A NEW open mic night in Newport Market is gearing up to have its first event on Friday, with these five acts set to perform a mix of live music and comedy.
Five up-and-coming acts will be testing their material at Newport Indoor Market on Friday, February 23, 2024.
The Argus checked in with them to see how they would describe their performance.
Josh Hicks
Josh Hicks, 23, is a seasoned professional when it comes to performing in front of crowds of people.
"I actually have done it numerous times," he said.
"From opening up for Natalie Imbruglia at In It Together Festival, to winning a national open mic competition where there was 10,000 applicants back in 2021.
"Open mics were how I started to gain my confidence by performing live earlier on in my career!"
He said he is a singer/songwriter, adding: "My music is a hybrid of pop, soul, R&B and jazz.
"My set is predominately filled with original songs with the odd cover here and there.
"I usually play with a guitarist or band. However, for this open mic I’m taking it back to how I started and doing backing tracks!"
Josh Hicks can be found via Instagram, YouTube, Facebook
Ffion Wren
Hailing from Caerphilly, Ffion Wren, 23, has played at venues including the Wales Millennium Centre, Clwb Ifor Bach, and Bristol City Stadium.
Ms Wren describes her music as "acoustic pop music with indie and folk influences".
"Some of my music inspirations include Birdy and Florence and The Machine," she said.
"I currently perform acoustic sets with vocals and guitar but I'm also currently forming a band for a full live set."
Ms Wren said she "is a business woman by day and musician by night."
Ffion Wren can be found via Instagram, TikTok, Spotify, Facebook
Jack Devonshire
Jack Devonshire, 26, has performed stand-up comedy gigs in both Newport and Brighton.
He describes his "style of humour", saying "if Ricky Gervais, Rhod Gilbert and Mickey Flanagan all had a kid together; A short, Welsh, hairy, crude comedic hobbit boy."
When he's not pursuing his passion in comedy, Mr Devonshire is a high school English and drama teacher.
Jenna Kearns
Jenna Kearns, 33, said she's no stranger to open mics.
"Last year I did my first headline show at The Moon in Cardiff and honestly I've got the performance bug now," she said.
When asked to describe her sound, Ms Kearns said: "Indie pop/very piano-based, usually backing track or with live piano."
Kat Jones and Jon Evans
Professional musicians Kat Jones and Jon Evans, both 35, are no strangers to performing at Newport Market after their gig at a wedding fair.
"We are professional musicians that have been performing individually, on different projects for over 10 years," they said.
"We joined forces last year and 'Tusker' was born.
"We regularly perform in pubs, bars and at weddings and events. We really hope this will help us get known in the area as we're travelling from Porthcawl for the open mic."
When asked how they would describe their sound, Ms Jones and Mr Evans said: "We perform covers of songs that most people will know, but won't often hear being played.
"It's a folky-acoustic style and we put our own spin on every track we choose.
"It's music for people who really love their music. Each song is carefully selected to compliment Kat's vocal and Jon's intricate guitar playing."
Ms Jones "used to be an entertainer on board cruise ships" and Mr Evans "was a heavy metal/rock guitarist and has toured all over the world."
Tobias Robertson, a former contestant on TV talent show The Voice will be hosting the open mic night, taking place on Friday, February 23, at 7pm.
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