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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Many have played at these. Always looking for ways to make them work better.
Indigo-Alley has one here every Thursday night.
There are three rules, NO Mustang Sally (don't ask), NO preechy Praise songs, no long monologues.
People get 20 minutes. It runs 7-11, 7:00 to 7:20, 7:20 to 7:40 etc. There is an MC and he'll take an early time to get it rolling of noone is signed up. You can only sign up when you are there, can't phone it in or have someone else do it for you. Two people playing together can sign up for consecutive times and get a 40 minute set. (I'm not sure if three have tried this yet or if that would be allowed, on a slow night maybe, on a real busy one, probably not). Mics and cords and a music stand are provided to make switch over times short. Most everyone is acoustic.
NOW, what have you guys seen that you thought worked well or should be avoided? |
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Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 3969
| At the local open mic:
Good - guy with an Alvarez, a looper, and a girlfriend/wife on primary and backup vocals, depending on the song; they do a mix of soft rock and originals
Bad - guy with a Taylor, does nothing but 4/4 strumming, mostly 90's
Ugly - gal with an Applesauce, self-styled poetess, all original material, usually freaky shit about death; belongs in the '50s with a bongo player sporting a soul patch
Beal, anything you do, especially your originals, will be great... |
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Joined:
January 2009
Posts: 4535
Location: Flahdaw | Just an observation (been a long time since I played in a bar)...
Songs that people know are always good, better than obscure songs that YOU might like but few others do.
Less guitar and more vocals...no instumentals or long strumming sessions unless you're Tommy Emmanuel.
If you want to do originals, either give them a local flavor or make them funny. Most don't want to hear maudlin old love gone wrong songs.
A little banter in between songs is sometimes good...tell 'em why you're gonna sing the next song/ what it means to you/ or how it relates, or even a quick joke/ funny line.
Don't say out loud, "well I hope I don't screw up this song too much, haha."
A few drinks prior is fine to take the edge off... 13 drinks is too many.
This I don't really know cos I didn't have 'em back then, but avoid a bunch of pedals and/or effects...too confusing with a limited amount of time.
Have a ball, break a leg/arm/finger/neck |
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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Bill, I sure don't think I can tell ya anything you don't already know but just for discussion purposes....
IMO, I don't want to be ump-teenth guy to do Behind Blue Eyes, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Time Of Your Life or Edmund Fitzgerld. If we have heard it played by someone else, we choose another. Our best responce has been when we play something unexpected like... Itchycoo Park, White Room, or Two of Us. Put lots of thought into your song selection.
Don't play in the same key two songs in a row.
Start off with something your very comfortable with. Finish with the strongest card in your deck. The time to experiment is in the middle of the set.
Remember... until you give them a good reason, the audience is pulling for you.
Look like you're having fun. Make eye contact.
Wear "OVATION" swag.
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You get twenty whole minutes??? Maybe FORTY??
I'd love an open mic like that. All we've had here is if you do two songs quick, you might get a third.
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Short of a real gig, there's nothing better than playing a open mic to improve your playing. |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | I do have a ball and I usually go early and play with Willie (the MC) till my time. Some tunes are mine and others are covers. I like going early, then about 8:30 I drift next door to O'Kanes and play with Davis for an hour or so.
Maybe my request was a little unclear, I'm looking for procedural things that I can pass on the Mike and Willie about how to make it better, like "There are three mics up there, use them, not your "special" one"
or "Leave your Marshall" at home.
I was at an open mic in Mass and this guy got up and did a 15 minute drum solo, that AIN'T gonna happen here! |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4043
Location: Utah | Most of our venues around here aren't true open mics, but they are close in flavor. The biggest annoyance as an audience member is dead time.
Switching between acts is the obvious, but so is screwing around on stage with equipment between songs. Finding a way to switch acts quickly is the key, whether it means setting up several acts' equipment ahead of time or sharing equipment.
