Night 1 JFL Montreal.

I headed out early to see a 7pm show as I had a spot at 9pm, but walking through the crowds and feeling the excitement in the air here I started to think it's a bit far away.  

The first show was at the Katacombes its a Metal venue really cool with skulls all over the pillars, Last year the door guy recognised me from Pegazus. So I rock in, I have an Industry pass so I can get in to most of the shows free. $5 PABS at the bar and I'm set. I was hanging to see this show It has a few of the same elements as a show i have been writing for the MICF.

This show is called The Goddamn Comedy Jam a mix of music and comedy each show has 3 acts get up do a set then tell a story then sing a song with the band. It starts with a band and the singer/Emcee Josh Adam Meyers a very good comedian from Baltimore, Maryland. They play songs but sing them in a funny way taking the lyrics literally while roadies are rocking out with the band and really getting the room pumped up.  Then Josh does some stand up and then bring on the 1st act.

First up was Kyle Kinane he has been to JFL a couple of times but been around for ages and he was awesome! The whole room were laughing hard! Great jokes and story before the band joined him for Sweet child of Mine. The guitarist has a flying V violin and starts. And they all go off! They really get the crowd up and going with a crazy intensity and energy. The roadies are jumping around the audience then during the solo the guitarist hangs of the balcony playing the violin then running through the crowd.  

Next up was Brent Morin he plays Justin in the sitcom Undateable they are all here for the awards show later in the week. He has done this show a few times and like Kyle he was awesome too he got stronger towards the end.Then they jammed out to Are you gonna be my girl by Jet. Fucken Hate that song! Fake as! But anyway, he and they crew just rocked out hard on it! It was very funny and entertaining everyone is going off on stage the roadies are going nuts and the crowd are loving it.

Then Josh announces that they had a special guest Bill Burr but he has had to split early to film something, But we have a special guest coming up instead one of the biggest rockstars in world Dave Grohl! And everyone goes off! It's Bill Burr with a wig and a pair of sunny's on and he launches into a brilliant set, everyone was pissing them selves laughing from start to finish. He is a freak! How can you get much better year after year? To be better than the best year after year and you are the best! My face was hurting! If you know Bill Burr you know he love's playing the drums so they blast out on some Foo Fighters. I couldn't believe it this is the first show I see and was I going to go to that gig now? Fuck No! So I bolted to see Duncan Trussell he was right in the middle of the main strip a 5 minute walk.

Duncan is awesome I saw him briefly in LA and he did a lot of the stuff he did at the store but he had tweaked it so it was a lot more punchier. his show has a lot of turns and if you Duncan he has a soothing voice and nature that he can really take you anywhere and you will go.,And his closer is awesome I don't really want to give any jokes away so I'll just say when he comes to Australia in November go see him.

Then I raced back to the Katacombes to see Tom Segura, I have been wanting to see him live for ages and he was amazing! He smashed the room was rocking with laughter, Like a packed comics lounge with Pommy Johnson destroying. He is heaps funnier live his mannerisms and looks he gives add so much to his like ability.

The whole night was Stand up Comedy at a different level there is a polish to the jokes and a naturalness to these guys from 10-20 years of really hard work. 

Lessons 

If my jokes don't get the same response they are not finished. They can its just a matter of hard egoless work.

Acting out, everyone does it and does it right!

This is the best festival in the world, if only the Melbourne festival would spend some of that crazy money they make from open mic acts each year and spend it on this level of comedian it would inspire and raise the bar in Melbourne. So we all get better. 

Political correctness is way too over the top in Australia the things that get said here are full on and hilarious!

Don't be afraid to go further it might be where you find your voice.

This was one of the best nights of comedy I have ever seen. 10/10 

Be Cool 

Flemo

The Icehouse and Hollywood Improv

I caught an Uber to the Icehouse Pasadena to do a spot my first one on this trip. The show was in the front room there was about 60 people in attendance. The first guy was really good i enjoyed his set. I went up about 4th in and started with a joke about how Ice is what we call meth in Australia. So you can imagine my disappointment when I got here and Its a comedy club not an Ice house! It went well then i went into some material and didn’t get much along the way chuckles along the way and a few people up front were into it. Ari told me on the drive home that they were all Comedians so I can’t tell how it was really its like home comedians don’t give you much.

I didn’t hang around to see Joe Rogan the show was sold out so Ari gave me a lift back and invited me to the Improve for the main show.

This was an awesome show everyone was a killer act like Daniel Tosh he had the audience falling off their seats with hit after hit after hit.

Now for an edit.

I forgot to mention when I got in the security said your a comedian right I said yeah he said just go sit in that booth with the reserve VIP on it, Cool. So I’m watching the show and some old guy with two hot!!1 girls come over hey I’m ….. I can’t remember but he sounded Important, He said you’re a friend of Jeff’s? Did he seat you here? I said nope and just kept watching the show. About 20mins later Jeff Ross come over and started chatting to them. So now I’m thinking oh shit I’m in his private VIP booth! Then he left to do the show and he was at the security for 10mins pointing at me freaking out while I was pretending not to notice by watching the show but nobody would come over. I gave it another 5mins then moved to the next booth 10seconds later Larry David comes and sits in my seat hahahaha. 

Jeff Ross was even better tonight than last night. At the end of his set he does a spit roast where he gets audience members on stage to be roasted and I heard one of the greatest roast lines ever! The crowd lost their shit big time everyone was on their feet!

Brett Ernst is very cool he is a good friend of the Comics Lounge and I love his stuff cause its a lot like what Doug Chappel does and thats talk about crazy things that have happened in their lives. His rhythm was different to the rest which was cool he stood out completely.

Dane Cook was the special guest headliner Im not a big fan of his but he had some killer stuff and i learnt heaps just watching his presence on stage.

I learnt a lot tonight as far as my spot goes i wanted to just run material and see what happens. Crowd work would have been a better option but its not what i went into the show to do so its cool.

The same as the other nights nobody really lacks confidence on stage weather the material is good or not.

Roasting we need it in Australia its a pity because people would want it stopped back home because its not safe enough for them. These guy go hard to the place you would stop and a mile further it is really funny.

Pretty much all of the acts tonight were performing on stage as though they were being filmed, it was a bit weird make it is for practice or it is a stage trick I’m not sure but ill find out.

There are over 3000 comics in LA from the best to the worst spots are limited so in Australia we shouldn’t complain about spots there are enough spots and we can make more if we choose.

A huge thanks to Ari Mannis for helping me out with spots and driving me back to Hollywood this guy is a very cool Dude!

Tonight I’m off to the Laugh Factory to catch up with Monty Franklin I saw his US set last year it was super strong so I’m pumped for that. Then he is taking me to the Comedy Store to meet with the manager so i can pop in when i want and not look like a freak.

Be good stay down with the hood!

Flemo