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Subject: RE: Business: Open Mic Advice From: GUEST,Fortunato, over... Date: 11 Sep 03 - 08:12 PM Hello, ClintonHammond. Yes, I have some impressions. The trouble is they're some twenty years old. I've never been to Canada. I'd like to come up, though. Ok. I ran two open mikes in Washington, DC, somewhere back in the '80s, for several years. As to price, in DC these days, the guys who run the sessions make about $100. An open mike is an egalitarian thing. I hope you have lots of people, but drawing them there can be a chore. I opted to be a "traditional open mike". That meant, singer-song writers went elsewhere. But that did mean that if a trad/folksinger was coming through town, they stopped off to do a tune or two and hang out. If you can do the English thing, and take $25 dollars less, and offer that $ to a floor spot, well two things happen. You get the 'better' performers interested and you draw more than the self-indulgent crowd. Back to the niche. If your're a singer songwriter, or a gay feminist, or stuff, well, you can draw on the affiliation of your niche. (I like the trad crowd, they're less confrontive). But think about what makes you different. Also, are you connected to the folk/trad/bluegrass/society folks in your area? If so advertise with them and otherwise make yourself palatable to them. Offer them floor spots, volunteer at their events, etc. And last, but not least, try to negotiate a bar tab for yourself. If you want you can buy someone a drink, such a negotiating factor can be valuable. I had a favorite, "audience frightening" musician., who came to my open mikes. We called him the "Effer", because every song he sang had the same lyrics, "Eff, eff, effeff, effeffeff, eff." He carried his guitar, an old, arch top Stella, in a garbage bag. The weird thing was he played TREMENDOUS, FREDDY GREEN, SWING JAZZ CHORDS. But they were in no recognizable order, and no recognizable tune. I'll never forget him. Don't be afraid of the weird folks and their weird music. Receive them. best wishes, Chance |
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Subject: RE: Business: Open Mic Advice From: Clinton Hammond Date: 11 Sep 03 - 06:05 PM I guess there's always a chance... |
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Subject: RE: Business: Open Mic Advice From: Phil Cooper Date: 11 Sep 03 - 05:55 PM |
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Subject: RE: Business: Open Mic Advice From: Phil Cooper Date: 09 Sep 03 - 11:06 PM Is there a chance that the establishment will actually hire anyone good from the open mic? In Chicago in the late '70's there was a bar that would have a Tuesday open mic. If the owner saw that you could do more than three songs well, she would hire you on a regular night. That upped the quality of the people who came to hang out. After that place closed, another one opened that initially ignored the local folk scene, then did an open mic where they didn't hire. People soon figured that out and the night fizzled. Another place had a great Monday night open mic that ran for three or so years. Eventually the owners agreed to have a Weekend night featuring the best of the open mic. They got several local luminaries to judge that concert and the act deemed the best got an opening act slot on another night. I didn't care for the competitive aspect of that, but the regular Monday's were great. |
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Subject: RE: Business: Open Mic Advice From: GUEST,Len Wallace Date: 08 Sep 03 - 11:24 PM Hey Clinton! Geez, ya could call me too! If you're going to have an open mic session then make sure Kevin ADVERTISES it!!! Posters all over Chatham, every supermarket, every mall, every cafe, every music store, every restaurant, school in Chtham AND Tilbury. Make sure the EKBAFMA people know about it. Get it publicised through Martin Smit on the Windsor Folk email list (I can get part of the list for ya). Just get Kevin to make 100 cheap photocopies of a poster. The fact is that people have to know about it to be there. Ain't gonna work in a newspaper ad. As far as wages . . . Well . . . figure $20 for gas to and from Chatham. Ya leave at 7:30 or 8:00 (and hour drive), a couple of hours there, ya get home at 1:00 am? All in all, five to six hours of time. What's the Chrysler wage an hour? If you charge $100 then that's $17 an hour? (my math is bad). Charge $120 and that's $20 an hour (less the gas you pay for). If a regular gig is $150 to $175 it's still almost the same hours whether you're just a host or not. Say you made $100 for it. That means about 20 people paying for one pint each. Or 10 people paying for 2 pints each (Geez ... Karl Marx's labour theory of value in action!). It's a dirty job Clinton, but someone's gotta do it. Len Wallace |
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Subject: RE: Business: Open Mic Advice From: ToulouseCruise Date: 08 Sep 03 - 12:56 PM I actually have a bit of a different take on the Open Mic night competing with an existing one... If you are offering something different, i.e. style of music, atmosphere of the pub, talent out your ying-yang, and all that good stuff, then it can be a good thing to go head to head with another bar on some occasions. Here in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, Monday night seems to be the Night of the Mic, for some reason... many of the talented performers will move back and forth between two or three venues, based on the time that they can get on stage, price of drinks, as well as the things I had mentioned before... at least, I hope they continue to move around to them, since my duo is taking over one in the near future, and it ISN't the KILLER one!!! Help!!!! Regards, Brian. |
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Subject: RE: Business: Open Mic Advice From: GUEST,TeeJay Date: 07 Sep 03 - 01:37 PM Here in town we have a Sunday night Blues open mic. It's very popular, and make no mistake, this is a tavern that would be mostly empty on a Sunday night otherwise. I used to joke with my then girlfriend that the bar down the street where we used to hang out (with no live music) was full of people with a neuroses about the looming Monday morning and back to work. After discovering this open mic up the street, I never went anywhere else. If I couldn't make the Sunday might blues session, I stayed home. My point? Well, the crowd tends to form itself from the music, not the other way around. True, some of these folks are drunk, but I've never seen a lick of trouble in the place. Even the occassional spilled drink is met with a profuse apology, both given and accepted. The reasonable analysis? The folks who regularly attend these things are there because they love the music. I know I do. |
