Unspeakable Players at a Jam night

ICBM

Caffeine_Vampire said:

I ran one for a short time and had to deal with a Liam Gallagher wannabe. Every week we had to trawl our way through the same Oasis numbers. The guy couldn’t sing for shit but the punters absolutely loved him.

Are you sure it wasn’t the real one?

TheBigDipper

Blackjack said:

Oh crap!! I am beginning to think that maybe some open mics are not as “beginner friendly” or “all abilities welcome and encouraged”  as they say....
Maybe I need to review my plans to play at one soon based on some of the above...

They're all different. If they say they encourage first-time performers, then they mean it, so take them at their word. 

Open Mics are usually sessions where each performance is "self contained" and should be as broad in scope as the people turn up to contribute. A solo singer/guitarist, or a pianist or a duo that have practiced something together. 

The Jam Night evenings where there's a drumkit and some amps provided are generally harder to manage and harder to participate in. Some people will want to play and they've never played with other people before. So they don't know how to listen properly (to themselves or others) or play in an ensemble. And then you have the added challenge that everyone learns a song by listening to different arrangements or versions and you only find out when you try and perform it for the first time. 

Some so-called Open Mics are really Showcase sessions intended to provide a platform for people looking for gigs to strut their stuff and persuade people to book them. They can be competitive rather than supportive and I don't like them.

A good Open Mic will have someone organising it who makes sure people who want to play something feel welcome. If you can play a song through without making a total pigs ear of it, then you're a candidate. If you're the worst person there, everyone will still be nice and supportive - encouraging you to come next time. It will help you improve - as long as you practice in between times. 

Have a go! 

Jalapeno

TheBigDipper said:

Open Mics are usually sessions where each performance is "self contained" and should be as broad in scope as the people turn up to contribute. A solo singer/guitarist, or a pianist or a duo that have practiced something together. 

A good Open Mic will have someone organising it who makes sure people who want to play something feel welcome. If you can play a song through without making a total pigs ear of it, then you're a candidate. If you're the worst person there, everyone will still be nice and supportive - encouraging you to come next time. It will help you improve - as long as you practice in between times. 

Have a go! 

Agree 100% - those are the Open Mics that are really enjoyable, with a 3 number limit per person (unless there's a huge clamour for more) the less talented acts are mecifully short. Encourage beginners to the early slots - if you find the new Adele/Steve Vai - get them to repeat their schtick a later slot.

Keefy

There’s an open mic I sometimes attend, which seems to exist mainly as a vehicle for one particular performer, who almost always takes the last 45 minutes of the evening. He used to back a well-known artist and has an ego the size of a planet, even to the point of brow-beating other performers into not doing ‘his’ covers.

JAYJO

Give him a choice of a few songs and ask him to pick one to play . Hes getting live experience and lessons.He will be back . If he insists on playing more then give him brushes and if he refuses hit him in the grid with your triangle.

uncledick

I'd come away happy that i wasn't the worst act of the evening.

TheBigDipper

uncledick said:

I'd come away happy that i wasn't the worst act of the evening.

Yep. My wife has been kind enough to let me know I was clearly the best guitarist on the night....









...and the worst singer.  :-( 

AndyJP

There's a good Blues jam night in Edinburgh at Whighams on a Tuesday.  The same guy (nice bloke) has run it for a while and does a good job.  You get a set of regulars and people who come and go.  Sometimes you see some great new stuff in there.   

You never really get someone who can't play at all.   I have a feeling if you couldn't play at all you wouldn't get a second shot.

Danny1969

One thing I've noticed about jam nights Ive gone to is the house band rarely wants to jam ... there's a few local to me but it's a case of flicking through their book and picking some covers. That's not jamming to me ... that'd dep'ing in a covers band !

The night we ran was basically anything goes.  We backed people to Elvis, Adele, Sinatra, Neil Young, John Mayer ... basically had a go at anything, switching keys and just feeling it through. If I wasn't already playing in 4 gig'ing bands I would start another one up tomorrow.

grappagreen

I turned up to a jam night at a local pub at the end of last year. I don't usually play acoustic but having had enough of the band thing I thought I'd have a go and hooked up with a nice girl with a great voice. We worked out some interesting versions of a few slightly different tunes and went for it one night. 

Before we went up to have a knock a chap wandered over who know the singer and we got chatting. He was giving it large and talking about what he's up to; song writing and all that. She mentioned he teaches guitar at the local 'academy' etc. At this point I start to think that maybe I should have put a bit more time in

He got up to play before us and I couldn't believe what I was hearing. F'kin terrible. I mean 'please floor open up' terrible. Perhaps the worst live music I've ever had to endure for 20 minutes.

I do wonder what possess these people. 

He disappeared shortly after we played..

Dcotorstewie

Ha! One of my favourites was a chap who meandered up, claiming massive credentials, uhmed and ahhed about whether any of the gear was good enough for him to use, whether he could condescent to play my guitar, and then when his turn came rocked up, strapped on my guitar, shouted: "Hey Joe, gentlemen ( there was a woman on rhythm guitar) key of C, GO! " then flailed around for a bit and said: "Oh fuck I am SO Pissed..." after staggering to a halt. 

As for being inclusive - oh we are, we will absolutely let ( and encourage ) everyone have a go. I am just saying I have difficulty with the ones who, for example, take one look and think: "That must be easy" and won't stop. Despite knowing literally nothing about what they are doing. 
I bloody love seeing people have a go, I really do. it's just this one guy...

MattNovak

Tried to recruit a bass player we met at an open mic night - he was good. However, he didn't have a bass. He'd thrown it in a river after an argument with his wife.  

slacker

MattNovak said:

Tried to recruit a bass player we met at an open mic night - he was good. However, he didn't have a bass. He'd thrown it in a river after an argument with his wife.  

He's not a bass player. I would have thrown my wife in the river. 

Slash'N'burn

This is really warming, as I've only been along to a couple of open mic nights before, the performers were all pretty polished and the organisers were quite serious, so I always assumed you had to be really good to have a go or you would get laughed out/thrown out!

Sort of admire those who have tons of confidence (or are totally oblivious to people around them) to get up and play something terribly and not die of shame, but yeah you don't want it ruining the night or driving people away.

Can I ask whereabouts this pub is?

Bloog

Keefy said:

There’s an open mic I sometimes attend, which seems to exist mainly as a vehicle for one particular performer, who almost always takes the last 45 minutes of the evening. He used to back a well-known artist and has an ego the size of a planet, even to the point of brow-beating other performers into not doing ‘his’ covers.

I'm in the Swindon area. Would appreciate if you could reply or PM with the venue. Might go along some time.

Rocker

It is a bit sad that experienced players scoff at the efforts of others.  It is up to the organiser of the Open Mic Night to give players the opportunity to play, however poorly they play, and to give feedback to the player afterwards.  We all have to start somewhere.  There is no point in having an Open Mic Night if it ends up as a jam involving guys who have played together for years and play the same old tunes night after night, at the same time excluding the newbies who could benefit from the experience of playing in public. 

further

Just a heads up, there is a really good open mike in The Hawthorns in Glastonbury, on Tuesday nights

HAL9000

Keefy said:

...one particular performer, who almost always takes the last 45 minutes of the evening

My local open mic (quite rightly) imposes a three song limit on performers so this sort of thing shouldn’t happen.

Fuengi

MattNovak said:

Tried to recruit a bass player we met at an open mic night - he was good. However, he didn't have a bass. He'd thrown it in a river after an argument with his wife.  

That really made me chuckle. 

redrighthand

To the OP - your open mic sounds awesome (despite that guy)! Do you mind telling us where the pub is?