Heckling at stand up

RuggieBear · 25-09-2005 12:14AM #1

Just back from Des Bishop's stand-up show at Vicar Street.

Funny for the most part but the crowd was really weird...full of people heckling...and not funny heckling either, but just making weird sounds and really unamusing comments.

Got to the point where Bishop couldn't carry on and he ended up just 'jigging' to himself or whatever while he waited for the idiots to shut up! I'd say it was his toughest gig in a while, and he even mentioned that he thought it was surreal!

What was even worse was that the warm up acts were first-timers and part of Bishop's new project to encourage 'disadvantaged' communities to try comedy as a bit of relief. One of the poor guys ended up walking off stage nearly as soon as he'd started because he could hardly get a word out!

Why do idiots like this pay money for tickets to see someone's show just to listen to their own voice all evening?!!

D-Generate · 25-09-2005 12:16AM

I always wonder if they go on their own or do their friend around them get embarrassed when they stand up to do an unfunny heckle.

Dave! · 25-09-2005 12:18AM

Gah I hate idiots like that... Booing, etc., because you don't like an act just shows how much of a scumbag you are.

nesf · 25-09-2005 12:20AM

Sounds sickening tbh.

I can't stand **** like that at stand up gigs.

Mimikyu · 25-09-2005 12:23AM

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RuggieBear · 25-09-2005 12:30AM

Yeah, why don't their mates tell them to shut the fcuk up?! I would!

And it was weird that they had these burly bouncers on the door but nobody came to kick the muppets out!

Mimikyu · 25-09-2005 12:34AM

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Gandalf23 · 25-09-2005 12:39AM

I think most comics are able to handle stuff like that.

Do you think Jon Kenny, Denis Leary, Dylan Moran, etc would have done what Des Bishop did? I dont think so... they would have distroyed those idiots on the spot.

whiskeyman · 25-09-2005 12:39AM

What is it with us irish and heckling? I think we're one of the worst nations at it.
We all think we're bloody hilarious after a few and need to share it with everyone.... while ruining their night in the process. Mind you, I agree with Gandolf - any comedians I've seen heckled usually puts them down straight away.

Kinda reminds me of an infamous Ryan Adams (not Bryan... but born on same day... freaky!) gig.
Some heckler shouted "Play Summer of '69!!!!"
At that, and well fed up of it, Ryan asked for the houselights to be turned on, went over the the bloke and said something like "look, I think you've come to the wrong gig.... here's your money back... now f**k off!"

simu · 25-09-2005 12:40AM

Yeah! With lasers!

Pigman II · 25-09-2005 12:41AM

Heckling is all part of being a comedian. If a heckler is just going 'uhhh fu.ck off!' to the comedian then he's out of line but if he's actually saying something thats funny or true then he should be encouraged.

If a comedian can't take it and better still beat it then he shouldn't be up on stage.

simu · 25-09-2005 12:42AM

Pigman II wrote:

Heckling is all part of being a comedian. If a heckler is just going 'uhhh fu.ck off!' to the comedian then he's out of line but if he's actually saying something thats funny or true then he should be encouraged.

If a comedian can't take it and better still beat it then he shouldn't be up on stage.

Why is it? Says who? Comedians are supposed to make people laugh, not prove that they can get morons to shut up tbh.

RuggieBear · 25-09-2005 12:45AM

Gandalf23 wrote:

I think most comics are able to handle stuff like that.

Do you think Jon Kenny, Denis Leary, Dylan Moran, etc would have done what Des Bishop did? I dont think so... they would have distroyed those idiots on the spot.

He was able to keep putting them down but the idiots kept on going and he ended up just saying that he could keep going with the comebacks all night, but he'd end up with 950 pissed off punters in the audience and 5 happy goons!

Plus, it was obvious that the rest of the audience were getting really annoyed, and the atmosphere was turning more 'angry mob' than 'jolly stand-up viewers'!

Btw, I've seen Denis Leary rendered speechless when confronted with an aggressive Irish heckler!

Gandalf23 · 25-09-2005 12:50AM

RuggieBear wrote:

He was able to keep putting them down but the idiots kept on going and he ended up just saying that he could keep going with the comebacks all night, but he'd end up with 950 pissed off punters in the audience and 5 happy goons!

I remember being at a Pat Shortt gig a few years ago... the audience was terrified to even look at him for fear he would pick them out and make a gobsh1t of them.

RuggieBear wrote:

Btw, I've seen Denis Leary rendered speechless when confronted with an aggressive Irish heckler!

Wow, now that I would like to have seen!!! What happened?

Gandalf23 · 25-09-2005 12:51AM

simu wrote:

Why is it? Says who? Comedians are supposed to make people laugh, not prove that they can get morons to shut up tbh.

I agree, but its definately part of the job, and any comedian who cant deal with hecklers just wont survive in standup.

I do agree however that agressive idiots can ruin a comedy gig... I've seen it a few times in college.

