The Voice UK – Take Two!

 

So yesterday The Voice UK rolled into Belfast for the Irish leg of their auditions. And yours truly went along to audition. It was my second time auditioning for the show. I auditioned two years ago too.

My sister and I got the train into Dublin and then another train to Belfast for the audition. We arrived and couldn’t remember where the hotel was from the last time so we waddled around asking for directions which some lovely people helped us with. Thanks. 🙂 We got there in the end and I nearly tripped over the carpet when I was going into the hotel before registering and then nearly missing the holding room which the girl I registered with had pointed me towards. Socially awkward, much? 🙂

So then we were all waiting in the holding area for the group to become ten people before we could be brought up to audition. Eventually the numbers rose to ten and we went up to audition. We auditioned for a voice coach on the show and the producer Olly after doing a vocal warm-up. I sang 4th and I sang The House of The Rising Sun by The Animals. This was the least nervous I was at an audition. I only felt a little nervous, you know the normal human nerves, but certainly not overpowered by them like at some previous auditions. For example the first time I auditioned for the show while I was waiting in the holding area my leg was involuntarily shaking and this time I was reasonably calm. Serene at times really. But that comes with the more auditions you do and of course because I’m getting on! (Well slightly darlings slightly! :-)) I was pleased with how it went and because I love music and I don’t want to ruin great songs because of my nerves that’s the main thing. Everyone else was brilliant too. There was one girl who done an Etta James song and she was fantastic and her retro, hippie style dress was totally on point. Sadly when they called us back in, none of the group made it through to the next stage. They said that we could sing but that basically because it was a tv show there was more factors to consider than our vocals which was fair enough. I’m a singer and writer, that’s what I do and I can’t think of any other factors I could possibly cover because outside of what I do I’m really quite boring. 🙂

Everyone was really lovely from the participants to the crew. I met one man again who was part of the crew the last time too. He’s a lovely man. It was a great experience and definitely another memory to tell the grandchildren. 🙂

Afterwards me and my sister went around Belfast sightseeing. We were in House of Fraser, Hollister, The Victoria Shopping Centre and Topshop/Topman and also just walked around soaking up sights in Belfast. It was really enjoyable. The audition took place in the Clayton Hotel and the BBC is across from it and we seen The Open University too. I also gently tipped a black cab just because for some mad reason I’ve always wanted to. It was still and no one was in it. It wasn’t flying along the road. Don’t worry! 🙂 We had tea and twirls on the train coming up and more tea on the way back. It was lovely just sitting chatting with our teas while all the scenery flashed by. We seen UTV through the window of the train. It was a wonderful day all-round. 🙂

Oh and my look for the audition was hippie/androgynous/rock. My hippie headband, my lads’ top, my black leggings and my black boots. Nail varnish – maroony purple colour, neutral eyeshadow (which was really bronzing powder), pale pink lipgloss and a light foundation. I put my make-up and headband on in the train on the way up and this lovely woman across from us said it was lovely to watch the transformation. People can be so nice sometimes. 🙂