Quote: Alakazam @ August 27 2012, 8:47 PM BST

I think it's really unfair to criticise someone's first stand-up routine on the grounds that the audience weren't hostile enough. Why shouldn't she choose a friendly audience for a first try?

It's a very confident and likeable, and I don't think that should be an invitation to faintly xenophobic attacks.

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Couldn't agree more (particularly about the xenophobic stuff). Many first gigs are performed in front of a friendly crowd - why hold that against a brand new performer? Anyone who ever did a comedy course most likely had their first stage experience in front of friends and well-wishers - so what? I'm sure the original poster is well aware she was playing to a warm room and even if she wasn't, if she decides to take it further she'll soon experience what it's like to perform in a cold one. Let that be her proving ground.

Quote: Veronica Vestibule @ August 27 2012, 10:10 PM BST

It's neither xenophobic nor aggressive to suggest that TV comedy has a policy of positive discrimination towards women from ethnic minorities.

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Yeah, it might be to suggest her brothers are terrorists though...

Quote: Veronica Vestibule @ August 26 2012, 11:33 PM BST

The last thing I want is her brothers flying a 757 into my conservatory.

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Quote: David Bussell @ August 27 2012, 10:12 PM BST

Yeah, it might be to suggest her brothers are terrorists though...

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It's called comedy, David.

Try it sometime.

You might like it.

Quote: Veronica Vestibule @ August 27 2012, 10:17 PM BST

It's called comedy, David.

Try it sometime.

You might like it.

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Haha, hilarious to suggest that someone of Indian origin (and, therefore, highly unlikely to be Muslim fundamentalist) must have family members who are terrorists (with a reference to a terrorist act carried out by, mostly, Saudi Arabians) not only is it offensive and racist but it doesn't make any sense, perhaps you were trying for surreal whimsy?

Well done to Chanti, the crowd at the King's Head aren't always the easiest, they can often be quiet and reserved. Personally I thought the material was delivered extremely confidently, as a first attempt at stand up it was very, very good.

Tony,

Did I suggest terrorist activity?

It's not terrorism when brothers take action (even the most extreme action) against a private individual who has offended their sister.

Try dictionary.com if you don't believe me.

So you weren't making a reference to 9/11?

Quote: Veronica Vestibule @ August 26 2012, 10:15 PM BST

If she wants to be a real comedian, she needs to play a real gig with a real audience.

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Yeah, play a "real gig" with a "real audience" not somewhere like Downstairs at the King's Head, which has only been one of London's top comedy clubs for the last 20 years and has played host to most of the biggest names on the UK and international comedy circuits.

Quote: Tony Cowards @ August 27 2012, 11:23 PM BST

So you weren't making a reference to 9/11?

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Using an aircraft as a guided missile has been a well-known and by-no-means uncommon act of war since Pearl Harbour.

British pilots also did it, and German pilots did it, and it's been done since.

It was 'old hat' as an act of war by the time 9/11 was upon us.

And, as you say, the terrorists who perpetrated the 9/11 outrage were not Indian.

To connect Indians with that incident is most offensive and highly racist. And it doesn't make any sense.

So why are you and Bussell so quick to connect Indians with terrorism?

I'm shocked.

Well it's a end of course show, I've done one and generally the atmosphere is electricic. Lots of family and friends laughing at anything and usually a top notch compere.

That said lots of confidence and poise and a great stage presence. Impressive for a first timer.

But whilst there were lots of jokes they weren't very good or original. You got a way with confidence and quantity it won't always work.

And a smarter comedy audience will not forgive you for ripping off Goodness Gracious Me.

I usually just lurk but I have to say I don't see any xenophobia or racism on this thread.

I threaten audiences with my brothers all the time and I guarantee you I get a 'terrorist' heckle at least once a week and usually more often. Everybody laughs, including me and including my brothers who are in a holding pattern above the venue waiting for me to leave.

Lighten up, white people.

Quote: Steve Sunshine @ August 27 2012, 9:37 PM BST

I just thought it was a bit offputting.
friendly audiences are great.
but that particular one didn't seem to know which bit's were supposed to be funny, and which bits were just words inbetween.
It sounded weird

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I remember I did my first and only standup course with this chap.

Now I bumped into him at 2 gigs afterwards and each time he'd bring about a dozen or more mates.

Flaming nuisances talked through every body elses acts very off putting. Then laugh hysterically for his whole 5 minutes.

I bumped into him at King Gong where boyed up by his success he bestrode the stage.

Too 30 seconds of utter silence. They didn't even bother to boo or heckle.

He left looking like he'd been tag f**ked by a yeti.

Quote: Jasmine @ August 28 2012, 2:21 PM BST

I usually just lurk but I have to say I don't see any xenophobia or racism on this thread.

I threaten audiences with my brothers all the time and I guarantee you I get a 'terrorist' heckle at least once a week and usually more often. Everybody laughs, including me and including my brothers who are in a holding pattern above the venue waiting for me to leave.

Lighten up, white people.

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And you write better jokes.

You've got the stage skills but your material lets it down.

Quote: Jasmine @ August 28 2012, 2:21 PM BST

I usually just lurk but I have to say I don't see any xenophobia or racism on this thread.

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I usually lurk too, but I thought Veronica Vestibule was being very unfair.

In retrospect her post was obviously referring to the Wright Brothers crashing a prototype aeroplane, and I was a mad fool to connect it with Islamic terrorism.

Quote: Jasmine @ August 28 2012, 2:21 PM BST

Lighten up, white people.

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I am prepared to black up, if you think it would help.

Quote: Veronica Vestibule @ August 26 2012, 6:36 PM BST

As Steve has already mentioned, the audience were surprisingly friendly.

I'd go further and say they were incredibly friendly - and I use the word 'incredibly' in its literal sense. If they were each being paid £5 per laugh, they couldn't have laughed much more than they did.

It was as if they were watching their all-time favourite comedian but they weren't as this was allegedly this performer's first time on stage.

On the face of it, either the audience reaction is a set-up designed to enhance Chanti's YouTube video or the audience are simply the most easily-pleased bunch of comedy fans in the entire world.

I think the truth is likely to be a combination of the above inasmuch that the audience was largely if not entirely composed of Chanti's friends.

I say that partly because of their astonishingly positive response to the material and partly because Chanti's confidence is (again) incredible if that audience is a bunch of strangers.

I smell a rat.

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I think she was brilliant generally and especially for her first time on stage and that some on here are very cynical, btw what's wrong with having friends in the crowd ??, I fully intend to when my first appearance happens, well done Chanti congratulations.