OPEN MIC GUIDELINES

1. Sign up. Sign up for you or your band. Do not sign up your friend who should be, could be, or might be coming out later. If you sign up for a late slot, and then leave and come back, that is fine. Don’t call the bar, or call the host to ask to get put on the list. Many good open mics have lists that fill up within a half hour of the list being started. It is not fair for someone who has come out early to have to play after someone who is not even there. If someone crosses their name off and decides not to play, you may NOT take their slot. All slots just move up. Also, if you come in with three friends, it’s not cool to sign up one after another, and play together for 40 minutes. For the benefit of the rest of the performers, break up your sets.
2. Bring your own Axe, Bass, Sticks, etc. Most times, amps, PA, and drums are provided, but find out first. Don’t expect everyone to just lend you their guitar. If you are attached to your favorite snare drum, bring it. Don’t expect top of the line equipment at an open mic. If you like the sound of your amp, bring it! Many times, all the equipment is owned and hauled in and out by the host. Please be respectful when using other peoples stuff. You may bash your junk all you want, but the pay to run an open mic will not pay for constantly fixing broken stuff. Spend a few minutes making sure you have all you need, strap, picks, wires, etc.
3. Tune up! Why is it, that after sitting and waiting to play for 2 hours, many performers will go up to play with a completely untuned instrument. NOBODY WANTS TO HEAR YOU TUNE. If you don’t have a tuner, ask someone. Drummers, you aren’t setting up the kit to play a concert in a stadium. Ask the host if you can fool with the house kit. Adjust the seat, figure out where things are, and get comfortable. You are playing 3 songs on someone else’s drums!, it should not take 20 minutes to re-adjust the height and angle of the mounted tom-tom to your exacting specifications. If you’re a lefty, all bets are off.
4. Have some idea what you are going to do. If you know beforehand who you are going to play with, go over with them, songs you might do together. Don’t wait till you all have instruments in your hands to start asking each other, do you know this?, or what about that? This is not fair to other musicians who are patiently waiting to play. If you don’t know the song, say so. Why drag other musicians into a huge train wreck because you had no idea how to play it. Ask beforehand and find songs that everyone is comfortable with.
5. Don’t start songs that you are not going to play. It’s really great that you know the beginning to 95 songs, but nobody is impressed that you know the intro to some obscure Dream Theatre song that no one else knows how to play. This goes for everyone. Once your instrument is adjusted, stop playing! It sounds like hell when there are 5 guys all noodling and wasting time. If you are not the singer, find out if the person that is singing knows the lyrics, or has them written for the song you want to play. Singers, if you don’t know the lyrics, bring them with you. Even though you think it sounds cute, making up the lyrics as you go will sound like crap. If you need to go over chord changes for something you’re going to try out, no problem, go over the changes, and then PLAY THE SONG. Endless noodling is very annoying to the spectators.
6. NO FALSE STARTS. This is not a studio recording, once its going, let it roll down the tracks heading for the washed out bridge. There are no take 2’s, do-over's, mulligan's, etc. The mark of a professional, is to somehow make it through.

 Be a good audience member. If you want other people in the room to not be distracting you, don’t distract them with loud talking, laughing, etc. If you are a seasoned open mic pro, remember that at some point, we all were beginners and somebody gave us a chance and support to develop our chops. There is no reason for putting down others because they don't meet up to our/your standards!! 

Have fun. Open mics are a great way to try out new material in front of an audience, and a great way to meet and jam with other musicians. You should leave your attitudes and egos at home and come out to make music and have a great time.