Wowing audiences at their debut headline show, ‘A Gospel Christmas’, Flames Collective member, Emre (who was also celebrating his 18th birthday), takes us behind the scenes at the Barbican Centre to witness this incredible feat…
My name is Emre and I’m a singer-songwriter & member of the Flames Collective. The past year has been beyond incredible for us as a group. Having recently performed at the MTV EMA’s with RAYE, we’ve been excited and eager to get back on the stage.
The opportunity to put on our very first headlining show at the Barbican Centre was a dream come true. Being supported by special guests: Sasha Keable, Ruti and Debbie and having the concert hosted by Capital Xtra Breakfast’s Robert Bruce made the night that much more special.
We’ve been working towards the creation of ‘A Gospel Christmas’ for many months now. I remember Andy Gilbert, our Musical Director, asking us back in early Summer which festive and gospel songs we’d like to perform in the show. It was pretty funny brainstorming songs about snow and Santa when we were clearly nowhere near that point seasonally. We’d spend weeks together curating the show that we hoped would present all that we’ve worked for, and all that we hope to become.
Picking out our parts and playing through the songs with Andy is always fun. Held at Talent House, home of UD, many hours would be put into running the set list and working on our ‘Gospel Christmas‘. Being able to learn and grow together is easily my favourite part of Flames. It’s those kinds of friendships that’ll last you for months, years and maybe even a lifetime.
On the day of the show, we arrived early to the venue. After getting settled in my dressing room, I went out to the stage and took in how many seats were out there waiting to be filled. It was incredible to think that nearly 2,000 people could fill the Barbican to watch us perform.
We got started on sound-checks, running different songs back to back. Working with Sasha Keable, Ruti and Debbie was amazing too – we felt blessed to have shared the stage with them. All were lovely to meet and are such talented musicians.
Hanging out backstage in our room with the rest of Flames was fun as per usual. Everyone was singing and getting ready for the next few hours ahead. You could tell that there were nerves, but ultimately, we were ready to show everything we’d worked for. I spent a lot of time at the piano that was in the room backstage too. I loved playing and singing with my friends, it definitely helped ease some nerves too.
I had my in-ear monitors positioned and the time came for us to get on stage for the first half of the show. We were buzzing backstage and the anticipation was immense. We’d finally gotten on the stage and the show was ready to start!
The night went incredibly – I really feel that it went above and beyond our hopes and aspirations. My favourite part of the show was performing our Flames rendition of ‘Best of My Love’ by The Emotions. We had only been a few songs into the gig and everyone started standing up, dancing and clapping. It was an amazing feeling, having over a thousand people connected to you like that – all through our love for music.
Whilst host Robert Bruce introduced a few of our later songs, he quoted something that our MD, Andy, had said in an article about Flames Collective. He had said that “Flames is like a football team: not everyone is always on the pitch but everyone gets their moment.” I really felt that as we came to the closing numbers of the night. I couldn’t tell you how proud I was of all of my friends from Flames who performed solos, it was that togetherness that made the show as incredible as it was.
After we closed, we debriefed backstage together. You could tell how happy and proud everyone was; it was the best feeling, knowing that all of our work over the last few months had paid off through this night. I can’t wait to see what the new year holds for us.
And thanks to everyone who came to sing, dance and raise the roof… Until next time!
Words: Emre. Writing music since the age of 11, Emre is a singer-songwriter that blends pop ballad, indie and jazz influence. His sound draws inspiration from the likes of Rex Orange County and Matt Maltese & Emre looks forward to further sharing his artistry. Follow him on Instagram HERE. flamescollective.com
Photography: Ollie Dixon www.olliedixon.com
