"Bombing", "eating it", "ate dirt", any way you say it, it's your worst nightmare realized. You're on stage, the audience is not laughing, you go to our next joke...nothing. You pull a rabbit out of our hat ....nothing. The audience is fidgety, there is tension. Yes, Houston, we have a problem!
Here's the good news. Lewis Black said that a comic needs to bomb at least 100 times before he can be a success. Based on a consensus of top flight pros, if you aren't bombing, you're probably playing it too safe. First off, go easy on yourself. There is no such thing as bombing at an open mic or while doing a check spot. Open mics are workout rooms, often with comics that won't give you much. Check spots are for audience to pay their bills, not for you to shine as a star.
Remember, bombing is building muscles. Just like the gym slogan "no pain, no gain", it's a vital part of our growth as comics. Don't ever be embarrassed. I know comics that refuse to admit they've ever bombed. Give me a break. One of the most puzzling things is comics never seem to want to look at a tape of their set if they bombed. I disagree, you must, as painful as it is, watch your set. I believe it's a greater learning experience than watching yourself kill. Notice your body language, notice how your jokes change, your attitude, confidence, etc. Did you get angry with your audience? Did you panic? You won't remember these things because bombing is usually too emotionally strapping.
NEVER GET ANGRY WITH YOUR AUDIENCE! You may get bad crowds, but they are never wrong if they don't think you're funny that night. I like to thank mine for making this one of the most miserable nights of my life (that usually gets a laugh.) One thing I have always done is write "saves". i.e. "Thank you for telling me that joke doesn't work, I won't do it tomorrow", or "I was contemplating suicide, thank you for helping me make up my mind" etc.etc. These show that you are being honest with them and that they aren't wrong. But it also means you got to write better jokes.
In closing, the most important thing to remember is to keep getting back up on stage. If you can't take a knockout punch you're in the wrong business. Comics that do one show a week have a whole week of feeling the pain of bombing. Comics that do two sets a night forget about it as soon as they get the first laugh in the next set. Keep working hard, keep on trucking, and if you haven't bombed 100 times, keep bombing!
