Headlining shows isn't the be-all and end-all.

If you were a stand-up comedian, which slot at a gig would you fancy doing most, given the choice? It sounds like a no-brainer, as 'headliner' is clearly the position that most up and coming comedians eventually want to reach; to be recognised as an act that promoters can rely on to close the show, and who'll make paying punters want to come back again next time. But once you've reached that 'closer' status, is it necessarily the case that you'd always want that slot?

Ego-wise you may pine for the extra cache - and cash - involved with finishing, but there are definite advantages to other spots on the bill. Going on first is traditionally the second most prestigious position, and there are rewards for opening the show. You finish early, get home early, maybe get back to that box set, or try a different type of slot action at a site like bestslots.co.uk, or - if that gig was stressful - run a bath. Hey, maybe do all three at once, and take a gamble on not soaking the smartphone.

It depends where the gig is, of course. If it's a lengthy journey from your house and you're staying over, well, you might as well go later and stay later: there's no point coming off early and just heading back to the room, unless you have a weird, Partridge-like attraction to budget travel taverns. Or if you've a new child at home, the idea of a quiet hotel might seem pretty nifty, however low-rent it is.

If you live and work in London, of course, and you're an in-demand comic, you don't really need to decide which slot to do at all - you can do all of them. Go on first at one venue, nip off and do a 'middle' somewhere else, then headline at a third: then do the same with their late shows. Actually the comic who was most famed for doing loads of shows a night - he tours properly nowadays, so presumably just does the one - used to do so many circuit shows because he lived just outside of London, so wanted to make the most of it when he did travel in.

Spare a thought here, though, for the compere, who has to come on at the start, middle and end of gigs, but the same one. You can't go gallivanting around doing spots at various shows if you're stuck compering one of them. Just imagine the confusion if the host failed to rematerialize after his intro section, because he'd nipped off to do an extra gig somewhere else.

So why do comics compere? Well, not every act gets the opportunity to headline, or have promoters massage their schedules to accommodate them, certainly not early on: one bit of well-heeded advice that many new acts take to heart is to tell promoters that you can compere, even if you've never tried, because you get a lot more gigs that way. Early on it's all about stage time, whatever time of night it happens.