foha80

Great post Sam,right on the mark. Ok Sam you have given us your worst stand up comics,I would be interested in your best and your reasons, why they work for you.You don't have to stick to Brits.


Regards

Terry

samkydd

The best thing about comedy clubs is that you see acts that never get on the telly and some of these have been around for many years and never fail to deliver. The key to their endearing appeal is originality and they're genuinely funny, they don't have to dress up in a silly stage suit and a dickie bow to try to convince people that they're comedians.

There's no glamour in stand-up, it's like being in a pub band you go and do your set and then leave to get to the next gig, or go home. There are some places around where there's an inner sanctum where people meet up at the end of the night to wind down and carry out post mortem on their performances, but quite often it's a sorry looking kebab a can of Coke and a lonely trek home.

Some of the ones I find genuinely funny you may of heard of; Ivor Dembina, Mitch Benn, Woody Bop Muddy, Milton Jones, The Amazing Mr Smith, The b*****d Son of Tommy Cooper, Charlie Cheese who is McKenzie Crook's stage character (Gareth in The Office), Earl Okin (who I first saw at the Cambridge Folk Festival in 1979 when I was a youth), John Moloney, Brendan Burns and Smiley!

The more famous ones I like are Billy Connolly, Eddie Izzard, Bill Hicks and Richard Prior and the reason being that just like the previous list of names, they have originality and charisma and the audience feel good about being there

"...the chairman of Littlewoods stores made a Keynote speech!"

penfold

Earl Okin !!Crikey....held the record for most consecutive years at The Fringe...died a couple of years ago.
Talking of dying, there was the famous story of Mike and Bernie Winters at the Glasgow Empire; Mike does a minute or two of stand-up, Bernie comes on stage right; there's a loud cry from one of the audience.... "Och, no, there's two of them...."
Second only as a class heckle to a London Show of stand-up by Michael Douglas' brother, forget which, trying to start a career in comedy.....it's already going badly, some heckling has started, when young Mr Douglas shouts at the audience; "Do you know who I am??? I'm Kirk Douglas' son !!!" stunned silence. Then a genius in the audience stands up and shouts 'No! I'm Kirk Douglas' son!' and then the next guy does the same... and so on.
End of gig, end of career. It may be apocryphal, but I hope it's true....

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

samkydd

I think you'll find that Earl Okin is still alive and kicking! http://www.spats.demon.co.uk/

"...the chairman of Littlewoods stores made a Keynote speech!"

Steve Crook

It is self-mocking. But I suppose it helps to know the types of people she's affectionately mocking.

Very much like Kath & Kim
Steve

thirdlady

I just can't stand ant and dec

to me they're the worst you can get!

A.S.Carroll
"Happiness isn't sold in bottles you have to achieve it in your own lifetime!"

Fellwanderer

No, I really don't deserve a spot but it was nice of you to consider me.

FELL

All the best
FELL

A signature is no substitute for a life

Rob Compton

rgds
Rob