Katrina
Welcome to my final Fuzzable blog of 2017! It’s hard to believe how quickly 2017 has flown by, however, at times it’s also felt like it’s lasted around ten years because so much has happened.
On a whole, this year has been pretty good to me. As usual, there have been bad times but as I want to end my last blog of 2017 on a high, we’ll skip past the negativity. Instead, I want to focus on some of the amazing, memorable and downright unbelievable things that have happened to me this year.
Travelling
This year, I have been fortunate enough to travel across the UK and Europe, quite possibly squeezing in more things than I’ve ever done before. Thanks to my love of music, shows and travelling in general, I’ve visited Dublin, Warsaw, Barcelona, Lublin, Lodz, Gdansk, and Paris. I’ve also visited London and Cardiff several times, Liverpool, Birmingham, Burton Upon Trent, Shrewsbury, Weston Super Mare, Bath and Glasgow.
I love that my passion for music has allowed me to travel the country and beyond, but I’ve also come to realise how much I just enjoy travelling and visiting new places in general. I’m beyond excited to continue my travels next year because of music, but also to go on holiday and explore New York and Los Angeles – life goals!
Crossing the first goal off my 30 before 30 list
After I turned 26 in September, I created my 30 before 30 list. It’s pretty self-explanatory – I’ve rounded up 30 goals that I would like to achieve before I turn the dreaded big 3-0. In November, I crossed the first goal off my list, meeting Marie in Disneyland Paris.
It’s no secret that Marie is my all-time favourite Disney character, and historically she only appears at the park for regular meet and greets at the end of the year. A few weeks ago, I thought I was going away for a few days to have a chilled weekend in London. However, when I arrived, I was told that I was actually going to Disneyland Paris instead! I shared some happy tears and the first thing we did once we arrived at the park was go and find Marie.
I got to meet Marie twice during our visit, and the meet and greets were hilarious. From stealing my phone (complete with a Marie phone case) and trying to place it as a decoration on the Christmas tree, to chasing after my friend David, it was genuinely the best character meet I could have hoped for. I already want to go back, not only for Marie but because Disney is without doubt the most magical place on earth.
Black Rainbow PR
My friend David is an up-and-coming singer-songwriter who released the video for his single ‘Where Do We Go From Here’ back in March. I really wanted to help to promote him, so I joined forces with my mum to set up Black Rainbow PR. Having been on the receiving end of PR emails thanks to CelebMix, I felt as if I had some knowledge of how to go about things.
We’ve since built up some great connections with PR teams across the world, and set up global coverage for David. We also secured his first radio airplay in the UK, Canada and Australia. As much as Black Rainbow PR is a side project, purely in order to promote an incredible singer-songwriter with huge potential, as a writer it’s been interesting to see things from a different perspective. We’ve also got some great things lined up for 2018, including David’s The Confessions Tour.
Theatre almost taking over concerts
This year, I feel as if the theatre has been incredibly dominant in my life. Whilst I’ve continued to go to concerts (and I highly doubt I’ll ever stop), it’s been such a joy going to see theatre shows across the country too.
In January, I went to Dublin to see Jay McGuiness in Big the Musical. If ever there was anybody made to play the role of Josh Baskin, it’s Jay. The show was absolutely phenomenal, with an earworm soundtrack to match. I pray that it will eventually get the glory it deserves by reaching the West End. I also saw Jay in Rip It Up, a 50’s dance show spectacular featuring former Strictly Come Dancing professional Natalie Lowe, and celebrity winner Louis Smith. The show had such a feel good factor that I ended up seeing it three times!
Speaking about former members of The Wanted, I also went to see Grease the Musical, starring Tom Parker as Danny Zuko. I love Tom to bits, but I can’t deny that I was a little concerned about how he would pull off playing an American, considering he usually has a strong Bolton accent. However, he was amazing. He truly gave the role his all and completely pulled it off!
Back in January, I went to see the opening night of The Girls in the West End. I’ve never cried and laughed so much in one evening – the show was so moving, it completely blew me away. Last but not least, in October I finally got round to seeing Matilda. Everyone told me beforehand that it was a spectacle, but you can never fully prepare yourself for the magic that you witness. I was in complete awe over the fabulous cast, the music and how they managed to pull off certain scenes. It’s a show you MUST put on your bucket list if you’ve yet to see it!
CelebMix
Nothing tops off my 2017 quite as much as the experiences I’ve had with CelebMix. At the end of May, I was invited to my first press event on behalf of the site, which was Camila Cabello’s album playback party in London. I had the opportunity to hear a few songs (including ‘Havana’ and ‘Never Be The Same’), as well as meet the lovely lady herself.
I also had the chance to do press at Film & Comic Con (FCCC) and HelloWorld. FCCC was very chilled but a great experience. I had the chance to interview Staz Nair which was both awkward and fun, considering that I’ve actually known him for over five years as I was a fan of his when he was in the X Factor band Times Red.
HelloWorld, on the other hand, was a manic but thrilling experience. It allowed me to push myself in terms of confidence and it was also a great learning curve. During the day, I got to interview the likes of Rose and Rosie, Niki & Sammy, Saffron Barker, Marcus Butler, New Hope Club and many more.
I’ve done a lot of interviews this year, by email, phone and face to face, but the most ridiculous experience I’ve had during 2017 is interviewing Demi Lovato. When I received an email asking if I was interested, I genuinely thought it had been sent in error and up until I was called, I was convinced it would fall through. Getting the chance to interview someone you respect and have been a fan of for years is one thing, but when it’s someone of her stature, it’s just a dream come true. Looking back, I know I could have done a better job but the experience taught me a lot and I’m proud of myself for even getting to that point.
Sometimes I have to truly pinch myself that these things happen to me. Working as a charity shop manager by day, I often feel like I’m living a Hannah Montana life. It’s bizarre but I’m completely thankful for every opportunity I’ve had this year. I can’t wait to continue pushing myself next year, with the aim of being able to actually write for a living.
Like I mentioned at the beginning, 2017 hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows, but the good has most definitely outweighed the bad. If 2018 can be half as good, then it will be very special indeed!
That’s all for my last Fuzzable blog of the year! If you fancy reading the rest, take a look at my 2017 blogs below.
January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November
See you in 2018! X
