The main event: Tom Nethersole at his first ever headline show.
Photo by
Ishani Photography
For a singer, a tingle in the back of your throat before a performance is the stuff of nightmares.
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Ardmona native Tom Nethersole was just days away from his first ever headline show in Melbourne.
He wasn’t just a featured act, or opening for another artist.
He was the main event.
Everyone that was going to be at the show, would be there for Tom.
“It was definitely more intimate because of that, it was pretty amazing to look out and see all my family and friends in the crowd,” he said.
“But it also brought a different kind of pressure.”
He was sick.
When he probably should’ve been resting, Tom was practising, running around like a headless chicken trying to make sure everything would go off without a hitch.
The show rolled around on Friday, January 19, and Tom was “foggy”.
But he got up on stage and performed.
“When I stepped off stage, I had absolutely no idea how it went,” Tom said.
“The whole thing was a blur, I was very in my head and still whoozy and sick.”
Watching the footage back, Tom was pleasantly surprised.
Humble beginnings: Tom Nethersole is from Ardmona, and had been in many Greater Shepparton theatre productions before launching his career as a music artist.
Photo by
Ishani Photography
“It actually went really well,” he said.
“I think more of it has come back to me since the show, and I’ve really reflected and just been so grateful.
“It was so special to have all these different people in the same room, friends and family from Shepparton, my new friends I’ve made in Melbourne, all coming together to support me and have fun and share in the different stories from my life.
“It was cool because I performed the different songs I created to express myself at the different stages of my life, and the people at the show were all there for different stages and points of that, so it was really amazing to share the full story with them and sort of take them on that journey.”
Tom felt although his illness hadn’t affected his performance, it had taught him valuable lessons about taking care of his body as an artist.
Beyond that, having opening acts and performing with other singers on the night had opened Tom’s eyes to the possibilities of collaboration and making music with other artists.
All in all, the night was “mind blowing” and “incredible”.
Tom will be performing as part of Victoria Pride in the street party on the Gertrude St stage in Fitzroy on Sunday, February 11, at 1pm.
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