So when my school contacted me a while back and asked whether I would say a few words at their centenary celebrations – I said, ‘sure, why not?’ – casually as you like, thinking that it would in my old school hall – and not the bloody Royal Albert Hall.
Er, that is 5,500 people – which might be a small/warm-up venue for Michael McIntyre and Lee Evans – but for me – it remains a tad on the large side.
Now – you might be thinking – a school booking out such an illustrious venue as the Royal Albert Hall – this can’t be an ordinary school and it means that Holland is another one of these privileged public school media types but you would be wrong – I went to a comprehensive called Cardinal Vaughan – which as the new Head said last night, is a school with great ambitions and in the best sense of the word.
Anyway, last night, back stage with my old mates, the entire school – and my old teachers in the house – and about to do a set that I have never ever done before because it was stuff I had written especially written on my schooldays – you can imagine how I was feeling and that I was questioning my career choice…
And now today – it is all over and I am glad that I did it.
I was never a stand out kid at school. Not clever. Not thick. Not anything really – but I was asked by my school and I had the balls to say yes – which is a good thing plus I can now say that I have played the Albert Hall.
And this means that the title of this little post – Dominic Holland – Live at the Albert Hall – is more than a little misleading – but so what – allow me licence please.
This weekend though it is back to reality when I perform two one man shows in a Devon village hall – two nights mind, because the first night sold out.
Get in…
