Paul Potts blog messages

xcept · Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2008 11:33 pm Post subject: Paul Potts blog messages

March 2008

Vancouver

Hello again!

Well we arrived safe and sound in Vancouver. We had a good walk around it and it’s a wonderful city! You can see the Pacific Mountain range between the buildings. If only we had more time here to explore! The next day we made our way over to Victoria. On the trip across the sea, we spotted a distant Mount Baker, a dormant volcano totally covered in Snow, a beautiful looking mountain that dominates the US city of Seattle. The Macpherson Theatre was another wonderful intimate theatre. At the end of the concert I threw the roses into the crowd and managed to reach the balcony with one of them!

Julz is slowly but surely becoming addicted to French Toast, especially the banana variety! Not being a particular fan of bananas, I stuck to the plain variety. Yum! My last Canadian concert was in Calgary. The audience laughed out loud when I recounted the story that I had watched Eddie ’the eagle’ Edwards on the TV at the Calgary Winter Olympics in 1988. I was very relieved to find that the cold that I had been suffering from had completely gone, and not only that, the trapped nerve was no longer giving me problems. The Jack Singer Hall was a lovely place to perform in and I enjoyed my performance.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone in Canada for giving me such a wonderful welcome and reception. I hope to see you all again soon!

Source: Myspace

11.04.2008

Hello again,

We arrived back in the United States to go to Los Angeles to perform. Before it was time to perform we went to have a Burger at In and Out which we had heard very good things about. It was very very good, and the chips were advertised as cut on the premesis were very good indeed!

It was incredible to be performing in LA, and the Wiltern Theatre was a wonderful place to perform in. I enjoyed my performance there and the crowd were very noisy in their appreciation. It's really difficult to believe that this time last year, I was selling phones, and yet here I was at a sold out theatre in LA of all places. Julz and I met a lot of people after the show, including some of the guys from Paramount, plus we met some very committed fans. I enjoy meeting up with people after the show. It's good to get feedback and always good to thank people in person.

We had another trip on a tour bus after the show down to Phoenix, Arizona. Apparently there was a major accident on the Interstate 10, and we had to take to the desert road for a big part of the journey. Not that I noticed though, I slept through the whole thing - just like the blizzard in Canada! We arrived in Phoenix to a very dry heat. After a long rest, we made our way to Mesa, and the Ikeda Theatre. It was a wonerful place to perform, and Julz got one of her major craves of this part of the tour - her favourite take away – KFC! I really enjoyed my performance - my last in the US for a while. It was yet another wonderful theater, and yet another wonderful reception.

I've really enjoyed seeing more of the United States, and wherever I have gone the people have been welcoming and friendly. I never believed I would sing again before I did Britain's Got Talent, and here I was completing a tour of the US, a huge privilege for me. I would like to thank everyone in the US for giving me such enormous support, and to those who travelled hundreds of miles to see me, I love you for it!

We left from Phoenix to go to Mexico by plane. It was hot and dry in Phoenix, but in Mexico City you also have the altitude to deal with. I love Mexico though! When I was here in October I was given a very warm welcome - at a showcase where 500 were expected, 4,000 people turned up. Julz loves Mexico for its Tequila - last time we were here she put all the men to shame!

The performances were at Teatro Metropolitan, a former Cinema which was converted back to a theatre in 1996. I was a bit more than nervous about my lack of prowess in Spanish. I did try my hand though, although how good my spanish was, I don't know! Then the unthinkable happened - we had problems with the theatre's sound system, which left me a little nervous, but it was swiftly dealt with and I just sang through it. With the distances we have been covering, you can't carry a huge amount of equipment, so while the PA system went down I tried my best just to get on with it.

The audiences in the two shows - 3200 each night - were very passionate and enthusiastic and the Metropolitan was a truly wonderful place to perform. It had a similar feel to the Appollo in Hammersmith. I'd like to thank everyone in Mexico for supporting me, I'd certainly like to come back and see more of the country!

