Gatekeepers Be Gatekeeping

Often in comedy, after you've been performing for a few months, you start hearing the word "gatekeepers" pop up. Performers will tell you about how this comic or booker or club owner isn't booking them. They'll talk about how they didn't pass an audition or get rebooked because the person in power is having a power trip or "likes what they like." While gatekeepers can be frustrating, they are a normal part of any business, and the funny thing about gatekeepers is that they only have power over you if want to play their venues. So here's a few thoughts and suggestions when the gatekeepers be gatekeeping. 

What is the Definition of a Gatekeeper? 
A pure definition of a gatekeeper is someone with power to book or not book you based on their influence or position at a comedy club or venue. They determine the time allotted, the pay, and the amount of bookings you can get. They tend to have specific requirements that are clearly laid out or arbitrary ones depending on our point of view. Sometimes it's a booker who has to watch your tape or see you live before booking you. Sometimes it's the club owner who has to pass you to regular status. Sometimes it's a popular comic at the venue who tells the owners who to pass. Sometimes it's the booker of a TV show, or it might be their assistant who filters the names up the ladder. 

This is different than a kingmaker. The booker of The Tonight Show was the gatekeeper. If Johnny Carson liked you, then he became your kingmaker. A booker who decides if you should host for a big name comic is a gatekeeper. A headliner who asks you to join them on the road is a kingmaker. I felt I should clarify this before you start thinking the wrong people are holding you back. 

If They Say No, Just Go Look Elsewhere 
As comics are starting out, there are usually two types of clubs. The big ones and the bringer ones. While major clubs run bringer shows, those are isolated from the brand of the club. Yet, the B and C clubs will run bringers where the bringing either effects getting up the night of the show (bring 5 or you're bumped) or future bookings (didn't bring? Hmmmmm). Either way, that's a form of gatekeeping that can become discouraging. But remember, no one ever got discovered at those clubs. Maybe a few contacts are made, but generally, no one ever did a 5 minute showcase set and then become a series regular on a show. 

If you find your ability to get friends out has completely diminished, then there's your sign that the 5 minute spot clubs aren't your playground anymore. Here's the funny thing about that. If you stop looking for 5 minute spots you'll start finding better spots. The "cockroach clubs" are the bottom feeders. They make you feel like you're "doing comedy" but in reality, seeking their validation always feels empty later when you realize you didn't really make headway with the booker.

This year I have had unparalleled booking success, and it's because the last two years I've stopped focusing on the clubs that don't pay and require my friends to spend a lot. This year I will have at least one paid gig a week, and over 200 paid spots for the year. Because I stopped worrying about the gatekeepers and started focusing on the places that needed me. Stop looking at the small clubs and start looking at the paying venues. Your act should be making YOU money, not JUST the booker!    
When They Say No, Don't Go Low 
I'm going to keep this short. If a club or venue says no, just know it's for right now. Two years ago I asked to feature at a club and got a snippy email about how I'm just an opener. Today I'm co-headlining there. Same booker. Same venue. Things change. So don't trash them online or in an email back. People change. You. Me. Bookers. Gatekeepers. It's just part of the ethos of the business.  

Credit Requirements Are Just What They Use To Say No 
Here's something no one will tell you. Whenever a booker says, "get a TV credit" or "get passed at a big club and we'll talk" or "get more followers," they are just saying that as a nice way to not book you. The truth is, there are tons of comics with little to no TV or social media presence who are getting booked. The credits requirement is just a gatekeeping trick. I know this as in my first year I was told to go get a credit to feature. By 2017 I had a Dry Bar Special and Laughs on Fox credit, plus I already had a few Nickelodeon credits. Those same bookers said, "Go get a late night set." 

What I learned in that moment is that bookers use the credit game as a way to say no without saying no. I figured that out, but sadly many don't and then become really upset when their AGT or Conan set didn't transform their career. I know comics with Netflix and network TV credits who struggle for opening and showcasing gigs, and they are very funny. They just aren't what those bookers want. So don't rely too much on those credits.

You Aren't Entitled to Anything 
Maybe the best attitude to have is to not feel entitled to anything. Many gatekeepers like confidence, but they hate entitlement. Ironically, gatekeepers feel entitled to set boundaries without push back, but in the end, they have the keys and you don't.  

I know it sucks when the venue you worked so hard to impress doesn't move you up the food chain. Especially when you see others getting opportunities after much less time. Yet, there were probably opportunities you got that others were jealous of too. The trick is to have a mindset that most relationships are cyclical. You get your shot and either it moves you up or not. There's no way to know if it's the start of something bigger or just a resume builder for someone else to be impressed with. 

One trick in finding out if you have a legitimate future with a club is to ask the booker what they need from you to get to the next levels. If they brush you off with a "just keep emailing me" you might want to start looking elsewhere. But if they tell you they need you to sharpen you hosting skills or build a solid thirty so they can give you a closing spot, then you know they want to move forward. 

Starting Your Own Show Is A Workaround 
I understand you want the clubs and bookers to "choose you." But that cannot be the only way to succeed. From Steve Martin in the 1970's to Don't Tell Comedy today, the independent producer scene has always been a viable way to build. Trading shows with other producers and creating a comedy community where your show is needed is a key to working around gatekeepers. This will do two very important things:

1. You will have a place to book comics and try new material. 

2. You will finally see things from a gatekeeper point of view. 

Often, comics say "that guy/club should be doing it this way..." and then they run a show and find out there's a lot more to the process. Producers have venue owners giving them flack about attendance or the quality of the comedy. I once ran a room where the venue owner asked "Can we get Dave Chapelle?" No, Craig. No we can't. 

But you will also see how the booking process works. You'll have raw comics send the worst tapes EVER. Tapes where the comic doesn't have a working mic, the quality is so bad you aren't sure if they're on stage or not, and even worse - they're reading jokes off their notepads at an open mic with no people there. Soon, you'll get why the bookers ignore so many requests. I don't excuse ignoring, but I get it. 

Final Thoughts 
When dealing with a gatekeeper, there are a lot of factors to think about. Are you the right comic at the right time? Do they seem interested in taking credit for you later? Are they expecting the comics to bring a crowd or are they taking on the marketing responsibilities? While you might feel you earned a better spot or just a spot at all, remember there are a ton of comics going for the same spot. 

This is where waiting and luck play a part. Sometimes you're just waiting for opportunity to strike. A year ago they never would have thought of you, but then someone mentioned you and they decide to give you a shot. The only way you don't get that shot is if you quit. I was recently carpooling with a comic and we found out I was headlining a venue he couldn't get into and he was headlining a venue I was opening at still. There's not a comedy HR or merit system to move you up. There are no more Mitzi Shore's or Bud Friedman's. There's a lot of hard working bookers trying to find the next Dane Cook while still booking Dane Cook. 

​There's also a lot of emotionally stunted producers who treat you like a second class citizen. But you don't have to kowtow to them. Just keep looking around and find places that need you. Because if there's one thing a gatekeeper hates more than a needy comic is a comic who no longer needs them. Trust me. Sometimes ignoring them for a while can get them wondering what's going on with you.