There is a strange feeling in the world at present, a sense of worry, panic and uncertainty. With all that has been going on I had to ask myself, is this the best time to release new music? Is it right to celebrate art in this current climate? I had to ask myself whether releasing my fourth single today, Friday 20th March was in fact the right thing to do.

I submitted ‘Come Around’ for release almost six weeks ago, this enabled me enough time to organise a music video shoot and promotion. Six weeks ago the world was a very different place. Europe was not the epicentre of the Corona Virus, countries had not imposed lock down measures and buying toilet paper was the least of anyone’s problems. However, in those six weeks we have seen a major growth in cases of the Corona Virus and stringent measures put in place to try and curb its spread. We have all felt the effects of this pandemic in one way or another and for some in the worst way, as they mourn their loved ones. 

So, should I release new music? Yes! I should! And especially this song in particular. The irony that I’m releasing a song entitled ‘Come Around’ at a time when we’re being advised to do the exact opposite is not lost on me, but the message in this song is one that needs to be heard by all. This is a song about being there for those in need, about putting your emotions and your ego aside in order to support those who need it most. It is a song that encourages us to not take time for granted, but to seize the day, to take the opportunity and to be there for others while we still can.

This is why I could not postpone the release of ‘Come Around’ to postpone the release of this song would be to mock time, it would be to live under the illusion that I am in control of time, when it is time that controls me. This song was inspired by a friend that ran out of time, so while I still have some on my side it’s my duty to use it wisely, to create, to share, to move and inspire. I hope that this song touches you, I hope that you hear it exactly when you need to and I hope you also understand why even in the darkest of moments art should be celebrated and why I could not postpone this release.

It’s yours

Roman Harris

Listen Now

I stood in my hallway in front of the mirror and acted as though I were on stage at the Hammersmith Apollo. I looked out to the crowd and said “This time 2 years ago I was getting ready to travel to Wolverhampton to host a quiz night, and tonight, I’ve sold out the Apollo”. I guess these words came to me because deep down that’s what I would love to happen and I do believe that the things we want can happen for us. In fact, many of the things we’ve wanted over the years have happened for us. We just tend to want more, so we forget about the wants that have already been fulfilled. My mother always wanted a boy and after having 3 girls in a row, I came along. My sister drove a beaten-up Volkswagen Golf, with every gear change this car would die a little more, she wanted a new car and now drives a lovely Nissan Juke. I want to live a life where my love for performing is rewarded and I can make a living from it. Many of my wants have already been fulfilled and this one could be too. Why not?

I had taken leave from work this week and I appreciate that doing so only fuels the perception that I am hardly ever at work, but honestly, it’s because I tend to hold on to my leave until the latter part of the year. The winter months are so dull, dark and dreary so I like to give myself time off as something to look forward to. As I had this week off I decided to try and get a few comedy gigs in. My first for the week would be at Vauxhall Comedy Club. What made this gig extra special was the fact that my mother came along. To get on stage and perform comedy I believe you have to develop a degree of fearlessness, performing some of my material in front of my mother would be a test of just how fearless I am becoming. I did 5 minutes of comedy, it was a rather tight set and I’m pleased to say it got quite a few laughs. I tried out a few additional jokes and they worked well, this was all good practice for the next gig that I had lined up, as this one would be a test of just how far I’d come. I’m pleased to say that my mother thoroughly enjoyed the night, not just my performance (although, I’m sure she would say I was the best!) but the entire evening. 

Mumsy came to show some support!

The next gig I had lined up would be my biggest to date. My cousin who works for a government organisation here in London had formed a team to put on an after-work fundraising event for the mental health charity ‘Time to Change’ and what better way to raise awareness surrounding such a heavy topic than to have a night of laughter. Performing on the bill were a few UK comedy legends. I’m talking comedians who had been in the business for 20 plus years. On the bill was Adam Bloom, Mike Gunn and Carey Marx (The Pros) then there was Cee Cee and myself (The Amateurs). The event was held in a function hall with between 150 – 200 people present. Up until this point the largest crowd I had performed comedy to was about 40 people. Now to me, the laughter of 40 is the same as the laughter of 200, because laughter is laughter, but the silence of 200 people would surely be worse than the silence of 40 and when doing comedy, it’s the silence that I fear the most. I also fear hecklers, boos, tomato’s or any other kind of fruit and veg. I spent some time at home going through my material, thinking about which jokes to pull out, how to deliver them, how to transition from one joke to the other and then I went through a few practice runs prior to the gig. I felt prepared and nothing is better than going on stage feeling prepared. After timing my set, it came in at around 15 minutes and this would be my 15th gig. It’s funny but I didn’t notice this correlation until I just wrote it. Maybe I’ll try to do 30 minutes for my 30th gig. Adam Bloom was MC-ing the evening and introduced me to the stage as “The most natural comedian he’s ever worked with” high praise from a man with 25 years in the business. I started my set as intended, but whether it be the lights, the people present or just the pressure of it all, I forgot 2 of my opening jokes. I rattled my brain but they would not come back to me for love nor money. So, I just had to move on. If you were watching the performance you would never know that I missed a joke, because the key to any performance is to just keep going, but I knew, and it bothered me for a large part of the set, however, I started to get into a rhythm and soon enough I was in my stride. I love gigs where there are not stringent time constraints because they allow you to actually enjoy yourself more and be in the moment, at one point I found myself laughing at my own jokes and the way the crowd received them. I’ve discovered that something I like more than a laugh is the laugh/groan. When you say something that is initially funny to an audience but then they think about it and it makes them groan and maybe even chastise themselves for laughing at it. That’s the best! The night was a huge success and altogether over £2000 was raised for the charity. It was a milestone evening for me in this comedy journey. I feel like a kid who’s been admiring his neighbourhood peers ride around on two-wheeler bicycles and I’ve just realised I can…wait…I can…I can do it too…I’m doing it Mama! I’m doing it! 

