The Whiskey Jar Open Mic Night is a weekly event held at The Whiskey Jar pub in Manchester, UK. The critically acclaimed event takes place every Tuesday and Wednesday from 7pm-8pm to 11pm.
The open mic night is open to everyone, regardless of ability or experience. All you need is a song or a poem to share. The event is a great opportunity to showcase your talents, meet other musicians, and get feedback on your work.
The Whiskey Jar Open Mic Night is known for its friendly and supportive atmosphere. The hosts are always happy to help you out if you need it, and the audience is always willing to listen and give feedback.
The Whiskey Jar Open Mic Night welcomes audiences all the time
The hosts and the venue (The Whiskey Jar) clearly know how to look after their public because the place is always packed and still ready to welcome more people, new and old. The venue is regularly pen but for an inspiring new sound, the place is brimming with open ears on Tuesdays and Wesnesdays. The Whiskey Jar Open Mic Night is a great way to experience the Manchester music scene and to support local musicians. It is also a great opportunity to meet new people and to make friends.
The Whiskey Jar Open Mic Night welcomes artists all the time
Want to perform at the Whiskey Jar Open Mic Night?
If you are interested in performing at The Whiskey Jar Open Mic Night, simply sign up at the door when you arrive. The hosts will give you a slot and you will be called up to perform when your turn comes around.
The Whiskey Jar Open Mic Night is arguably the best and most renowed UK open mic and one of the longest running ones too. This a great way to experience a supportive audience who truly cares for music and is there to listen to music and musicians. It is also a great opportunity to network with other musicians and sometimes even find the rest of your band!
Some tips for performing at The Whiskey Jar Open Mic Night
Be prepared. Practice your song or poem beforehand so that you are comfortable performing it.
Be confident. Remember that everyone is there to support you.
Have fun! The open mic night is a great opportunity to express yourself and to share your music with others.
Eddy Mann is a smile for the soul. He’s a combination of cultural and spiritual traditions living in an ever evolving neighborhood. He’s ever comfortable in his hometown Philly roots that speak of peace, and brotherly love. An award winning and prolific singer-songwriter, he’s moved gracefully through a catalog of twenty diverse albums.
Being brought up in a faithful home that featured his father, a be-bop pianist, and his mother a culture sharing creative, his influences are far and wide musically, philosophically, and spiritually. It’s that broad pallet from which to draw on that has inspired his differing shades of music which can be heard on his latest release, Chapel Songs.
The Sound of Eddy Mann
1 In Music: What is unique about you and your music?
I don’t believe that I’m any more unique than any other artist who is honest in their work. As each of us has unique qualities, our creative offerings are also unique if we’re willing to bare a bit of ourselves in the process. In that respect I may be uniquely honest to a fault.
1 In Music: What or who shaped your music and who supports you?
I had a creatively musical upbringing in that my father was seated at the piano frequently, and my mother was always sharing a bit of her culture by singing songs passed down to her.
These days I’m blessed to be married to a creative who totally understands my need to write and capture the life that I live. We share a very inspiring life together.
1 In Music: When did you realize you were going to make music professionally?
While attending college I took a semester off to wash the color of music out of my system, and as I sit here today I’m blessed to say that it’s still there and as vibrant as ever.
What inspires Eddy Mann?
blessed to be married
1 In Music: What type of music do you listen to?
I listen to everything. Whatever might be playing in the forefront or background. I count myself fortunate to be able to find something inspiring in most musical situations.
1 In Music: Who, to you, is the most undervalued music artist?
Wow! Now that’s an interestingly worded question? Undervalued… from the song’s standpoint it might well be the songwriter who generally in today’s climate doesn’t always seem to receive much notice.
Inspiration from Eddy Mann
From the song’s standpoint, it [the most undervalued music artist] might well be the songwriter, who generally in today’s climate, doesn’t always seem to receive much notice.
1 In Music: How do you prepare for your performances?
Well since I’m generally at some kind of spiritual event I have a check list of questions that I run through that help me bring the right mindset to the platform. I might also add that I’m a practice person by nature. I write, play and record on a daily basis so that certainly plays a part in being prepared.
1 In Music: What do you do when you don’t do music (creative or otherwise) and that you are passionate about?
I love photography (including digital art) and any sort of writing. I tend to just flow wherever the creative wind blows. I’m also and avid sports fans. It’s my great getaway.
