14 Problems Only Comedians Will Understand

9. So Much Horrible Necessary Booze

Why must all gigs take place in pubs? Ow, my poor addled body.

Comedy fosters a routine of drinking, it utterly does. Many have a pint before the show to settle their nerves, many have more after the show to celebrate a gig gone well or commiserate a gig gone wrong.

Comedians are also desperate to appear as irreverent and 'good time folk', and that romantic image of the louche funny man can propel many comics to get the pints in. If you gig several times a week, problems can start.

At the Edinburgh Fringe, where hundreds of comedians are performing hour long solo shows daily and the bars are open til 5am, booze feels like not just a pick-me-up but a vital networking tool. And we're all dying horribly.

Speaking of The Fringe...