seashell Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 [quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1418257107' post='2628631'] be careful not to mix up open mics with jam evenings, they can be totally different animals, in my experience open mics are where people who know what they want to do get up to perform, whereas Jam sessions are are a lot more suck it and see. [/quote] Yes, good point. It's worth clarifying what kind of event it will be. Which is why it might be an idea to go along without your bass for the first one. I go to two regular events , both of which call themselves Open Mics. But the one is very much where you turn up with your full band and do a few numbers you have rehearsed beforehand. The other one is much more of a jam where people turn up in ones, twos and threes and just try things out on the fly with whoever is around. That is scarier, but gives you great experience of playing with other musicians. And you don't have to be in a band to get a toe in the door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 I'm in the house band last Friday of the month, we have a mixture of folky one person with a guitar to full bands doing a short set and a jumble of acts made of whoever is there on the night, it's mostly terrible to watch but it's good fun, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 [quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1418294891' post='2628826'] Open mics here are for the same reason... always on a quite night...and the house band gets paid but the guests don't. This would be an occasion where the hat could go round, but it is probably better it doesn't.. [/quote] Some bar/pub owner don't make the distinction from hiring a band to the open mic host. All he knows is "[i]I can pay these guys $100.00 for the night why would I pay you guys $500.00"[/i] Am I right ? Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulWarning Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 [quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1418294891' post='2628826'] Open mics here are for the same reason... always on a quite night...and the house band gets paid but the guests don't. This would be an occasion where the hat could go round, but it is probably better it doesn't.. [/quote]the open mics I attend don't even have a house band, I do hear criticism of them, some how they're devaluing live music by giving the pub free entertainment but as JTUK points out they're always on a quiet midweek night, there's no way the pub could afford to pay and stay in business, I enjoy doing them, a night in the pub doing a 15-20 minute slot, chatting to other open micers and helping the pub stay viable, I don't really see the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 I agree, we get £80 between 3 of us for setting up the gear, its in a hotel lounge like fawlty towers, they are never going to have a £500 pub band on in there, basically we get a bit of petrol money for a sociable night out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Passinwind Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 [quote name='blue' timestamp='1418324417' post='2629235'] Some bar/pub owner don't make the distinction from hiring a band to the open mic host. All he knows is "[i]I can pay these guys $100.00 for the night why would I pay you guys $500.00"[/i] Am I right ?[/quote] Yep, but arguably so is the pub owner. Around here you can get decent weekend gigs at those venues if they like what they hear at their open mikes though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 [quote name='Passinwind' timestamp='1418330405' post='2629325'] Yep, but arguably so is the pub owner. Around here you can get decent weekend gigs at those venues if they like what they hear at their open mikes though. [/quote] That's cool and I know some pub owners are cool and have the right intentions. However, I also think that some pub owners don't know a good band from a bad band nor do they distinguish the bands they book from one another. They're just bands. I do think they know when they are not selling alcohol. Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Passinwind Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 [quote name='blue' timestamp='1418331820' post='2629337'] That's cool and I know some pub owners are cool and have the right intentions. However, I also think that some pub owners don't know a good band from a bad band nor do they distinguish the bands they book from one another. They're just bands. I do think they know when they are not selling alcohol. [/quote] Agreed on all counts. There can be plenty of good reasons to avoid open mike nights too.The one I played at last night is in a tiny new venue and playing to 3-4 punters was not looking too sweet, until one of the top local keyboard players showed up and the pub owner offered us a NYE gig that would be really low maintenance, and all of 5 blocks from my home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mottlefeeder Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 I've been to several open mic nights, varying from the 'We only cater for singer/songwriters' through to 'Pick a song and I'll lead on it and you play bass'. I've been to one where the self-styled 'resident bass player' told me to move on, and I've also stumbled into helping to organise one. In my view - Week 1; go early, without the bass, talk to the organiser and then check out who is playing what. Try and get a list of songs that feature regularly, and their keys. Practice some of those songs. Week 2; take the bass, arrive early, talk to the organiser about what you would like to do - give him/her a better chance to find you a slot that suits. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 [quote name='blue' timestamp='1418324417' post='2629235'] Some bar/pub owner don't make the distinction from hiring a band to the open mic host. All he knows is "[i]I can pay these guys $100.00 for the night why would I pay you guys $500.00"[/i] Am I right ? Blue [/quote] No... if the venue is a reasonable venue, they'll never get away with that standard over a decent band so it will be on a night that he can't fill elsewhere. What has becomes popular is 'audition' night where the LL needs to see an untried and no referenced band..usually a new start-up.. and if they do well that night, he'll throw in £100, which they didn't expect to get and book them on a proper gig night. Wouldn't touch them myself, but some bands are desperate enough... and I've seen a couple do well with it, but have to be honest, altho they filled the bar etc etc ...they wouldn't have gotten the gig thru ability', but hey..?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 [quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1418326521' post='2629278'] the open mics I attend don't even have a house band, I do hear criticism of them, some how they're devaluing live music by giving the pub free entertainment but as JTUK points out they're always on a quiet midweek night, there's no way the pub could afford to pay and stay in business, I enjoy doing them, a night in the pub doing a 15-20 minute slot, chatting to other open micers and helping the pub stay viable, I don't really see the problem. [/quote] It has been an avenue for good pro players to earn on a down night...like a monday, and they rig the house band. They don't work that hard and the idea is to get enough people there to do slots so they just need to supply the gear and run the evening. It is good for networking. I got a few to do over the next few weeks...and will take some mates down so will try and get away from 12 bars stuff..whihc is great fun for the guest gtrs, but not for bass and drums, IMO.. so in that respect a jam element would be better... But that means you need to pick the players.. hence going mob-handed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 [quote name='blue' timestamp='1418331820' post='2629337'] That's cool and I know some pub owners are cool and have the right intentions. [b]However, I also think that some pub owners don't know a good band from a bad band nor do they distinguish the bands they book from one another. They're just bands.[/b] I do think they know when they are not selling alcohol. Blue [/quote] Tend not to work for those sort of guys... we want to work for guys that know and like their music... and round here, the best music pubs are on those lines, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No lust in Jazz Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 [quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1418383502' post='2629709'] try and get away from 12 bars stuff..which is great fun for the guest gtrs, but not for bass and drums.. [/quote] For this reason I avoid them like I'd avoid an Ebola ward. But for starting out, they're great, find your level and have fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddy Le Cragg Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 I run a monthly night at a small licensed art cafe. The way we work is we have a featured artist who does a hald hour set first (usually a solo acoustic), then 10 min open mic slots allotted to ever wanys them then an open jam. I provide back line, a bass, acoustic and electric guitar etc and encourage anyone to have a go. We had one guy who was passing who popped in, bought a beer, asked if knew Key to the Highway, sang it like Howling Wolf as I busked it on acoustic, drained his beer, shook my hand and then disappeared. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepurpleblob Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 (edited) Just to put the other perspective, I would say I can more-or-less play but I can't think of anything I'd like to go to less than an open mike night. Everything I've ever played (and I suppose it's a hell of a lot by now) has been by sitting in my house and learning it, rehearsing it and then playing in front of an audience. Never jammed, never solo'd, never improvised, not interested. It's the type of player/person you are. Having said all that, it won't kill you to go along and see Edited December 14, 2014 by thepurpleblob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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