Ocean Eyes

Chapter 1

{{QUICK NOTE: Aisling is pronounced ASH-LIN - the G is silent! Hope you enjoy}}

I'd never played a festival before.

I'd been to them though, obviously. Every year I'd scour the line-ups from previous events, trying to guess which ones were going to be the best of the summer. The big names. The smaller names. The upcoming underground superstars. I loved festivals.

I worked at them as well. Volunteering was the best way of getting into these things for free, you only had to do a bit of ground work.

I'd never played a festival before, though. I'd never been to such a large event on my own. I mostly wrote songs in my bedroom, playing the odd show in dingy dive bars up and down the North of England. Now here I was. 21 years old, standing at a rather measly 5'2": I was terrified. The moment I stepped through those gates in a field in the middle of the Dales, I immediately regretted becoming a solo artist. At least if I had a band, we could be intimidated together.

Looking out over the vast sea of skinny jeans and plastic beer cups, I reassure myself that there's a first time for everything, that I should let the fear drive me to branch out and have a good time.
Guitar case at my side, I faux-confidently stride over to the 'Artists and Press' table at the ticket inspection area. A very bubbly guy with a very greasy beard jumps up from his seat behind the table when he sees me approaching,
"Hi there! Welcome to Nightshade Fest! Are you an artist or press?"
"Hiya, I'm uh.. artist."
He sits down and starts typing into his laptop.
"Okedoke, what's your name?"
"Aisling."
He looks up at me expectantly, after a long second or two, I laugh,
"OH! Blake. Aisling Blake."
He chuckles and types it out, peers at the screen,
"Could you uh... spell that for me?"
"A-I-S-L-I-N-G"
He crosses my name from a list on a piece of paper. Placing an 'Access All Areas' band on my wrist, he chirps,
"Have a good time!"
"Thank you." I echo his tone, smiling.

The encounter leaves me feeling a little better about things. At festivals, it's a mixed bag, but one thing you can always count on is friendly faces.

All around me, there is so much going on. I can hear music coming from the stages in the distance. People are everywhere; laughing, singing, running, dancing.
Two hula hoopers spinning light-up hoops around themselves, 4 or 5 at a time.
Children blowing bubbles outside a workshop tent from which the heavenly smell of baked goods and roasted meat drifts.
A group of women all dressed as different super heroes strolling past, arguing about how "Dita ALWAYS gets to be Thor. It's not fair!".
It's an overwhelming experience to the senses. Constant waves of noise and sights and smells wash over me as I stand, taking it all in.

A young girl in a 'Nightshade Festival' t-shirt approaches and hands me an official festival map and time guide, saying,
"You look like you need this, dude."
I laugh and accept the small booklet, thanking her.

50 yards away there's a small makeshift tearoom, I wander over and take a pillow seat at one of the ground-level, Moroccan-style tables, resting my guitar against it.

Flicking through the festival guide, I realise I haven't yet had the chance to look at the full line-up. I quickly turn to the timetable page and eagerly search through the day's acts.
"Oh my god!" I think to myself, "How in the hell did I get to play here?!"

There are some SERIOUSLY popular names on the list. Mac Demarco, Stealing Sheep, The Vaccines, Peace...even UMO! I can't believe I'd let it skip my mind to check it out. Now I was even more nervous about playing, knowing I'd be warming up audiences for some of the biggest names on the alternative market.

"Thank goodness I'm only on a small stage." I think, "Nobody will notice or care too much."

I put the booklet down and look at my watch. 4:37pm. Hm, what is there to do on a Friday night at a festival? On your own? My stage time is 7pm, and I'm only supposed to be on the grounds until midnight. I want to make the most of it. Looking at the timetable again, none of the acts on at 5pm ring a bell. I decide to just go for the one with the coolest name. "Whilk and Misky it is." I utter to myself. The Saloon Stage.

Why do they always name the stages the most random things? I think as I pick up my guitar and head deeper into the festival grounds.