Listen In.
I’ve spent the
afternoon editing together an audio clip of me performing stand-up, to
send off to a comedy competition.
This was a useful exercise, considering my recent doubts about my ability. In doing it, I was forced to watch a number of videos of my gigs, to work out what to send. While some of it made me cringe, a lot didn’t – and what shocked me most was there were laughs.
...quite a lot of them, in fact. Far more than I remembered. For some reason (*cough* Chortle review *cough*) I’ve convinced myself that there weren’t. It’s surprising how much you can reinvent something in your head, from a distance. That’s why recording my stand-up sets can be invaluable. It gives me the chance to experience them from the outside looking in, rather than the inside looking out.
One thing I noticed was that the bits that came across the best had more attack. This was probably because they were in a club - and not a show – setting. It made me think that I’ve have been sitting back on my material too much. When I work with Glyn, my persona is edgier and more driven. On my own, I approach the material more gently. This may be a mistake. I’d like to make the two performance versions of me more alike. I’d also like to use the word ‘more’ a lot more-less.
It was interesting how different it came across when listening to the audio in isolation. It sounded more confident. It also signposted the bits that didn’t work. At least hearing it back has given me a boost. I must hold onto that.
That’s enough talking about myself for one day. I’m a contradiction in terms: a self-loathing narcissist.
This was a useful exercise, considering my recent doubts about my ability. In doing it, I was forced to watch a number of videos of my gigs, to work out what to send. While some of it made me cringe, a lot didn’t – and what shocked me most was there were laughs.
...quite a lot of them, in fact. Far more than I remembered. For some reason (*cough* Chortle review *cough*) I’ve convinced myself that there weren’t. It’s surprising how much you can reinvent something in your head, from a distance. That’s why recording my stand-up sets can be invaluable. It gives me the chance to experience them from the outside looking in, rather than the inside looking out.
One thing I noticed was that the bits that came across the best had more attack. This was probably because they were in a club - and not a show – setting. It made me think that I’ve have been sitting back on my material too much. When I work with Glyn, my persona is edgier and more driven. On my own, I approach the material more gently. This may be a mistake. I’d like to make the two performance versions of me more alike. I’d also like to use the word ‘more’ a lot more-less.
It was interesting how different it came across when listening to the audio in isolation. It sounded more confident. It also signposted the bits that didn’t work. At least hearing it back has given me a boost. I must hold onto that.
That’s enough talking about myself for one day. I’m a contradiction in terms: a self-loathing narcissist.
