Samurai_Jerk wrote:yanpa wrote:Samurai_Jerk wrote:I've heard a number of North American comedians say stand up in the UK is awful overall.
I'm sure the reverse assertion is also true. Divided by a common language and all that.
It's not. A lot of American and Canadian stand ups do well in the UK but the reverse isn't true. I'm not talking about the superstars in either market because those are the exceptions. I'm talking about people who just do stand up for a living. I think it's partly (mostly?) because The US/Canadian stand up scene is a lot bigger so there's more of a chance to develop your material and you can actually make an OK living as a stand up without becoming an Eddie Izzard or Louis CK. I've heard British (and Australian) comedians say in interviews that unless you really make it there, you have to have a job and do comedy on the side as a hobby. A lot of working comics in North America only do comedy. It means being on the road all the time but that's the nature of the business.
I've heard the same thing from Aussies about rock bands. Not enough of a live music market to make it a career choice unless you hit it big fast. Many who want to do it for a living apparently move to the US.