Let’s face it, who hasn’t fantasised about getting up on stage, showered by bright lights and singing out loud and proud to a sea of adoring fans? Okay, perhaps my own fantasies are a bit too grandiose and far-fetched for the average wannabe rock star, but you get where I’m going with this.
If the rock and roll lifestyle is a bit too much for you, maybe - just maybe - the right open mic night might just hit the sweet spot of a close (?) alternative.
At this point I should clarify that in this part of the world, an open mic mainly refers to a night where aspiring musicians can take the stage - most commonly with an acoustic instrument - and perform a short set of originals or covers. I know that on the other side of the pond an “open mic” is commonly used in the context of stand-up comedy. Whereas comedic acts are welcome to most open mic nights I’ve been to in Glasgow, they are a rarity.
As an aspiring bedroom troubadour and an abuser of first position chords, I set forth to find the open mic night in Glasgow that would feel just right for me. It was a long and tiresome journey, going through shady dives, rowdy pubs and non-interested sports bars, until I laid my eyes on open mic Mecca, bloc+.
First of all, what makes or breaks an open mic night is the host(s). Most people would find taking the stage terrifying and that terror amplifies (heh) if the person hosting is dismissive, unenthusiastic or downright judgemental and you’d be surprised how many hosts are like that.
This is not the case at bloc+. Jamie and Michael are excellent hosts with great chemistry - both on and off stage - and have made me feel welcome from the first time I asked to be put on the list of names to play. They have offered me advice on how to improve my sets, pointed out what to look for with respect to my gear and even sung along to some of my songs!
Another very important aspect of a good open mic night is the crowd, which tend to fall under two extremes. Either you get the crowd dedicated to the night (which mainly comprises of people who are also there to go on stage and perform themselves) or you get the crowds that don’t care at all and can be openly dismissive, loud and in general disrespecting to the - probably a bit insecure - performer. Personally, both extremes are quite daunting to me as with the former it feels like you are perhaps auditioning and are being judged by your peers, wheres the latter is uncomfortable for obvious reasons.
The crowd at bloc+ more often than not falls in to the sweet spot in between. You get dedicated performers who show up on the regular, as well as patrons who seem to be pleasantly surprised that there is an open mic on and join in, support and have a great time. It is also very important that the hosts are comfortable enough to manage the crowd. They can encourage an audience to partake or even dial down some tones if things are getting a bit too hairy or if some performer is being disrespected in order to create a safe environment for everyone.
A final reason that makes this night stand out by leaps and bounds is more of a technical issue as it relates to bloc’s sound system. Bloc+ is an actual venue, they have live shows almost every day of the week and the open mic nights use the same rig as those. I bring this up because it is not rare for an open mic night to just have a a guitar and mic coming through an inexpensive amp, making it hard for even the best musicians to sound good through. The PA system is great and it also includes stage monitors so you get to hear exactly what you sound like when performing which is a real game changer as far as casual singer-songwriters go.
My journey to finding the right open mic was long, hard, and more often than not embarrassing. I got there in the end and Sunday nights at bloc+ have been my safe-haven for almost 3 years now. A place to go when I’ve had a bad week and I need to vent or just enjoy a cold beer and some very talented local performers. Struggling to find something to do on a Sunday night in Glasgow? Come on over. I’ll probably be there and we can share a pint