Did you miss me? I know I’ve certainly missed writing my ramblings down to our online audience. The blogs are back, normal service has resumed and order has been restored. And what better way to welcome you back than with the latest installment of our ‘A Day In The Life’ series with Vicky, our ever so talented Creative Director. Vicky is basically superwoman; creative director of a busy and successful entertainment agency, performer-extraordinaire in multiple tribute acts, mum to the lovely Luna and wife to the wolf of Lingard Street Jay (if you’ve read his A Day In The Life blog, you’ll get the reference – and if not, maybe you should…). So without further ado, Vicky… take it away…
No day is ever fully the same, but it will always start off the same with a wake up call from our 2 year old girl, Luna, and very big (very strong) cup of coffee. During the week, Jay and I will schedule our shifts so that we get plenty of “Luna Time”, as well as plenty of admin/production time for the company.
As I’ve said no 2 days are ever the same as I handle production, admin, performing and everything in between. So lets start off with a typical “production day”. This would entail getting all set in our lovely recording studio and tackling what ever production tasks are on the list. This could be anything from finding concert styled tracks to replicate with our wonderful MD Darren, creating BVs to incorporate into tracks, or creating vocal guides for one of our many managed acts / shows to go. With the vocal guides, I will sing every single individual line and create harmonies as I go. Starting off with the tune and playing around with harmonies to have the signature “Vicky Vibe” to the vocal arrangements. I think what makes us different is that I won’t just stick to the 3rd and the 5th above (musical term for harmonies) – I’ll create vocals that aren’t mechanical, adding a bit more “heart” to the sound and not just the obvious.
If all of my production work has been tackled for now. I may tackle a day of admin and boy is there a lot (!!!!) to get through; especially approaching the summer season.
Admin can be anything from setting up “Slack” groups (I’ll let Otti explain this app haha), contracting our performers, basing clients for more official arrival and stage times to past onto the cast, liaising with agents and entertainment managers, dealing with incoming enquiries through my emails and sorting through social media messages.
A lot of my admin time is spent liaising with Otti and setting up tasks for her to do in the week, so when she thinks it’s all been done… bam here’s some more – sorry Otti!!! She must hate me on a Monday morning.
**For the record Vicky, I don’t!!
These are my typical week days at work. But then… there’s the weekend! Gig time!
So again the mornings start the same, I have a little play with Luna and make sure she’s fed and has a bath and for me … COFFEE – I will admit my life is sponsored by caffeine and I’m a bit of a coffee snob. I can’t do instant, so my Nespresso and cafetière get a lot of good use. Then, depending on the location of the gig, I’ll have a few hours of family time and soon enough, it’s time to hit the road.
Journeys tend to consist of 2-4 hours of traveling (on the odd occasions more) or if you’re luck you might be “local” and for us performers that means anything under 2 hours.
To the average muggle, (a term by performers that we use for a non performer – I’ve let you in to an industry secret, you’re welcome) what we do seems ludicrous! But we wouldn’t have it any other way!
When we arrive at a venue we would then do a little soundcheck, start getting ready, if we have some time (which is often a luxury) maybe get some food, and then it’s showtime!
Stage timings can be anything from 1x45mins, 1x60mins or 2x45mins – it depends on the client really. Then it’s pack, cool down and pack down and then straight back on the road home. If it makes logistical sense to stay over then we will, but majority of the time we all like to get back to our own bed. A gig day from start to finish can be anything up to 14-16hours, so make sure you give appreciation to anyone you know in the gigging world because you may think they are “just doing 45mins?” But the majority of their work is travelling and if you have to contend with the M1, M6 or M25 on a weekly basis, you’d be bald from the hair you would be pulling out because I’ve yet to have a clear drive even at 2 am!! (Roadworks, junctions shut, lanes down to 1 and so on…)
So there you have it a sort of typical “day in a life”! No day is ever the same, the grafting is real!
And most importantly I’m always trying to get a balance in life because running your own business will take take take and your “to-do” list will NEVER be finished. Luna is very important to me so I make our time together very special and if that means getting up at 7am on a gig day and taking her to soft play or swimming before I leave I will. One day a week, we like to have a full family day with the three of us and “TRY” not to work, though this sometimes does have to sneak in for an hour or 2 for one of us; but we try and take the opportunity during Luna’s nap time so we are always present.
So like I said folks, Vicky is basically superwoman, but I’d have to argue – better! I feel like my life is busy, but Vicky blows me out of the water every time and I’m just amazed at what she does. Also for those of you who don’t know what ‘Slack groups’ are, I can assure you that a google search will not get you in trouble with your significant other. Slack is a messaging program designed specifically for the workplace – which, in my ever so humble (and totally correct) opinion, is far superior to Microsoft Teams! So that’s it for the latest ‘A Day In The Life Blog’ but I’ll be back next time with a slightly different blog episode in the series, so stay tuned.
Ciao for now, Otti x
WeAreValcato.
