Open mike comments/rants

[goldhedge]

Just curious if there's a website that lists all the open mikes available?

[Big Band Guitar]

Originally Posted by goldhedge

Just curious if there's a website that lists all the open mikes available?

There is one but it is next to useless. Most of the listings are for open mikes that don't exist anymore, They are never taken down. That is why I'm not going to post it.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by goldhedge

Just curious if there's a website that lists all the open mikes available?

You can try
Openmics.org then just put your state name in the search.

Some of the listings are out of date.
But Colorado seems to be about 50 % to 75 % accurate . https://openmikes.org/calendar/CO

[Mandobart]

This comes up enough that I have my own manifesto here that I usually post. Something for hosts and players to consider. This is a result of my experience in open mic and jam settings, both as a host and performer:

For Hosts:
1 The host is paid to host. Not drink at the bar all night, or smoke a bowl in the parking lot, etc. When the host abandons his post, the whole things starts to fall apart.

2. Good hosts keep and follow a list. Don't show up late with a sob story about how early you have to get up and can he please let you up next.

3. Enforce some kind of limits; 3 songs or 15 minutes (including setup/breakdown). And be ready to gaffe the stage hog off.

4. Help the raw newbies get plugged in, show them how to use the mic, etc.

5. At least try to make the mix sound decent for each act, but explain to them you are not their dedicated sound guy. Sound checks are part of the total time allowed each act.

The Kid! (post #5) sounds like he really gets how to be a good host.

For players:
1. Don’t leave as soon as you finish playing! This is the biggest, most common offense. Nothing is worse than those that leave as soon as they're done. It doesn't support the other players at all. How would you like to be the last guy at the end of the night playing to an empty house?

2. Finish what you start! Nothing is worse for an audience or other players for you to start, stop, start again, etc. Cut it short if you must, but finish!

3. You may be a great player/singer/etc. Don't climb up on stage to join another player unless you're invited.

4. For God's sake, tune before you go up!

5. Play, don't banter with the audience. That's the host's job.

6. Skip the endless sound check. Get it good enough and play.

7. The venue owner has provided you with a host, a stage, a sound system and an audience. The least you can do is buy a couple drinks or an appetizer. Same for any “fans” you bring in tow. Sipping water at a table all night means the club owner is losing money after paying his bills and soon there’ll be no more open mic there.

8. Don't play the same song(s) every time. Don't play what everyone else is playing.

[The Kid!]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

2. Good hosts keep and follow a list. Don't show up late with a sob story about how early you have to get up and can he please let you up next.

This is key. The list goes up at 15 minutes to downbeat and is first come first served. If you play favorites, you will just upset people and they won't come back!

Originally Posted by Mandobart

5. At least try to make the mix sound decent for each act, but explain to them you are not their dedicated sound guy. Sound checks are part of the total time allowed each act.

Yes! If you're setup is too involved or lengthy, you cut into your own time, not the other players! I always announce that up front. If they know the deal before they go up and agree to it, they are far less likely to give you a hard time for getting (as I call it...) faded out.

I had one guy keep going once and just strum real hard and sing even louder, and I got a "C'mon man, be cool..." from him. It was a little awkward, but I just said, "You can get back on the list and play again at the end if you like, but the next act is ready to go. I didn't let anybody cut into your time, my man."

He never came back, but that was a bonus IMO.

Originally Posted by Mandobart

The Kid! (post #5) sounds like he really gets how to be a good host.

Man, I really try to be.

I went to a lot of open mics before I started gigging. Saw some GREAT hosts, and some TERRRRRRRIBLE hosts (Monopolized the mic like it was their captive audience, absentee, drunk at the bar, cater to his/her friends, wait all night to get on stage even if you were third on the list... etc.)

I just want to create a fun, supportive, creative, and friendly environment. I want people to enjoy themselves, hear each other, and collaborate in and outside of the open mic. Open mics forged some pretty strong musical and non musical friendships for me and resulted in a lot of gigs. They can be a wonderful experience for every player at any level.

Originally Posted by Mandobart

For players:
1. Don’t leave as soon as you finish playing! This is the biggest, most common offense. Nothing is worse than those that leave as soon as they're done. It doesn't support the other players at all. How would you like to be the last guy at the end of the night playing to an empty house?

This is EVERYTHING to me and to the scene that we want to create. Yeah, some people HAVE to leave, and nobody has to close down the venue, but experience as much as you can. I still learn something from just about every player I see and hear. I watch and pay attention, not just because I'm mixing, but because I appreciate someone having the talent and courage to make music. It makes me happy.

Originally Posted by Mandobart

4. For God's sake, tune before you go up!

I make an announcement about that too. I've even tuned peoples guitars for them. My buddy Ryan always laugh at me because I'll walk by him and say, "Your "B" string is flat, or your "A" is sharp, and be right. Just a weird skill I have. I wish I didn't have it but out of tune guitars are tough to listen to.

Originally Posted by Mandobart

T
7. The venue owner has provided you with a host, a stage, a sound system and an audience. The least you can do is buy a couple drinks or an appetizer. Same for any “fans” you bring in tow. Sipping water at a table all night means the club owner is losing money after paying his bills and soon there’ll be no more open mic there.

This is so important. If a place isn't making money, they won't continue to have open mics. We take a 10 min break in the middle to encourage people to buy drinks and food.

Great post, mando. I'd love to come to your open mic someday!

[Gordon Currie]

The greater Seattle area has a decent history of good open mikes, as a result of an organization (Victory Music) that not only ran multiple open mikes, but also put on workshops and concerts.

