Nathan Sykes is currently on a promo tour for his newly released single, “Over and Over Again”. To support the release, he has been signing copies of his single for fans across the country. On Wednesday, Nathan came to Head music shop in Cardiff and I went along to meet him during his long awaited return to Wales.
Signings can be a bit of a hit or miss experience. Without doubt, getting to meet your idols, even for a split second, is always worth it but sometimes signings are so rushed or pictures aren’t allowed and that can put a dampener on the experience. It’s 2015 – as much as we love an autograph, most people would prefer a selfie (hence why some stars such as Olly Murs and Joe Sugg have started doing ‘selfie signings’, having pre-signed their CD’s/books so that fans can have pictures on the day instead). The ultimate goal is to manage a small conversation with said celebrity, although this rarely happens at a signing.
I arrived in the queue an hour early, where around 30 people were already waiting in line. By the time the signing started, there must have been around 150 people waiting to meet Nathan. It was great to look around and see so many familiar faces that I’ve grown up with over the past five years, all of whom were still loyal to supporting Nathan after The Wanted.
Fans were let into the shop in small groups and the first good sign of the evening was the length of time in which the first group were in the store for. As the people in front of us were let in, security came to tell us the order of events. He warned us that management/security normally like to hurry things along however Nathan was very much laid back and wanted to chat to everyone. Oh, and he was “feeling very huggy” apparently, no objections about that from anyone in the queue!
Around ten minutes later, our group of 8 were let into the store. We were greeted by “Over and Over Again” blasting on the stereo…obviously the best choice of music for the occasion! Nathan looked so relaxed and even had a good old cuppa on the go to get him through (despite being jet lagged and arriving back from LA that morning, he looked remarkably fresh faced!).
Despite having met Nathan before, I still felt a bit anxious but as I got nearer I knew that I had nothing to worry about. He is so genuine and down to earth, you could tell that he enjoyed every minute with his fans. Nathan even signed every CD personally for every fan – this made for hilarious viewing as he battled with some awkward names. ‘Katrina’ wasn’t too much of a challenge for him (I was proud that he automatically went to spell it with a ‘K’), although he was shocked when I told him that there were many variations of the name. He took the time to pose for selfies and even did a video message for some of my friends that couldn’t be at the signing. We said goodbye with a hug and he thanked me for coming to see him.
If there was an award for ‘The Best Signing Experience’, it would most definitely go to Nathan Sykes. There was nothing to fault whatsoever – his management let everyone have plenty of time with him and he was happy to chat, hug and take pictures for ages. There was no rushing the boy whatsoever. The fact that he spent so long personally signing the CD’s instead of just a quick scrawl also made it extra special.
Fans are easily pleased but some celebrity signings are SO restricted. I’ve been to plenty of signings in my time, both good and bad however Nathan went above and beyond to make sure that every fan had an experience to remember. It was the perfect example of how every celebrity should treat their fans and how signings should be for everyone.
The fact that there was no table between us also pleased me immensely. Having a table as a barrier is such a huge bug bear, it’s a far more personal experience when you can actually hug your fave or take a decent selfie without having to lean awkwardly over a massive barricade!
I must also thank the staff at Head Cardiff – the signing was so well organised and the staff were super friendly. They made everyone feel at ease and generally made the night a very comfortable experience!
I know that circumstances sometimes doesn’t allow, but more artists should take note from Nathan’s signing. He is a shining example of an artist that always has time for his fans! A kind hearted, fan orientated singer with talent in abundance, all the key elements for a superstar. I wish Nathan the very best for his solo career, as with an attitude like his, he deserves to go far.
“Over and Over Again” is available to download now.
Have you ever been to a signing? Tell us about your experience! Tweet us @CelebMix or comment below.