When I started doing comedy, there were a bunch of things I needed to work on or learn in my act. I found out, though, asking questions before a show is probably just as important. The “when you assume, you make an ass of u and me” rule was probably written by a comedian.
Example: Is this venue a real legit place or a terrifying murder den? I did a show once at a bar in a bad part of town. The sound system wasn’t set up. The host left to find a mic. The small problem was the bar had flyers up that said it was property of the “New Bloodz” (name changed to protect the innocent) motorcycle gang and no one was to question anything from a gang member – their word was law. I then realized it wasn’t a bar, it was an abandoned meeting hall. Oh and the owner didn’t have buy any booze. When people showed up, THEN he went to the store and got a handle of Seagrams and a couple 2 Liters of Coke. Then the mic showed up and first test the speaker blew. They went to find a fuse, which is pretty easy to do on a Saturday night in the hood.
I, with about four other performers, drank warm High Lifes that someone ran down – God forbid the beer was as cold as the venue. 3 hours later, in the cold scary cinder block hell, the show finally started. By then, everyone in the crowd had left (all four of them) because they weren’t twisted enough to sit in the freezing dark with a cup of Seagrams. One of my cohorts told me they felt bad taking the money because no one showed up. I took the money and slept like a baby. Questions that arose after that – “Is this venue an actual bar, or just a building for illegal transactions?” “Does this venue serve alcohol or do they pass out drugs in the parking lot?” “Do I need to punch my agent (me)?” “How many people have to show up before they turn the heat on?”