Musicians that aren't quite ready to play is a common problem. They are screwing with tuning their guitars (I'm guilty of that one), replacing dead batteries, and trying to figure out how to get plugged into the house system when they should already be done with their first song. These are all things that can and should be done before the first act hits the stage. |
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Joined:
March 2008
Posts: 2683
Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | When I am running an open mic I announce the person who is playing next, and then I alert the following act that they are "on deck". That way they can make sure their guitars are out of the cases and in tune. I always keep a couple of folding chairs on stage so in case someone doesn't use a strap we don't have to waste time hunting down a chair for them. I keep plenty of guitar stands available. I always bring a music stand. (If they need more than one they're on their own.) And what I do is keep it to three songs a piece. If there is time left over at the end we go around again. That keeps the ones who only show up for the "Look at me!" value sticking around and listening to everyone else instead of playing and then leaving. (I hate it when people do that. It's like saying, "I'm worth listening to but none of the rest of you are." Hey, if the rest of the audience has to sit through it, so should all the performers.) |
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December 2001
Posts: 10582
Location: NJ | bill
20 minutes is way too long if someone is horrible they can dump a crowd quick.
my thought would be 2 tunes or 10 minutes and then repeat again after all players have gone. that way you maintain a variety and changes of a 40 minute snoozer would be avoided.
another idea is showcase a certain local talent give them a longer set at a prime time that will help keep people in and bring people in from that showcase even if it is just their family
I probably have more ideas if you want them |
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Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by G8r:
Ugly - gal with an Applesauce, self-styled poetess, all original material, usually freaky shit about death I didn't know Phoebe lived in Florida. |
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November 2005
Posts: 4827
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | When I'm mixing or hosting an open mike I try to make sure there is a 'green room' or on deck area for people to go get their guitar on so they can just walk on and plug in. Then point it out during the introduction/announcements.
Sometimes it's a couple of screens off to the side where all the guitars are stacked, sometimes by the mixing console so I can answer any last minute questions.
Getting acts on and off as quickly as possible is an issue. |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 5563
Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | Al is spot on...one or two songs...then a chance later in the evening to play again...
A good MC is essential to keeping the evening moving and keeping the audience involved in the process...
In Nashville it was usually guitar based singer songwriter originals...and the idea of a local talent doing a spotlight set works well...that's what the Bluebird Cafe, the Bell Cove Club and several others do in Nashville...it works very well... |
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November 2005
Posts: 4827
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | I'm more a supporter of three songs/12 minutes.
The act (me anyway) needs one song just to calm down, one to get loose, and one to leave them wanting more.
Plus, more changes per hour means less music. It takes the same amount of time to change acts so more changes just means less music. 4 - 5 acts an hour is pretty good, the shyer ones will help you move through the list when they play their three songs in 6 minutes flat nonstop. |
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Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Originally posted by fillhixx:
...the shyer ones will help you move through the list when they play their three songs in 6 minutes flat nonstop. Or, like me, skulking off quietly and unnoticed after only 2. |
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Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6994
Location: Jet City | There's 4 kinds of open mics I've run across.
1. Acoustic only, pretty much as Beal explained
2. "Jam" open mics. Usually nothing but blues standards and they switch out players.... (YAWN)
3. Full band open mics, with a "house" band that usually hogs most the time
4. Same as above, but without the full house band. Usually there are people that can sit in on drums, bass, etc, or you can bring your own full band.
I'm of the mind that if I'm getting less than 20 minutes, it's not worth the time and effort. Especially if we're doing the full band thing. Then you have to setup ams and crap.
2 songs? Really? Y'all would actually take a trip somewhere for only 2 songs? Most open mics I go to are 30 minute sets. One place locally here actually has a scheduling application on their website. I really like that.
Unfortunately, the bar I've been playing at mostly was just bought last week. All music was cancelled their until further notice. Fortunately, the new owners came in on an open mic night and liked our band so much that they asked us to play their other bar. Looks like music will be returning to the old bar soon too. We'll be playing there. |
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Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6994
Location: Jet City | PS...
