Cambridge Edition April 2022 - Web

LOCAL MUS IC

Sound it Out MIRIAM BALANESCU MEETS SOME OF THE VOICES BEHIND CAMBRIDGE’S OPEN MICS, AN UNSUNG PILLAR OF THE CITY’S MUSIC SCENE MUSIC MAKERS

rom the Sunday evening strummers at the Black Fen Folk Club, to all that jazz over at The Emperor on a Tuesday night,

“I think it’s a great thing about the culture of Britain – live music. In Cambridge, most nights of the week you can go and see somebody playing an instrument without paying too much for it.” Formerly Britain’s greatest export, musicians have been dealt two heavy blows: the cancellations of live performances over the past two years and new Brexit regulations. Open mics offer budding tune-writers a chance to tinkle on the keys and make crucial connections with other artists or studio managers. Ezio recalls The Voice UK scouting for talent at his Songsmith Sessions, an “edgy, quite offensive and very funny” Sunday night of musical revelry at The Alma, counting Matthew from Nada Surf, John Wheeler from Hayseed Dixie and Free Fringe founder Peter Buckley Hill among its performers. At The Blue Moon, Tom has had a medley of fascinating musicians in his ranks: “One guy’s an editor for The Guardian and he also releases electronic music. He’s been doing all the Winter Olympic coverage alongside it.” Being open-minded is their backbone. “If done correctly, open mics are significant safe spaces,” Tom says. “For the less experienced, they’re invaluable to find confidence and meet like-minded people. For those that are more established, it’s important for them to try out ideas and work with others.” He has seen separate artists strike up partnerships after lapping up each other’s sets.

there’s a flavour of open mic or jam to suit every musical taste in Cambridge. The music industry was hard hit during the pandemic, but now, open mics – a mainstay for performers – are tentatively returning, with ever more quirky and eclectic additions to the scene. Tom Stanford tested the waters with his experimental electronic music open mic in August last year, after sensing a gap in the genre. “When I’ve worked with people in Cambridge, I typically found that a lot would go off to Norwich, Ipswich and London to play gigs,” he explains. Before too long, slots filled up and The Blue Moon – his chosen venue for its all-embracing attitude – was teeming. Eli Bre, a Switzerland-born musician who moved from Madrid, now hopscotches many of Cambridge’s open mics. She suggests that the city is especially welcoming of melodic invention: “People are so friendly, open and supportive here. That is one of the big reasons why I decided to come back – that community feeling and the mutual support that musicians give each other.” Open mics are integral to the UK musical landscape, with Ezio Lunedei, front man of folk band Ezio and host of his own decade-old monthly open mic, telling us:

YOU HEAR SO MANY PEOPLE AND GENRES Playing at these events can feel like being in open water, but the accompanying rewards are great. “It’s easy to get a round of applause when you play something familiar,” says Ezio. “We want people to know what it feels like when people appreciate something that you’ve actually made yourself.” The idea is not to perform something with finesse, but to carve a sound out of the rubble – making it much more fun to watch: “You’ll hear them, warts and all, in a much more intimate environment,” he adds. Ezio’s open mics span soundscapes with effects, classical renditions and Gothic cello trios, while at Sunday Sessions in the Six Bells, those with acoustic prowess seize the stage. A sweep of styles and genres are on show in Cambridge, from a funk jam down at La Raza, to a ukulele club at cosy pub The Elm Tree. For Eli, the idea is to “see how it feels to perform a new song, see how the audience responds and, based on that, decide if you want to play it at a concert or record it”. She warns that at open mics, audiences may not always be listening – certain venues, though bubbling, can tip over into rowdiness, and she changes her choice of songs depending. Treehouse Tunes aims to counter this. It was among

TEAMWORK It’s difficult to mimic that relaxed and friendly atmosphere of an open mic, like at Tall Trees (above)

38 APR I L 2022 CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

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