Eleni's Blog

Five reasons everyone should go to an OMN (Open Mic Night)

September 20, 2010 at 12:10 pm (Uncategorized)

Photo by Jsome1

When you want a good ole fashioned night out with your friends, the most obvious place to go is the pub. Yes, the good ole fashioned drinking hole where you will down as many beers as your liver can handle, fall over on the pavement and throw up on the overly-priced taxi home. But why not give your night out a bit of edge and go to an OMN, (an Open Mic Night). Need some convincing? Just read the top five reasons why attending an open mic night is the way forward.

1 – Everyone knows musicians are fit
There’s no denying it, there’s something oddly attractive about a guy who can play the guitar, a girl who can bash the drums or loner you’d never normally touch with a bargepole belting out a tune. Open Mic Nights prove an excellent opportunity to just have good ole fashioned perv on some hot musicians, and although you might be disappointed by some of the acts, eventually you’ll end up listening to some cute singer singing about how they’re looking for “the one” but just can’t find them…swoon.

2 – You get to hear original music, and often for free.
If there’s something that puts people off going down to the clubs and pubs, it’s the entrance fee and what you get for it. Paying a tenner for expensive drinks and to hear the same R&B music pumped through alcohol covered speakers for the entire night is only something that can be enjoyed while completely wasted. Why do that when OMN are often free entrance and you’ll get to hear some original material from up and comings that often deserve more recognition than the established artists. Not only that, but often the musicians will begin with covers to get you into the set, so you get to hear pop songs like you’ve never heard them before. Want Lady Gaga done acoustically? Or an electric flute doing Beyoncé? Then you’ve come to the right place.

3 – If you’re creative, you get to test out new material.
OMNs are a great forum for artistic exchange, and whether you’re new to the whole idea of playing gigs, or a pro wanting to test out new songs, OMN are often more casual, welcoming, and laid back enough to make you feel comfortable about dying on your arse. You’re still more likely to get a round of applause for trying your best than getting a glass bottle thrown at you, don’t believe what you see in the movies, OMNs aren’t like that.

4 – It’s a great place to meet new and interesting people.

If you’ve just moved to a new area, then OMNs are a great place to meet new people, often who will be local to your area. Even if you aren’t there to sing, just hang out at the bar, show support and respect to everyone who plays, and you’ll soon find yourself talking to complete strangers, and you never know, they could be the fit musicians from my first point.

5 – When you see a talented person it reaffirms your belief in the human race.
Ok, it may sound a bit pretentious and over the top, but there is nothing quite like seeing talented people unaware of how amazing they are. While some people stay home and watch Mariah Carey wannabes belt out another repetitive (and quite frankly appalling) rendition of “I will always love you”, you can sit at an OMN and watch genuinely good singers seek nothing but your cheers rather than your money. There are amazing performers out there, and they are at OMNs.

There is another reason to go, and it undermines every other reason that has been previously mentioned. Schadenfreude. If you’re a cynical bastard, had a bad day at the office, or just fancy laughing at someone else’s expense, there often is a singer whose voice goes through you, a guitarist who can’t play, or a drummer that just bashes out their anger issues. Just don’t boo, laugh to yourself instead that you’re not that poor sod up there.

If I still haven’t convinced you, then go just to prove me wrong, I dare you.

Happy musing x

Dedicated to the people who inspired this blog post by taking me to an OMN. Aziz and Steven. Moo.