I did it.

[kayleighraven]

Last night I performed infront of people for the first time in roughly 10 years.
To say I was nervous might be the understatement of the year. I haven't felt that bad since taking my grade 8 piano exam. It was only the second time ever that I've played something that I wrote in public.

It went great. Brilliant. Fantastic infact. I feel so much more confident about doing it again (though don't quote me on that the next time, I will undoubtedly still be a wreck).

I am eternally grateful to the very lovely budgie_uk who got me there despite ridiculous, unexpected and overwhelming traffic on the way to the gig - fuck you stupid Thames Festival! I would've been a quivering pile of nerves on the floor if I'd had to drive through that and then get on stage. What was supposed to be an hour's journey took 2.5 hours but eventually we arrived at The Stag, Victoria.

Seems everyone was running late anyway so no huge rush for me to get up, which allowed for a small tipple from the bar to calm nerves. I'd cut my set down to just three songs due to suffering with a chest infection or whatever all week (at several points wondered if I'd be able to sing at all) and warmed up with a Dusty Springfield song. The audience were friendly enough, if a little inattentive.

Next up was my own song - Perfect Man. Another thanks to budgie_uk for video evidence!

Click to view

And then there was THIS.

Click to view

One of my favourites and the audience seemed to enjoy it too as they requested an encore and the whole place seemed to be singing along.

Clapping, cheering, laughing, cheap tricks involving my boobs and a kazoo, plenty of hugs, me = smiling.
Lots of people said lots of nice things, some asked where else I was playing (I can have bookings now please?!) and someone else compared me to Victoria Wood. Blown away by that one..

Still haven't really come down from the high, though my body is starting to ache - now relaxing after being tense for several days - and I am very tired. Last night my brain kept waking me up every hour like an over-excited sibling "omg.. we just.. holy crap.. how cool was... OMG!". Perhaps tonight I'll get some proper rest.

I got a text from the friend who got me along to the gig - "You were brilliant. You really need to make a living out of it!"

Fuck, yes.