Ah... It seems the days or rather, nights, of Acoustic Music Club are nearly over.
It has been a few weeks since I played at the Acoustic Music Club and whilst I was away the format has changed. Basically, gone are the days of plugging in your guitar and singing into a mic... Now a few mics are nearby just to catch the ambience. Fine, unless more than two people in the audience decide to talk or laugh or move in their seat.
I don't just go to play, I go to listen to the other musicians and if I can't hear them, then I've wasted my time. It's a shame. If I'm honest I'm not into the totally acoustic thing, it sounds like a room full of musicians sitting quietly whilst one plays, I prefer playing to people who want to chill out, who can chat if they want and when they do chat, it doesn't stop other people in the bar from listening and enjoying the music. I have also found that mic control is simply another tool for the musician to add dynamics to a song and without it, it's like losing an instrument.
I like playing to a mix of musicians AND general punters simply there to enjoy the music, I know the musicians usually out number punters at these things, but playing to a room of musicians seems to me, a bit like mutual masterbation!!!
If that sounds snobby... Fuck it, I'm in a snobby mood.
So I played three songs, hearing nothing at all, tried to listen to a blues player, heard nothing at all, and went home.
The Splash has moved open mics to Fridays, which is bad for me, the Acoustic Music Club is heading for extinction or musician elitism and who knows what's happening with Monkey Mondays or Wednesdays... Gah, I think I will head back into the studio.
posted by Justin 'AnteVirus' Thorne @ 11:25 AM
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