For any aspiring professional musicians, attending open mics is an invaluable way of getting your music heard by others within the local scene. However, they can also be very daunting. We are fortunate in Liverpool in that there are plenty to choose from, all with their unique novelties and vibes. No matter what music you play, there’s a night for you to play it live, and to hear and meet some other fantastic musicians on top.
I’ve attended countless open mics in Liverpool, and I am often approached by people after my sets who voice their desires to one day get up and play as well. I never have any reason to doubt the musicianship of these budding performers, yet their own doubt keeps them at bay. The host can call out ‘if anyone wants to perform, the stage is yours’ as often as they like, for some there’s simply a self set boundary that stops them from taking the opportunity. I’m here today to incentivise those people, give them a rundown on what to expect, along with listing particular open mics to try out.
Performing music live is an understandably daunting endeavour, especially if you’ve never done it before, or felt that the times where you have didn’t go particularly well. The first reassurance I can give is that; the people who tend to be paying the most attention are other musicians and performers who have all felt the exact same way! Nobody starts out at this with absolute confidence, and we’ve all made glaring mistakes under the spotlight for everyone to see. One mistake doesn’t ruin a song, and it certainly won’t ruin a whole set. An inherent part of the process of getting better at playing live is making those mistakes. A common thing I see is an artist calling attention to their mistake and stopping to apologise and take it from a little earlier in the song. If you do need to pause to get your bearings back, don’t be afraid to, but also don’t feel obligated to draw attention to a mistake if you can keep playing. I speak from experience when I say that the majority of people in the audience never even notice the mistakes I beat myself up over. Another common thing I hear is a more general ‘I’m not good enough yet’. It’s understandable seeing fantastic performers as thinking that you have no place among them because you haven’t reached that skill or confidence yet, but the best way of developing these areas I know of is by performing. You can’t expect the showmanship to come from playing to nobody in your room, and nobody is expecting you to have that showmanship from day one.
One of the aspects of attending open mics that I value the most, is the ability to meet other, like minded musicians. Many of my closest friends in Liverpool I met through the open mic scene. Artists of any kind tend to be unabashedly unconventional, and I have consistently found these types to be the best company. Beyond the simple social joys of making new connections, meeting other musicians is a great way of finding opportunities. Maybe somebody will ask you to open for them at one of their gigs, not only will this get you in front of potential new fans, the venue may even come knocking further down the line to play your own headliner set. A big part of my journey in getting paid for playing my music has been pure chance, like getting called in to cover for a sickness or last minute cancellation. The more you get yourself out there and your name circulated, the higher the odds these things will happen.
So far I hope I’ve convinced you that you won’t get heckled or judged for making mistakes or being nervous, and that meeting other musicians is a great way to find opportunities. But, above all else, I’d like to clarify that these things are simply a lot of fun. Open mics entail a wide range of music styles and personalities that really can blossom out into some really rewarding nights of artistic comradery and excitement. The inspiration I’ve found from my peers, and the memories I’ve made, have been a huge factor in my development as a musician. Don’t feel that you need to exorcise the fear in order to be able to start, you need to start to exorcise that fear! Not every night will go how you wanted it to, but accept that not all of them can, and that a lot of your perceived failure is just in your head, and you’ll be on the road to where you want to be. At the end of the day, if the desire to perform is always within you, and you keep pushing it back down, then actually doing it is an inevitability. Some people are just possessed by this urge, if that’s you, why wait any longer?
But where to begin? I’ll leave you with some brief words on open mics I attended often and got a lot out of. Bear in mind, these things can come and go fairly regularly. If you’re reading this article a year, or even a couple of months down the line, I recommend messaging the venues before toting your equipment down.
The Jacaranda - 8pm, Sundays
This historic venue is home to one of the most thrilling, regular open mics in the city. The density of talent and popularity of it can make it a daunting one if it’s your first time, but it’s consistently also the most exciting. The night is perhaps the one with the most non-musicians in attendance, as there’s always a lot of people who wander in. While they may not always be the most attentive, they can also be really warm and appreciative. Playing to these kinds of audiences is important if you’re looking to build a strong stage presence. It does demand a certain high octane set that not every musician has much interest in playing though. If you can get nervous and are more looking for people to really hear your original songs, I recommend the next night…
The Belvedere - 8pm, Thursdays
Located just around the corner from the Philharmonic Hall, this cosy little pub hides within one of the city’s most intimate open mics, located just upstairs! When this open mic started, it did so rather conventionally, with speakers and a PA system. One fatal power outage later, and it was realised the small room was perfect for acoustic playing. Completely unplugged and home to a very welcoming, tight-knit community of fellow songwriters who listen with undivided attention to each act. If you have put a lot of emotion and thought into your lyrics and compositions, here is the best place to have those nuances noticed. Of course, this kind of intimacy can just as easily terrify one musician as much as it soothes another. Whereas mistakes can more easily fly under the radar at more impersonal open mics, here all eyes are on you. But I will reiterate, you will find some of the friendliest musicians in the scene here.
Ditto - 6pm, Wednesday
In the Baltic Triangle area of Liverpool you can find a tiny coffee shop where one of the more communal and laid back open mics in the city takes place. Being outside of the city centre, you’re unlikely to see anyone who didn’t already know about the event stumble in. You get a fairly regular and lowkey crowd that makes this a great place to start. In the summer, it can’t be beat, as the patrons can spill out of the front door and enjoy the sun as music pools out into the quiet street. Ditto occupies a good sweet spot, you are in the company of other musicians, just with a little more room to breathe and take things a little less seriously. If you’ve never played at an open mic before, this would be my recommended first port of call.
Monday Club - the Cavern Pub - 8pm-11:30pm, Monday
The Monday Club is a Liverpool Cult Classic open mic that has been running 13 years strong. It is a bustling open mic year round, but you won't catch anyone playing Wonder Wall or Twist and Shout - this is an Originals Only open mic located in the historic cavern quarter. Sometimes a cool collected room of locals, other a wild crowd of tourists and students on break, Monday club often leaves you with something to write home about. With their house kit and ability to host full bands, Monday Club is a vital stepping stone for many bands (one of note recently being Red Rum Club).
Sotto - 5pm - 10pm, Sunday
Sotto has more standard open mics running on Tuesday and Thursday, but an introduction to the Liverpool open mic music scene wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the open stage sessions of Sir Barry Sutton. These relocate often so it’s best reaching out to the man directly on Instagram to clarify time and venue. These are not for beginners or anyone with a pre-existing heart condition. If you’re less of a songwriter or cover’s artist, and just want to plug into a PA and jam, here you can do exactly that with some of the most memorable eccentrics to ever walk these streets. It’s pure beatnik, rock’n’roll delirium and there’s nothing else quite like it.
There are, of course, many more that I could mention; Hemmingways, Metrocola, Heebie Jeebies, Dovedale Towers, you’ll never be short of options in Liverpool. By attending just one open mic, you can very easily ask around for others. Finding the best one for you will probably come down to simple word of mouth. All that matters is that, if you’ve been putting it off, that you just give it a go.
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