Playing bongos at the Monaco Grand Prix

The picture was grainy, and the device was bigger than a mobile phone. I could just about make out my hero Damon Hill on the tiny screen. It was 1996, and my grandad had lent me his portable TV to watch the Monaco Grand Prix on. I’d been dragged out for the day by my parents, and although the picture wasn’t great, I could still feel the charm of Monaco permeating through the screen. It looked nothing like the town I’d grown up in. The Yachts, the celebs, the speed of the cars on the tight twisty circuit, it looked nothing like the town I lived in. It seemed like there was no way I’d ever get to watch a race there. My Dad informed me that Monaco was “for the rich!” and that I’d need to win the lottery to get there to watch the race.

I suppose he was kind of right. Playing a musical instrument of any kind can be a lottery. Every gig is different. One minute you’re playing a festival like the Isle of Wight and the next a bat mitzvah in Woking. You have no idea what the gig will be like when you take it. Monaco, however, I knew would be special. I was working with an agency that provided the DJs and Musicians for a high-end nightclub called Amber Lounge. Over the course of the Grand Prix weekend, Amber Lounge construct the most Incredible nightclub inside a hotel. The idea being that the rich and famous can party without having to rub shoulders with peasants (until Dan and his Bongos arrive, that is!) They also charter a Yacht over the Grand Prix weekend. The yacht gets you closer to the F1 action than any other race. The Monaco harbour is filled with multi-million dollar super yachts, parked next to each other like an expensive tin of sardines moored right up against the track. I had been booked to bring the beats to both the Yacht and the nightclub. By day, think Ibiza style vibes with people sipping champagne and cocktails and by night, the most incredible after party you have been to. When I first arrived in Monaco to play at the Friday night party, I could feel myself getting emotional. It had been a gamble contacting the company providing the acts via Instagram, but one that had really paid off. I had been invited to perform at one of the world's most famous and luxurious events. Throughout the day, I performed sets to keep the yacht guests entertained, alongside some awesome DJs and an amazing Sax player called Leah. We keep the party vibes going when the action on track stops. Performing on deck with the Monaco sun beating down on me will remain as one of the best feelings I’ve ever had playing music. Then, when the night falls, we head off to the nightclub and perform to huge crowds, sharing the bill with some of the most famous DJs in the world, including Armand Van Helden and Fatman Scoop. We finish work just as the sun is coming up. As we head back to Nice to get some much-needed sleep after a weekend of performing and witnessing incredible F1 action. I think about 12-year-old Dan, watching a grainy Damon Hill and how much his mind would have been blown as the taxi drives on the very streets I was watching that day. Sometimes your numbers come out.