I’ve never taken myself too seriously - you just can’t in the entertainment industry mainly because it’s so fickle! Plus it’s not usually about how good you are regarding talent; but instead who you know and what you’re (sometimes) willing to do and what you’re willing to sacrifice to secure “the dream job”
However, there are times I wish I was taken more seriously. I attend so many meetings and find it shocking how many managers talk to me like I’m 18 years old that’s just started “Just Jay Dance” and by offering me a job, they are doing me a huge favour!
Or companies not booking us because I don’t own a £8.5 million pound dance house in Ipswich (yes that’s how much a certain place cost) people think they won’t get the best service or the best deal.
When in fact - they’re wrong.
Let me explain.
Steps, the 90s - 00s pop group were my childhood favourites... they still are as most of you know! (There’s a point to this)
They had top charting hits such as “Tragedy” - “One for Sorrow” and many many more..., they sold out arenas, did back to back choreographed dance routines and had original music videos which have stood the test of time!
Yet with all that, they never got the full recognition from the music industry or music magazines and I never understood why.
Time and time again I’d watch the BRIT AWARDS and see groups like “All Saints” or “Boyzone” win award after award. Groups like “Westlife” got to open shows and perform at the “Royal Variety Show”... and they didn’t even move!
“Steps” did and yet never got asked and never really got taken seriously.
It annoyed me even more when I’d go to see “Steps” on tour, usually at Wembley...I was in such ore of their energy, highly choreographed routines and see the hard work that had gone into the show!
The ultimate definition of a “Pop Group” but then the BRITS would be on TV and the “Best British Pop group” would go to “Belle & Sebastian” (later finding out that they’d in fact cheated and it was fixed)
All I’d see is others bands get given more opportunities and I suppose that’s how I feel with Just Jay Dance! Not just with not only being taken seriously but seeing other “pop groups = companies” get that break that I really want.
The amount of times I’ve asked journalists to come review one of our shows to hear “they’re busy” or how many times I’ve asked a radio station to “retweet” a tweet of mine or do a shout out to be ignored. Yet they’ll all go watch some contemporary crap that’s been seen and performed a million times. Or they’ll be happy to provide an advert - FRONT PAGE - because what’s £10,000 to a company that pretty much uses cash as toilet paper.
No I’m not bitter or jealous - I’m disappointed in the way the system works and it needs to change.
Don’t get me wrong - I’ve been given some AMAZING opportunities with JJD (ones I’ve worked for) but I’ve seen other companies sneak in the back door JUST because of the brand or the ridiculous wasted funding they throw at pointless projects - or even worse...the ass kissing some do. I would never disowning my sense of pride or dignity for a job. Ever.
Saying that Steps came back after 20 years of originally starting out and STILL managed to get a number 1 single, a UK SOLD OUT tour (it was amazing and even got to meet them backstage - see pic!) and clearly have got the respect of their fans behind them! Where are “Belle & Sebastian” now? Plus “Steps” got to perform at the “Royal Variety Show” and finally got the recognition they so rightly deserved. Maybe that’s what will happen with me - one day... I’ll get my break, my chance, the hard word will pay off and one day someone will say “he deserves this more than anyone because he worked from the bottom and didn’t stop”...
Who knows - we’ll see,
Much Love
Jay x x