RuggieBear · 25-09-2005 12:53AM

Gandalf23 wrote:

Wow, now that I would like to have seen!!! What happened?

At the olympia on his lock n load tour.....just some gob****e hurling abuse at him and leary put him down a few times but this guy kept getting the last word till leary just ignored him and continued on as if nothing had been said...suppose that's what you've got to do if people just won't quit, and that's what Bishop ended up doing at points tonight

delly · 25-09-2005 12:55AM

Was at his gig last Saturday and there wasn't a bit of heckling, pure class all round. I know that he's been really looking forward to having the two traveller kids on, as he talked about it last week, and has mentioned it on his site www.desbishop.com . He's pretty active in the forum and keeps his Diary section up to date, so i would imagine that he'll make a reference to these hecklers soon enough.

RuggieBear · 25-09-2005 12:58AM

Gandalf23 wrote:

I agree, but its definately part of the job, and any comedian who cant deal with hecklers just wont survive in standup.

True, but it was particularly mean with the newbie, especially as the audience was told beforehand that it was his first attempt and that he was part of these workshops. People just went for him in a really ****ty way....and as another guy said, this newbie was a traveller, and I bet if one of these heckling idiots met him in the street they wouldn't be so quick to slag him...it's easy to be a prick when you can hide in the dark with your mates!

Vikings · 25-09-2005 12:58AM

Just back from Denis Leary myself and my god was it amazing. No heckling whatsoever, I think the 8,000* people there had too much respect for the acts.

*according to Dr. Denis Leary.

Gandalf23 · 25-09-2005 01:02AM

RuggieBear wrote:

True, but it was particularly mean with the newbie, especially as the audience was told beforehand that it was his first attempt and that he was part of these workshops. People just went for him in a really ****ty way....and as another guy said, this newbie was a traveller, and I bet if one of these heckling idiots met him in the street they wouldn't be so quick to slag him...it's easy to be a prick when you can hide in the dark with your mates!

Totally agree with you. These guys are idiots indeed... showed themselves to be true cowards tonight.

eth0_ · 25-09-2005 01:11AM

Sounds cr*ppy alright, although did Des make no attempt to shut the hecklers up?

You at least get FUNNY hecklers in the International club.

I saw Julian Clary in the olympia a few years ago and this crazy woman sitting a few rows in front of us kept making pigeon noises throughout most of the show, at random points. Julian was actually getting pretty pissed off with it, and most of us wanted to throw her over the balcony.

I guess it's just a case of people having far too much to drink before going to a comedy gig!

ghostchant · 25-09-2005 01:15AM

yeah I'm just back from the denis leary gig too...dane cook was amazing - it was him that I had gone to see, and on dane's cd (his new one I think) he destroys a heckler before the heckler has a chance to really get going. God it was class

whiteboard · 25-09-2005 08:45AM

I was at the gig too. Hecking was bloody awful. But as Des said 5 people heckling, 995 soon goin to tell them to shut up; an thats what happened. Would agree that it was a really tough gig.

Felt sorry for the guy who froze; you could see that he was really nervous from the time he walked on. Didnt help that he was being heckled by the same knobs for being a traveller; I bet they wouldn't have gotten up on the stage and had a go themselves. :mad:

Chong · 25-09-2005 01:42PM

I must say I thoroughly enjoyed the Denis Leary gig last night at the point well worth the money i paid.

tba · 25-09-2005 02:17PM

Heckling is one of those things that happens at live shows, in stand up it can enliven the preformance. It can go both ways aswell, never get up to got to the toilet at a Billy connelly show is all I can say.

bounty · 25-09-2005 02:59PM

booing is comedian quality control

whiskeyman · 25-09-2005 03:02PM

bounty wrote:

booing is comedian quality control

perhaps for a new act you've never seen, its pretty harsh feedback, but for someone on tour like a big name, why the hell bother going if you're going to heckle in this manner? It's not as if you've no idea why they're like.
It's like going to a gig where u hate the artist and then booing because you cant stand them.... why the f**k did you pay and go in the first place and ruin it for those who like and wanted to enjoy it?

bounty · 25-09-2005 03:22PM

if no one ever booed, comedian standards would drop

Vikings · 25-09-2005 04:26PM

ghostchant wrote:

yeah I'm just back from the denis leary gig too...dane cook was amazing - it was him that I had gone to see, and on dane's cd (his new one I think) he destroys a heckler before the heckler has a chance to really get going. God it was class

Dane Cook was the highlight of the night (apart from yoko's gonna wreck the band) the goodyear line was f***ing amazing.

JackKelly · 25-09-2005 05:22PM

whiskeyman wrote:

It's like going to a gig where u hate the artist and then booing because you cant stand them.... why the f**k did you pay and go in the first place and ruin it for those who like and wanted to enjoy it?

On the button.

Chucky the tree · 25-09-2005 06:19PM

why didnt the rest of the crowd turn of the hecklers? i know if i paid a fair bit of money to see a comedian i wouldnt allow a couple of twats in the audience ruin it for me.

Heckling at stand up

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