Etiquette for guests are important. A formal affair is when this is of dire importance. However, with a causal party or event there are still some information a person needs to know. With every style of party, an individual needs to be on their best behavior so each guest can have a fun and amusing time. The host has various parts of the event to worry about. An unruly guest should not concern the other guests or host. There are simple measures a person can take to have fun and enjoy the surroundings. Almost every person has been taught some form of etiquette for different styles of events. There are simple procedures that a person can take to enjoy themselves and still be on their best behavior.

Invitations are sent out a few weeks in advance. It is polite to acknowledge these invites. Call the host or write a letter explaining if you can make the event or if you cannot. When the host is expecting a certain amount of people and half of those individuals do not show, time, food and entertainment is wasted. Let the host know as soon as possible if the individual is planning to attend. When the person calls and tells the host they will make it, ask if they can do anything for the event. It is helpful to the party if guests make a contribution. Most of the time the host will tell an individual everything is taken care of, however if something is needed be sure to accomplish this. Read the rest of this entry »

Being a stand-up comedian is probably one of the toughest jobs in the world. Spending days, weeks, months, and even sometimes years perfecting a single comedy routine is a demanding job in itself. Going on stage and moving the audience to laughs can often be even harder.

While every stand-up comedian has his or her own ways of ensuring a successful show, there are a few tips that you may want to try to help your show go even better.

Use Your Experiences As Inspiration for Comedy

You may be the “fiction” comedy lover who likes to make jokes out of completely made-up situations, people, and settings. But many comedians use their personal experiences as the basis for the storylines in their jokes. Of course, not every situation we go through in life is comedic (let alone worthy of producing laughs). But a little exaggeration and a few imaginative additions to our real-life stories can make almost any experience “funny.”

Are you a parent? Then maybe you could build a funny story out of all the foam-padded, childproof-your-house gates, furniture protectors, and floor mats. Do you work with animals? Maybe you have a real-life incident where you were nipped that would make the crowds double over in laughter if you turned it into a story about a maniacal cat that nearly bit your head off because it did not get its hair combed to its liking. Clearly, you get the idea: real life can feed your comedy. Read the rest of this entry »

Booking shows is tough. Even tougher is being sure to get all the details at a venue before you song play. Some venues will only give you one chance to play there and if you ruin that opportunity by not getting all the information before show time you really have no one to blame but yourself.
The most important issue is finding out if the venue is 21 and over. Some bars do allow underage people in for shows and some do not. Some places allow underage band members into the show, but they have to leave immediately following the group’s set. I have seen shows where the band has gotten completely set up and then had to leave because the bar owner found out that the group was underage. The band, the owner, and the fans were all extremely unhappy. This situation is easily avoided with proper communication.

Be sure to also check if the venue expects a certain amount of money from you. You will not want to play the show if you cannot cover the cost to song play with the admission. Read the rest of this entry »