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The unexpected star of Glastonbury this year was Alex Mann. The lad from the crowd selected by Dave the rapper to join him on stage for his (apparently regular) audience participation ‘dueting’ to his tune ‘Thiago Silva’
Alex’s amazing rendition of not just the one part lyrics he was asked to deliver, but to both parts has been watched by millions and has become the topic of many a Twitter trend .. Including the hashtag #bemoreAlex
But did you notice the lad just in front of Alex in the crowd? The lad who thought he was in with a chance to be selected .. But then by a twist of fate, wasn’t? (let’s call him Ned for the purposes of this text .. apologies to him!) Take another look at the video here. What lessons can we draw from Alex’s more successful (if not entirely planned) approach and his amazing moment?
Here’s some (slightly tongue in cheek) thoughts from me
- Both lads clearly new that the likelihood was that Dave would ask for someone in the crowd to join him. So they’d both positioned themselves as far to the front as they could get to be in with a chance of being selected, Learning point – knowing how and when an opportunity to could present itself is imperative to your ability to be in with a chance
- When the call out came – ‘Ned’s’ friends made a great effort to point him out to Dave. But Alex was sat aloft the shoulders of his mate, increasing his visibility. Learning point – being held up or quietly elevated by others as an example of greatness, rather than pointed to as ‘the best of us’ gives a massive endorsement
- Alex proudly sported a PSG shirt with Silva’s name on the back. Whether he was a genuine PSG fan or not, it was a smart move. It made a visible link to the lyrics of the song, made him identifiable as a possible ‘partner’ in the sentiment. Learning point – ‘looking the part’ (not the same as ‘looking like the leader’) could make the difference to the subconscious decision making between two candidates.
- Knowing the words is important to the ability to deliver a rap .. and Dave was keen to ensure the person he picked knew the words. Spot ‘Ned’ nodding furiously and with confidence to answer the question ‘do you know the words?’.. and then notice Alex behind him reciting the words. He chose not to give confidence by saying he could… but by showing he could Learning point – ‘showing your talent’ will always beat talking about your talent!
I’m sure there’s more comparisons… what did you notice?
Alex’s moment was a triumph. Maybe we should all have the confidence to #bemoreAlex?
