I was reading Gary's monologue. He's 100% correct about studying everything and everybody in the performance field. I was very lucky....

...in my early years (living in England), when passion for music was on a level with testosterone production in my body, and my enthusiasm was at it's peak, and my desire to entertain consumed me entirely....I studied every single aspect of playing, performing, and entertaining. Memorized all my songs and all my lyrics, listened to the BBC every night for new song ideas and studied how they spoke in their news broadcasts, busked in the streets for practice and money, did tons of technical exercises for my fingers, started vocal lessons, bought new equipment every time I had some extra cash, and when I wasn't doing all that I would go to a different pub every night and study the entertainers and the audiences response to them. I carried a recorder so I could go over their act again at home and I carried a notebook to make notes (and to steal their jokes!). I had already read that Phyliss Diller was funny because she kept a "book of jokes" that she would compile and add to constantly and that she had 5 copies of her master book spread around the world. That started me doing the same thing and classifying everything musically. I still have my own "book of jokes" and I still refer to it periodically to keep me "loose" with an audience.

There is cabaret every night in every pub with sometimes a dozen different performers doing their act. I'm sure it's different now, but back then those places were breeding grounds for great entertainers. That's where Elton John started and I'm sure Tom Jones also paid his own dues working these places.

I worked the London pubs for many years honing my skills. That's where you definitely go for "training." If you can make your mark in a British pub, you can make it anywhere!