Neutralising Nasty Nerves

Nerves before a gig are not a problem to be solved. They are a signal. What you do with that signal is what separates the comedians who improve from the ones who stay stuck.

This video covers the practical side of managing nerves in stand-up. Not the reassuring kind of advice that tells you everyone feels it so do not worry. The kind that gives you something concrete to do with the feelings before you walk on stage.

There is a reframe in here that is worth sitting with. Most people performing for the first time, and many performing for the hundredth, have it slightly wrong.

The video is free, from the We Are Funny Project YouTube channel, and it is six minutes well spent.

Watch it below.

Nerves sit inside a bigger picture of what it takes to develop as a stand-up. The writing side of that development is covered in Writing for Comedians, which is one of the most practical pieces on the site.

If you are still working out where you sit on the circuit and what the stages ahead look like, The Three Tiers of Open Mic Comedy maps that out clearly.

For a sense of what the room feels like when things get difficult and someone tries to derail the show, Hecklers in Pro Comedy Rooms covers a very different kind of pressure.

And if you want three things you can apply immediately to get funnier faster, The Three Habits That Make You a Better Stand-Up Comedian is direct and useful.

The video below is from Stepping Into Stand-Up Comedy and covers something fundamental to every performer, and every performance.

People also ask

Is it normal to feel nervous before a stand-up comedy gig?
Yes, and it does not go away entirely with experience. Most working comedians still feel something before they walk on stage. The useful shift is learning to recognise that what feels like nerves and what feels like excitement are physiologically almost identical. The goal is not to eliminate the feeling but to redirect it into the performance rather than letting it work against you.

How do you calm nerves before performing stand-up comedy? Preparation is the most reliable tool. Knowing your material well enough that you are not relying on memory under pressure removes a significant source of anxiety. Beyond that, breathing techniques, physical warm-ups and having a clear opening line ready all help. The video above covers specific approaches that work in a live comedy context rather than generic public speaking advice.

Does stage fright get better the more you perform?
For most comedians, yes. The anxiety tends to reduce as the environment becomes familiar and as you accumulate evidence that you can handle the room. But some level of pre-performance nerves often persists even in very experienced performers, and many regard it as useful rather than something to be eliminated entirely.

What should a new comedian do if nerves affect their performance on stage?
Focus on the first line. Most of the anxiety is concentrated in the moment before you begin. Once you are into the material the nerves typically settle. Having a strong, well-rehearsed opening that you could deliver in any state gives you somewhere reliable to land when the adrenaline is high.