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Subject: RE: Business: Open Mic Advice From: Jeremiah McCaw Date: 07 Sep 03 - 07:00 AM I'd avoid a conflict with another (established) open mic. The only exception might be if the established sessions regularly have too many players to be accomodated. Then maybe. |
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Subject: RE: Business: Open Mic Advice From: Richard Bridge Date: 07 Sep 03 - 03:52 AM Gee, it would have been nice if it was in Chatham, Kent, England, but I thought we had nothing as nice as that! |
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Subject: RE: Business: Open Mic Advice From: Mark Clark Date: 07 Sep 03 - 12:46 AM BWL, Yeah, I agree with you about the drunks. I guess it's been so long since I had to deal with a drunk, I'd forgotten the experience. - Mark |
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Subject: RE: Business: Open Mic Advice From: Bee-dubya-ell Date: 06 Sep 03 - 10:32 PM "do people really attend such events where libations are not available?" Yep. There is a sizeable hunk of the population who hate bars, hate drunks even worse and actually enjoy listening to and/or playing music in an atmosphere where the music doesn't have to fight to be heard over bar racket. I know 'cause I'm one of 'em. And, Clinton, when you're price haggling over what you'll be paid for running this open mic, make sure that stipulations are made about what happens if participation is slim. If hardly anybody shows to play, will you be expected to take the stage to keep some entertainment going? If so, will you be paid more? I've emceed open mics before where I've had to play for two hours because only a couple of people showed up. I wasn't getting paid anyway so it wasn't an issue, but if I were being paid one price to emcee and another to perform, I'd make sure I got the performer's price if that's what I wound up doing. Bruce |
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Subject: RE: Business: Open Mic Advice From: Clinton Hammond Date: 06 Sep 03 - 07:14 PM Sorry... Chatham, Ontario, Canada... Good point RB... I sometimes assume the whole internet knows where I'm from! :-) |
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Subject: RE: Business: Open Mic Advice From: Richard Bridge Date: 06 Sep 03 - 04:19 PM Chatham? Pick a country and county pleaase |
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Subject: RE: Business: Open Mic Advice From: Mark Clark Date: 06 Sep 03 - 04:12 PM I'm not a big drinker—I only drink when I'm alone or with friends—but do people really attend such events where libations are not available? Just curious. - Mark |
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Subject: RE: Business: Open Mic Advice From: paddymac Date: 06 Sep 03 - 03:02 PM The competition question is tough to answer. It depends largely on area population and distances, and differences between the venues, the hosts, and the performers you draw. Think about a novel "hook" to help draw and keep performers and patrons. You might need a different hook for each group. Each joint seems to have it's regular clientel, which may vary radically from night to night, or even at different hours within the evening. Some part of your crowd will come from that pool. That's likely to be the dominant element to start with. You'll want to "grow" your own crowd, though, and that may take a bit of time. Patience, by you and the publican, is the key. Successful sessions, including open mic nights, take time to mature. |
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Subject: RE: Business: Open Mic Advice From: Alaska Mike Date: 06 Sep 03 - 01:31 PM It is the regular performers coming in who will bring their friends and families with them week after week. They will then encourage other fledgling performers to come and try it and bring their friends ande families. Once you get a regular group of performers coming every week, the word will get around and you to will have a "KILLER" open mic. If you can do this in a venue that serves alcohol so much the better. It is much easier to convince friends and family to come here you sing if they can wash it down with a cold beer. Mike Mike |
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Subject: RE: Business: Open Mic Advice From: Clinton Hammond Date: 06 Sep 03 - 01:18 PM "you end up filling the coffee house/muffin joint/juice bar" Sorry... venue... it's a pub... nice converted old house... lots of small rooms and dark wood and such... " If you can develop a successful open mic with a good variety of performers coming in regularly" That's the real trick eh.... |
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Subject: RE: Business: Open Mic Advice From: Alaska Mike Date: 06 Sep 03 - 01:13 PM Open mics are best done at a time when its otherwise hard to get customers into the place. Such as a Monday or Tuesday evening. If you can develop a successful open mic with a good variety of performers coming in regularly and bringing their family and friends, you end up filling the coffee house/muffin joint/juice bar with paying customers without having to pay a whole lot for a big name entertainer. Open mics are lots of fun for the regulars who come in week after week, and they provide a great venue for newbies to polish their performance in a friendly, supportive environment. If you already have a "KILLER" open mic going on somewhere else in the same town, I would pick a different day and hope to pull some of the same "KILLER" crowd in to yours. Good luck, Mike |
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Subject: Business: Open Mic Advice From: Clinton Hammond Date: 06 Sep 03 - 01:00 PM One of my regular gigs tabled the possibility of me hosting an open mic at my gig last night... And while I'm thinking, I thought I'd ask Catters for some input... Best night for an open Mic? (I'd kill for a steady Tuesday gig) How much does a 'host' charge? (Less than a 'gig', or same?") I have to admit, I'm not really keen on driving all the way to Chatham once a week for a lot less than I'm making now... I think the publican will do me the honour of being honest with me though, and will be willing to 'haggle' if my first offer is too high... The problem with Tuesday is that one of Chatham's downtown bars already has a KILLER open mic going on... Now Kevin (the owner I was working for last night) seemed more than willing to 'take 'em on' as it were... but I donno... is it just me or does that seem like a recipe for failure right off the bat??? Some suggestions folks? At the very least, give me something to read while I mill this around in my pate... :-) |
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