“Something warm and comfortable” I replied when someone asked me what I was wearing to the Exposure Music Awards. The awards show is in mid-October. There is no way I’m walking around England… half-dressed, trying to look sexy, when in reality I’m freezing and probably wet from the cold, drizzly rain!
When you’re nomiated for an award, the least you can do is treat yourself well. I think it’s important to feel physically comfortable in the clothes that you’re wearing because it’s highly likely someone will be staring at you whether your name is called or not when the prize winner is announced.
YOUR FACE: I’ve been working on my ‘ah isn’t is lovely, so honoured to be nominated…really happy for him/her’ facial expression. This is a very important thing to ‘WEAR’… a pleasant facial expression. It just won’t do to be seen scowling, or crying (unless you win) or generally stroppy.
YOUR FEET: Shoes should be something you can actually walk in free from pain, because foot pain is visible in the unhappy, pinched lines of the face.
YOUR OUTFIT: Now I’m certain there are professionals in the ‘dress for success’ trade that may disagree with me…as a musician I don’t claim to know the first thing about designer fads or trends. But I can tell you this. If you’re a nominee… or even a guest of honour at an event, it’s best to make sure you’re wearing something you can sit down in without exposing your bits, splitting your seams or constantly at risk of having your top bits pop out at a poorly timed moment.
YOUR ATTITUDE: Also, as a singer…you need to be healthy for your next gig so keep that throat warm and come say ‘hi’ to the other nominees because we’ll all be meeting up on the road sooner or later…the awards show is a chance to meet the other equally talented, determined and crazy people like yourself.
Be nice to everybody…you might have a chance to tour with them or get a paying gig singing/playing backup on one of their tracks…or you might work with someone THEY know that will help you get a huge hit record! So ‘wear’ a genuine smile as and when you can…be happy you were nominated because it IS an honour…sooner or later your name or my name will be called. Well enough positive affirmation…just keep it real…it’s okay to feel disappointed…that’s being human…smile anyway because it’s someone’s big day and it’s not appropriate for you to go all Kanyé on it.
BIO: Rhonda Merrick wrote songs everyday in 2011 under the ‘RhondasSongs’ banner. She decided to represent a years work with just one song, instead of an album. The song is number 205, ‘27 Club’ it was written when Amy Winehouse died and Rhonda looked up the term on wiki. She was deeply saddened at the sheer range of talent in that club…sat down, turned on the webcam and recording equipment and wrote ‘27 Club’. The man she knew as Uncle Charles was known to the world as ‘Rockie’ Charles Merrick, ‘New Orleans President of Soul’. She grew up listening to him and her daddy singing and playing the Blues with their friends and those early musical influences can be heard in her songs. These days she lives in the London commuterbelt.