Decided that half go my cousin’s face would be enough

Classic ‘This Guy’ pose with Adam Bloom

Post gig fun with Cee Cee

It’s cold, grey and beyond the droplets of rain on the window of this train is an abundance of greenery. Fields, trees, hills, it’s rather picturesque but the weather does not complement the scenery. The train is moving forward, but I’m sat facing the opposite direction. I’m rather particular about where I sit and prefer to sit facing the direction in which a vehicle is travelling but when I boarded this train I forgot which direction we would be going and I’m rather committed to this seat now…in other words, I just can’t be asked to move. I am en route to Wolverhampton and was sat warm and comfortable on my train until, in true British transportation fashion, the destination was changed and I had to disembark at Northampton. I’m back on track now and on schedule to arrive in time for tonight’s show. I will be hosting a quiz night. It’s the first one I’ve ever done so am naturally nervous about how it will go but as I have said before, these are the moments I long for and this is a feeling I need to embrace and step into. I arrived in Wolverhampton at around 4pm and was met at the station by my friend Cherelle. She drove me to get some battered chips and fish, a staple food of Wolverhampton, I could feel the oil running through my veins but it was amazing. She then dropped me off at my Airbnb. I had booked a room in a house for the night and it was just what I needed. Warm, comfortable, a nice big bed, the only issue were the cats clawing at my door and trying to get in. I showered, changed and prepared myself to head to the venue. It was ShowTime! 

As I write this section of this week’s blog I’m sat on the train heading back to London, yes, I’m facing the way it’s travelling, and I’m also rather hung over. Too much rum and coke. To my right is a cup of black coffee that is helping ease me into the day. It’s just gone 10 am and we’ve pulled into Birmingham New Street. I am now going to try and put last night into words and although I am quite the wordsmith I feel like I am bound to fall short because some things, you just have to be there for, but I will try. I arrived at the venue in Wolverhampton nice and early and watched as the room filled up little by little, before I knew it the hall was full, people were in high spirits and ready to have a good night, it was my job to facilitate this. I had some ideas of how I would take the stage, what I would say first, how I would engage with the crowd, but the moment I got on stage that all changed. When it comes to presenting I feel like being able to read the room is vital and I don’t think the crowd was warmed up enough for the way I had intended to start. My idea was to take to the stage and do the whole, “When I say…..You say…” but I figured this isn’t a rap concert so I played it safe and eased myself into proceedings. I figured that after a round of games and a drink people would begin to loosen up a little and then we could really start having fun. And that is exactly what happened, the crowd did not disappoint. The quiz was split in to 3 rounds. The celebrity round, the general knowledge round and the music round with a few interactive games between rounds. The night was full of debate, controversy, friendly banter and drama but all in good spirits. Being on stage and watching people’s reactions was comedy for me. There were so many characters in the crowd but ultimately it is those characters that make the night so special. This was my first experience of being booked as a comic to MC an event and with it came the pressure to be funny. When I first took to the stage I tried to make a few pre-planned jokes, in other words, I tried to be funny, but it soon became clear to me that it’s not about being deliberately funny, sometimes you just need to relax and let funny happen, and once I got into that frame of mind, with the help of a rum and coke…or two, I felt so much more comfortable and I’m sure the crowd could sense this. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I’m sure the crowd did also. I was approached by a few people after the show and complimented on my hosting and the way I handled the crowd during those contentious moments. I could go on and on about the night, but the last thing I’ll say is this, ‘Ready or Not’ is the name of the event, it is organised by twins Aisha and Abiyola with the help of their friend Cherelle and their family members. Together they have created an amazing night. A night where a mixture of races and generations can get together, engage in some friendly competition, have a laugh, have a drink, have a dance and enjoy the night. I was honoured to be a part of it all and if they want me back to host another event, I’ll be there! 

