best open mic night everrr

monday night was the best open mic night ever.

firstly, it wasnt as busy as the week before. this meant that it wasnt so hot and noisy but also, each artist could play three or four songs and take their time on the mic, not having to rush through their set so that the next artists could play. the atmosphere was really relaxed.

also, there was a really high standard of performance from everyone. this is especially nice to see from newer performers who you can tell are really nervous but then go on to play fantastic sets.

most importantly though, i played brilliantly. not meaning to blow my own trumpet but it was the best set i have played in a long long time which was nice, taking into account all the worries i was having regarding my music and my performance.

next week though, i am taking a break from open mic night. by that i mean i have decided to play a set of covers rather than my own songs which i have been playing for the last three weeks.

im not normally a fan of covers for two reasons. firstly, i usually just end up ruining the song. i either cant play it properly, its in the wrong key or just doesnt suit my voice, or worse, i end up doing an exact copy of the original along with accent and everything.

secondly, too many performers, at open mic night especially, use them as an emotional weapon against their audience. perhaps they feel their own songs arent as powerful as they would like them to be so use other peoples songs to try and create epic, movie style moments and capture everyones attention. i have no respect for people who do that.

so im going to have to think hard about the songs i cover - bit of a challenge for the weekend - see what i come up with, it will be nice though to relax and enjoy playing some songs that everyone knows and not having to worry about how i present my own material - to get fully into the open mic spirit of coming together to enjoy and share music.