The Dial Up Open Mic Events are all about enjoying live performance in a vibrant, fun and welcoming atmosphere. We've been hosting open mic nights since 2010 and have perfected the art of offering support, friendship and encouragement to all our guests, whether your passion is music, poetry, drama or dance... or anything else! We celebrate community and creativity in all its forms, providing a platform for professionals, semi-professionals and amateurs to share their passions.
Come and be part of it!
Video: Alex Williams rehearsing 'Maybe This Time' for Westmount 2009 with Shane Tolmie on piano.
Early Days
As an aspiring singer, I used to visit many of London's open mic nights to perform but was often quite disheartened by the atmosphere. Despite being in a room full of creative people, there were not many opportunities to network, limited chances to perform, and many people didn't actually listen to each other's performances! I decided I wanted to create an open mic night that would put community at its heart with a supportive, fully engaged audience.
In 2009, with the terrific Shane Tolmie on piano, I produced Westmount Live, where I first used the now familiar Dial Up format. In the second half a certain Mr Jon Medcalf took to the keys and invited me to sing with him. The song was Summertime, the response was remarkable and a new musical partnership was born!
Musical Mayhem
Specialising in fresh interpretations of traditional jazz and Great American Songbook standards, 'Musical Mayhem' (as we were briefly called) performed together everywhere from Eastcote to East Ham. In 2010 we established a monthly residency at the Seven Dials Club in Covent Garden, a place which quickly became our home and which led to the creation of our new name, The Dial Up.
The Dial Up's unique blend of creativity and community helped it grow to include residencies at the Watford Palace Theatre from 2011 and Coco Cafe in Croxley from 2012. As one of our regulars said: 'The Dial Up really is something else! I'm Watford born and bred, I love the town... but I've always seen it as a difficult place in terms of establishing a cultural identity. The Dial Up is such a great thing in this regard, and it's beautifully managed by Alex and his crew. There's such a really welcoming positive vibe. I know how much effort these things take to organise too - I think what you're doing is brilliant!'
-Kevin O'Brien (Dial Up first half performer)
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In 2015 Alex returned to Watford after two years in the Middle East, a period which saw the Dial Up continue as seasonal specials at various venues including the Watford Palace Theatre, Coco Cafe, Watford Library and the LP Cafe. Once back in the UK permanently, The Dial Up found a new home at Attico Arts Cafe for the first half of 2016, before moving to Fresh Shop Cafe in Watford and The Croxley Kitchen, from where it continued to thrive as a forum for friendships and collaborations fostered through its unique and welcoming atmosphere.
From December 2017 to January 2019 The Dial Up regained its position as London's Friendliest Open Mic Night with a monthly residency at The London Improv Theatre.
The COVID- 19 Pandemic
The Dial Up returned to the majestic Watford Palace Theatre in January 2020. However, the February event turned out to be the last because in March COVID forced the Palace to close. Lockdown took a huge toll on people's mental health and opportunities to access creative outlets. In true Dial Up style, as soon as restrictions allowed, Alex threw open the doors to his own house and garden to host free Dial Up events which conformed to the regulations around social distancing and meeting at that particular time. Many of the people who came had been experiencing isolation and loneliness, and developing anxiety around social interaction. The Dial Up became not just a chance for people to sing together, but a genuine social service providing meaningful and safe social interaction.
In November and December 2021 The Dial Up found a new home in the Amanartis Studio, the converted old chapel in the middle of Vicarage Road Cemetery. It was a incredibly evocative place to perform and share creativity, and it was an honour to bring our events there to round off 2021!
The Dial Up returned to the gorgeous Kitchen Croxley from January 2022 until December that year, and to the Watford Garden Rooms Bar and Kitchen from April 2022 until December 2023. Thanks to both venues for being such wonderful hosts!
Johnny's Bar, Queen's Road Watford
From February 2025 to December 2025, The Dial Up was monthly at the brilliant Johnny's Bar, a spot dedicated to live music and totally in chime with our mission to celebrate community and creativity in equal measure! Then a one off event at Cafe@ Market Street in January 2026 (it was lovely to be back in the old Garden Room space!) while we hunted out a new venue.
Tina Lake's Coffee and Cakes
From February 2026 we have called Tina's Cafe our home. It's a volunteer led coffee and cake space in the gorgeous Pump House Theatre Arts and Centre and the whole team there have been so welcoming and accommodating, and boy do they make a good cup of coffee! With the benevolent smile of Watford's much loved Drag queen Dame Tina Lake beaming down on us, it has a gloriously welcoming and sunny atmosphere, a perfect spot for our poetry and music making!
The Pump House Diversity Dial Ups
In February 2022 we hosted our first ever LGBT History Month special at the much-loved Watford Pumphouse, supported by their amazing Watford Open Mic team. It was a huge success and it's now an annual event. Scott Awcock kindly filmed the entire show, which you can watch here.
The Black History Month Dial Up, also supported by the Pumphouse, followed in October 2022 and is now also a firmly established part of the Watford cultural calendar.
In 2024 we hosted our first Community Stage Dial Up in Herts Pride.
In 2025 our third LGBT History Month Dial Up Diversity Special was once again filmed by the wonderful Scott Awcock, watch the full videos here!
BHM Dial Up 2025 (part 1 of 5). Thanks as always to Scott Awcock for filming!
At The Dial Up we’re extremely grateful to our friendly and supportive audience, in particular our regular group of performers and contributors who help us make music every month, share their creativity and make The Dial Up Open Mic Nights as utterly entertaining and enjoyable as they are. We call them our Dial Up Family, and this is our chance to say thank you to them! We love you! xxx
The Dial Up at Watford Live in Charter Place, supporting Watford Hospital Radio (2012)
Alexander’s Dial-Up Club!
Come on along! Come on it’s Alexander's Dial Up Club!
Come on and hear! Come on and hear! He’s the man who’s at the hub!
He can sing a jazzy song like you nev-er heard be-fore
So natural that you wanna hear some more
He’s just the bestest man that am - I’m a fan
Come on along, come on along, let me take you by the hand
Up to the man, up to the man, who's the lead-er of this clan
And if you wanna hear a jazz or show tune sung in real-time
Come on along, come on its Alexander's Dial Up Club!
(Alexander’s Ragtime Band by Irving Berlin -
Lyrics adapted by The Dial Up Resident Poet Jim Connor)
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