--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I spent two years playing open mic nights…" description: "\"I spent two years playing open mic nights in Brighton, and I heard more and more people saying, 'You should give it a go in London.'\" — James Bay" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/195/james-bay-17397_brighton_i-spent-two-years-playing-open-mic-night_596835.jpg" --- # I spent two years playing open mic nights in Brighton, and… ![“I spent two years playing open mic nights in Brighton, and I heard more and more people saying, 'You should give it a go in London.'” quote by James Bay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/195/james-bay-17397_brighton_i-spent-two-years-playing-open-mic-night_596835.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/195/james-bay-17397_brighton_i-spent-two-years-playing-open-mic-night_596835.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/195/james-bay-17397_brighton_i-spent-two-years-playing-open-mic-night_596835.jpg) > “I spent two years playing open mic nights in Brighton, and I heard more and more people saying, 'You should give it a go in London.'” [James Bay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bay/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Repeated encouragement from peers can motivate relocation to larger markets for broader opportunities. **In simple terms:** Friends urging you to try bigger stages. Key Takeaway Consider moving to larger venues. Themes ambition growth community Mood hopeful determined Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - tour planning - career change - networking - creative collaboration Key Concepts career development risk exposure Questions to Reflect On - What are the costs of expanding your audience? - How will you maintain authenticity? A Different Perspective Moving may strain personal life and finances. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brighton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brighton/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/london/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Nights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nights/) [Open mic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open-mic/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [I started out in 1989 doing open mic nights. The first 10 years, I was literally all about I'm going to be a star.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-breuer/i-started-out-in-1989-doing-open-mic-nights-the-first-10-years-i-was/) [Jim Breuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-breuer/) > [Before doing my first open mic, I was sitting in the back watching all these comedians banter back and forth and fire jokes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patton-oswalt/before-doing-my-first-open-mic-i-was-sitting-in-the-back-watching-all/) [Patton Oswalt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patton-oswalt/) > [When I performed at 'Open Mic U.K.' I had this connection with the audience that I'd never felt before, and I loved it. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/birdy/when-i-performed-at-open-mic-u-k-i-had-this-connection-with-the/) [Birdy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/birdy/) > [You get very comfortable doing the open mic circuit, turning up to the same places and playing to 20 people. In that situation, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pippa-evans/you-get-very-comfortable-doing-the-open-mic-circuit-turning-up-to-the/) [Pippa Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pippa-evans/) > [When I was in college, I would go out, and I would go to these open mic nights at Stitches and Nick's Comedy Stop,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-fitzsimmons/when-i-was-in-college-i-would-go-out-and-i-would-go-to-these-open-mic/) [Greg Fitzsimmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-fitzsimmons/) > [In general, I'm pretty shy and nervous about a lot of things. For me to get on stage for the first time took so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hilton/in-general-i-m-pretty-shy-and-nervous-about-a-lot-of-things-for-me-to/) [Tyler Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hilton/) > [At the age of 11 I did my first open mic show, and it was one of those lightning-bolt moments where I suddenly found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freya-ridings/at-the-age-of-11-i-did-my-first-open-mic-show-and-it-was-one-of-those/) [Freya Ridings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freya-ridings/) > [My priority doesn't lie with the whole website and Facebook and such; I'm still walking down the road in a pair of real shoes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-forbert/my-priority-doesn-t-lie-with-the-whole-website-and-facebook-and-such/) [Steve Forbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-forbert/) > [I go to more open mic nights than open mikers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-white/i-go-to-more-open-mic-nights-than-open-mikers/) [Ron White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-white/) > [Whatever you want to do in the industry, do it on the smallest level at first. If you want to be a writer, write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ike-barinholtz/whatever-you-want-to-do-in-the-industry-do-it-on-the-smallest-level/) [Ike Barinholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ike-barinholtz/) > [I approached my career like a rapper. I would go to every open mic, every studio session, bringing my beats. I would almost do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zaytoven/i-approached-my-career-like-a-rapper-i-would-go-to-every-open-mic/) [Zaytoven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zaytoven/) > [As a freshman in college, I was dating this guy who said he was a stand-up, all he really did was open mics. