My Week on tour backing for Stevie Wonder, (Part 6).

Day 1, Hyde Park,


After arriving home at 4am, a really stressful 48 hours lead up and an early start in the morning; I arrive at the meeting point in Victoria train station, greeted by many of my family and friends, and pleased to know that the choral are a really cool bunch of people!
The coach journey is short but surreal, and the energy on the coach is fresh, which I assumed it would be. Some faces I know and some I don't, but what­'s really on my mind is, 'what are we singing, and better still what is my part!?!'


As we pull up to Hyde park, I am suprised to see so many old friends and faces I have worked with, all obviously playing with some of the other various artists. 
Still all feeling very surreal, you can feel the egos bulging and tension swelling around the place but nothing suprises me these days!
An hour before we go on, we all get changed and have a quick run through of the songs, and everything is sounding lovely.
We are then told that we can go side stage to watch the performances, which everybody is only to happy to do! As I am walking towards the stage, Amy Winehouse pops up from nowhere, and is walking up the steps in front of me with a friend. 


Here I am, minutes  away from stepping on stage with the worlds most celebrated musician and singer, watching hundreds of thousands of people being blown away by the most amazing songs, and I am taking it all in, standing side by side with Amy Winehouse, stage left! Just so surreal!!!!!


Stepping on stage, the first thing I notice is the intensity of the lighting, as well as the composure of this man, who can see nothing, yet is controlling everything - from the band, to the mood, to the audience, all in a natural effortless way!


We sing two songs, and after coming off stage, I am flooded with phone calls and texts, by people who know me that were watching in the crowd. "Gav, am I right in saying that you just came off stage with Stevie wonder? woooahhh!!!!!"


I can certainly relate to what Erikah Badu once said, "What a day, what a day!"


Find out about the Glastonbury experience in part 7!