Egg Café Open Mic Nights

The Egg Café, 16-18 Newington, L1
First Monday of every month

By Joseph Viney

Grass-roots art and culture in Liverpool is not strictly limited to Oasis covers on a Thursday night in Jacaranda or the proto-fun stylings of Concert Square, and also remains markedly more important than any new pedestrianised shopping district may purport to be.

Thus, it is no surprise that there are nights and events aimed at those with their sensors tuned finely to local art and culture.

The Egg Café on Newington Street in Liverpool’s city centre is one such venue that offers monthly get-togethers for those keen to express themselves through the medium of poetry and song.

Taking the form of an ‘Open-mic’ evening, participants are encouraged to present various pieces to an ever eager audience of contemporaries.

These nights were established nine years ago by Graham Holland, a man who is keen to help establish Liverpool’s home-grown talent by providing them with an outlet for their work.

“We’re happy with what we do,” he says, “we are the only place in the city that combines music and poetry and we’re happy to set that standard.”

Holland is not looking to create the ‘next big thing’, instead preferring to concentrate on giving a voice to those who lack the confidence to take the first step or can find no way to make their work public.

“Our only concern is giving people an outlet; an opportunity to people, particularly first time performers, to give them the confidence they need.”

Holland also uses different techniques in order to settle the participants and the audience.

“We decided that using microphones can create an air of nervous tension and that can be conveyed more through an amplifier. We prefer no microphones as it means no distractions and a much more laid back atmosphere.”

This laid-back atmosphere is punctuated by the presence of Stan, the event’s resident harp player, who provides ambient lullaby-like music before, during and after the event. Holland is keen to stress his importance to the structure of the events.

“Stan the Harper; I suppose you could say he’s a kind of mascot. He’s been with us for the full nine years now. On the rare occasions that he hasn’t been here, people come up and ask me where he is. We’re glad to have him and he represents the heart and soul of these events.”

The Egg Café’s open-mic poetry and music nights are on the first Monday of every month.

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Sorry Comments Closed

Comment left by Jesus on 14th August, 2007 at 13:12
Congrats on the first publishing! Excellent read.

Comment left by Nicki on 14th August, 2007 at 13:49
I wish I lived nearby. The writer's description of the place makes me wish I was there every night!

Comment left by Momma on 14th August, 2007 at 14:19
Brilliant descritive article

Comment left by Bones58 on 14th August, 2007 at 14:40
Well written and imformative article. Well done!

Comment left by Matt on 15th August, 2007 at 0:26
nice work mate x

Comment left by Dave on 16th August, 2007 at 0:34
Joe :rock

Comment left by Graham Holland on 27th July, 2008 at 20:39
Thanks for the article. Except it's an 'open floor' not an 'open mic' since there are no microphones! And I wish he wouldn't refer to me as 'Holland'. It's not a report on a football match, and it makes me sound like a naughty schoolboy in a private boarding school... By the way, if anyone wants more information about the Come Strut Your Stuff open FLOOR poetry and acoustic music event on the first Monday of every month at Liverpool's Egg Cafe then visit www.comestrutyourstuff.co.uk

Comment left by saul williams on 26th March, 2009 at 8:17
calling all poet's. keep your eyes open for BIG WORDS- STREET POETRY. we will hopefully be sampling our work, on monday 6th april at egg cafe. see you there

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