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-sennott/as-a-freshman-in-college-i-was-dating-this-guy-who-said-he-was-a/) [Rachel Sennott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-sennott/) > [I advise wannabe singers to form a band, practise in your garage if you have to, but do as many charity or open mic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-tyler/i-advise-wannabe-singers-to-form-a-band-practise-in-your-garage-if/) [Bonnie Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-tyler/) > [Before I had a record deal, I was living in New York and playing anywhere I could, from somebody's house to an open mic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/langhorne-slim/before-i-had-a-record-deal-i-was-living-in-new-york-and-playing/) [Langhorne Slim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/langhorne-slim/) > [And Brighton have beaten Southampton 4-2 which is exactly the same result as last year when they won 3-1](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/des-lynam/and-brighton-have-beaten-southampton-4-2-which-is-exactly-the-same/) [Des Lynam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/des-lynam/) ## More by James Bay > [It's silly to call me the new Ed Sheeran. He can fill stadiums as a solo artist, but I'm not like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bay/it-s-silly-to-call-me-the-new-ed-sheeran-he-can-fill-stadiums-as-a/) [James Bay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bay/) > [And you don't have to care, so don't pretend. Nobody needs a best fake friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bay/and-you-don-t-have-to-care-so-don-t-pretend-nobody-needs-a-best-fake/) [James Bay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bay/) > [Being exhausted is all part of the fun. I'm cool with it. I'm not going to wish that it would slow down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bay/being-exhausted-is-all-part-of-the-fun-i-m-cool-with-it-i-m-not-going/) [James Bay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bay/) > [When I was 15, if anything, I thought I was going to be a Delta bluesman, which is so ridiculous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bay/when-i-was-15-if-anything-i-thought-i-was-going-to-be-a-delta/) [James Bay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bay/) > [When I'm writing, I need to amplify my thoughts and feelings on just a conversation that I might have had with somebody - somebody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bay/when-i-m-writing-i-need-to-amplify-my-thoughts-and-feelings-on-just-a/) [James Bay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bay/) > [I loved pop music as a little kid. Things like the Black Eyed Peas. If it had a catchy chorus, I was into it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bay/i-loved-pop-music-as-a-little-kid-things-like-the-black-eyed-peas-if/) [James Bay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bay/) > [How I set myself apart is by creating the sort of real and honest music, which is who I'm also trying to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bay/how-i-set-myself-apart-is-by-creating-the-sort-of-real-and-honest/) [James Bay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bay/) > [I write about personal experiences. I write about things that have happened to me and the people around me, so you just sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bay/i-write-about-personal-experiences-i-write-about-things-that-have/) [James Bay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bay/) > [I'm going to take each day and each thing and each gig as it comes at me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bay/i-m-going-to-take-each-day-and-each-thing-and-each-gig-as-it-comes-at/) [James Bay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bay/) > [Both Springsteen and Michael Jackson, who had these huge productions, could always scale them back down to just a song and a melody. All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bay/both-springsteen-and-michael-jackson-who-had-these-huge-productions/) [James Bay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bay/) > [Growing up, when I was at live shows, I was always hoping someone would come out on stage and say, 'The guitarist is sick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bay/growing-up-when-i-was-at-live-shows-i-was-always-hoping-someone-would/) [James Bay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bay/) > [I'm not waiting, but I'm willing if you called me up. If you ever wanna be in love, I'll come around](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bay/i-m-not-waiting-but-i-m-willing-if-you-called-me-up-if-you-ever-wanna/) [James Bay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bay/) > [My family quite innocently don't understand the ins and outs of it all, but they see things like the Burberry show and the Live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bay/my-family-quite-innocently-don-t-understand-the-ins-and-outs-of-it/) [James Bay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bay/) > [There was a guitar that my uncle owned and never learnt to play. He sold it to my dad, and when I heard 'Layla',…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bay/there-was-a-guitar-that-my-uncle-owned-and-never-learnt-to-play-he/) [James Bay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bay/) > [I like drawing people in the airport or on the bus or in venues. I like catching people in the moment. It's a similar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bay/i-like-drawing-people-in-the-airport-or-on-the-bus-or-in-venues-i/) [James Bay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bay/) [Explore all 37 James Bay quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bay/) ## More Brighton quotes > [And Brighton have beaten Southampton 4-2 which is exactly the same result as last year when they won 