Sunday, 28 April 2013

Open Mic Binge


Hello readers!

So as the name of this blog suggests I have been to a lot of open mic nights this week and I intend to talk you through them a little.  It all began last Sunday at the Brewdog in Nottingham.  This week was only the second time I had been to this night but I already felt really welcome and comfortable there.  I played an entirely new set of three songs that had never been played to people before which was a lot of fun and they seemed to go down pretty well which is always nice, I’ve been experimenting with different tunings so it was really interesting to get a bit of a different sound out.  I highly recommend this open mic night, not least for the free drink given to every performer (Brewdog beers are pretty special).

Monday night was of course spent at the Golden Fleece on Mansfield road.  This open mic is pretty much home to me; it was the first place I EVER played so I really owe a lot to it.  It’s always a fantastic atmosphere no matter how quiet or busy it is on the night.  My favourite.

On Tuesday I was very, very happy to be heading back home for a few days.  It had been so long since I was last in Leamington Spa so it really was brilliant to be there.  Luckily for me, Tuesday night is open mic night at my ‘local’, The Robbins Well.  I really enjoyed being back in the loop here and getting to see some of my incredibly talented friends Spa side! (check out Benjamin Penrose and Samuel Hayler)

I did have a night off on Wednesday, instead of doing anything myself I headed over to the O2 Academy in Birmingham to see the fantastic Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls as they toured the new album, Tape Deck Heart.  I’ve been a fan of Frank Turner for quite a while but only saw him live for the first time last summer at V Festival and then again at Rock City in Nottingham just before Christmas; I think this was the best I’d seen him, it was a great show.

Back in the Spa, on Thursday night I ventured out to another open mic night this time at the Cross Keys.  It wasn’t one I’d been to before but it was a lot of fun and very enjoyable, I played four songs on my own and then got to do a duet with someone I hadn’t done a duet with in a very long time which was lovely.  All in all, it was great to be home albeit only for a couple of days.  I will be back in the area next weekend for a beer festival in Hartshill, keep an eye out on my Facebook/Twitter for details nearer the time!

I spent much of Friday in a car.  We travelled from Leamington to York and back to Nottingham. The M1 in a traffic jam isn’t always the most pleasant of experiences but luckily I had a ukelele on hand to make everything more cheerful... check out the video!  While in York I had the pleasure of playing at the Basement again, this time supporting the phenomenal Alessi’s Ark.  It was a great show and I really enjoyed watching Alessi’s Ark who I have been listening to for quite a while now.  Also the other support act, Denis Jones, was absolutely incredible and well worth a listen – lots of loops and electronic kind of sounds.

After a brief visit to my flat I was back on the road on Saturday to play at the Hammer and Pincers in Sheffield.  It was a lovely pub and I was joined by my friend Beth McCarthy who was her usual brilliant self.  It was nice to play somewhere different and although I’m not usually a massive fan of doing pub gigs it was a really nice evening.

Now we’re on Sunday… Tonight I’m off to see Lucy Rose at the Queens Social Club in Sheffield which I am incredibly excited about as I’ve been a huge fan of her probably since about 2011 when I first heard Middle of the Bed.  I missed out on seeing her in Nottingham so I’m making up for it now, will let you know what I think next Sunday!

Have a fantastic week,

Love y’all!

Anwyn  :) x



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