Aug 26, 2010
Current mood:adventurous
Hi there my wonderful friends, family, colleagues and fans
Since arriving in Singapore on 26th July to meet the new band…I’ve had many boundaries to work through.
It is everything I expected and of course, more. Each time I travel to a new place to work with a new group of people always has it’s ups and downs.
Upon arrival, jetlag and all, I met up with my new band leader, Greg, briefly and he invited me down to see the band play that evening. I couldn’t wait, this is the band I’d been searching, pitching and auditioning to work with for about 5 months this year and finally my hard work had paid off…it was just the start.
So a quick check-in and moments later I was downstairs watching this phenomenal band play before me. I had big shoes to fill…the current singer, Rachel Lynn, had been on the road with el-live for 9 months and her performance was astounding. Her connection with her audience and band members did not falter in the week I saw her. Coming in half way through a gig replacing a singer who is hitting all the right notes, is not a piece of cake. When you work in the same venue, night after night especially, you build a relationship with new crowds and the regulars, these are the people who support you and recommend you to their friends, family and clients – including they speak to management of the venue and your band members…so trust me, my boots were shaking!!!
It has taken so much time, energy and mindset-adjustment for each person in the band to integrate me. And 3 weeks in, news came in that I was going to work for another band under el-live, so my time with MaXimum would be just two months! So whilst I’ve been working hard at nailing my performance which includes singing lead, dancing and background vocals…I would have to add time into my schedule to prepare for the next show. Now, I’m the kind of person that likes to sink her teeth in, learn the ins and outs, work harder than hard and focus on the job. Whilst building relationships and hanging with band members is great fun, 1) I haven’t really had the time to do this given I needed to prepare for the new band and, 2) I just prefer to have my private time to reflect, analyse, absorb and detach from what I did in the show and what everyone else did in the show…learn from the mistakes and grow from strength to strength the next day. Especially with the daily advice and kick up the b*tt from my band leader. Otherwise, I always find that a moaning session is the end result when you open it up to discussion. In my adult years (said in a very mature voice) it’s best to keep your criticism to yourself and work on you before you have something to say about how someone should improve themselves.
I wanted to work for el-live Productions, because I knew that the type of songs I’d be performing were more mainstream…top 40 chart music that I’ve needed to explore. The amount of energy required to deliver a performance singing Lady GaGa, Katy Perry, P!nk, Leona Lewis, Fergie, Kylie, Rihanna, Beyonce, etc plus nailing backing vocals and dance routines – has taken me out of my comfort zone. It has been an incredible experience so far.
So I can tell you; I have forgotten lyrics, danced the wrong steps, sung so hard that no vocal came out, said ‘welcome to our Friday show’ when it was definitely Saturday on the calendar and including wiping out on a slippery stage (by that I mean falling flat out…luckily the song was Pokerface say I managed to whip up a quick recovery…hahaha). Including that, the physical energy required to perform for this show is like no other I have worked on since my college days. From head to diaphragm to toe body aches…it’s like working against a tidal wave, gasping to breathe before the next wave hits you…finding my rhythm has not been plain-sailing. Yes…there have been many moments to learn from. However, I get back on that horse regardless of what I’ve done and has been said about me with a ‘happy the f*ck-up* smile! It’s my career and what I do on stage reflects on the audience’s reaction. The audience are there to forget their daily troubles…music is the biggest outlet for expression and just being free. Nothing makes me smile more than seeing people happy and knowing I contributed to help them find that little bit of peace.
And as well as that, you’re standing beside 2 other lead singers, a guitarist, drummer, bassist and pianist/vocalist who knows what you’re doing and what it takes to do it. Just a smile or heads up into the right dance step…night by night we stand together and support what we do. Once backstage we might wanna freak about not getting it right, but 8/10 times we rise above and encourage each other to strive harder and be stronger. That’s what counts :> Greg, Kyle, Nicole, Fred, Ricardo and Anthony – thank you for standing by me.
This is the way our industry goes, we have to be flexible and susceptible to change all the time, because anything can happen on the spot. The best you can do is be prepared and work to be the best. In my time working and gigging abroad, you are always faced with people you do not always see eye to eye with, but the show must go on regardless and I’m pretty sure this exists in all industries. These differences sometimes stay, but sometimes judgment fades and acceptance creeps in :> I love working towards that…knowing that if you reach a little further you might just see eye to eye and laugh it all off one day…and then to go from there!
Above all, what I can say is that when you get it right, it’s so right and the feeling is awesome and you know you’re at ‘that’ place. I still have my first motto when I started singing in London 12 years ago…’if you can touch one person in the audience…just keep going, it’s a great place to start’.
Everyday, I am working to making it right, it’s the only way to break new ground. So as my journey with MaXimum band ends this weekend, a new adventure begins with Liquid band, from el-live Productions, starting in Oman mid September…more to follow soon :>
You can be all you want to be if you just try…and even then there’s room for improvement.
With love always
LT
XXX