Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

I was watching a TV show this evening about a hospital (New Amsterdam on Amazon Prime) – great show, moving, funny, dramatic and I was enjoying getting into it as you do with a new show.

Then, over a fairly tense scene the music started (a cover of Fix You by Coldplay – and I am desperate to find the Artiste) and suddenly the scene became – to my now tear stained eyes – so much more tense, so much more dramatic and so much more moving

And it made me think about how deeply tied to our emotions music is, how one song or a snatch of a song can trigger that emotion, or a memory, or a feeling

It doesn’t have to be a slow song, it doesn’t have to be a sad memory, music can trigger happy memories or even euphoric feelings.  Think about “that” song that always makes you want to dance, or sing, or scream out loud, to call your friend, to share the emotion, share the memory, share the moment…share the song, the feeling, the euphoria

We all have one.  Or two. Or three

Maybe you have one that is sad, one that is happy, one that is bitter sweet.

A lost love, a found love, a never love

A time, a moment, a summer, a party

A person, a friend, a relative, a lover

A love.

A loss.

You’re singing it right now, or you are calling it up on iTunes, on Spotify…and you are also calling up that moment, that person, that love…or that loss

I am privileged that I have the greatest job – I get to play music to people. I am there for some special times, special memories and I can provide the soundtrack to them

If you were able to stand where I stand and watch a newly married couple dancing their first dance to a song that has so much meaning for them, you’d really see what music means.  When a Father proudly takes his newly married daughter onto the dance floor for the Father/daughter dance, usually a song that has poignant lyrics.  When a married couple get to dance to the song that was their first dance.  So much emotion and so much love – all framed by a song

Music is the soundtrack to our everyday lives, the highs and the lows.

Tell me your story. Tell me your memory

Tell me your song

Oh, and that version of the Coldplay song?  I found it. It is by Canyon City.  I’ve got it on repeat now.  Maybe it hit me that bit more because it was played at a dear friend’s funeral.

A time.

A moment

A memory

A friend

A loss

Be Our Guest - Catering for the National TV Awards

Its not just about the discos – when I am not DJing I work freelance through a major hospitality staffing agency, and have done since 2014.  In that time I have been privileged to work in some incredible venues, at amazing events for some wonderful clients

One of my favourite jobs is the National TV Awards (NTAs).  This annual televised event is catered by a client with whom I have worked many times before – and this year was my third time at this event over the past 4 years.  Once again the client requested me specifically for a supervisory role in the team.

The client is a company called GIG, responsible for catering some of the biggest events in the world, but they are a fabulous, friendly team.  At the NTAs GIG provide their service to a variety of areas backstage, with the largest being the pre-show reception/post show party for the nominees.  We provide food and bar to around 500 guests pre show and 800 or more post show – and these guests are the ones that you saw on TV hoping to win, and winning, the coveted awards, voted for by the viewing public.

So – what do I do? With a colleague I am responsible for setting up and running the two bars and two champagne receptions, and then clearing down at the end of the night. Sounds straightforward?  On top of this I am also personally responsible for the Responsible Service of Alcohol as the duty licensee.  Add in staff allocation, briefing and management, ensuring that the right stock and right glassware is in place, that the bars are ready for service and then made ready again for the second party and that the necessary clearing is done across the whole room, and provide support to our amazing Back of House manager. Then of course there is liaison with the event manager from the TV production company, the venue staff and the venue security and medical team.

Just when you might think it sounds simple – I also take responsibility for stopping bar service at exactly 7:15 pm, which gives sufficient time to move 500 guests across to the arena for a live TV broadcast, and then closing two bars at the end of service at 12:30am  Closing a bar is never an easy or popular job, made a bit more challenging when the guests are faces that you may have been seeing on TV for thirty or more years, and many guests with potentially a feeling that they are particularly important…. 

In addition(!) I walked the whole room constantly to keep my manager informed of how the event was running while she was based back of house.

The NTAs is a long day.  I arrived on site at midday on Tuesday, and left the o2 car park at 2:30am Wednesday – a fourteen and a half hour day, but I walked away with my head up knowing that we, as a team, provided a fantastic service to a room full of celebrity guests. The end of a day is a mixture of deep tiredness and absolute elation at a job well done