How Do You Cope When You Bomb A Show?

Oh man. Not well! No seriously, it's hard to recover from a show that goes poorly, but its actually part of the process. If you never bomb, you are not taking enough chances as a comedian. You will never grow. It took me a while to realize that.

Not right after the show, but sometime the next day, I try to listen or watch my set and see what went wrong. Clearly, if I am working on new material or taking a lot of chances, maybe I am prepared for it not going well, so those are easy to cope with. When you are doing your proven material and it doesn't work, it's hard not to question your career choice and your ability to be a stand up comedian. I replay the choices I made and try to see what, if anything I could have done better or differently.

As for actually coping, I usually eat some comfort food or chocolate. Lol. The next day or before the next show (if its the same night), I prepare and just try to make sure the next show goes well to build momentum. I go back and listen to my sets, good and bad, right before the next show. For the next show, I usually ensure I start strong so as to not fall into a pattern of bad shows.