Art of the Open Mic

Alec Martin has been credited by some music historians as being the musician who practically 'invented' the now flourishing Open Mic scene in the UK today... certainly on his home patch of north west England.

A one time folk singer and folk club organiser, Alec became disgruntled with the folk music scene in the mid 1970's, and began his own folk club in his home town of Bolton. Named 'Cloggies', partly after the Bill Tidy column in Private Eye magazine, which lampooned the traditional folk music culture of the time.

Cloggies threw down the gauntlet to other clubs in the area, by adopting an 'anything goes' policy. Poetry, slapstick comedy, magicians, musicians of all genres were all welcome.

Ten years or so later, he came up with the idea of the 'Buskers Ball', building on the foundation of his earlier Cloggies club, and from there it is possible to trace the root ideas of practically every other open mic.
This book charts the rise of the Buskers Ball (which at one time was actually listed in the Encyclopedia Brittanica as 'a generic term for a meeting of acoustic musicians'.

However. it also includes a brief on starting your own own mic. Tips on equipment, advertising etc.
As Alec says, way to do it is not 'set in stone' but as someone who has probably been involved longer than anyone else in the country "I think I've got the hang of it by now".
The book is lavishly illustrated with photos of many of the musicians that have graced a Buskers Ball Open Mic and is an essential read for anyone that has been involved in the open mic scene, or at some time in the future.

Alec currently runs three open mics, and is the presenter of 'Anybody Got a Capo?' an internet radio show broadcast on several stations worldwide, dealing exclusively with the open mic scene, and featuring recorded music from his own private collection of Buskers Ball events, and music submitted by listeners. All mostly 'live' at an open mic.