1 In Music: Success to you is…?
Success for me is being at my best. At the end of each day, knowing that I gave my best throughout the highs and lows, that’s what allows me to sleep well at night.
1 In Music: What do you wish you were told when you started out and that you think would help anyone who starts out?
My advice to anyone looking to be creative is to be yourself. Don’t be an imitation of someone who has gone before you, or who inspired you. Understand your influences and honestly be yourself.
What next for Eddy Mann?
1 In Music: Any upcoming projects?
Those that know me well, know that there’s always upcoming projects as I’m admittedly someone who loves to work. I’m easily inspired , so that lends itself to be working on something all the time.
1 In Music: Thank you, sir! Where can we find your music?
You can find my catalog pretty much everywhere music is sold and streamed. My website also provides some unplugged and unreleased material from time to time.
I look to Glorifying God, Providing for my Family, and Changing Lives, if only one, for the better.
Born in November of 1968 in Dallas TX, Jim grew up poor. His Stepdad was a barber, but made a side living as a Steel Guitar player for a western swing band. Jim learned a lot from them by sitting in at practices, and then performing with them as a youngster. He is a Christian, a Family Man, and a Patriot. Jim is a United States Marine Corps (U.S.M.C.) veteran. He traveled with a Gospel band. Jim has a beautiful wife (Alicia), and between them they have 6 grown children, and a Coon Hound (Rosie). He has a great love for God, Family, Country and Music. (in that order).
The sound of Jim Huddleston
1 In Music: What is unique about you and your music?
Jim Huddleston [JH]: Everything I write stems from my unfiltered and slightly biased perspective. I say what I think most people would like to say, are afraid to say, or would be embarrassed to say.
1 In Music: What or who shaped your music and who supports you?
JH: Everything I see, hear, or interact with influences my music. It’s a crazy world, and Crazy stuff happens. So I write it down and sing about it.
My Family, Friends, and, I hope, God are proud of me and support me.
1 In Music: When did you realize you were going to make music professionally?
JH: The Day I strummed my first Chord at that Barber Shop.
1 In Music: “The day I strummed my first chord at that barber shop”: That sounds like a song title 😉
What inspires Jim Huddleston
1 In Music: What type of music do you listen to?
Jim Huddleston [JH]: I get up early, and lately, I’ve been listening to The MTS family of singers. So much talent there, and the genres are quite diverse. So I listen to everything music.
1 In Music: Who, to you, is the most undervalued music artist?
JH: An old Balladeer Named Marty Robbins. Fantastic at telling a story with his voice. Yeah, I think a lot of people missed out on a beautiful voice in Country Music.
1 In Music: How do you prepare for your performances?
JH: I probably sound naïve when I say I really don’t know what that means. I’m a guy that sings and plays guitar. I just walk out there and try to make some new friends and entertain them.
A little inspiration from Jim Huddleston
1In Music: What do you do when you don’t do music (creative or otherwise) and that you are passionate about?
Jim Huddleston [JH]: I go to church, I spend time with my family (super important), and I’m a big Football fan.
1 In Music: Success to you is…?
JH:
I look to Glorifying God, Providing for my family, and changing Lives, if only one, for the better.
1 In Music: What do you wish you were told when you started out and that you think would help anyone who starts out?
Jim Huddleston [JH]:
[I wish I were told,] To be patient for one, and, Oh, that not everyone is going to like what I play.
What is next for Jim Huddleston?
1 In Music: Any upcoming projects?
Jim Huddleston [JH]: I’ve got a single coming out very soon. On or about October 6th, and working towards an EP or an album.
1 In Music: Thank you Jim Huddleston! Where do we find your music?
Andrea Pizzo and The Purple Mice are a rather heterogeneous collective of artists. The family-based nucleus consists of Andrea Pizzo (voice, music, lyrics, video), Raffaella Turbino (lyrics, images, video), and little Maria Elena, who contributes to the various phases and helps out. The pillars of the group are Riccardo Morello (on vocals, piano, and composition) and the great Roberto Tiranti, who is the band’s producer, takes care of the musical arrangements, plays all the instruments, and sometimes even sings. In the wake of the release of their EP Bombshell, 1 In Music secured an exclusive interview to find out more about a band whose musical subjects seem to act as a bridge between art and science.
