top of page
albert%20epi_edited_edited.jpg

23,000 People. Utterly UNFATHOMABLE.

Writer's picture: Tom MonksTom Monks

23,000 is an unfathomable sum of people to be given the mission to entertain. From the stage it's an infinite sea of faces becoming more and more indistinguishable row by row, to an extent of seeming dissociation of the concept of them being human beings, until you clock your mum with her immediately identifiable sparkly pink phone case or get tagged in an Instagram story from someone you have not seen for eleven years but think about now and then.


I don't know why someone like me would be plunged onto the headline slot on the main stage of the biggest firework event in the South East, but it seems the lovely folk at the Welling Round Table see something in me as did the enthusiastic thousands supporting, so I'm all for it with immense gratitude.


With an erratic but strangely representative set covering all sonic bases from ELO to Monty Python to Level 42 to Jimi Hendrix to Jerry Lee Lewis, the nauseating fear I battled all week was quickly smothered out by not only the musicianship of the friends I recruited for a mission I'd feel too vulnerable for on my larry, but an enormously appreciative and receptive crowd.


Including the vocal assistance of my other half Nancy Gorman of NOVA Halo, the drum extraordinaire of Nathan Persad and the bass master Andy Furmage of eraX sound art, circumstances did not allow for a formal rehearsal aside from a brief "panic" one this afternoon, but I knew I could trust all of these people with the tunes I put forward.


Being my first "solo" band venture where I'd be the one calling the shots, experiencing it in fruition for the first time at such an enormous occasion was a jump in the deepest end imaginable, but one that I knew I wanted to take and am infinitely glad I did with this selection of humans who studied and mastered and clicked - it just fell into place.


The initial anxiety of impressing the borough where Bexleyheath News and Gossip is based transformed into a feeling akin to a casual fun jam night, plus VAT. By the time we adjusted to such a novel setting we let all our inhibitions go, having pure fun and making each other laugh whilst making the planned noises we had studied relentlessly, seemingly contributing to our allocated mission to entertain.


I don't consider myself a technical player nor singer but I believe an authentic sense of fun and pure enjoyment absolutely compensates for that and resonates so much more, to the extent of contagiousness. If you don't enjoy it what's the point?


My musical soulmate, Zac Vincent was truly emotional to watch and even more so to share a stage with him for the finale - since I met him it became instantly apparent we had a once-in-a-lifetime chemistry instigated not by us but by forces above. Our schedules may align more sparsely nowadays but that connection is as fresh and intense as it was the day we struck our first note together seven years ago. We've gotta do more.


DUNE, a young lad with mastery on the keys and a voice straight from the heavens, launched the occasion providing a serious dose of hope for the future generation, and a surreal experience geeking out about Queen with someone half my age.


Danson Park Fireworks, you have left me in a true state of euphoria. Staff, security, sound, staging, Mayor of Bexley, Welling Round Table, and all those who came to be a part of it, THANK YOU.


Now on Nine Below Zero tour mode, but first I've gotta try and get some sleep tonight once the exhaustion outweighs the dopamine x

bottom of page