Accompaniment or noise?

[J Patrick]

...I can’t believe some people are banging on open mic participants for being inexperienced and or inept at performing....that is just plain mean...and particularly arrogant!!...

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by J Patrick

...I can’t believe some people are banging on open mic participants for being inexperienced and or inept at performing....that is just plain mean...and particularly arrogant!!...

OK Mr Patrick, just to update you as you apparently haven't read my first post it was NOT an open mic, it was a folk club, I trust you understand the difference.

You might also have read that I was mostly commenting on the seeming tendency for right hand "scrubbing," which really isn't musical. These people were not inexperienced, and were, of course amateurs, as am I really.

If you find my question arrogant, then so be it. If arrogant means working hard to practice and play musically to entertain the audience that have paid to enjoy the evening.

[Malcolm Kindnes]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

OK Mr Patrick, just to update you as you apparently haven't read my first post it was NOT an open mic, it was a folk club, I trust you understand the difference.

You might also have read that I was mostly commenting on the seeming tendency for right hand "scrubbing," which really isn't musical. These people were not inexperienced, and were, of course amateurs, as am I really.

If you find my question arrogant, then so be it. If arrogant means working hard to practice and play musically to entertain the audience that have paid to enjoy the evening.

Andy, I think he is having a dig at me, I used the word "arrogant" in my last post, and I don't apologise for its use either.

[Silly Moustache]

Hi Malcolm, thank you, but I'm afraid this thread now has the potential to become argumentative, which was not my intention, so might I suggest that we finish it now.

Thanks to everyone for your comments and opinions.

[ManyMartinMan]

Originally Posted by ChrisE

I think that was Bob Dylan--All Along the Watchtower.

Nope. It wasn't. Bob wrote the song - not that line.

[frankmcr]

"What is country music? Just three chords and the truth." - Harlan Howard (1927-2002), writer of "Heartaches by the Number", "I Fall to Pieces", "She's Gone, Gone, Gone", "Tiger by the Tail", "Streets of Baltimore", etc etc etc.

[J. Scott]

I understand the distinction between the two types of performances and the annoyance that situation could cause. It kinda makes you wonder if musicianship matters at all to most guitar owners.

[JayBee1404]

Originally Posted by Malcolm Kindnes

I wonder could that have been Ron Geesin, a Scottish poet who used to share a Wednesday night gig with Ralph?
One Wednesday night when I was there he went to the toilet during his performance and continued to recite poetry through the open door! The sixties were certainly something special!

Ron is also the guy who co-wrote some of Pink Floyds material and collaborated with Roger Waters on arrangements and ideas. He's noted for his experimental work with a number of solo albums and was recently the subject of a TV documentary about his work, especially his PF collaboration on ‘Atom Heart Mother’

My cousin is the partner of one of Ron Geesin’s sons.

[J Patrick]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

OK Mr Patrick, just to update you as you apparently haven't read my first post it was NOT an open mic, it was a folk club, I trust you understand the difference.

You might also have read that I was mostly commenting on the seeming tendency for right hand "scrubbing," which really isn't musical. These people were not inexperienced, and were, of course amateurs, as am I really.

If you find my question arrogant, then so be it. If arrogant means working hard to practice and play musically to entertain the audience that have paid to enjoy the evening.

....I did read the opening post and was not referring to it...i have read the other posts and some folks were including open mics with their general criticism of less than stellar performers...

...that said I do find the whole “does this bother you too?” type of topic somewhat mean spirited and took this occasion to voice my opinion on the subject at hand as it played out in the thread...perhaps I should have held my cyber-tongue....I often do....today I didn’t.....

[Malcolm Kindnes]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

Hi Malcolm, thank you, but I'm afraid this thread now has the potential to become argumentative, which was not my intention, so might I suggest that we finish it now.

Thanks to everyone for your comments and opinions.

You're right Andy, it's not worth an argument, and I know that wasn't your intention.
Just for the record, I completely support and agree with your original post.

[Neil K Walk]

Perhaps you could offer to sit in with a few of them, Silly Moustache.

Personally, I think most people confuse open mics as a means of performance. They aren’t; they are recitals and one step beyond practicing in front of family in the hopes of getting constructive criticism. Judging them without offering pointers just doesn’t seem fair.

Going further, I remember my favorite - and now long defunct - open mic was held in a coffee shop with a big back room where people waiting for their turn could sit and chat. Many collaborations resulted because of it.

As for requiring recordings or some sort of qualification to attend an open mic, well that’s NOT and open mic. That’s just called letting the venue off cheap in auditioning professionals without spending a dime of their own money.

[lowrider]

“Mr Patrick, just to update you as you apparently haven't read my first post it was NOT an open mic, it was a folk club, I trust you understand the difference.“”

SM, I don’t know the difference. Please explain. Are these people professionals? Do they perform at this low level over and over and never get better.

So, what’s a folk club?