RG Daniels

Today I am interviewing RG Daniels, a comedian born in Brooklyn, NY who has been doing comedy for a little over six years. To find out more about RG, please visit his website.

Why did you start doing stand-up comedy?

It was a little strange how I got started because I went to college for radio broadcasting. After graduating I got a job with a talk show where a comedian was the on-air sidekick. When the show finished up I would hang out with him, tagging along to his shows at Caroline's and other clubs, and I sort of got drawn to the excitement of it. After he killed a crowd it was like he changed their lives and I thought, Well, let’s give this a shot. I honestly believed that by making people laugh I’d be changing their lives and in some small way I still buy in to that because without a sense of humor we become a population that drones on and on, day after day. Comedy is important. Cultures halfway around the world entertain themselves with dancing and laughing and I’d enjoy being the DJ at that sort of party.

What was your first year doing stand-up comedy like?

My first year was a learning experience. All open mics, a few bringers, and then eventually I started handing out fliers in Times Square (even in the rain and sub-zero wind chills!). I knew I would suck, but I also knew that the only way to get better is to keep doing it. I wasn’t so concerned with landing opportunities as I was with being good on stage. I think a lot of rookie mistakes in comedy lie within the ideas that A) your material should be as memorable as possible by being as shocking as possible, and B) the greater goal should be accomplished sooner than later. There is such a thing as being seen too early. I was offered things in my first few years that I knew I would bomb on, so I passed on them. It’s perfectly okay to suck your first year. Most people expect it. As long as you’re recording yourself and pointing out the mistakes you’re making then you will keep learning new things about your act that will help you develop. Keep going up. Take a few risks. Stay focused. It’s the only way you’ll get past the first few years, which are often the toughest.

What is your secret to getting all those paid gigs?

I’m not so sure there is a secret to getting paid. Road work is how most comedians make their money. There are plenty of booking agencies that send comedians out to gigs. Some of these shows may be a steakhouse in the middle of a skiing community in upstate New York. Some of them might be a gun & rod club in Western Pennsylvania. Not the most glamorous of jobs, but that doesn’t mean it’s not fun. These audiences want to laugh. After all, they booked you. As far as club work goes it’s a bit more complicated. Unless you’re willing to bite the bullet it can be some time before clubs pay you. In NY especially there is a lot of commitment on the comedian’s part before a club will even take a chance. Late nights and check spots—that sort of thing. On the road a club is more likely to have a young comic feature if the headliner has vouched for them and brought them along. You can contact clubs outside of the city on your own, but prepared to back up your pitch with a solid performance. Club managers hate having their time wasted (and their money, too). Don’t talk the talk if you can’t walk the walk. In other words, make sure you’re ready to make a crowd laugh for 20 to 30 minutes before you decide to seek the work.