Im told I never give myself any credit and that Im too self critical. Theres good reason for this: I used to be a music journalist, a critic, and using the national and international press I have sometimes been scathing in my criticism of professional musicians whose boots Im totally incapable of wearing. What a hypocrite I would be if I preened about my performance at a pub gig - and Im an okay but nothing special pub bassist - after criticising Jethro P Megastars playing at the Hammersmith Odeon. So I do myself down. I take plaudits badly because I genuinely feel uncomfortable with them (but another side of me is chuffed to receive them even if I feel unworthy of it all). On Saturday last, UKMG gave me the opportunity to sing a Peter Gabriel song. Its a special song for loads of reasons and I would never have had the chance to sing it outside of the cloistered UKMG environment. This was something so far away from my comfort zone that I was cacking myself, it felt like Rigor Mortis, caught in the headlamps, no backing out, full on panic mode. And do you know what? I did okay. And for once in my life Im really bloody proud of myself because I CANT do what I actually went out and did. You can hear the nerves in my voice through the first verse and the first line of the first chorus is flat. I dont care. I bloody did it. And Im posting it again, now. And Ill probably post it a half a dozen more times between now and next year. This is *genuinely* the first time Ive ever been proud of what I did on a stage because I did something I didnt honestly believe I could do. Thanks for giving me the platform to find out. xxx PS Nick Beatty! https://youtube/watch?v=p5qqNqCCsRI&feature=youtu.be
Posted on: Fri, 21 Nov 2014 21:13:27 +0000