Open mike
Encyclopedia
An open mike or open mic is a live show where audience members may perform at the microphone. Usually, the performers sign up in advance for a time slot with the host or master of ceremonies
. These events can be focused on poetry
and the spoken word, music, comedy
, and the open format of open stage night
s. Notable examples of open mics are at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe
in the lower east side of Manhattan
, and the massive Open Mic UK
contest in England
.
Poetry/spoken word open mikes feature a host, who is normally a poet
or spoken word artist, poets and spoken word artists, and audience members. Shows are generally one and a half to two hours in length. A sign-up is done before the show begins, so that the host has a list of names to call from. Poetry/spoken word open mikes are laid back, serene, and contain lively conversation in between readers and/or performers. They are usually held in libraries, coffee houses, cafes, and book stores or bars. Each poet or spoken word artist is often asked to keep their performances to a minimum/specified time slot, giving each performer enough time to share some of their work. The longest running US open mike is still going on at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe
in the lower east side of Manhattan
.
s, but are more commonly held at other venues with or without a stage, often the upstairs or back room of a pub or bar. Such nights give newer acts an opportunity to practice and improve, with a view to getting paid work. More experienced acts get an opportunity to work out newer material where the audience is not paying in anticipation of seeing their normal act. In a typical open mike night, newer acts will get five or maybe ten minutes of stage time, but more experienced acts may get ten or more minutes.
Open mic comedy nights are most widespread in larger English-speaking cities with a well-established stand-up comedy scene, especially London
and New York
. In these cities, with a plethora of aspiring comedians, the greatest challenge may be in attracting a worthwhile audience.
Open mikes have been gaining in popularity in recent times, providing a much-needed outlet for singer-songwriter
s. Prior to their popularity, the only outlet generally were folk clubs
, which were not always friendly towards creators of new music, preferring traditional music. They also suggested that music performed by acoustic musician
s or solo artists in this manner would necessarily be folk music, a misconception that still commonly exists today. Some organizers have chosen the title "acoustic night" or "acoustic club" in an attempt to indicate an event run broadly on the lines of a folk club, but with a much wider range of musical styles.
In the United Kingdom
, the largest ongoing Open Mic-styled music contest is Open Mic UK
, which regularly attracts 10,000 participants of all genres. The grand prize for the contest is an investment up to £30,000. The size of the event has necessitated that all participants sign up for performance slots beforehand, instead of simply walking onstage.
). Some of these events employ the use of a resident band or a group of musicians. They will play along to the attendee, often without knowing the particular song, they will quickly improvise along to whatever the person plays creating a full live sound, as if the volunteer is just another member of the band. These type of events are similar to a free and easy session, which is the predecessor to karaoke
. The quality of musician needs to be very high to achieve this.
One of the most famous of these events is the "Jam afternoon @ Ruscadors" held every Sunday in the Kingston upon Hull
pub Ruscadors. This event has been long running and has given the start to many professional musicians, in their live performance career. It is still running to this day every Sunday between the hours of 3.00 pm and 6.00 pm. These sort of events are becoming less common due to the popularity of karaoke
.
Master of Ceremonies
A Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving....
. These events can be focused on poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
and the spoken word, music, comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
, and the open format of open stage night
Open stage night
Open stage night is a term being more commonly used for nights which have been derived from other similar evenings like, open mics, acoustic nights and poetry slam. The main difference being that usually if the term open stage is used then the night is open to a wider platform of performers, thus...
s. Notable examples of open mics are at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe
Nuyorican Poets Café
The Nuyorican Poets Café is a non-profit organization in Alphabet City, Manhattan. It is a bastion of the Nuyorican art movement in New York City, USA, and has become a forum for poetry, music, hip hop, video, visual arts, comedy and theatre.-History:...
in the lower east side of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, and the massive Open Mic UK
Open Mic UK
Open Mic UK is a live music competition in the UK for singers, vocalists and solo artists. Acts compete at regional auditions to get the chance to perform live at live music showcases to reach an annual national final, which is held at the IndigO2 in London as part of Live Fest...
