FAQs
If you're thinking about giving open mic a bash, or you have a question about our comedy nights, then please see if we've answered in here in the FAQ section before you drop us an email. You're guaranteed to get a faster response by checking this page out.How do I get an open mic spot at one of your venues?
How long is the wait?
What is the call time?
How is the running order created?
What are the venue addresses?
What other open mic venues are there?
What is your web site address?
Do you have general tips for new open mic’ers?
How do I get an open mic spot at one of your venues?
Ask for one by sending an email to info@micinhand.com. When you ask for a spot, you can specify the venue you want (the Friend in Hand or the Kurrajong) or not, in which case we’ll give you the first one that comes up. After you do your spot, email through another request to get back onto the waiting list.How long is the wait?
The wait can be up to three months, as we are currently cycling about 120 names. We keep requests in the order they arrive, so don’t worry if you don’t hear from us for a while, you’re working your way up the list. Please don’t continually email, as we do not have time to give constant personal updates. Once we have seen you, you may find that waiting time grows shorter. This is because we typically book the Friend in Hand with 4 stronger acts who we have seen before and 4 people who are unknown to us, or who are ‘finding their comedy feet’ shall we say. This ensures a balance for the audience, and means a better night for everyone. There are other ways to decrease waiting time. For example, anyone who assists in the running of the night, in some way. This can be something as simple as guaranteeing that a group of your friends will be coming to see you. In addition, we often have dropouts, so spots can come up at very late notice. This is why it’s a good idea to send us through a contact number.What is the call time?
At the Kurrajong call time is 7:15, and the open mic starts at 7:45.At the Friend call time is 8:00, and the open mic starts at 8:30.
If you are running late, let us know. The Friend’s phone number is 9660 2326. The Kurrajong is 9519 3609. People do lose spots when we don’t know if they’re going to turn up or not, beyond a certain point.
How is the running order created?
We create the running order on the night. If you have a reason to be on later or earlier, let us know and we will try to accommodate you.What are the venue addresses?
Friend in Hand Hotel
58 Cowper St, Glebe
The Kurrajong Hotel
106 Swanson St, Erskineville
What other open mic venues are there?
MonRapid Fire Comedy - The Club Bar @ The Roundhouse, University of New South Wales.
Free for UNSW students, $5.00 non members.
Doors open at 7.30pm, show at 8pm.
Contact: openmic@chocolateantelope.com
www.chocolateantelope.com
The Bridge Hotel, Rozelle
Contact Daryl at thefunnyguy1@hotmail.com
Tues
Sydney Comedy Store, Fox Studios
http://www.comedystore.com.au
- Contact peter at peter@comedystore.com.au or call 02 9357 1419 10am-5pm Mon-Sat.
- Pete from the Store has also set up an Open Mic Forum, which you can find at http://comedystore.com.au/openmic/phpbb/ It’s a great place to meet and chat with other open mic’ers and comics about all things comedy (or whatever you want), and is often the first place you will find out about a new room or opportunity.
The Kurrajong - that's us
Wed
Comedy Construction Zone @ Paddy MacGuires
Haymarket (wednesdays) 9:30pm
- Turn up a bit early, talk to to Daria who runs the room and she will put you on if she can. Usually the show is all open mic’ers, so this is the room with the highest turnover of acts.
Coonies Hotel, Wollongong (Wed/Thurs)
- This is not a straightforward open mic night, but a karoake night where you can perform comedy if you wish. Call Joe Barton for more information or to book yourself in: 0412 014 925
Thurs
The Friend in Hand - that's us too!
What is your web site address?
www.micinhand.com DUH!Do you have general tips for new open mic’ers?
- Go and see an open mic night before you get up at one.
- Try to avoid writing your material down. Referring to notes/your hand instantly destroys any illusion of spontaneity.
- Know your material well enough so that you don’t have to think about it in the half hour before the show. You don’t need the stress. This time is better spent watching what has come before, or just generally mentally preparing for the stage, or trying to chill out as much as you can manage.
- Try not to stress too much. You’re there to have fun. Even if you suck, if you had fun, the audience will (probably) still like you. It’s only five minutes of chatter anyway.
- If you are nervous about using the mic stand, turn up a bit early and have a fiddle.
- Do not use other people’s jokes without their permission. This includes everyone from Eddie Murphy through to the dude you saw last week. Someone will be able to pick it trust us. And joke theft is one of the cardinal sins of comedy world. ‘Yeah, but I wrote it better’ is not an excuse. No one likes a hack.
- Also try to avoid topics that are well covered or derivative jokes. For example ‘My last gig was terrible, it was at a funeral, tough crowd’, and ‘I was jerking off and then it turns out I was in a public place’ both enjoy endless reformatting.
- Obvious outward signs of nervousness on stage include moving around too much, whipping the mic cord all over the place, and adjusting the mic stand when you don’t need to.
- Don’t get scorchingly drunk before you go on. Drinking may loosen you up a bit, but it will also a) make it harder to remember your material and b) make it harder to deal with any problems that arise (hecklers, mic problems etc).
- Record your sets. Either video, audio or getting a friend to take notes, find a way to get a record of your sets so that you can watch and/or listen to yourself on stage. It’s never easy to watch or listen to yourself, but it will provide invaluable information about what you’re doing on stage. You might learn that you’ve been saying “um” every 10 seconds, or scratching your ass just before each punch line, and that’s the kind of thing you really need to know.
Cheers, have fun!
Sam and Kent