From Bedroom Covers to Beer Tents
Why I Became an Open Mic Addict
The Night Ed Sheeran Ruined My Life (In the Best Way)
First time I heard Ed Sheeran play at the Bedford, that was it. Done. Completely fucked.
There he was, just him and his loop pedal, making hundreds of people lose their minds. Writing these raw, honest songs about love and heartbreak. Playing literally anywhere that would have him.
That. I want that.
So I did what any obsessed teenager would do. Became a proper open mic junkie. Every single week, sometimes multiple nights, hunting down any pub with a PA system and a dream. Didn't matter if it was three blokes and a dog. I needed those reps.
The Terror Never Goes Away
Here's something mental - I'd get so nervous on performance days that my brain would just... short circuit. Couldn't think about anything else. Just me, running through every single chord change, every lyric, visualising everything that could go wrong.
Still happens sometimes, if I'm honest.
The overthinking became this weird superpower/curse combo. Yeah, I was prepared. But being too prepared? That's when you forget the second verse to a song you've played 200 times. Your brain gets in its own way.
That First Open Mic Though
Picture this: Scared teenage me. Acoustic guitar. Playing "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" to a room of actual musicians.
I had to literally remind myself to breathe.
Coming from choir showcases where someone's mum would tell you how "lovely" you sounded, to playing in rooms with people who actually knew their shit? Absolutely terrifying.
But when it was over? That rush hit different. Like nothing I'd ever felt. Pure adrenaline mixed with relief mixed with fuck yes I actually did it.
I was hooked.
When You're Too Keen for Your Own Good
Got so addicted to performing that I started showing up at jam nights. You know, the ones specifically for BANDS to jam together. Full kit, bass, the works.
I'd rock up solo with my acoustic like "Mind if I break up the evening with a few songs?"
The absolute audacity, looking back. But they let me play! Even got my first taste of playing with a proper band there. That full, produced sound I'd been chasing in my bedroom finally happening in real life.
That's when I knew solo acoustic covers weren't the endgame.
From 30 Punters to Actual Crowds
All those open mics led somewhere mad. Audition nights for festivals. And the one that took a chance on me? Guildford Beer Festival.
Look, I know. It's not exactly Glastonbury. But going from maximum 30 people in a pub to a packed tent with hundreds of proper pissed festival-goers?
Different league entirely.
I was absolutely shitting myself. But muscle memory kicked in. Played my songs the way I always did. And that same rush came flooding back, just multiplied by about 100.
Standing on that stage, looking at actual crowds singing along, that's when I knew. This wasn't just some hobby anymore.
This was the path.
Where did performing first grab you by the throat? What moment made you realise there was no going back? Drop it in the comments - these stories keep me going.