CityLife

Underachievers try the open mic approach

By Natalie Bradbury

1 / 1 imagesUNDERACHIEVERS: Must try harder

GROWING from humble beginnings into a popular, twice monthly club night, Underachievers Please Try Harder has also gained a reputation as being the place to go to find out about Manchester’s newest bands and artists.

On the second Saturday of every month, the Underachievers DJs are joined by live bands as part of what organizer Dave Bassinder calls an ‘open forum’ and “the natural development of our all inclusive ethos”.

The Nightjars, PLANK! and audio-visual artist Cygnus will appear at the club’s next event, following in a tradition that has also welcomed stand-up poetry and short films. 

Saki Bar, on the edge of Rusholme, offers the perfect venue, with two floors to choose from - the Underachievers disco is held upstairs as usual, with bands downstairs, and clubbers are free to pass between the floors as they please.

Underachievers Please Try Harder still takes place on the last Friday of every month as just a club night, with Panda Panda DJs taking over the downstairs area and turning the night into two discos for the price of one.

Non-mainstream alternative

Set up to prove that non-mainstream alternative music does not have to be elitist or pretentious, which Dave notes is a common misconception, Underachievers Please Try Harder celebrated its first birthday last month with bands and DJs.

Dave feels local Manchester bands and artists have long been neglected by Manchester club-nights, which he denounces as being 'more style than substance'.

“We are aiming to target the creative people of Manchester. We want volunteers who just want to have an audience for their work”, Dave explains.

“The open forum idea falls somewhere between an open mic and an organized gig.  It’s not completely open as we construct volunteers of a similar ilk to form a suitable line-up in advance. 

However, it shares its origins with open mic nights as the principle aim is to just give everybody an audience.”

Dave continues: “Everything is planned meticulously to work within a club-night format.  All acts are downstairs, with the club-night as normal upstairs, and heavier acts are always placed later in the bill to drown out the sounds of those wishing for a more raucous Saturday night.”

This isn’t a night where everybody takes themselves too seriously, though. 

3D dog stickers

Underachievers has a refreshingly light-hearted attitude, starting with free gifts on the door, which range from 3D dog stickers to cardboard masks.  Dave acknowledges these add a “quirky and distinctly daft” aspect to the night.

You’re also likely to find rare alternative gems on free mix CDs.  Dave says: “Your love of alternative music demands to be shared”.

Requests are treated as a 'challenge', and this is one night where AC/DC is played next to Belle and Sebastian, and Dexys Midnight Runners could be followed by Animal Collective.

“The type of night you want is completely up to you - club, gig or both,” says Dave. “As you can tell, it’s anything but your average club-night.”

The Underachievers Please Try Harder open forum and club-night takes place at Saki Bar on Saturday, May 9. If you’d like to volunteer to appear, click the club’s MySpace link on the right. Underachievers photo: Martin Wilson

Published: Wed, 06 May, 2009

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Nina Gordan wrote:

Looking forward to Saturday! Love these guys, always have a great night.