That moment when you're on stage in an empty room.
The chairs are lined up. The lights are on. And the room is completely empty.
Every band has a sound check song
Lots of bands have a special song they use for their sound check. The same one every night, played to an empty venue, so they know exactly how it should sound and can hear straight away if something's off.
As a speaker and event MC, I don't have one of those.
Sometimes I get handed a handheld mic. And whenever that happens, the other MC in me wants to come out and rap a verse or two.
I've been around music since I got my first decks in 1987 (the story's in Bedroom decks, 1987). A mic in my hand in an empty room still tempts me every time. I've even had a go at combining the two worlds. My take on edutainment started with a rap album.
Generally, though, my sound check is short and sweet. A few words, a quick listen, and done.
An empty room has its own feel
I once filmed a speaking video in a completely empty room, which people found strange because most of my videos are in front of an audience. There was a good reason for the room being empty, but the point stands. An empty room is a strange place to talk in.
There's no feedback. No laughs, no nods, nobody shifting in their seat when you've gone on too long. You're talking to the furniture. It's a bit like a DJ playing to an empty dance floor at the start of the night. You can do it, but it's only half the job.
My favourite moment
And then my favourite moment happens.
The doors open, and I get to welcome the audience to their event.
I love that phrase, their event. I'm there to host, to keep things moving and to bring the energy, but the day belongs to the people walking through the doors. They've given up their time to be there.
That's when the energy comes alive. The empty room fills with excitement, stories and anticipation. The furniture turns back into an audience.
It's the part of the day I'd never want to hand to anyone else.
You can prepare all you like. You should. Do the sound check, test the slides, know your opening line. But your work only really comes alive when the people it's for walk in.
So whatever you're preparing at the moment, a launch, a pitch, a talk or a new service, don't polish it alone in an empty room for too long. Get it in front of real people as soon as you can. Their reactions are the bit you can't rehearse.
And if you ever see me with a handheld mic before the doors open, don't be surprised if you catch the first few bars of something. You've been warned.
