Five Minutes with Clinton Barnes from Open Rant Night

Open Rant Night is a mash-up of ‘politics in the pub’ and an open mic night. It’s sometimes about petty but intensely annoying things and it’s sometimes about heavy things. It’s always about people’s passions. It’s been running since September last year but we’ve recently had to upscale to a bigger venue. The idea came when chatting to a friend about how to get more people interested in talking about things that matter. We often do small talk in a bar, so bringing big talk made sense.

How does the format work?

Anyone signs up on the night to be a ranter. They’re then called up from the audience to give a rant for two minutes on a mic in front of about 40 people. We have ten rants a night with a break in the middle. We also allow rants-of-reply. It’s short, sharp, and a little fun.

In this day and age of keyboard warriors, why should arguments return to a public platform?

Open Rant Night removes the anonymity those keyboard warriors rely on. We’ve all said things online that we would never say to someone’s face. In real life, we’re all a bit politer. And being in a bar, it starts conversations.

What makes The World Bar a good place for ranting instead of, say, the speakers’ soapboxes in The Domain?

Alcohol. I’m kidding (mostly). But a bar is a comfortable space for people. You can relax, have some dinner, chat with friends on a couch, and occasionally hear things that matter.

Are you ever worried about ranters courting controversy with their arguments?

Most people who come are polite and want to get the audience onside. We can always shut down anything that’s intended to be hurtful. It’s only two minutes.