Every Monday, musicians show up to O’Neill’s in Soho, to participate in one of London’s most popular open mic nights and win the £100 cash prize.
Although it is common for musicians and performers alike to risk it all on the big stage, such as on Britain’s Got Talent, this open mic in Soho presents an opportunity to earn recognition on a smaller scale.
One participant building his career is 48 year old Jak Nassar — or ‘Jak the Hat’ — who moved the audience with his rendition of Tennessee Whiskey, accompanying himself on his guitar.
Jak said: “I never forgot the feeling of learning to play Hotel California on the guitar, my dad walked into my bedroom and said I sounded like George Michael.”
Half Greek and half English, Jak has been doing music for 25 years, since his university days, where he studied electrical engineering before moving into property management; this past Monday was his first time attending this particular soho open mic.
The night is organised by HotVox, London’s biggest regional promoter who puts on between 50 and 80 shows in London every month, including gigs and competitions.
The ‘sing it, to win it!’ Soho open mic night provides a chance for artists to get on stage and take their first steps in a growing industry.
The way it works is that the host calls out the running order four names at a time from a selection of artists that have signed up in advance, often resulting in spaces filling up fast.
Last Monday 11 acts appeared on stage, with the winners announced around 11pm — so the audience is in for a full evening of performances.
In addition to the live audience, HotVox also posts each artist on their Instagram story to an audience of more than ten thousand ensuring publicity as consolation to those who don’t win the big prize.
At this Soho open mic, singers of all backgrounds step onto the stage, some with no prior experience, some perform with backing tracks and others with live accompaniment.
Guy Manion, Hotvox’s Head of Operations, spoke about the importance of supporting small artists in their journey, stating that the promoter aims to help people ‘get their confidence’.
HotVox has represented artists such as Yungblood and Chinchilla, raising the question of why they would make the effort to support artists who, at times, have never even operated a mic stand.
Manion says: “We aim to grow with the artists.”
HotVox accepts applications for artists beyond the open mic to perform at gigs, helping artists progress in the industry no matter what level of experience they start with.
Manion said: “It’s the promoter’s job to find the perfect gig for someone.”
Manion’s parting advice for small artists is to network with other artists, he said: “Support them and they’ll support you.”
Photo Credit Rachel Antony
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