One Day Later...
2012
Paris, France
Palais Omnisports of Bercy
3:52 pm
To say that Lizzy was nervous was an understatement. She was crazy scared, but she was anxious as well. This would be the day that could change her life, the day that people would know who she was. She was doing the Opening Act of Hot Chelle Rae !!! She was standing backstage waiting for the guys' tour manager to bring her her new inner ear monitors, so she could use them during sound check to see if they worked well. Earlier, she got her ear molded.
As she was sitting on the chair behind the giant black curtain, she started to wonder : What if people don't like me ? What if I mess this opportunity up ? What if the guys are disappointed in me ? She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard Shawn, the tour manager, calling her name. As if he was reading her mind, he said :
« Don't worry, Lizzy you'll be great ! If we thought you couldn't make it, we wouldn't have done everything to get you on this world tour, now would we ? » he smiled. Shawn Wilkinson was Hot Chelle Rae's tour manager. He was a very nice man, and when the guys told him about the idea they came up with, he accepted without doubting them. He was trusting them because he thought the guys wouldn't bring someone on tour with them if it wasn't for their big potential. He didn't even complain about the difficulties he would have to face with the band's label and publicists. And when he heard her sing a capella, he knew she was worth it.
« Thanks ! I am kind of nervous, you know » she chuckled. « It's my first real BIG concert, and to have it in my hometown is amazing, this place is sooo huge. I'm so excited to have a full set and I can't wait for tonight » she added.
« Here, » he gave her the inner ear monitors, « we'll begin the sound check in 10 min, we're just giving time for the band to set their instruments » he patted her shoulder and left to take care of last minute issues.
Lizzy was still sitting on her chair when she saw Nash come to her. He flashed her a smile, and she smiled back. « Nervous ? » he asked.
« Me ? Never ! » she joked. He laughed and nudged her and said,
« It's ok, nervourness shows that you care » he assured her. « After tonight, are you ready to be on the road with us ? » he asked her.
« You know, at first, like fifteen minutes ago, I was about to say 'Fuck it ! I'm not going !' But then, I realized that it was stupid... I am so ready, you have no idea ! » she said, smiling widly.
« Well, you have no idea what you're signing up for ! We are all nuts ! You're stuck with us... Poor baby » he teased her. « More seriously, I hope you're gonna enjoy being with us on this tour, I know you had to make tough decisions very shortly, and I'm grateful for that, but you are an artist now, well a REAL artist » he laughed, « and I know it's not easy leaving your family to travel the world, trust me I know, but I truly believe in you. I can see something in you that I've never seen in any other artists we worked with. I'm really, really grateful, Lizzy. Thank you » he said honestly.
Right at that moment, Lizzy felt like crying. « You don't have to thank me, I didn't do anything. On the contrary I HAVE to thank you, because you're changing my whole life. I've waited for a moment like this for so long, you have no idea. And to perform in my hometown is amazing ! Thank you so freaking much Nash Overstreet ! » she said, tears free-falling on her cheeks. Seeing her cry made Nash give her a hug.
« I need to start the sound check with the boys, then it's your turn, okay ? » he asked her softly. She nodded and he went on stage and took his guitar and started sound check with the rest of the band.
Lizzy stayed backstage and dried her tears, hoping her mascara wasn't all over the place. When she made sure that she had no makeup stains on the cheeks, she exited the backstage area to go to the crowd area to watch the guys' soundcheck. She started chatting with the band members, whom she met a few hours before. They instantly hit it off, and they were happy to be part of the show. As soon as Lizzy had aggreed to be part of this tour, Shawn made sure to hire some musicians. They were just here for the Paris show though, because Nash wanted Lizzy to hire her band members herself right after they left France.
A Few Hours Later...
Lizzy was freaking out, more than she did a few hours ago. It was the moment her life could change forever, the moment she had to get on stage and show Nash and the guys and the crew that they were right. They could trust her, and that she was a real performer. Some of her friends came to see her perform, though pop-rock wasn't their favourite kind of music, they came to support her, and to « meet celebrities » too !
« Ladies and gentlemen, please give it up for, from Paris, France, Hot Chelle Rae's Opening Act, part : Lizzy Staaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamp !» the announcer cheered and the audience started to clap and shout. It's my time to shine, Lizzy thought to herself. You can do this, this is the moment you've always been waiting for. She made a quick prayer, thanking God for giving her her chance.As she and the band made their way to the stage, the spots lit up the whole stage, and that was the moment when she saw the crowd for the first time...
« Hello, everyone ! » she greeted and the crowd responded with cheers, « I'm Lizzy Stamp, and I have to say, I am so honored to be standing here in front of all of y'all. This is a dream coming true. » and then she nodded to the band, which started playing the first song.
The difficulty of preparing a show in less than a day is also due to the fact you don't have much time to choose a relevant set of 4-5 songs to show that you are worth being on stage for Hot Chelle Rae.
The band and her performed 5 songs, she sang « Somebody That I Used to Know » by Gotye, « Glad You Came » by The Wanted, « It Will Rain » by Bruno Mars, « Domino » by Jessie J and the finished her set by Beyoncé's « Halo », one of her favorite songs. What she didn't see was that Nash was watching her backstage, thinking he made the right decision of bringing her in their world tour, because she was mad talented, and he would be pissed at himself if he ever had to miss a talent like hers. He was thinking of people he could introduce her to back in LA and he already had a little idea.
