paddy higginson
Saxophone for Paddy on Sax + Mr Wilson’s Second Liners + The Soul Convicts
“My last pre-COVID gig was at Uttoxeter Races on the 14th March with Mr Wilson’s Second Liners. There was parading, singing, dancing, serenading, getting in close with the crowds, creating mini raves and seeing the smiles on peoples faces. This was a typical gig for us. These gigs are full of euphoria and we pride ourselves on helping people release their inhibitions, putting their phones away and getting involved in the performance. Little did we know that it would be the last time we would experience a “normal” gig.
The rest of year was packed (over 150 gigs cancelled or rescheduled) and it would have certainly been the busiest year for my solo work with DJ’s at weddings, which was still relatively new to me.
Having my second child in the middle of the lockdown was very difficult, although it did mean I was able to support my wife and be around for a very long paternity leave! It’s been a blessing to have spent so many special moments with the family, although the 8PM bedtime on a Saturday night is something I can never get used to!
It’s been a very strange year. I’ve never appreciated my line of work more than I do now and will certainly never take it for granted in the future. Musicians and people in the entertainment industry don’t just LOVE their work, they NEED it. It’s my passion, it’s my social life, it’s an escape and allows me to express or to vent. But ultimately there is no substitute to the feeling of when you simply entertain.
During the initial lockdown, I did the occasional live stream performances from my music room and using online platforms such as Lockdown Festival (based in my home town, Blackburn) and Mulligans Virtual Bar (Venyu). This was all completely new to me and was very strange at first, but did allow me to learn some new skills which I imagine will come in useful in the future.
Recently, I have been able to safely meet up with my bands again, to rehearse and perform live and pre recorded sets for online festivals and social media promotion. It’s been great to be back with my musical friends, some of which I hadn’t seen for 9 months, but not having a real life audience to perform to means it’s just not the same.
I think it’s going to be a long and slow process until we can see anything like a “normal” gig. But we will adapt as performers and change our expectations of what a gig is. We will have to get used to chair dancing, small audiences and not going out into the crowd for that sax solo! Bring on 2021!”
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