This blog is written by Mary-Jess. British soprano, winner of the Chinese ‘X Factor’, official Downton Abbey Songstress and representative of British music in 144 countries as part of the UK Government’s GREAT Britain campaign.
The G4 tour starts tomorrow!! YAY!!!
I can't tell you how excited I am, I really love these guys and when you can live on a 16 bunk tour bus with 14 people for a month and still get on like a house on fire you know you're in good company!
Their career started in a similar way to mine...
They shot to fame on the first series of ITV's The X Factor in 2004, where they pioneered the world of popular opera. Their cover of Bohemian Rhapsody became their signature tune, storming the charts in 2005. Their eponymous début album went straight to No.1, selling more than 245,000 in the first week, making it the fastest-selling album of the year.
In 2007, after three albums, over 2 million album sales, five sell-out tours with performances in many of the UK's iconic venues, a “Live at The Royal Albert Hall” DVD and collaborations with Lesley Garrett, Robin Gibb, Stephen Gately and Sir Cliff Richard, the band decided to disband to follow individual interests.
Thankfully, on 17th November 2014, G4 reunited at London's Barbican Centre to celebrate their 10th anniversary since appearing on The X Factor, and now due to unprecedented demand, the band are now enjoying a huge resurgence. Since their reunion, G4 have performed over 140 headline shows in the UK and have over 60 shows planned in 2018 alone.
That's a lot of shows! I just can't wait to be a part of this tour, I mean, just look at the fun we had last year:
Would you like your backstage pass?
And now we get to do it all over again! Yay!! Another thing I really loved about the tour, was doing my 'virtual backstage passes' for you all. So these were live videos on my Facebook page where I would show you the backstage area and sometimes side of stage if I could, and show you what you'd normally only be able to see if you had an AAA pass. These were so much fun so I'll definitely be doing those again! You can also see them on my YouTube channel, so make sure you like my Facebook page and subscribe to my YouTube channel so that I can give you your 'virtual backstage pass'! Here are a few examples from last year:
Join Mary-Jess as she gives you a sneak peek in to the end of G4's incredible Live in Concert tour date in Clacton - for free! No ticket necessary!
A Day in the Life - Touring with G4. My First Documentary!
During last years tour in September, quite a few people were asking more about what happens behind the scenes, and what the G4 boys were like off the stage, so I decided to film, edit and direct my very first documentary! It's called 'A Day in the Life - Touring with G4' and I felt so proud of it! Here it is - I'd love to know your thoughts!
Ever wondered what it's like to be on tour? Well welcome to my very first mini documentary: A Day in the Life: Touring with G4! I joined the Kings of Popera on their UK tours in March and September, so come along and join me as I give you an AAA back stage pass, show you behind the scenes, and reveal all the never-seen-before antics of life on the road!
G4 and their fans...
So as you can see, these guys are GREAT fun, but not only that, their fans are the sweetest, most generous and lovely people, and the boys know it. They are always saying how grateful they are for their fans and how much they appreciate their support. When I talk to the young artists that I'm working with I always tell them how important it is to show your fans that you appreciate them, and I use G4 as a great example of that.
Supporting Young Talent...
They've also been really helpful and encouraging with my forthcoming album, the vision of which is to help young artists create, maintain and develop their foothold in this difficult industry (you can read more about the campaign here on PledgeMusic), because they support young talent too. They created the G4 Young Voices initiative to help share their passion for music with children all over the UK, and they also set up their 'G4 Christmas Star' search (see the picture on the right) to give the stage to a young talented singer for the first verse of 'Once in Royal David's City' at their Christmas concerts, giving them a huge opportunity to sing in front of a wonderful crowd and to grow their career and their confidence.
As you've probably guessed, I think the world of G4.
They are kind, funny, talented people who are truly grateful for their fans and for their success. If that's not a great reason to come and see their amazing shows, I don't know what is! Some venues are nearly sold out, but if you're quick you should still be able to get tickets. Don't miss out! Get your tickets here.
Thank you for reading! Please do let me know your thoughts by commenting below, and I'll look forward to seeing you on tour!
Shine on,
Mary-Jess
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