Long one, here but I have to get advise from people who know what it's all about!

Recently, I attended an open mic/sing-a-round hosted by a local art gallery. As it was their first I had little idea what to expect.

The idea behind it was to allow porch pickers and parlor singers that otherwise wouldn't perform a chance at fellowship and fun. I know this because I was in on the goings-on involved in getting it scheduled to begin with. As far as I knew, nobody there was professional, and most of us were people that sang only for the joy of it (I can't claim any outstanding talent, as those of you that ever hear me sing can attest.)

I called as many of my fellow "singers" as I could get hold of, and invited them in, and several came from a half-hour away.

Here's where things began to go south...

The female host (there were two hosts-a man and a female, and to this point I had always gotten along with both) made up a sort of playbill, but didn't stick to it in the least. She started of by missing three performers entirely, and canceling intermission so she could let one performer (who is VERY talented) play several more numbers.

With no intermission people were up and talking, walking, getting food and God knows what else while performers were doing their thing.

Then, she altered the order for the second round, so some younger folks could play and go home early, which was completely understandable.
After they played, she called the VERY talented performer up for his second set, and after he was done said "Do another set, we like your playing so much!" She asked him for a third, but he said there were people waiting, and told me to get up and do my thing (I was next.)
I did one, and was about to commence the second (it was two numbers apice) and the female host said, and I quote "Oh, no! YOUR'E not going to do ANOTHER, are you? You ALWAYS sing ALL the verses!" (keep in mind nothing I did that night was more than three verses and a chorus) At this point in time the VERY talented player told me to go on and sing-he liked listening. So I did some short thing and wrapped up and the female host told everyone within listening that "At least it was short" and called the young trio back up-remember them, the ones that went first because they HAD to go?
She then called the VERY talented player up for the closing number.

As I returned to my seat, I saw that the three performers she had missed started to pack up to go. I asked one why he didn't go and ask for his turn and his reply was "If she didn't like your singing she sure isn't going to like mine!" The other two just said to "have fun" and off they went. Later one called me and asked me to call him if I found another venue. I called and appologised to the other two, and one thanked me and didn't say much else, and the other was mad about the long drive for a few days, but calmed down. In the parking lot, the VERY talented performer appologised to two others and I for any part he had in the fiaso. We all assured him we didn't find any fault in him, and told him he was an asset to the place, butwhen I saw him earlier today he said still he felt bad about it.

The female host also made some less than flattering comments on another lady there, and it set her back because she took it personally.



Now...the female host seems to think that I am the driving force behind the players who left, and told me "don't hurry back."

This is nowhere near the truth. Along with another veteran of open mics and sing-a-rounds I offered and offered to help them draw up a plan and stick with it! I would support another go at an open mic in there if only they could get their collective shite together, even to the point of calling and eating crow with the dissapointed parties to get them back for another shot. I discussed this with the male host, but he deffered the matter to the female host and she blew it off completely.



Any suggestions-should I keep trying to mend fences or just take advantage of another venue altogether?

Is it improper to call on a performer met at this venue to invite them to another at a different place?

When people ask me about this event, I tell them that "we did everything we knew how, to enjoy ourselves" and leave it at that. What is the best way to say that the managers blew the night for half of us and the other half were sorry to have to watch it happen?