Why Paul Clews gets wound up by open mic nights
When I say ‘don’t play them’, I also mean, don’t watch them, or eat or drink in the venues that promote them.
Pub landlords promoting them say they want ‘to give new talent an opportunity to play in front of an audience’, as if it is a favour. Well, they put them on for profit.
Now profit is not a rude word, but everyone contributing deserves a slice of it. They are using the musicians’ skills and talent to line their own pockets, and not share any of it with the musician. Okay, they often give you a ‘free pint’. But that ‘free pint’ is not free: you worked for it. I wonder if the landlord pays his plumber and staff in pints. Pints do not pay your mortgage, kids’ shoes, or even guitar strings.
Read the full article in Business Action online.
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