RIP Open Mic Musketeers

PeteM

Yeah, Musketeers are terminating my services in hosting Open Mic evenings at the end of the month. It's very sad because it was a great platform for up-and-coming musos. It seems that we were not drawing enough patrons to the bar, although numbers were beginning to pick up. Management want to try something new and I can understand their position. They need the bar to tick over.

My next task is to find another venue because I have built up a small following and need a platform for those musos who have taken the big step of performing in front of people. It's also a pity that there was little or no interest from the forum members here in Durbs. I would appreciate your input guys... Was the venue too remote? Are you not interested in performing? Was Tuesday a bad night? Please let me know as this will help me in planning and marketing my next Open Mic set up.

Ray

Well, that is sad. I'm from another place so cant really give the input you're asking for. And just yesterday I was talking to one of the brus at work who comes from Durban and has just started playing guitar borrowed one from me. And he got quite excited when I told him about this open mic becasue he hails from that exact suburb and was lining himself up to make an appearance at some time in the future. Anyway, good luck with finding a venue.

AlanRatcliffe

Sorry to hear that Pete.

I'm also not in the area, but mine is still going strong, with people nagging me to do more, so I'm doing something right.

Most places I know kill it themselves - they have it too often and it becomes "nothing special" very quickly. You need it to stay as a special event in people's minds. You also need to quickly move away from the free-for-all beginnings and start booking the better acts specifically to play on certain evenings - so you can make sure that each show has a different lineup and advertise them by name. The same artists every time will kill it quickly.

Musos... you have to nag, cajole, flatter, bribe and even blackmail them to get them to commit to playing. It's damn hard work and my least favourite part. I also make myself available as a kind of "session" muso to back them up with bass or guitar - especially the new ones with little experience or confidence. You have to build your artists as much as the audience - push the ones with talent and gently discourage the ones without.

My 2c... as always, YMMV.

Garth-S

Eish Pete. Sorry to hear. I saw your post about the open mic and was pretty excited as myself and a friend are keen to do some acoustic stuff this year. Would have been great ☹

PeteM

Garth Strydom wrote: Eish Pete. Sorry to hear. I saw your post about the open mic and was pretty excited as myself and a friend are keen to do some acoustic stuff this year. Would have been great ☹

Fear not Garth. Musketeers is dead but not me. I intend to make it work somewhere else, hence my request for feedback.

Thanks for your input Alan.

The cajoling starts here then. Durbs guys please tell me what you want!

Kalcium

Sorry to hear Musketeers died but Im glad to hear you plan to keep it alive ? I really enjoyed it when I went and so did Dunhill (the friend who came with me...) I think our main issue in terms of performance is that neither of us can sing and during semester time things get a bit busy to get together and prepare something but I would like to attend and listen again when its up and running...