Open-mic Section
The open-mic section of a comedy night is the part where new comics have a go, and experienced comedians try out new material.

Serial open-mic performers – yep, there’s such a thing. You could almost call them Buddhist open-mic performers because they keep dying but we keep asking them to come back. Dave Hughes, now one of Australia’s leading stand-ups and regular radio and TV personality, was one of Laugh Resort’s notorious serial open-mic performers. Hard to believe but it’s true – back in the mid to late nineties Dave kept getting up there and the audiences just couldn’t figure him out. But there were always a few people – often other comics – who were almost on the floor with hilarity.

So, to all you budding open-mic performers, don’t give up just because you’ve had a shocker or two. (In Dave’s case it was about twenty).

Basic Advice to Open-Mic Performers
Leave them wanting more. Five (5) minutes is all you need, and all the MC wants of you.

Find an “out” point. It might be a good punch line, but it might not. What matters is that the performer and the audience know “that’s all folks”. A polite ‘thank you, that’s all from me” or “thank you and goodnight” or whatever you choose is vital.

When you arrive at the club, introduce yourself to the MC, so then they know what you look like and who they’re going to introduce.

If you have a sound CD or tape, make sure the sound technician knows about it.

If you have a guitar make sure the technician knows if you want to use a second mic or, if you have a pick up, to go through a direct input.

Learn about microphones and mike stands. Find some time to practice with the equipment. Microphone stands are actually quite complicated things, and it’s just so off-putting when a performer doesn’t bother to adjust the stand to suit their height and their voice.

Yelling! If you want to make a loud statement or a loud noise, move the mic away from your mouth. Hurting an audience’s ears just isn’t funny.

Ask for feedback. There’s always a handful of comedians who’ll be willing to give you hints and tips.