Words fail me as to just how fantastic the Carshalton Fireworks were last Saturday night….
I was genuinely nervous beforehand when I arrived 3 hours before, for the briefing and I think I underestimated just how big this event is. I was told 13,000 people would be expected shortly beforehand which didn’t curb the nerves!! What the hell?! This would be the biggest crowd I’d have presented to at an Event thus far in my career and in spite of torrential downpours and a huge gust of wind that knocked down one of the sound towers (thankfully no-one was hurt), the people flooded in regardless!
But wow, 9, 000 very happy people danced with the umbrellas to our music as we warmed up the crowd, the children held and waved their plastic fluorescent lights and shook them on command which was an amazing sight from the stage. One of the best highlights was reuniting with my radio wife Nicole Carberry who I hadn’t seen since our last ever show together in June 2013 and most of the Radio St Helier family were also present helping out as Stewards. I’m particularly grateful to them for asking me to come back to host this wonderful occasion which they hadn’t done in 5 years.
Not to put to fine a point on it but I proved two things that night…1) In spite of being cold and drenched, my time keeping and signalling thanks to the amazing Pyrotechnic team worked together to start the fireworks at the stroke of 7pm timed perfectly to a variety of great songs past and present: Dan Hartman’s classic ‘Relight My Fire’, MPeople’s ‘Moving On Up’ and Oliver van Helden’s ‘Gecko’ to name but a few, and 2) I can count backwards from 5,4,3,2,1 without making a mistake, kicking off the amazing light show!!
27 minutes of the greatest 1000+ fireworks….swiftly followed by Europe’s biggest bonfire made out 10,000 wooden pallets and one slightly camp Guy stood on the top, what can I say?? Probably my gig of the year and I’m very grateful to be asked and they’ve signed me up for 2015, so I’ll be back?!
Thank you Carshalton!!!
Ebsy xxx