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Capturing Cardiff: Cardiff's Open Mike Scene
Winter & Williams Band performing at the Gate
Jason Soudah is a Cardiff-based singer/songwriter. He has just returned from a tour of the United States but still finds the time to perform at Cardiff’s open mike nights.
One of the most striking things about Cardiff is the music scene. The city has a tradition of producing high quality music acts many of which began their musical careers by performing at open mike nights.
Open mike provides the opportunity for performers of all styles and abilities to try out their material in front of an audience. Now that open mikes have become so popular, there are more opportunities for a performer to gain exposure for their material.
But what is so special about Cardiff’s open mike scene?
Cardiff has a dynamic amateur music scene with bars like The Gate, The Claude, Toucan club, and Buffalo playing host to weekly open mike nights. Each venue is unique and attracts a mix of different acts.
Jason Soudah started performing in the city when he was a student at Cardiff University. He said: “I have to say I was surprised by Cardiff. I had played at venues in London and Bristol before but Cardiff was something different. I discovered this great little place called the Gate and when I first approached the microphone the audience was so warm and welcoming.”
The Gate arts centre on Keppoch Street, is well known in the city and every Thursday it hosts a variety of different acts at the open mike night held in the café bar.
The night is compered by local singer and guitarist, Rowan Ligetti, who starts the evening by performing his own songs and telling a few jokes.
He said: “The Gate is an excellent venue because it has great acoustic, great atmosphere and great staff. We are the only place in the city that combines music, poetry, storytelling and comedy and we’re happy to set the standard.”
The tone of the evening is relaxed, and Rowan encourages musicians to join forces and jam together towards the end of the night. “It’s a really friendly night. Open mic at the Gate isn’t about polished performance, it is about sharing work. The Gate is a safe place to make mistakes and there are many opportunities to socialize and meet likeminded people.”
Although the vast majority of people in Cardiff are not welsh speakers, welsh is often the language of choice for many performers. The Gate caters for this market by holding its unique ‘welsh open mike’ at the end of every month at which everyone has to perform in welsh.
The Claude on Albany Road is Cardiff’s oldest open mike venue and every Thursday night there is a Jimjam session. Professional musicians from Cardiff begin by playing a short set and then the floor is opened up to anyone else who would like to join in.
Regular session band performer, Peter Kent said: “The Claude is always full on acoustic night. Having professional and amateur musicians together in one room produces some interesting sounds. I love performing and it is great to jam with new talent and explore new musical styles.”
Cardiff isn't usually top of the list for international bands on UK tours, but this has had the effect of boosting the local music scene. A number of bands from South Wales have shot to fame in recent years including The Automatic, the Lost Prophets and the Hot Puppies.
Free magazines like The Buzz are published monthly and contain an extensive list of what is happening at all the live music venues including open mike nights. Most venues and artists also have a myspace account which has enabled them to reach a wider audience.
Winter & Williams Band is a band well-known at almost every live music venue in Cardiff and they are now playing to large audiences at venues like Clwb Ifor Bach. Band member, Graham Winter said: “We owe a lot to the people who supported us from the beginning at open mike.
"The audiences in Cardiff really listen and don’t talk over you. Because the city is quite small, word spreads and people come to support you. I don’t think you would find that anywhere else.”
Julia Harris, a Cardiff-born singer, started her musical career by playing at open mike sessions in the Toucan Club and has performed with such artists as Damien Rice and welsh songwriter Amy Wadge. She has gained notoriety throughout the UK and has recently performed at the Cardiff Swn Festival were she was greeted with a roaring applause.
Julia said: “I think performers from Cardiff are reluctant to leave because it is so special. I love performing here and I will always come back to play at the places were it all began for me.”
Many people in Cardiff see open mike as an integral part of the music scene and it is hoped it will continue to encourage and inspire many more musicians to try their hand at performing.
Find more videos like this on Cardiff University Online Journalism 2007
Tuesday 18 September 2007
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