When Daniel Moore moved down to Melbourne from Sydney he brought a little piece of his hometown in the form of A Mic In Hand. After taking over this revered room in 2007, he branched out to form a Melbourne chapter last year assisted by Tommy Dassalo and a dedicated team. Things have been going from strength to strength ever since.
Located upstairs at Vibe Restaurant/Cafe, the space is quite cozy with heavy burgundy curtains and artworks against bare brick walls. A wide assortment of couches, ottomans, chairs and stools are arranged before the stage, filling almost all of the room to accommodate all the punters. There isn’t much space left for standing room when a large crowd attends, so people are advised to get there early to secure a comfortable seat.
The bar is located on the opposite wall to the stage and stocks a wide range of beverages, beers sold in stubbies only. For those craving hot drinks, the counter/bar downstairs can assist. Since my last visit to Vibe the upstairs bar now serves hot food, notably chips, wedges and pizzas. For more substantial, the restaurant downstairs is available for a pre show meal.
This room has dismissed the format favoured by 99% of other rooms by dividing the night into three parts. The first two brackets contain two or three comics performing five to ten minute spots while the last has the headline act doing a thirty minute set. While this breaks up the evening sufficiently to prevent seemingly marathon brackets, the additional interval draws the night out a little with the show finishing up later than most rooms. This may be issue for old buggers such as myself, but the young things that this room attracts don’t seem to have a problem with it.
The room has lured many high profile names to grace the stage, ensuring a quality show. A hand picked mix of up and comers and established names in the first two brackets provides the chance to see some performers you may not have seen before. Most nights are hosted by either Daniel or Tommy who do a stellar job in keeping the night rolling along. It’s a great way to spend a Thursday night.
A Mic In Hand happens every Thursday at Vibe on Smith. The show starts at 8pm and entry is $10 ($8 for students or gold coin for comedians). Visit the Mic In Hand Website or check out our gig guide for the upcoming line up.