After the amazing performances we saw last week, the bar was certainly set as high as it could be for this week (Tuesday the 31st of January). But, as expected, the open mic night at the Whiskey Jar has exceeded expectations once again. Further cementing it’s roll as the best open mic night in Manchester. If you don’t already know, this night is held twice weekly (Tuesday & Wednesday) at the Whiskey Jar in Manchester, hosted by the legend Joe Bagpipes, check out his social media @joebagpipes on Instagram.
Sir Blimey was the first act that performed last Tuesday, he was an artist that really stood out, he has great guitar skills, a voice that has great range. In his last song he showed he has comedic ability to go along with it. Not only does he play the guitar but he plays bass, piano and beatboxes so he is a multifaceted artist. Sir Blimey’s used to be a producer for years and then he had a break due to burnout but he’s back now and better than ever. In his last song called ‘1 2 3 delete’ he showed the crowd how to deal with “trolls”. To go along with his comedic music Sir Blimey has many genuine heartfelt songs, as he is a true artist with a great range outside of that comedic realm. Oh and I forgot to also mention that he’s blind! Making all of his ability even more impressive. If you want to see more of Sir Blimey you can find him on Instagram at @sirblimey!
Fraser Cattini a Essex artist who is currently living in Liverpool. Another one of the amazing artists who performed last Tuesday, Fraser has a great voice, that resonates with emotionally toned music. Fraser has a single that is coming out on the 10th of March, which will be his first official single and he’s performing a launch gig to go along with it over in Liverpool. That’s where you’re most likely to find Fraser performing at the Monet, but not only Fraser, as he has a band called “Hotel Iago” so make sure to be on the look out in Liverpool. You can find him on Instagram at @Frasercattini!
Old Sun New Moon are a group that played down at the Whiskey Jar last Tuesday. The duo is made up of Tom and Ethan. Tom has played at the Whiskey Jar for years as a solo performer and Ethan has also played at the bar since the start. They just played at Crème of the Crop this Saturday and I’m sure will have more bookings planned soon! The back and forth between them was great to see, bouncing off each other perfectly. Tom leads the vocals with the American native Ethan laying down incredible strings. Ethan really knows how to set the atmosphere with his guitar playing, which is unlike anything we've seen before. As the strings acted more as background enhancement for Tom’s vocals and guitar playing. So it combines for an impressive collaboration. They will have some music coming out soon so make sure to follow their Instagram @oldsun_newmoon!
Daniel Cere was an act that really caught my ear as he performed, he has a very unique sound and it’s enthralling. He crosses singing over with fast paced technical lyric sections, combining for a top tier song. The flow sticks in your mind on the first track he played called ‘Hammered’, taking time to slow the pace and speed it up without feeling rushed or too slow regardless of what vocal style he engaged. The track has a potent message behind it about the dumb things people can do when they’ve had too much to drink, a sentiment many can relate to. A feeling of being “wrecked and helpless” and resorting to drink which furthers the problem in some instances. You can feel the passion in Daniel’s voice which perfectly engaged everyone who watched, a really amazing showing from him. You can find Daniel as @longdraughtdan on Instagram and keep up to date with him!
Maddie Atkinson was another one of the excellent performers to attend the amazing Whiskey Jar open mic night. Maddie is definitely no stranger to the Whiskey Jar stage, she has performed 4 times previously and has plans to play there more often in the future, so make sure you’re keeping up to date with the line-ups on for Tuesday & Wednesday! Maddie’s vocal talent is so well refined. In a packed out room, the only voice anyone heard was Maddie’s, really putting on a show for the audience and making the most of the time she had up on stage. To find more of Maddie and her music then you can find her @madeleineeea on Instagram where she showcases her skills even more.
Adelaide Taylor was a joy to watch perform, she warmed the crowd up with her first song called ‘God Help Me’. In the track she talks about her addictions relating smoking and drinking with overthinking. Even though the content is very true to self and personal she sang with power and strength, as though they are a part of her. Adelaide has just recently released a single in the last few days, another great song that is about not being able to make a relationship work due to her being in a “Bad Place” and them just being on different sides of the scale at that time. Adelaide gave us a early preview of ‘Bad Place’ and she may need to release an acoustic version because it was so good! You can see more of her and keep up to date at @adelaidetaylormusic on Instagram.
Adelaide's fantastic performance continues with her playing piano for our next artist, Luson. Who first and foremost has one of the best voices I’ve ever heard live! Luson’s vocal range is out of this world being able to hit the highest octaves whilst also being able to put bass into the lower notes, which is incredible to watch. He showed off his range in the three songs he performed for us, ‘My All’, ‘Say My Name’ and ‘Ain’t no way’. ‘Say My Name’ being an original that Luson hasn’t released but gave us a brilliant preview Whiskey Jar. His debut single that should be coming out towards the end of March called ‘Lead Me On’ which he may be making a music video for (One to keep an eye out for) Luson has a gig that he is performing at on February the 11th in Ramsbottom so keep up to date with his socials @_luson!
Thank you for reading the latest entry into our new open mic series. We apologise for the late release of this blog, we'll be sure to get it out on time next week! Big thank you to everyone involved at the Whiskey Jar and the talented aritsts who took the time to speak to us, we're looking forward to coming back already!
Written by Sam Wright.