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By Martin Chaddock
If you take your
craft seriously you have to master it like a pro. Recently I
have been getting a lot of bookings and I hold some venues in
higher regards than others and I strive endlessly to master each
performance however sometimes things don’t always work
out that way.
I have literally
rented studio space for hours at a time to have people
heckle me relentlessly so I can have my game on at all
times. When your up there on stage to a sell out crowd
you never know who is going to come at you…from
which direction and yes, I do love that, however I strive
to be the best and the funniest at any given moment.
Recently at gigs that were most important
to me
I have been heckled by my own friends!
A dear friend
of mine who is married with children and rarely gets out
decided her one night out in a long time with her husband
was to come and see me. Was I honored? Absolutely. I’m
up on stage doing my thing and I can hear her talking over
the laughter in the crowd and all of a sudden out of nowhere
she screams out “I Introduced you to your ex-wife” The
laughter came to a stand still and I immediately shot back, “Thanks
for ruining my life” “I think I am more grateful
you came to visit my show tonight and insure that I bomb” She
screams out “I’m Sorry” It’s
okay I replied, we can talk about it later when I am not
working.
I have not only been heckled by complete
strangers, but I am adding to the list close friends, friends
of friends and most recently my childhood babysitter that
I reconnected with who not only came after me but also
went after everyone else after me hardcore.
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On another note...
I am a huge fan of Mel Brooks, who is a genius
if you ask me. I woke up this morning at 5am and turned on the
television to find a Q & A with him and Dick Cavett. It
amazes me to this day how much of an influence he is on me and
comedy in general. I looked back after watching this program
on how many Mel Brooks films that I have watched and how old
I was at the time when I first saw them.
- Blazing Saddles – 7
years old
- Young Frankenstein – 7
years old
- Silent Movie – 8
years old
- History of the World
Part 1 – 14
years old
- Spaceballs – 20
years old
- Life Stinks – 24
years old
- Robin Hood Men in Tights – 25
Years old
Watching him at 86 years old with Dick
Cavett was very entertaining. I
have been a Mel Brooks fan for 38 years now; I still quote lines
from some of his movies. Can you guess which one?
The Tragic Side of Comedy...
Samuel Burl Kinison left this world 20
years ago on April 10th. Sam as he was known by all of his
fans was introduced to America on Rodney Dangerfield’s 9th Annual Young Comedians Special
on HBO in the summer of 1984. After that performance he left
his mark on the comedy world by entertaining people all over
the world with his amazing humor and religious views. He was
by far an amazing artist who battled many demons which ultimately
led to his self destruction and his untimely death at the age
of 39 at the hands of 17 year old drunk driver. When I moved
to L.A. and spent a lot of time at the Comedy Store I got to
learn a lot about Sam and his mark on the comedy world and I
grew to appreciate what he stood for. Rest in Peace Sam you are
sorely missed…… I am going to leave you with this:
http://youtu.be/m_VURr6jnWQ
Martin Chaddock will be performing at Stand Up New York on West
78th Street and Broadway in New York City on Saturday April 28th.
For details go to www.nationwidecomedy.com
Long Island born Martin Chaddock has been writing and performing
stand up comedy for over 16 years. He has performed in venues
from New York to Los Angeles and produced several successful
comedy & music events. He was most recently directed by actor
Frank Vincent in a comedy short that was based on Mr. Vincent’s
character “Billy Batts” from the Academy Award winning
film “Goodfellas”. He resides in New York City
where he performs on a regular basis.
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