3 things I have learnt from performing at Wembley Stadium
3 things I have learnt from performing at Wembley Stadium
Borbala Recently I had the privilege to perform at Wembley Stadium, where usually superstars, like Harry Styles, Beyoncé, or Taylor Swift perform. I was super excited, I was looking forward to all the experiences the day could bring: seeing the work of the event organisers and background staff, and how we will be able to pull off the songs in a space that we have never sung before.
What should you do when you are in a situation that you have never been before? How to prepare for it, and handle it on the day? Here are my 3 key takeaways:
1. Being well-prepared pays off
The event we performed at was the Women’s Rugby Challenge Cup Finals. We were singing three songs in the halftime show. We had lots of practice, therefore I knew the music by heart. Thus, during the live performance I could fully focus on the conductor, and concentrate on the backing track. This helped me to follow the beat as closely as the acoustics of the Wembley allowed. There was a lot of reverb, which did not make our job easy at all.
-> Any time when you are in a new situation, like you give a talk, do a presentation, etc., or doing these things at a new venue that you have never been before, be well-prepared in your knowledge of what you need to present, and also prepare for what could go wrong. That way you can adapt to any circumstance, any situation that might arise, and you can complete your task successfully.
2. Trust the team around you
Since this was my very first time performing at the Wembley (bring on more, I’m up for it 😉 ), I did not know the team there. I always liked to get a sneak peek of what’s going on behind the scenes at any venue or event, let it be a theatre production, a concert, a film or a TV shoot. So, I was excited to see how the team at the Wembley handles things.
I have to say, they were amazing. Everything was planned out well, and went like clockwork. They let us know the main event details, and we were always notified on time when we needed to be ready to do our job, like going on the pitch for rehearsing, performing, and similar.
-> If you find yourself at a venue you don’t know, trust the team of the venue. Yes, there are better and worse teams, but overall, they have the knowledge of how things work there, they can help you to create a success out of what you are there for to do.
3. It’s not scary – it’s exciting and exhilarating
With it’s 90,000 seating capacity, Wembley is the largest stadium in the UK, and the second-largest stadium in Europe. So, you might think that makes performing there frightening. But to be honest, I never felt frightened. I always felt excited and calm about it, and I just knew that I can handle that place, and everything will be great. And when I was able to go to the pitch before the crowd was let in, could stand there and grasp the scale of the place, these things were running through my mind:
- This is absolutely amazing!
- It is smaller, than I thought…
- It will be amazing to actually see the faces of the people that we are going to sing to.
- I could give a concert here just on my own with my own band, that would be no problem at all! 😊
-> Although first it can be scary, try to find the exciting angle of the thing you need to do. That will help you become relaxed and positive, and you will be able to perform in a higher level compared to being afraid, and in a negative headspace.
Wishing you amazing first time experiences in your career.
Warm regards,
Borbala
