Record Store Day at Ventnor Exchange last weekend featured a live performance by pianist and rapper, Jay Eatwell, the Isle of Wight’s successful finalist in the recent Channel Four’s series, The Piano.
Music lovers packed into the Exchange to watch Jay as he played six original tracks to rapturous applause and calls for an encore.
Where it all started
We caught up with Jay after his performance for a chat about how things have been since appearing on national TV and beating hundreds of others to perform live at the Royal Festival Hall.
Jay explained that he had been approached by the production company for The Piano via his Instagram account. This is where Jay had been sharing short videos of himself playing piano to new compositions every day. He explained,
“I was putting out a lot of stuff on Instagram and so they approached me and asked me a few questions, and asked me to go up for an audition in London.
“I played about five of my own original songs and they got back to me and said they really liked that and wanted me to do this thing in St Pancras. I still didn’t know what it was, I just thought yeah, I’d be interested in doing, this signed a few things and then off I went.
“After that I moved on to performing at St Pancras station, which is when I found out what the show was, and that Mika and Lang Lang had been watching it the whole time.”
Jay said he had no idea what was really going on as the production company had told him they were making a street piano documentary.
“It was nerve racking the first time “
Asking how that felt, Jay told News OnTheWight,
“It was nerve racking the first time and it was the fact that there were so many cameras on me at that point. Everywhere I walked they were following me, about four different cameramen – big drone cameras were in the station at the time and I thought this is a bit odd for a chilled little street documentary, I was thinking is a bit odd.
“It’s a bit weird, but everywhere I went they would just follow me, but you get used to it. You actually get to kind of like it.”
“I like it now,” Jay laughs.
“The piano listens to you”
In the leadup to the final performance at Royal Festival Hall, Jay got to practice on a Steinway grand piano over Freshwater Memorial Hall. He explained he usually plays on a keyboard, but that playing a Steinway is on another level.
“It’s so different. It’s more natural. Everything is sensitive, you can put more emotion into an actual piano. It’s a weird way of saying it, but they sort of listen to you more than a keyboard does. Obviously you can get a weighted keyboard, but playing an actual piano is very different.”
Anticipation building all day
On the day of the performance at the Royal Festival Hall, when Jay performed in front of several thousand people, the suspense was building up for all the contestants from 9am in the morning, which is when they had to arrive by – even though the performance was not until 7pm. He saidm
“The suspense was mad, because I was running through that song so many times. I had to go through it with the choir and it got to the point where I was practicing it so much, I was thinking I’m just gonna forget it. Because I’ve done it so much.”
Jay explained they were really well looked after by the programme, during and after the appearances.
Lots more to hear about
We talked more about what it was like performing on the night with the choir, Jay’s clear ability to compose and direct, his time at Platform One College of Music, what he’s been up to since the programme aired and his hopes for the future.
Grab a cuppa, put your feet up and click play below and listen to our conversation with Jay Eatwell, Finalist in Channel Four’s series, The Piano – it’s just short of 23 minutes long.
Watch a short clip from Jay’s performance on Saturday by clicking on the image below.
