Open mic nights have exploded in popularity recently. Pubs and venues right across the country have been using them as an opportunity to host live music on nights when they wouldn’t usually put on any entertainment.
While some nights are only for acoustic music, it’s not uncommon for a large pub or venue to even have a drum kit and some amplifiers where a band can plug in and play!
There is some debate around whether open mic nights genuinely benefit the live music scene as a whole (covered in this LMM blog) but it is undeniable that they do still offer some benefits to individual musicians or bands.
Advantages of open mic nights
Networking
One of the best aspects of performing at an open mic night is the amount of other musicians you meet. Potential collaborators, new band members and even sound engineers and producers could be in the audience.
As such, it’s obviously important to stick around after you perform! Keep a couple of business cards in your pocket, and get to know the people in charge or a few of the regulars.
Music sales
If you are an original artist and have an EP or album recorded, it’s a good idea to use your open mic slot to promote it and possibly sell a few copies. If you still prefer to sell physical copies via CD, USB drive or even vinyl, then mention that you have them with you while you’re on stage.
If you only have digital releases, bring along a business card with links to where to buy your music and mention it’s available online. This means you will also have some on hand to give out to any producers or other industry professionals you might happen to meet.
Promotion
The more you perform in your local area, the more familiar you will become with the music scene and the musical community.
You’ll gradually become more established, and other members of the public will learn about you and what you do.
Potential shows
Often, whoever is in charge of booking the weekend entertainment at the pub or venue will source the acts from the open mic nights they hold during the week.
This means a short 3 song set at the open mic could well lead to a much longer paid gig on a Friday or Saturday night.
You also never know who is in the audience – it’s not uncommon for brides & grooms-to-be to go out to open mic nights look for people to perform at their wedding.
Tips for your performance
It’s very important that performers are prepared before they go up on stage. Just because it’s open mic night, it’s only a very short set and you aren’t being paid doesn’t mean you necessarily treat it any differently to any other gig.
Basic musicianship such as tuning your instrument before you play, unplugging only after the sound man has given you the thumbs up and saying thank you to the audience are all things that will help pave the way for a great show at an open mic.
Securing a slot
Anyone who has been to an open mic night before will know that they can be rather fickle events, with a sometimes short life span.
Unfortunately many open mic nights, due to circumstances beyond the performing musicians control, are forced to cancel or change date/time with little notice.
For this reason, it’s always best to check with the venue before travelling there.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, some open mic nights are extremely popular and it is always advisable to secure a slot as early on as possible.
Use social media to see who is organising the night and contact them for a slot. Alternatively try and turn up early to guarantee a chance to perform.
Those who turn up later on may well be disappointed – you have been warned!
Hosting an open mic night
If you can’t find an open mic night in your area… why not try and start one? Speak to local landlords and venues in your area and quote a reasonable price.
Things you might need:
- PA Equipment. It’ll depend on what the venue already has in place, but you may have to provide a PA and sound equipment. Remember, you have no idea what kind of act might turn up, so try and have as flexible a set up as possible.
- Contacts. A big part of getting hired to host an open mic night will be your ability to get acts to attend. Start off by using your personal contacts and then advertising further a field.
- Set of material. Being pessimistic, in the early days there might not be as many performers attending as you’d like. As such, you’ll have to have enough material to carry the night through to the end.
If there is already an established open mic night in your area, then find out a little about it:
- How often is it on?
- Does it have one set host or a different one every time?
- Who is the best contact to speak to about it?
On the whole, open mic nights provide an open and welcoming space where anybody can get up and perform a selection of songs. Because of this, those attending open mic nights should be courteous and considerate of others performing.
There are usually a few open mic nights in each city but they are especially popular in big cities like London, Liverpool and Manchester.
Have you been to any great open mic nights recently? Do you have any tips for people thinking of attending one? Let us know in the comments below…
