3 Minutes Of Fame

3 Minutes Of Fame is back at Blackstock Market on Thursday 29 October, and it's one of those nights where the line between the stage and the crowd is pretty thin. It's a Hot Water Comedy production, and the whole thing is built around the idea that anyone can have a go: brand-new comedians, daring first-timers, or even someone who just wandered in from the audience. Sign-ups run from 4pm until 8:30pm on the night, and it's first on the list, first on the stage, so if you're planning to step up, getting your name down early is the way to do it.

The format is what gives the night its name. Three audience judges sit with buzzers, and if all three go off, the performer has to survive the full three minutes to earn a place in the final. The winner is decided by an audience clap-off, and every performer gets a free drinks voucher after their set, regardless of how it goes. It's a bit of a gamble, and that's the point — you'll hear people who've spent weeks on a tight three minutes alongside people who've probably just written their set on the bus over. The resident MCs, Danny McLoughlin and Phil Chapman, keep the whole thing moving.

Hot Water Comedy is widely regarded as the UK's best comedy promoter, based here in Liverpool with two award-winning, purpose-built comedy venues. McLoughlin was a Chortle Student Comedian of the Year finalist in 2008 and performed at the 2009 Edinburgh Festival, so the night is in safe hands even when things get unpredictable. It's a Hot Water Comedy Club night, so you're getting their usual standard of production around the open-mic chaos.

Doors open at 17:30, and the show runs from 19:00 to 21:00 at Blackstock Market, 17 Blackstock Street, Liverpool L3 6ER. It's free to perform, with unlimited sign-ups from 4pm until 8:30pm on the night, and guaranteed entry is £5.