Discovering the sound of Andrea Pizzo and The Purple Mice
1 In Music: What is unique about you and your music?
Andrea Pizzo and The Purple Mice [APPM]: Andrea Pizzo and The Purple Mice have had a unique approach to their music. We focus on themes related to science and celebrate often overlooked figures who have made significant contributions to society.
1 In Music: Does your new EP Bombshell follow this unique approach and tradition? Tell us more about Bombshell…
APPM: Absolutely. In “Bombshell,” we definitely continue down this intriguing path. The EP consists of two tracks: “Bombshell” and as the B side, you can listen to the song “The Ballad of Alan Mathison.” The concept behind the releases of Andrea Pizzo’s band, as always, is science, technology and everything related to these. The lyrics of both songs are written by Raffaella Turbino and Andrea Pizzo, while the music is composed by Andrea Pizzo, Riccardo Morello and Roberto Tiranti.
Andrea Pizzo and The Purple Mice new EP/double single Bombshell is available on all digital platforms from the 19th of July 2023. The songs are a follow-up to the success of the albumPotatoes on Mars released last January and the previous single Adafeaturing Silvia Criscenzo.
1 In Music: What of the album that the song Bomshell comes from, Transhumanity?
APPM: Yes, our current album, Transhumanity, is dedicated to the great scientists and inventors who have marked our era, leading human beings to evolve from sapiens to digitalis. There are 11 songs on this album, as there were in Potatoes on Mars.
Where did it all begin for Andrea Pizzo and The Purple Mice?
1 In Music: What or who shaped your music and who supports you?
Andrea Pizzo [AP]: Andrea Pizzo and The Purple Mice is born from a vision that Raffaella and I had. The band was formed in 2019, starting with the first project: a concept album about the path of humanity in the cosmos, eventuallly released on January 19, 2022: that album is Potatoes on Mars, an LP that presents 11 songs of different genres that you can listen to on Spotify. You can also watch and hear the songs on Youtube, accompanied by splendid images illustrating the videos, as curated by Raffaella and our daughter Maria Elena.
1 In Music: When did you realise you were going to make music professionally?
AP: Roberto and Riccardo are definitely great and well-known music professionals in the industry. Raffaella and I have a lot of fun creating music and lyric. We don’t consider ourselves true professionals, even if our work is and has been greatly appreciated.
Some of the sounds that inspire Andrea Pizzo and The Purple Mice
1 In Music: Who, to you, is the most undervalued music artist?
APPM: There are some great artists who have unfortunately been somewhat forgotten over time. I would like to especially mention Jeff Buckley.
1 In Music: Where and when can we get to see you perform?
For the time being, we have not scheduled any live performances, but we will do so in the future. However, I have been perfecting my voice for years with my vocal coach.
1 In Music: What do you do when you don’t do music (creative or otherwise) and that you are passionate about?
APPM: Riccardo and Roberto are professionals in the music industry. Raffaella is a teacher, and in her free time she draws and writes. I am a software engineer, and in my free time, I compose music, sing and enjoy exploring the possibilities of artificial intelligence.
1 In Music: Success to you is…?
APPM:
[Success to us is] Doing what we love, making ourselves known and appreciated by the largest audience possible.
1 In Music: What do you wish you were told when you started out and that you think would help anyone who starts out?
APPM:
Be yourself, do what you love, do your best to be remembered.
Potatoes on Mars yesterday, Bombshell EP today… What is next for Andrea Pizzo and The Purple Mice?
1 In Music: Any upcoming projects?
APPM: First, we intend to complete the promotion and periodically release double singles with songs from our current album, Transhumanity. Of the 11 songs in this album, there are still 7 to go, which we plan to release in 2024.
We are also already working on new works. These include our next project which relates the stories of some ordinary people who we consider to be the symbols of fundamental aspects of life and who, as a consequence of their extraordinary nature, become universal emblems of the human condition.
1 In Music: Wow, keeping up with the Andrea Pizzo and The Purple Mice tradition, I see! Best of luck with all your projects! Thank you so much for e-meeting us and answering our questions. Where can we find your music?
You can find us on any musical platform, especially on:
The Ballad of Allan Mathison is a song by Andrea Pizzo and The Purple Mice and that refers to English mathematician, computer scientist, logician, cryptanalyst, philosopher and theoretical biologist Alan Mathison Turing OBE FRS, whose bio you can find out more about on his Wikipedia page.