Los funcionamientos estaban en el Teatro Metropolitan, un cine anterior que fue convertido de nuevo a un teatro en 1996. Era un pedacito más que nervioso sobre mi carencia del valor en español. ¡Intenté mi mano sin embargo, aunque cómo es bueno era mi español, no sé! Entonces el increíble sucedido - teníamos problemas con el sistema de los sonidos del teatro, de el cual a la izquierda me un poco nervioso, pero él trataron rápidamente y acabo de cantar con él. Con las distancias hemos estado cubriendo, usted no puede llevar una cantidad enorme de equipo, así que mientras que fue el sistema del PA abajo acabo de intentar mi mejor para conseguir encendido con él. Las audiencias en las dos demostraciones - 3200 cada noche - eran muy apasionadas y entusiásticas y el metropolitano eran un lugar verdaderamente maravilloso a realizarse. Tenía una sensación similar al Appollo en Hammersmith. ¡Quisiera agradecer cada uno en México por apoyarme, quisiera ciertamente volverme y ver más del país!

Source: Myspace

xcept · Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 4:25 pm Post subject:

13.05.2008
Japan

We arrived on an overnight flight from Perth to the very busy city of Tokyo. This was our first visit to Tokyo and indeed to Japan. When I arrived, I had a press conference. I always find these quite nerve-wracking as you never know what people are going to ask you. I think it went pretty well, and from the room I could see Shibuya station, Tokyo's busiest railway station. I have never seen so many people cross a road at one time. Once I had finished at the press conference, I had the rest of the day free, so I took a walk around the city for a while, and crossed that very street.

There were electrical shops all over the place, and having a fascination for mobile phones Julz would say that I was in my element! There would have been little point buying one, however as they wouldn't work in Europe, but it was nice to have a look around.

Later in the evening we went to a traditional sushi bar for dinner. Julz was very apprehensive about this part as she was concerned that she wouldn't like it. Julz was very brave, and will try anything at least once, it's just that she can't disguise her face when she doesn't like something! She enjoyed the tuna, and tried as much as she could. I enjoyed my sushi and shaashimi, particularly the tuna, and the raw white fish with rice and wasabi. I quite like horseradish and wasabi tastes quite similar (in that if you eat a little too much, it makes your eyes water!).

The first performance in Tokyo, was something of a learning experience as I was working with an interpreter. She was very good and picked up what I was saying very quickly. The audiences were again very responsive. Ater the show, we went around to a tipenyake restaurant where the chef cooks on the table in front of you. I had been to one of these in Ottawa some years before with my Canadian friends, and there was here a huge range of different foods. Eating in Japan is very social and Julz and I really enjoyed ourselves.

The next morning I took a walk around the city and walked arounf the main park in the city centre of Tokyo: Yoyogi Park. It was very warm outside, and it was wonderful to find such a lovely park in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city. Tokyo has left me the impression of a city that has many contrasts. You have the very busy centre around Shibuya station, yet less than 2 miles away, there is the peace and quiet of a park. Julz and I would dearly like to return to Japan again and see more.

Source: OS

20.05.2008
Paul climbs Sydney Harbour Bridge!

Whilst out in Sydney, Paul made the most of his time off and climbed Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Paul says, ‘It was an awesome experience. By chance there were only two of us in the group going up. It was a rewarding experience, and there were some outstanding views.’

Source: OS

xcept · Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 8:48 am Post subject:

Notes from Korea

After a few sunny days in Japan, we left on a morning flight to go to Seoul, South Korea. Julz and I arrived at the airport and were met by a huge crowd at the airport including two very cute young children in national dress. After a brief chat with members of a fan club (it feels absoloutely strange that anyone should want to have a fan club for me, my thanks go to Hans and all the other members of the Korean Fan Club for their support) we left for a press conference. I was expecting a similar press conference to the one in Tokyo a few days before.

What I got, shook me! I walked in to the room to find more than 200 journalists. Then the cameras started. There were so many cameras pointed at me, that I could feel the heat of the flashes! As part of the press conference I agreed to be a patron for a charity combatting TB in North Korea. I was presented with a plaque and a national dress.