There should be some more songs added to the "don't play list"
A few to start with:
House of the Rising Sun
Stormy Monday
Smoke On The Water
and of course... Freebird and Stairway To Heaven
This is really the start of a new (though re-hashed) topic |
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Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Well, down here Freebird is like saying the Lord's Prayer so you can't kill that.
You can do the "Ritz" version of it, that usually stops people from asking for it again.
The 20 minute came from a suggestion I gave them about how they ran an open min at Club Helsinki where you had 15 minutes. They came up with the 20. The 20 goes by fast, last night it was 5 tunes for me. The guy after me only got three and somehow was cut off at 13 minutes. (The MC does have some discression here!)
I imagine that the times would get shorter if it was packed every night.
Did see an interesting thing, one guy claiming to be "an old country boy" from North Wilksboro NC (he was younger than me) didn't "know nothin" bout all them electronics, so he just grabbed a stool and sat in the middle of the floor and sang and played there. A C- player and C+ singer and the whole effect was a B+ performance. |
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March 2005
Posts: 5563
Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | 2 songs? Really? Y'all would actually take a trip somewhere for only 2 songs? The context here was Nashville; where there is no limit to the numbers of musicians/songwriters who want to be heard...consequently there is a need to get through as many as possible in a timely manner...
Hey, its not a gig...its an open mic night...and yes, in Nashville the places are usually full and stay full all night...I think that 3 songs is a much better time frame in areas that don't have as many performers... |
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November 2008
Posts: 1119
Location: Michigan | How do you guys all get over the nerves of playing alone on stage? I play in church but there are plenty of other instruments and vocals to cover up any mistakes. The last time I played alone for a large group was in college. I tortured myself to learn "Secret of Life" by James Taylor note for note. I felt more than comfortable with it especially since a vocalist was supposed to sing. Then she did not show and I had to do the everything myself. I was so nervous I could only lamely strum through the song and my voice had to be quivering. |
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December 2001
Posts: 10582
Location: NJ | locally I can bring you to a coupleplaces where you get 2 tunes and you would not believe the quality of players that they get.
it all depends on how you cultivate the audience and participants |
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January 2009
Posts: 4535
Location: Flahdaw | From what I've seen, this might be helpful. Have a small amp with headphones off to the side, and provide a clamp-on tuner they can use, so the guy "on deck" doesn't waste a bunch of time and piss everyone off getting in tune when he gets on stage. Ideally he should be able to plug in and go. |
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Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | People go back in the guitar room to tune if they need it, or to the courtyard in back.
I came up with a suggestion that I'll pass along. It is to have a theme for the evening. You don't have to follow it or have every song follow it but just to have a little focus. Like Train songs, beach songs, or City songs or Southern, or, or... Next Thursday I'm going to do "Songs Inappropriate for a Wedding" Should be good for a laugh,
Maybe
1. She left me for Jesus by Hayes Carll
2. Both my girlfriends, cwk
3. It's The Little Things by Robert Earl Keen
4. Goodyears by Harvey Ried
5. My Baby Lost Her Mind, cwk
That should run about 20 minutes.
This does get to be a little bit of work, you don't really want to do the same 4-5 tunes every week. |
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December 2006
Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | 6. Get Off and Stay Off by Mrs. Larry King
Shouldn't add much to the time. |
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January 2009
Posts: 4535
Location: Flahdaw | Me and Mrs. Jones/ Billy Paul |
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Joined:
April 2006
Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Know your stuff , for when , you`re doubtful ,.. others will be too ..
Buzzword o` the day ..
" Do n`t give a Damn " ... Do what ye came t` do ..
You came t` Conquer ?!! , .. than Do So .. !!! |
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Joined:
July 2003
Posts: 3111
Location: Nashville TN. | MC needs to be sure acts are ready to go.
tuned and plugged in in 60 sec or less between.
MC must be entertaining themself.
Must must "help" if an an act is bombing.
3 songs seem best.
my 2 cents |
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Open Mics