In a world awash with musical conformity, Eleyet McConnell emerges as a refreshing, genre-defying force, breathing new life into the music scene. Comprising two distinct talents and creative minds, their music is a fusion of raw emotion, introspection, and unapologetic originality. This dynamic duo, hailing from Central Ohio, is rewriting the rules of music expression, crafting a sound that defies easy categorization. Their song-writing prowess is compelling, with words that resonate deep within the hearts of their audience. Their lyrics are a reflection of personal experiences, universal truths, and the shared human condition, delivered with a vulnerability and honesty that is both rare and refreshing.
1 In Music meets Chris and Angie from Eleyet McConnell for an exclusive tête-à-tête.
The sound of Eleyet McConnell
The most successful thing to us is living a full life where we can say we did all the things we wanted to do. No regrets. Music is an enormous part of that
1 In Music: What is unique about you and your music?
Eleyet McConnell:We write music that is very relatable to anyone. The beauty of music is that people can relate to songs in different ways depending on their circumstances at any one time. The same song might resonate with different people in different ways. That’s a beautiful thing. Our songs are about personal experiences, and truths, even when the truth isn’t easy to face. You know, while we have things that are different from one another and yes, we are all unique individuals….we are really a lot alike. We are all in this life together just trying to find our way, and everybody puts their pants on one leg at a time. Our music highlights that. It finds what we all share and hopefully creates that place where we can all celebrate what we have in common and just relish in the moment. It’s an escape from all the forces in the world that try to divide us.
1 In Music: What or who shaped your music?
Eleyet McConnell:Oh wow…well, there are a lot of influences that we can say contributed to what we sound like today. It’s hard to describe what or who specifically because the list starts to look overwhelming. We both do this a lot….we will hear a song and say, “I was at Billy’s house when we did this and that” , or “OMG this song played all the time at the pool when I was a kid”. Like who can’t remember what song they listened to 1000 times after they got dumped the first time (chuckle)? Which type of music do you pull up on your play list when you are really honked off, got your feelings hurt, or when you want to do go lay it all out in the gym? In our mind, all that shapes a person. You could say we are just a giant culmination of life in the 70s and 80s.
1 In Music: Who supports you?
Eleyet McConnell:As far as support, we have an incredible family that encourages us to keep doing what we love. We come from a smaller town (not a 1 stop light town although both of us grew up that way) and we all know each other. Our friends are just as excited about us doing this as we are doing it. It’s terrific.
Beyond all that though, we are each other’s rock. There isn’t anything we won’t talk about and there isn’t anything we wouldn’t do for each other. Not saying discussions aren’t tense sometimes. They are because the most important things in life aren’t easy. We’ve made the commitment to ourselves and each other that we take all steps needed to keep negative people at a distance. Life is too short and if you don’t try…well the end result is fairly certain, isn’t’ it?
1 In Music: When did you realize you were going to make music professionally?
Chris:
I’ve worked at professional music in one form or another for a very long time. I was with a group back in the late 80s that toured the mid-West and almost had a record deal. As bummed as I was that it didn’t work out I look back now and know the timing wasn’t right. Too many people doing drugs, dying, losing everything. I did have a bit of a dark period where I swore I’d never play again but things just aligned and there I was getting back into it. Through all of that I eventually met Angie. It took her a while. I mean I would get aggravated at her (chuckle) because I’d throw riffs at her hoping she’d pick up on it. That took forever! But one day, for whatever reason, she heard it. No looking back after. We’ve been pursuing it ever since.
Angie:
There was a time I was all ready to move to Nashville and give it a go. That was the mid-90s but I chose to just go the get-a-job route and start a family. I buried the dream to be honest. It wasn’t until 2010, I think, that I decided to get back into a band. I met Chris in 2013 and he’s right…I was thick in the head for the longest time. I can’t really say why I heard him finally (chuckle). Maybe the universe just decided to smack me in the head because I wasn’t taking the hint that this is what I should’ve always been doing. We started being deliberate about things in 2016 or 2017. We kept writing and playing but things didn’t go anywhere. The pandemic came and went and we just decided, “we are doing this!”. We met a guy through a friend who owned a studio. That was it. We have gotten more traction this time than ever before and met the most wonderful people. It’s a lot of work but it’s all kinds of fun too.
What inspires duo husband and wife Eleyet McConnell?
