21st September 2024 — that’s the date it all started.
My first show took place in Melksham. Originally, it was meant to happen a week later on the 28th, and I’d planned to have Joe Watson come along to film it. But due to new flooring being installed at the venue, the event got moved forward — meaning I had to go it alone, without a camera setup.
Not ideal.
Determined to capture something, I set my phone up on a tripod before going on stage. But as the first song began, my Apple Watch somehow zoomed the camera straight into my feet.
I managed to salvage a short clip from “Business” that I could use for TikTok and my socials (which I’d only just launched back in August), but the rest of the footage — about an hour and fifteen minutes — was completely unusable.
After a short break, I came back out and performed “Not Afraid” and “Lose Yourself”, and thankfully this time I actually captured it properly. That footage became some of my first real content — and looking back now, it marked the start of everything.
I genuinely loved being on stage that night. I performed a full set, including one track I was especially excited about: “Rabbit Run.” It’s not one of the big mainstream hits, but that’s exactly why I chose it. I like to include at least one lesser-known track in every set — something different to keep things fresh and give the crowd something unexpected.
There were roughly 100 people there — many of them carers and service users — and while it wasn’t the most typical crowd, the energy was incredible. People were filming, cheering, and fully getting involved. For a first gig, I couldn’t have asked for a better atmosphere.
At the end of the night, I was offered a choice:
£150 cash… or £50 plus a bundle of equipment.
I chose the kit.
I walked away with a portable speaker, a laser light, a smoke machine, and a microphone setup for my phone — gear that actually helped me build and improve future performances. Looking back, it was 100% the right decision.
After that night, I didn’t perform again for quite a while… but that first show was the spark. The moment everything started.