3-1](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/des-lynam/and-brighton-have-beaten-southampton-4-2-which-is-exactly-the-same/) [Des Lynam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/des-lynam/) > [I hate going out in Brighton now. It's different in London. People respect you more there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-price/i-hate-going-out-in-brighton-now-it-s-different-in-london-people/) [Katie Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-price/) > [I'm now the Lord of the Brighton Manor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-stanwyck/i-m-now-the-lord-of-the-brighton-manor/) [Barbara Stanwyck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-stanwyck/) > [Brighton is such a good place to bring up kids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-ball/brighton-is-such-a-good-place-to-bring-up-kids/) [Zoe Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-ball/) > [I decided that the University of Sussex in Brighton was a good place for this work because it had a strong tradition in bacterial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-nurse/i-decided-that-the-university-of-sussex-in-brighton-was-a-good-place/) [Paul Nurse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-nurse/) > [I dropped out of college and started gigging around Brighton.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/passenger/i-dropped-out-of-college-and-started-gigging-around-brighton/) [Passenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/passenger/) > [I've just made a cancer drama, called 'Now Is Good,' directed by Ol Parker and starring Dakota Fanning. We filmed in Brighton and it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaya-scodelario/i-ve-just-made-a-cancer-drama-called-now-is-good-directed-by-ol/) [Kaya Scodelario](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaya-scodelario/) > [For a while we were chasing a book by Graham Greene to do Brighton Rock as a musical. We didn't get the rights, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-tennant/for-a-while-we-were-chasing-a-book-by-graham-greene-to-do-brighton/) [Neil Tennant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-tennant/) > [“Brighton Fishing Museum: Admission Free’.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-dubberley/brighton-fishing-museum-admission-free/) Emily Dubberley > [“When you're depressed you retreat and you go into a smaller world. This is why Brighton worked well for the story, because it's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/when-you-re-depressed-you-retreat-and-you-go-into-a-smaller-world/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) > [In fact, Moon came on tour with us for a bit just before a big festival in Brighton, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-innes/in-fact-moon-came-on-tour-with-us-for-a-bit-just-before-a-big/) [Neil Innes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-innes/) > [What I have always liked about Brighton is its impersonality. Since the 18th century, people have come, used the place and gone home again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-truss/what-i-have-always-liked-about-brighton-is-its-impersonality-since/) [Lynne Truss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-truss/) > [The first time I played at Green Door Store in Brighton, which is under the train station. It was sold out by 150 people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mura-masa/the-first-time-i-played-at-green-door-store-in-brighton-which-is/) [Mura Masa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mura-masa/) > [Of course, New Brighton is very shabby, very rundown, but people still go there because it's the place where you take kids out on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/of-course-new-brighton-is-very-shabby-very-rundown-but-people-still/) [Martin Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-parr/) > [Brighton has two universities. It's got a massive young, middle-class community, and the largest gay community in the UK. The result of which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-james/brighton-has-two-universities-it-s-got-a-massive-young-middle-class/) [Peter James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-james/) [Browse all 49 Brighton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brighton/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I spent two years playing open mic nights in Brighton, and I heard more and more people saying, 'You should give it a go in London.'", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Bay" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bay/i-spent-two-years-playing-open-mic-nights-in-brighton-and-i-heard/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Brighton" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bay/i-spent-two-years-playing-open-mic-nights-in-brighton-and-i-heard/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/195/james-bay-17397_brighton_i-spent-two-years-playing-open-mic-night_596835.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/195/james-bay-17397_brighton_i-spent-two-years-playing-open-mic-night_596835.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/195/james-bay-17397_brighton_i-spent-two-years-playing-open-mic-night_596835.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I spent two years playing open mic nights in Brighton, and I heard more and more people saying, 'You should…” — James Bay", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "James Bay", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bay/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I spent two years playing open...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bay/i-spent-two-years-playing-open-mic-nights-in-brighton-and-i-heard/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bay/i-spent-two-years-playing-open-mic-nights-in-brighton-and-i-heard/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```