that I take to audiences and modify if and when necessary depending on their reaction. Hicks is being a little disingenuous here. If the transcripts of his material I've read are correct, he couldn't think of anything else to say a lot. Not even Ross Noble goes on stage with no idea of what he's going to say.
3. Only do what you think is funny, never just what you think they will like, even though it’s not that funny to you.
This is the most important one for me. Most of the time, I have faith that what I've decided to say is funny. There are occasions where I've made concessions based on the audience but I feel I'm at my best when attempting to get the audience on my side, rather than pandering to them.
4. Never ask them is this funny – you tell them this is funny.
Absolutely. An important thing to remember. I've backed out of doing some more contentious bits lately for fear of being misinterpreted. I think I was wrong to do so.
5. You are not married to any of this shit – if something happens, taking you off on a tangent, NEVER go back and finish a bit, just move on.
Ross Noble has clearly been paying attention to this, but he invariably ties up the threads anyway. I rarely go off on a tangent that I can't come back from, so this tends not to apply to me.
6. NEVER ask the audience “How You Doing?” People who do that can’t think of an opening line. They came to see you to tell them how they’re doing, asking that stupid question up front just digs a hole. This is The Most Common Mistake made by performers. I want to leave as soon as they say that.
I sometimes do this at smaller gigs but invariably I get down to business. I used to have a line that was very effective in introducing the audience to me and the act they were about to see. It only had a certain shelf life really though and they're the hardest things to write.
7. Write what entertains you. If you can’t be funny be interesting. You haven’t lost the crowd. Have something to say and then do it in a funny way.
Sara Pascoe the other night was a strong example of this. When she wasn't funny, she was interesting and kept the crowd's attention. They in turn knew that they'd be rewarded for listening and that a punchline wasn't far behind.
8. I close my eyes and walk out there and that’s where I start, Honest.
See 2.
9. Listen to what you are saying, ask yourself, “Why am I saying it and is it Necessary?” (This will filter all your material and cut the unnecessary words, economy of words)
Another solid piece of advice. If you waffle, you're further away from the eventual laugh. I only throw in extraneous words if I believe it will enhance the joke. Otherwise, cut it down.
10. Play to the top of the intelligence of the room. There aren’t any bad crowds, just wrong choices.
This is something I'm conscious of too. I always try not to underestimate the intelligence of an audience. But some nights this can be harder than others.
11. Remember this is the hardest thing there is to do. If you can do this you can do anything.
Absolutely. Which is why I'm frequently asked to perform brain surgery.
12. I love my cracker roots. Get to know your family, be friends with them.
I am nailing this through continuing to live at home with my parents.
1. If you can be yourself on stage nobody else can be you and you have the law of supply and demand covered.
I'm very much in agreement here. I personally feel that I'm still in the process of "finding my voice" and I hope to get there some day. In the meantime, two comedy critics consider my current voice to be "Jo Brand".
2. The act is something you fall back on if you can’t think of anything else to say.
In my case, the act is largely a structured script that I take to audiences and modify if and when necessary depending on their reaction. Hicks is being a little disingenuous here. If the transcripts of his material I've read are correct, he couldn't think of anything else to say a lot. Not even Ross Noble goes on stage with no idea of what he's going to say.
3. Only do what you think is funny, never just what you think they will like, even though it’s not that funny to you.
This is the most important one for me. Most of the time, I have faith that what I've decided to say is funny. There are occasions where I've made concessions based on the audience but I feel I'm at my best when attempting to get the audience on my side, rather than pandering to them.
4. Never ask them is this funny – you tell them this is funny.
Absolutely. An important thing to remember. I've backed out of doing some more contentious bits lately for fear of being misinterpreted. I think I was wrong to do so.
5. You are not married to any of this shit – if something happens, taking you off on a tangent, NEVER go back and finish a bit, just move on.
Ross Noble has clearly been paying attention to this, but he invariably ties up the threads anyway. I rarely go off on a tangent that I can't come back from, so this tends not to apply to me.
6. NEVER ask the audience “How You Doing?” People who do that can’t think of an opening line. They came to see you to tell them how they’re doing, asking that stupid question up front just digs a hole. This is The Most Common Mistake made by performers. I want to leave as soon as they say that.
I sometimes do this at smaller gigs but invariably I get down to business. I used to have a line that was very effective in introducing the audience to me and the act they were about to see. It only had a certain shelf life really though and they're the hardest things to write.
7. Write what entertains you. If you can’t be funny be interesting. You haven’t lost the crowd. Have something to say and then do it in a funny way.
Sara Pascoe the other night was a strong example of this. When she wasn't funny, she was interesting and kept the crowd's attention. They in turn knew that they'd be rewarded for listening and that a punchline wasn't far behind.
8. I close my eyes and walk out there and that’s where I start, Honest.
See 2.
9. Listen to what you are saying, ask yourself, “Why am I saying it and is it Necessary?” (This will filter all your material and cut the unnecessary words, economy of words)
Another solid piece of advice. If you waffle, you're further away from the eventual laugh. I only throw in extraneous words if I believe it will enhance the joke. Otherwise, cut it down.
10. Play to the top of the intelligence of the room. There aren’t any bad crowds, just wrong choices.
This is something I'm conscious of too. I always try not to underestimate the intelligence of an audience. But some nights this can be harder than others.
11. Remember this is the hardest thing there is to do. If you can do this you can do anything.
Absolutely. Which is why I'm frequently asked to perform brain surgery.
12. I love my cracker roots. Get to know your family, be friends with them.
I am nailing this through continuing to live at home with my parents.
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