1 In Music: What type of music do you listen to?
Chris: Depends on the mood. We are all over the place at times. Our playlists might look a bit like a confused mind. Angie will go for full on Metal when she’s doing a difficult Peloton workout but then groove to Steely Dan radio tooling around the house. I’ll do the same thing. I love finding Indie artists and go jam in the skoolie Angie and I are renovating. We both love Porcupine Tree while working in the yard.
1 In Music: Who, to you, is the most undervalued music artist?
Chris: John Paul Jones. Anyone of those guys in Led Zeppelin could’ve stood on their own but together, they were this incredible machine. I always felt he got overlooked back in the day and many people never knew (some still don’t I guess) just how many instruments he plays, that he writes scores of music, he’s a producer. He’s fierce!
Angie: The first person that always comes to my mind is Alex Lifeson from Rush. Now I don’t get the sense his band undervalued him at all, but everyone honed in on Geddy Lee and Neil Peart so much (rightfully so by the way) that Alex didn’t always get the credit that he deserved for being an incredible musician. I also like to recognize some gospel singers. There are folks out there that don’t give those singers the same recognition that they do the rest of the world. Straight up…some of those people can belt it for real! Take Guy Penrod, for example. Holy smokes that guy’s voice is amazing!
Getting some inspiration from Eleyet McConnell
if you are an artist writing original music… do your homework. Keep your circle of trust a bit small and get good advice from a lawyer
1 In Music: How do you prepare for your performances?
Eleyet McConnell [EMC]: We practice all the time unless we are playing a lot of shows right in a row. No living room in our house… we have a band room. That makes rehearsing super easy because it’s always set up. We do like to strategize in some ways too. Playing as a duo requires some thought as far as the venue, and the mood of the audience. On that vein, we will jump around the set list too if we get a vibe from the folks in the crowd and think they’d respond to another song than we planned. We might rearrange ourselves on stage or things like that but we just do what we need to do to connect with the audience. All in all we try to stay very fluid.
1 In Music: What do you do when you don’t do music (creative or otherwise) and that you are passionate about?
Eleyet McConnell[EMC]:We love to do things in the yard.
Chris:Angie loves cooking and canning.
Angie:Chris is renovating a 4-window school bus.
EMC:Outdoor stuff is always a yes! It’s so much fun to get the Kayaks out and float down the Mad River. We love spending time with our friends, our animals, and our family. And we really do enjoy getting out to watch other musicians perform. It’s fun to support each other.
1 In Music: Success to you is…?
Eleyet McConnell: At the end of the day the most successful thing to us is living a full life where we can say we did all the things we wanted to do. No regrets. Music is an enormous part of that and whether we are playing for 10 people or thousands (because that would be very cool), we mostly want to know that we connected with someone through our songs. Maybe that helped them deal with something difficult. Maybe it brought them joy. Maybe it helped them rebuild bridges that were broken. That is the best compliment a songwriter could receive. If all this brings a lot more, then YAY US and we will take that too! We both have dreamed of doing this since we were young. We are extremely proud of what we have accomplished so far and have no plans to stop going forward.
1 In Music: What do you wish you were told when you started out and that you think would help anyone who starts out?
Eleyet McConnell: Seriously…..if you are an artist writing original music and embarking on this journey. Do your homework. Keep your circle of trust a bit small and get good advice from a lawyer about all the copyright mumbo-jumbo and the facets that go with the music business. Talk about a tangled web. WOW! Plan on spending more money than you planned. Recording is the fun part. The easy part. The behind-the-scenes pieces of putting out an album and protecting your work is time-consuming, sometimes confusing, and sometimes tedious and not-so-fun. But it’s necessary and will pay off later.
What is next for…
1 In Music: Any upcoming projects?
Angie:Chris is ready to jump back into the studio tomorrow.
Chris:Angie wants to spend a little time promoting this album (CRAZY WORLD) but there is enough material sitting in the queue right now to do a few albums.
1 In Music: Where can we find your music?
Eleyet McConnell: We will have an online store up and running very soon and when it’s ready, you can get to it from our website and social media pages. Once launched, you can get CDs and vinyl and other merchandise there as well as our live shows. All of our music will be on all the streaming platforms as well. In fact, our first single will release on October 6th! Pre-Sav is live now!! We know you’ll love it! The plan for the full album release is early fall 2023 so stay tuned! It’s called CRAZY WORLD. We are super proud of it and there is something there for all listeners!