After the press conference, I had a performnace on a show called W. The last time I had worked with that programme we had been running down a corridor in Stockholm to make the stage in time at a Breast Cancer Charity Ball!

I had three performances in Seoul, and I enjoyed them all immensely. The reaction I received at all three was the loudest on the whole tour. I couldn't even hear the 60 piece orchestra behind me for the cheers! The concerts were some of the most enjoyable so far. I've always been very keen to see as many people as possible after a show. There were over 200 people at the back door after!

After 4 days in Seoul, we flew down to Busan which is a lovely seaside city. The scenery was stunning and we really enjoyed our time in Busan. It was very warm here and both Julz and I got a nice tan while we walked along the beach. It was another fantastic reaction at the concert in Busan. I also discovered that my recording of Nessun Dorma was used for a couple of adverts for skyscapers in Busan. It's really cool, but still quite suprising that people want to use my singing as a backdop for selling a product.

We really enjoyed our time in Korea, we would both really like to return here again. Busan was particularly beautiful. I would like to thank the people of Korea for all their support and for being such an enthusiastic audience!

03/06/08
Source: OS

xcept · Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 2:52 pm Post subject:

End of the Tour

Hi everyone,

After the Far Eastern journey, it was time to start the Scandinavian leg of my world tour. I started off in Denmark with the first five of ten concerts in the country. I was astounded when I was told that my album had actually been the highest selling album of the whole year in Denmark. For that, I'd like to thank everyone in Denmark for supporting me. We started off in Copenhagen, of which I had fond memories of my first visit. In September last year, I was told that in a 2 song live performance, I should expect a crowd of around 1,000 people. I was flabbergasted when I walked out on stage in front of about 20,000 people! The police said that they had the biggest crowd since Denmark won the European Championship in 1992.

I took quite a few walks through Copenhagen in stunning weather. The areas close to the castle and palaces are truly stunning. I found the audiences in Denmark incredibly supportive and appreciative. At the start of the tour in North Wales, I was dreading the talking part of the show as I thought I would be stuck and nervous as to what to say, especially in places outside the UK. English is spoken very very well in Scandinavia and this was proved to be true. Quite a fw of the concerts were outdoors, and one or two of them were pretty chilly. I had the pleasure of welcoming Natasha Marsh back on the road with me, we had great fun working together again in Scandinavia, especially as we had some very long journies on the tour bus from place to place. We saw some wonderful cities and had glorious weather. Stockholm I have always loved, plenty of nice streets to walk in. Malmo, Gothenberg, and Oslo were all fantastic places to visit.

Part way through the Scandivian tour, I performed on the final of Holland's Got Talent in Amsterdam. It brought back to me the time last year when I was waiting to go on stage to perform in the final of Britain's Got Talent.

Although I was feeling quite nervous because of the sense of de ja vu, but then I just really enjoyed my perfomance.

Before too long I was back in Amsterdam performing at the Music Hall, for my final two concerts of this part of the tour. I got another reminder of the past though, waking up in agony as my left shoulder, which had been injured in the accident on my bicyle 5 years ago had completely frozen up. Although it hurt even to breathe (and it hurt a lot!) I had made it through 77 concerts in 145 days without a cancellation and I was determined to finish the tour with a 100% attendance. The Dutch audience, as ever were very friendly and appreciative, even though on the 9th I was keeping them away from watching their home team beat Italy 3 - 0 in the European Championship!

I have really enjoyed the tour and it has been fantastic performing music that I love in front of over 200,000 people on this tour alone. It's been fantastic having 200,000 friends supporting me in person. I'd also like to thank everyone that has left messages of support here on the website and elsewhere. I do read them, and really appreciate it! Thank you! Thank you also to a few more fantastic people without whom this tour would have been impossible. Thank you to my wife, Julz (of course!), Jake and my management team, my conductor, Mark Agnor, Musical Director and my Pianist, Chris Taylor (and voiceover artist extraordinaire!) and of course everyone who came to the show. THANK YOU!!!

Now I have a few days rest, and then I am off to LA to record my next album....

See you all soon!

Source: OS