Starting in the early seventies, they established certain ground rules that all other successful open mikes copied: set limits, respect other performers, support the venue to keep the scene going, first come-first served for performance slots, no conversations that distract performers.

I've always thought that if you lack one or more of these, your open mike will not attract the better musicians (which helps raise the overall quality) and will not survive long-term.

[Mr. Jelly]

I'll bet open mics today are different than they were in Greenwich Village in the 60s.

[BoneDigger]

I'm confused, who's Mike, and why is he open?

[Big Band Guitar]

For players:
1. Don’t leave as soon as you finish playing! This is the biggest, most common offense. Nothing is worse than those that leave as soon as they're done. It doesn't support the other players at all. How would you like to be the last guy at the end of the night playing to an empty house?


There is one about an hour from me. World famous, been going on for many years in a famous horse racing city where that is the culture. I have been there twice over a 20 year span, same both times. It starts with a full house and as soon as someone plays they leave along with the people they brought with them. The last one on plays to a audience of 1. I know this because both times I was the audience at the end.

[Silly Moustache]

I have always hosted my club, but this time last year I had just finished my cancer treatment and was really ill, and not suitable for public viewing.

I appealed to my mailing lists for volunteer hosts. I was well supported and some were surprisingly good (i/e/ they copied my style!) and one or two who ran their own clubs came along and were , frankly, pretty rude and negative leaving people un applauded and un-announced.
I took the job back in January and whilst sometimes find it difficult to speak , people are still very supportive.

[Daniel Grenier]

In my area, the majority of Open mikes are in pubs with all of that entails (ie lousy place to play most forms of music - except pub/drunk music as I call it).

Fortunately a number of “listening room” type OMs have popped up where the performer is actually the only source of “noise” allowed and expected. A few, even have a no-cover policy (as in both the admission price and the songs played). Excellent concept.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Daniel Grenier

In my area, the majority of Open mikes are in pubs with all of that entails (ie lousy place to play most forms of music - except pub/drunk music as I call it).

Fortunately a number of “listening room” type OMs have popped up where the performer is actually the only source of “noise” allowed and expected. A few, even have a no-cover policy (as in both the admission price and the songs played). Excellent concept.

Hopefully the "No song covers" will work for the venues involved, because in the 30 years I have been going to OM 's all over the country , unfortunately "No covers" has always (as far as I have seen) spelled the death nell for the Open Mic usually with a life span of 6 months to 1 year.

[macmanmatty]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

This comes up enough that I have my own manifesto here that I usually post. Something for hosts and players to consider. This is a result of my experience in open mic and jam settings, both as a host and performer:

For Hosts:
1 The host is paid to host. Not drink at the bar all night, or smoke a bowl in the parking lot, etc. When the host abandons his post, the whole things starts to fall apart.

I agree, but really hosts get paid where you're at? Here they make only the tips for their three songs. Which usually amounts to zero.

Originally Posted by Mandobart

2. Good hosts keep and follow a list. Don't show up late with a sob story about how early you have to get up and can he please let you up next.

I agree unless they are younger players under the age of 18.

Originally Posted by Mandobart

3. Enforce some kind of limits; 3 songs or 15 minutes (including setup/breakdown). And be ready to gaffe the stage hog off.

I totally agree.

Originally Posted by Mandobart

Help the raw newbies get plugged in, show them how to use the mic, etc.

I agree too and I wish more open mic around here did this.

Originally Posted by Mandobart

5. At least try to make the mix sound decent for each act, but explain to them you are not their dedicated sound guy. Sound checks are part of the total time allowed each act.

you mean mixing is more than just pressing on button for the channel? Most hosts around get that but there are a few that don't.

Originally Posted by Mandobart

For players:
1. Don’t leave as soon as you finish playing! This is the biggest, most common offense. Nothing is worse than those that leave as soon as they're done. It doesn't support the other players at all. How would you like to be the last guy at the end of the night playing to an empty house?

Most people around here do this I which I think is a good thing. But there 2 open mics on one night less than a block from each other so I move back and forth to who ever is playing the better music at the time.

Originally Posted by Mandobart

2. Finish what you start! Nothing is worse for an audience or other players for you to start, stop, start again, etc. Cut it short if you must, but finish!

yes agreed don't quit halfway throught even if you are making msitakes. See I didn't quit.

Originally Posted by Mandobart

3. You may be a great player/singer/etc. Don't climb up on stage to join another player unless you're invited.

yup, just don't

Originally Posted by Mandobart

4. For God's sake, tune before you go up!

Yes, and then tune once get up too. Always be in tune.

Originally Posted by Mandobart

5. Play, don't banter with the audience. That's the host's job.

I disagree part of being a good musician is learning to interacting with the audience if you don't do it at open mics you'll never get the experience you need to do it. Make some banter before and after each song.

Originally Posted by Mandobart

6. Skip the endless sound check. Get it good enough and play.

Yes.

Originally Posted by Mandobart

7. The venue owner has provided you with a host, a stage, a sound system and an audience. The least you can do is buy a couple drinks or an appetizer. Same for any “fans” you bring in tow. Sipping water at a table all night means the club owner is losing money after paying his bills and soon there’ll be no more open mic there.

I disagree here too. When you have a real gig the venue owner provides you with all these things too and on top that usually pays you. Yet at open mics he gets free entertainment and on top that I should pay him? Makes no sense to me.

Originally Posted by Mandobart

8. Don't play the same song(s) every time. Don't play what everyone else is playing.

Yes always learn new material.