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Tuesday 23rd January 2007
My Day at the Newcastle Auditions (by BBFans member RobertLLB)
Did it matter whether you got through or, like some of us, missed out?
I suppose it makes a difference, but the overnight vigil at St. James' Park was an experience in itself.
The first person arrived at midnight, on a below freezing, wind blasted night in Newcastle. Conditions were harsh, beyond harsh, even people with several layers were finding themseleves unable to feel their extremities. It was just too much for the first lady there, who left, storm battered, at ten to eight.
The next two people had travelled by train from Darlington to get there at 12.30am. They were followed at kicking out time by some of the local lads, a little worse for alcohol, and a bit keen on fisty cuffs.
About quarter to three I arrived, but was parked in entirely the wrong location and took half an hour to work it out. About the same time three local west end lads also arrived, one of whom had been mucking about with a knife, whilst drunk, and had a deep cut on his hand.
By ten past three there were people who had arrived from Manchester, only the first of many who didn't seem to come from the north east at all. Apparently the idea is you keep auditioning in different parts of the country until you get it right. Since you're only supposed to be yourself, how can that work?
Anyway by 3.20 it became evident that, as well as not knowing where to be intially, I had also forgot my photo ID, as had the two people from Darlington. So we decided to have a round trip to our houses and get the IDs (This probably saved us as waiting outside was horrendous).
Getting back at 5am the queue hadn't grown much. The lads who had arrived drunk at about 1 am had gone home, or fell asleep in some boxes.
The three west end lads had been play fighting which had opened the cut on the gentleman who had been playing with knives; the gentleman himself had a bag full of alcoholic beveridges in the interim and was totally plastered.
He enquired as to whether I was laughing at him and looking for a fight. I hadn't laughed at him, I was quite concerned; when I was younger and got that drunk I'd usually wake up outside and very cold. On this night he may freeze to death, and the area was surrounded by busy roads. His friend spoke to him, and they went back to patterns of play fighting, followed by the drunk lad falling over a bit. By ten to eight it was obvious he'd opened quite a deep wound, and wouldn't be auditioning. He couldn't really go home on his own, so I drove him home with his mate there to make sure he didn't get beligerant again. We left him at his mam's doorstep, by now bleeding quite heavily. His mam is probably still sorting him out.
We got back by eight thirty, and there was still only about two hundred people there. But people start coming in greater numbers after that. More movement occurs around the doors going in and out, and some of the people outside start performing (some are frozen stiff after a very cold night.) We have the really over enthusiasitc showtunes and many want to be the person leading the song.
There were people from all over the world. The number of people from outside the north east certainly challenged the number of locals. Many of the first hundred or so people had braved the kind of conditions you would be criminally charged with leaving a dog out in. Many of the ones who had been there longer were in no position to perform.
Then, after the local press have taken their pics and asked people just how long they've been out, the doors open at ten past nine. And it's in and out in no time for people who've waited all night. Some will have had all day, it's a staged process. Difficult to see how anyone could survive the night and the day.
The numbers are flooding in, there must be thousands amongst them. All wanting the dream, all wanting to take a chance. In an area with little employment prospects there will always be people looking to the stars.
The only thing I will comment upon is this moving from area to area for auditions. Surely they are supposed to mean people from all areas get a chance, not some people get several chances.
I enjoyed my morning. I'm glad I forgot my photo ID I was barely able to walk when I got in anyway; if I stood in the wind the whole time I would have been totally immobile. I'm also glad that the characters were there. The three lads from the west end of newcastle were actually nice lads deep down, as most people can be given the chance.
It was a shame the lad and lass from darlington didn't get more of a hearing. Eight hours waiting, ten minutes to make an impression. I suppose that will always be the case when numbers are huge, and people are desperate to get a break.
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