Are you waking with the feeling of a missed opportunity? If so, perhaps you also watched the entirety of the Eurovision 2024 last night. For years I’ve been tuning in and I can’t really explain why. The 2020 Will Ferrell / Rachel McAdams film Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga went some way to capturing the brilliance of the flamboyance and absurdity. A lighthearted contest, made up of many countries playing it as serious as a fucking car crash.
Of the 4 hours dedicated to it, I didn’t discover a single song I liked (not that I ever expect to, to be fair). There were some good performances though, and for my money, Ireland’s Bambie Thug were the best.
My musical highlight instead last night was seeing my 8 year old nephew play Smoke On The Water (perfectly) and Seven Nation Army (pretty well) on his new bass guitar. I can remember my friend Phil trying to learn these exact songs back in 2004, the sound reverberating through the floorboards as I ate dinner with my family downstairs. My nephew is 8 years ahead of where we were on our (ill fated) attempt to start a band two decades ago.
This bodes well for my passing of the music mantle. Full disclaimer, I never came close to cutting it as a musician, but somehow managed to play in bands for the best part of a decade. That experience and the lessons learnt are rattling around in my head, trying to find a use. I really hope I get to impart them.
I’m under no illusion that 36 is ‘old’. I am also increasingly aware though that there’s an entire generation or two (or three?) younger than me now. Not having children, it’s easy to overlook this fact. It being 20 something years since I set out on this musical adventure feels like a significant amount of time and seeing young(er) people closer to the start of their journey hammers that sentiment home.
I spoke a bit about the start of my own journey at You Are The Media ‘Creator Day’ last month. You can read a written version of the same short talk here.
One of the rising stars of the YATM community, through the partnership with Bournemouth and Poole College (my alma mater) is Ella Crossen-White, a keen photographer and fellow music enthusiast. She wrote this great piece on LinkedIn recently (inspired by her namesake, the fantastic Ella Orr) that I wanted to share with you.
Catching Every Moment: The Power of a Good Photo
Ella: “A few weeks ago Ella Orr came to talk to us about the many stories and memories that can be sparked by one simple photo which is something I strongly believed in. She encouraged us to look through recent photos and see what stories came with it. This is a task which suited me perfectly as I am someone who loves to capture memories in a single frame whether they seem big or small.
Therefore I chose this photo taken when I got the chance to go to see Example play at the O2. This night was filled with so many special moments spending time with one of my closest friends. Throughout the night we interacted with so many different individuals that became an unlikely group of friends.
Live music to me is one of the most incredible experiences to be a part of through it’s ability to make you feel so alive and free. In that moment you find all things which may be weighing you down or playing on your mind disappear as you immerse yourself in simply being in that moment right there enjoying every last second.
This night relates back to one of my key values of empathy and how important it is to connect with people and not be afraid to just say hello. Sometimes you need to step away from the every day and enjoy unwinding and immersing yourself in the moment which I can say happily I did.
When we open ourselves to empathy, we create space for deeper connections with the people around us known to you or not. Empathy allows us to make connections with others who are experiencing the same moments with shared feelings of excitement that make moments like this even more special.
As we connect with those around us through empathy there can often be a strange sense of belonging in the shared experience of one simple moment in time.”
I think Ella’s last line there perhaps explains my annual donation of time to Eurovision…
Liam Toms 