Freedom Of Speech - We Don't Want To Hear What You Have To Say!

Open mic gives an opportunity for any artist, of any style and of any ability to step up in front of an audience and perform their music. It's a brilliantly simple and wonderful idea which has been working well across the world for years and years.

I don't like David Gray very much, however, if you get up and play one of his songs, even if you make mistakes, I will give you my attention and applaud you at the end. Similarly if you play one of your own songs, even if its terrible, I will give you the respect as an artist and performer that you deserve.

Open mic brings together like minded artists in a relaxed environment where some of the stresses of a live show are removed and are replaced with an understanding community with development and growth at the heart of it.

The problem with this laid-back, open attitude is that it makes the running of the night very difficult to police. How can you allow one persons form of creativity and expression but not anothers? If you are open to one then you must be open to all and recently, people have started to abuse this privilege.

It is simply unacceptable and offensive to just stroll onstage with some other musicians and shout obscenities and general bullsh!t into the microphone. This guy may think hes being very funny but hes just making a mockery of what the night is about and of all the artists who have something to say and genuinely want to perform their music as best they can. He has nothing to say, no message to spread, he has not rehearsed or developed any musical ideas and he certainly cannot be feeling any emotional connection with the sounds he is producing.

I couldn't stop thinking about this guy last night and it made me think about the ideas of freedom of speech and how some say, not everyone should be entitled to them. I mean, if you want to spread the word of god then that's OK. If you are promoting a charity that helps those affected by poverty then people will probably give you their time. To try and spread racism though is not OK. To thoughtlessly criticise another persons efforts in a particular field is also deemed to be unacceptable, but both parties have the right to voice their opinions whether good or bad. And they should.

Same as man from open mic should have the right to do his shouting thing.

However, as audience members, we also have the right to decide what we want to listen to. He has the right to shout and swear at us but we have the right to shut him out, to tell him we don't want to hear what he has to say and that he is not welcome in our community. Which is a more powerful right? We shouldn't be afraid to exercise this power that we have.