contest in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Name
Either spelling, "open mike" or "open mic", is correct. Although "Mike" is used as a shortened version of "Microphone" which can cause some confusion. "Open mike" is also often used to refer to events that could more properly be named "open stage" where there is no amplification.Poetry/spoken word
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
or spoken word artist, poets and spoken word artists, and audience members. Shows are generally one and a half to two hours in length. A sign-up is done before the show begins, so that the host has a list of names to call from. Poetry/spoken word open mikes are laid back, serene, and contain lively conversation in between readers and/or performers. They are usually held in libraries, coffee houses, cafes, and book stores or bars. Each poet or spoken word artist is often asked to keep their performances to a minimum/specified time slot, giving each performer enough time to share some of their work. The longest running US open mike is still going on at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe
Nuyorican Poets Café
The Nuyorican Poets Café is a non-profit organization in Alphabet City, Manhattan. It is a bastion of the Nuyorican art movement in New York City, USA, and has become a forum for poetry, music, hip hop, video, visual arts, comedy and theatre.-History:...
in the lower east side of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
.
Comedy
Comedy open mike nights can be held at established comedy clubComedy club
A comedy club is a venue, typically a nightclub, bar, or restaurant where people watch or listen to performances, including stand-up comedians, improvisational comedians, impersonators, magicians, ventriloquists and other comedy acts...
s, but are more commonly held at other venues with or without a stage, often the upstairs or back room of a pub or bar. Such nights give newer acts an opportunity to practice and improve, with a view to getting paid work. More experienced acts get an opportunity to work out newer material where the audience is not paying in anticipation of seeing their normal act. In a typical open mike night, newer acts will get five or maybe ten minutes of stage time, but more experienced acts may get ten or more minutes.
Open mic comedy nights are most widespread in larger English-speaking cities with a well-established stand-up comedy scene, especially London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. In these cities, with a plethora of aspiring comedians, the greatest challenge may be in attracting a worthwhile audience.
Music
These shows provide an opportunity for musicians to gain experience performing to a live audience without having to go through the process of getting normal music gigs, which is very difficult to do without experience of live performance.Open mikes have been gaining in popularity in recent times, providing a much-needed outlet for singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
s. Prior to their popularity, the only outlet generally were folk clubs
Folk clubs
A folk club is a regular event, permanent venue, or section of a venue devoted to folk music and traditional music. Folk clubs were primarily an urban phenomenon of 1960s and 1970s Great Britain and Ireland, and vital to the second British folk revival, but continue today there and elsewhere...
, which were not always friendly towards creators of new music, preferring traditional music. They also suggested that music performed by acoustic musician
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
s or solo artists in this manner would necessarily be folk music, a misconception that still commonly exists today. Some organizers have chosen the title "acoustic night" or "acoustic club" in an attempt to indicate an event run broadly on the lines of a folk club, but with a much wider range of musical styles.
In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the largest ongoing Open Mic-styled music contest is Open Mic UK
Open Mic UK
Open Mic UK is a live music competition in the UK for singers, vocalists and solo artists. Acts compete at regional auditions to get the chance to perform live at live music showcases to reach an annual national final, which is held at the IndigO2 in London as part of Live Fest...
, which regularly attracts 10,000 participants of all genres. The grand prize for the contest is an investment up to £30,000. The size of the event has necessitated that all participants sign up for performance slots beforehand, instead of simply walking onstage.
Open stage
Open stages are all inclusive evenings which welcome performers of all kinds from all different genres (see open stage nightOpen stage night
Open stage night is a term being more commonly used for nights which have been derived from other similar evenings like, open mics, acoustic nights and poetry slam. The main difference being that usually if the term open stage is used then the night is open to a wider platform of performers, thus...
). Some of these events employ the use of a resident band or a group of musicians. They will play along to the attendee, often without knowing the particular song, they will quickly improvise along to whatever the person plays creating a full live sound, as if the volunteer is just another member of the band. These type of events are similar to a free and easy session, which is the predecessor to karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
. The quality of musician needs to be very high to achieve this.
One of the most famous of these events is the "Jam afternoon @ Ruscadors" held every Sunday in the Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
pub Ruscadors. This event has been long running and has given the start to many professional musicians, in their live performance career. It is still running to this day every Sunday between the hours of 3.00 pm and 6.00 pm. These sort of events are becoming less common due to the popularity of karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
.
External links
- OpenMikes.org
- OpenMic.us
- Mike, Dammit - Essay on the "mike" vs. "mic" debate
- Aldredge, Marcus. "Negotiating and Practicing Performance: An Ethnographic Study of a Musical Open Mic in Brooklyn, New York."