Check, check, Mic Testing

8220;I8217;ve always wanted to perform but there aren8217;t many venues for rappers in Delhi that let you interact with a live audience,8221; says Abood, 21, a part of Delhi8217;s underground hip-hop movement. He and his brotherhood no longer need to stay underground anymore, Open Mic nights are slowly changing the face of live performances in the Capital and you don8217;t need a famous last name to be appreciated.

The idea first struck Penelope Spencer, head of events at Retro Sushi, in September. 8220;Retro Sushi was just launching and we wanted to do out-of-the-box events of international standards,8221; she says. Open Mic nights in the West usually include musicians and singers who perform their original scores but Spencer wanted to broaden the roster for performers here.

The nights are a rage among Delhi8217;s hip and talented youth. 8220;We don8217;t have to organise a gig to be seen,8221; says a budding guitarist.

Spencer is flooded with registrations from singers, rappers, comedians, poets and percussionists. 8220;Most of the performances are original and the rawest form of this comes through spontaneous jams and random collaborations that happen during the evening. Sometimes, people recite poems written by their favourite poet,8221; says Spencer, a professional singer-songwriter who occasionally joins in with her own songs.

Audience plays a significant role here. One dancer found , to her dismay, that just a pretty costume cannot curry favour with a crowd that wants to see a good show. She was booed off stage. 8220;The best part about the event is the immediate response from the crowd. If you8217;re good or bad or plain pathetic, you find out quickly,8221; says Abood. He8217;s survived several nights already, so there8217;s still hope.