Grace Carter at Koko: My Performance Experience
The opportunity to perform with Grace Carter was introduced to the Flames Collective, with nine of us getting the chance to perform alongside the artist at her KOKO gig. This was a bit different to our usual gigs – this time, we had to arrange the harmonies given to us ourselves, without the assistance of our vocal arranger (and MD), Andy Gilbert. While it was nerve-wracking, it was also super empowering for us to take this on as more of an independent project for the group.
We had rehearsals a week before the show, and meeting Grace herself was a total highlight. She’s very down to earth and lovely, humble and great to be around. Meeting and working with her only fuelled our excitement for the performance, where we’d be joining her for two songs, ‘Riot’ and ‘Heal Me’.
On the day of the show, we arrived at KOKO for 3pm. Walking in, you instantly feel the vibes – it’s got this energy that can get anyone in the mood for a great time. KOKO has that perfect mix of history and modern charm, a very well-known venue in London, a lot of very inspirational artists have performed there over the years.
We spent time rehearsing in the dressing room, making sure our harmonies were on point and getting ourselves pumped up for the performance. We managed to get a lot of behind-the-scenes content for Flames’ social media!
Before we stepped on to the stage, we had the pleasure of watching some incredible opening acts, which only added to the excitement. Shout out to Ruti – you’ve got some new fans here!
Then came our moment to shine! Stepping onto that stage with Grace was unreal, as soon as the music started, all the nerves went away.
The crowd’s reaction was everything we had hoped for, and we couldn’t have been happier with how it all went down.
Altogether it was truly an inspiring experience. Despite the pressure, we were all surprised at how well we performed as group. Our hard work and dedication as a Collective paid off and it was a very proud accomplishment for Flames.
Words: James Patrick
