150: 26 Before I’m 27 – Part 1

24. Sing/Play at an Open Mic Night (not hosted by Church or The Fountain) 

When I was at school I was always the kid who was picked last for sports teams, I wasn’t very good at running and I can’t really throw so that counted me out for most sports. Music was my home in a way. I played flute and sung amongst other bits and pieces including playing the Bass Flute at one point. When it came to solos I was often over looked – there were always people that bit better than me. I remember once singing solo in the choir but I was covering because the actual soloist was away that week.

In more recent years I’ve been involved in more productions and been picked for solos but it still surprises me lol. I’ve played a Open Mic nights that have been hosted at church but never played any outside of church (or a safe space in a way). A few weeks back there was a 24 hour Open Mic jam session at The White Horse pub to raise money for charity (I think it was for Help for Heroes), I showed up with my guitar and a few songs and attempted to play. It went okay but I was bricking it. This week me and JD decided to go again – it’s become a bit of a trend now. I’ve recently worked out that I can hide behind my guitar but I get freaked out and usually fluff it whereas if it’s just me singing although it still gets fluffed I get less freaked out.

Given that I showed about 9:30 in the end I didn’t plan really plan on singing – I was just going to see how it went. When I got there the band were playing Superstition by Stevie Wonder (which had actually been playing on Radio 2 about 10 minutes earlier). The band had a quick break and then went into Sir Duke, Matt who organises the whole night made a comment about looking up the words. Well I think my thought was they were already loading on my phone so I could sing along from my seat – I then took my phone up to Matt as it was loaded and he was still looking as he was trying to set up a guitar and bits and pieces at the same time.Well we sang Sir Duke and then it merged into I Wish by Stevie Wonder. I’d sang Sir Duke at the 24 Hour Open Mic Night a few weeks back.

Me and JD sat at our table and chatted about different things between songs and chair danced along to other songs. Our friend Al got up and did a set too. At one point JD got up and sang – I am so proud of her! We were discussing it on FB a few weeks ago and someone posted some negative and hurtful comments that knocked her a bit for six. Well she came out and wiped the floor with those comments because she rocked it! SOOO PROUD OF HER!!!

Another band got up to play called SoundPie (this might be wrong – we had three or four different incarnations of the name through the evening!), they played a Stereophonics song followed by You’re All I Have by Snow Patrol – they asked if someone could come sing backing vocals – well I know the song so somehow ended up doing it lol.
Then we were sat chatting again and Biggsy (one of Matt and Al’s friends) asked if I knew *this* song and handed me some lyric sheets – I read it over and it was “I’d Do Anything for Love” by Meat Loaf. Yes I do know that song. Then he said “We’re going to play it later for a bit fun – do you know the women’s part at the end?”.

Well I kind of know it – I haven’t heard the song for a while but I’m sure it’ll come back to me.

Thankfully it did come back to me and it was pretty good – I messed up one line but it was good anyway. I need to be more prepared next time and make sure I have enough battery in my phone to ask JD to record me singing or something. Next week is the Bank Holiday so I’m not sure if I’m going to go but that gives me, JD and Al chance to work over some songs to sing together next time.