The Stranger Who Clapped the Loudest: On Finding Your People at an Open MicWhy India's Young Creatives Are Done Waiting for Permission to Perform

I was never meant to be a performer that night.

I was just there to be an observer, to see firsthand how an open mic event would be like.

But there was this one person who made a very interesting move.

This guy, who never really got on stage, didn't know anyone in that room, and was completely a stranger to everyone present.

He started clapping, not just softly, but loud and strong.

And while I sat there, I couldn't help wondering how was he not aware of the performer?

It took me some time to realize. But I did.

The Old Way  

Gatekeepers, Institutions and the Long Wait

Throughout the years of my life, the message about being on stage has never been clear.

Never explicitly stated, but one gets the message.

Every time I mention performing, the pause comes first, and then comes the hesitant smile, followed by a question.

The question – "and what if things don't go well?"

There have always been gatekeepers to creative expression in India.

"Kadavul illai nu solluveenga... aanaa manidhan irukkaan. Adhudhaan Sivam."

— Anbe Sivam (2003)

The stage was never handed to us. That didn't matter much anymore.

Something Shifted

The Rise of the Small Stage

Open mic sessions became common among small places in Bengaluru. The production side didn't see any significant transformation too. All you needed was just a microphone, some chairs, and a sheet of paper for signing your name.

It wasn't a traditional or a ritualistic method. Just sign up and perform your five-minute stint.

No qualification was required. Being a favorite was not a prerequisite either.

All that they desired was whether you had anything to say. It seems like you indeed had a lot to say.

The Audience That Showed Up

But not only the artists, but also the crowd brought about the transformation.

The youngsters that came to Bengaluru but were new to the place. The artists looking for a space that they could call their own. The commoners that simply came along to enjoy themselves.

All of them together. That is exactly what Soiree House stands for. And the energy present within it is an energy that can only be felt.

Soiree House is one of the rooms where this is happening. Come see it for yourself.

What "Just Show Up" Actually Means for a Generation

They mention it as if everything comes down to showing up and putting in an effort.

But don't they even take into account how much work it takes just to show up in a room full of strangers so they can listen to you?

It all comes down to showing up. Everything else comes later.

Why This Is Bigger Than Music or Poetry

It Is About Ownership of Expression

The moment you stand up at the mic in India and speak something that you created without asking for permission, you did more than just perform.

By doing so, you owned something, and by owning something like that, it will forever stay with you.

It Is About Community Over Clout

In here, you do not have to worry about numbers because the only thing that mattered is if your words moved anyone in the crowd.

This is how friendships are formed in Bengaluru. And the space itself is growing, as well as our sense of relationship to it.

Soiree House is now growing across cities. The room is getting bigger and so is the community inside it.

What Happens When Cities Make Room for This

Bengaluru is the city where one may sometimes feel very large but totally alone.

All we needed to learn from those late night mic nights is that this situation needn't have a complex fix.

It wasn't anything other than a room, it wasn't anything other than a mic, and forty people who had gathered there because they couldn't find names for their feelings before arriving there.

Final Thoughts 

The Stage Is Already There

There is only one particular scene from my personal experience of attending such events that will forever stay etched in my memory.

It was the loud applause of a stranger that mattered to the performer.

It meant something to him; you could see that in his sigh of relief as he continued to perform.

They remind you that you have a voice even when you aren't yet a star, not when the figures look good on paper, not when you are unknown beyond that space.

There was always a stage. It only needed people courageous enough to step up onto it.

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