First things first, kids. I’m not a musician. I make no claims to that whatsoever. All I can do is play basic piano. I am currently in between piano teachers and I haven’t had lessons for about a year. Before that I played for three years and performed at three recitals. Me, a bunch of 5-10 year olds and their parents.

I suffer crippling performance anxiety so those recitals were pretty torturous, but the opportunity to play on a grand piano was enough of an incentive to give it a go. I survived the public performance, but I like to just play for myself.

I also played from age 5-9. Unfortunately, my family moved to a new area and – in between my myriad of extra-curricular activities – my parents (despite my keenness) didn’t find me a replacement piano teacher. I am certain that, if I maintained my piano playing, I would’ve been a rock star by now. However, my parents recently informed me that I have to stop blaming them for my failed rock dreams and get over it. Yeah OK. Fair enough.

I hope to get back to the piano again sometime soon.

Mostly, I am a shameless music groupie. Well, I would be a groupie if I wasn’t so shy. I think groupies actually talk to the bands and stuff like that. I’ve heard some even have sex with them. That kind of stuff doesn’t happen to me. However, I’m getting better at saying thank you to them. I even told the boys from Buick Six last year, after their set at Rics Cafe, that they were ‘great’ and that ‘I really needed that’. That was a major breakthrough for me.

I love live music. I love how sometimes it’s shit and sometimes it’s magical. I don’t even care if it’s shit or magical, I love that the band has gone out and given it a red hot go. That said, I won’t stay and listen to music that I don’t like and sometimes I’ll prefer chatting with my friends than giving a band my full and complete attention, but – if it’s an amazing band – I’ll be fully focused on the music. Sometimes I’ll stand there just watching, but not in a bored indie way. There’ll always be a foot tapping, a head nodding, a smile, lots of fidgeting and annoying my friends. Sometimes I’ll dance if the music inspires me (e.g. Buick Six).

Musicians need groupies (even the quiet ones). They need fans. That is my role in the music industry.

That – and organisating the occasional benefit gig.