A Northern Quiet
If there’s one characteristic that i would never have assumed of northern audiences it’s quietness. but that’s exactly what i’ve been finding. such quiet, respectful audiences, which for me, is everything.
newcastle will go down as one of my favourite gigs i think i’ve ever done. the venue was away from any bar which is a great great thing, and the silence was deafening. when i get an audience that silent it gives me a such space to perform. it’s hard to explain. it’s as if the more chatty and disinterested an audience is the more constricted i am and the less freedom i have to explore every corner of the song, but if an audience allows, the quietness is a kind of permission for me to go as far as i can, as loud as i can, as quiet as i can, as bold and as frail as i possibly can. it then becomes so rewarding for me and i think for the audience too.
i felt so at ease and in sync with the room that i decided to take honest man away from the mics and the wires and the stage and i stood on the floor and sang into the silence. as i was singing with nothing between me and the audience i felt nervous again, my voice and my hands trembling slightly and in my head i was taken back to those early days when i wasn’t sure what i was doing, when i had no confidence, when performing felt risky and unknown.
in no way am i a seasoned performer but i’ve been singing in front of people for nearly 10 years so there is an element of comfort there. the instinctual decision to take a song off stage felt risky and uncomfortable but paid off so richly. it just worked.
and that’s what this tour is all about. learning, experimenting, risking, failing, falling and hopefully standing back up as a better performer.
Last.fm
