Virtually Acoustic
About
The Virtually Acoustic Club, affectionately known as 'The VAC', has been promoting acoustic (ish) artists and singer songwriters in London since 1997 with weekly open mic nights and regular gigs and showcases.
From 1997 it was run by David Sherwood and from 2024 by Rob Thom.The club has used a number of venues over the years...
The Music Cafe in London Bridge,
Moriarty's Bar in Islington,
Tinderbox Cafe in Islington,
Progress Bar in Tufnell Park,
The Plough Inn in Walthamstow,
The Perseverance in Marylebone,
Kiss The Sky in Hampstead,
100 Crows Rising in Islington,
The Library in Islington,
And currently Marquis of Granby in Westminster.Open Mic (sometimes spelled Open Mike) is a great way for artists to try out their craft and meet other musicians. There were very few open mic nights around when Virtually Acoustic began although folk clubs have been around for a very long time. The old folk clubs tended to be quite traditional and frowned upon those of us who didn't play 'real folk music'. Many of them also required some kind of membership. So when open mic clubs for singer songwriters began to appear the idea became popular very quickly and now there are hundreds of them.