The twin organisers give them a follow

11.11.1985, this was the day I came into the world, 34 years ago on a Monday. I guess it’s rather serendipitous that I am now posting this, my 11th blog, today, the 11th day of November, the 11th month of the year and a Monday too, the exact day on which I was born. Yes, it’s my birthday. I didn’t plan this 11 weeks ago, to be fair it would have been pretty sad of me if I had. This is just how it all worked out. I also didn’t plan for this to be my last blog post for a while, but following a conversation with a close friend of mine I decided that this would be a good time to check out for a bit. 

Monday’s child is fair of face

Time, it’s something we can never get back, it’s something we could all do with more of, it’s something we need to use wisely, but with it, there’s only so much we can do and sometimes we have to acknowledge when we’re doing too much. My friend and I were talking about time. We looked back on just how far we’ve both come in our lives and our careers. I expressed to him that lately I have been feeling more pressure than I ever felt before. However, my lifestyle hasn’t changed much since I was 17. It was at this age that I started living on my own and became fully independent. Back then, I was working full time, paying bills, making music, travelling, literally everything I do now, so why do I have this feeling in the pit of my stomach, why do I feel more pressure. He said “I know why bro, and it’s one word”, “I think I know what you’re going to say”, I replied, he paused and then said “Age”. It’s exactly what I anticipated him saying, and what is invariably linked to age? Time. It changes your perspective, it also changes the way you’re perceived. When I was 17 and independent I was doing things beyond my years. When I told people of my situation they were taken aback, but now, everything I’m doing is expected of me at this stage of my life, there’s no prizes, no gold stars, no amazement, it’s what’s expected. The stakes are also higher now, when you make a mistake early in the game there’s time on the clock to rectify it, but the deeper into the game we go, the less chances there are to make amends so the less room there is for error. The realisation of such things brings about pressure, that’s what I’m feeling and that’s the reasons why. Over the years, I’ve found that the best way to deal with such feelings is to be grateful. Gratitude is a powerful thing. So, on this day, my 34th birthday, I am truly grateful for being alive, for having the years on this earth that I have been blessed with. I have laughed, shared experiences and broke bread with others, some not lucky enough to see this age so I take nothing for granted and I give thanks. 

And still…

…Nothing’s changed!

As I mentioned previously, we have to acknowledge when we’re doing too much. Putting this blog together takes time and when we give our time to something, something else has to give. I have been juggling work, music, comedy, this blog, personal relationships and whatever else life throws at me and I have to admit, I’m starting to feel it, especially as my work life has also become a bit more intense of late. I have assignments to complete ahead of a week-long residential course in December which is pass or fail and failure is not an option and so, I have had to make the decision to take a break from the blog. 

Over the last 11 weeks I realise that so much has happened in just that short space of time and I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about it all. No doubt you’ve learnt a lot more about me and some you may have already known, but I also hope you’ve learnt a lot about yourself, I hope that some of my views and experiences have triggered something in you, have caused you to think, to feel, to laugh or even cry. I’m not sure how these blogs have affected you, but I thank you for reading them and I hope to be back soon with some more, as they have been a great way for me to get my thoughts out, but now it’s time to get to work. 

Until you read from me again, take care of yourself and others, never stop working on yourself or your dreams and remember, it’s always too early to quit. 

 Be well

 Roman Harris

It’s 6:30pm on a Friday evening and I’m stood on the platform at Victoria Station. It’s taken me a while to start this week’s blog, a mixture of being tied up with work, comedy, music and life in general has meant that I haven’t had much time to sit with my thoughts and my laptop and write, hence why I have decided to kick-start this week’s blog whilst stood here on a platform waiting for a train but hey, I’ve heard it said that we should start where we are, so in that vein here I go.

I woke on Monday morning and looked out of my kitchen window en route to the bathroom. My butler had prepared fresh croissants with a blueberry compote...I wish...anyway, back to reality. It was about 6am and the sky showed the first signs of a sunrise. I live a few stories up and before me was a lovely view. It got me thinking about the views we all have and how our view can literally affect our point of view, which in turn influence what we think, how we act and what we see as achievable. For example, I wake up to this view every morning and whether I am conscious of it or not, it impacts on me and affects the way I see the world. Now the homeless person living in the tent downstairs (See Blog #9) they will have a different view when they wake up in the morning and just as my view affects the way I see the world; their view will do the same. I’d wager that my view will leave me feeling more optimistic than theirs. Something many of us fail to do is take the time to look at the world or a specific situation from another person’s point of view. I was recently put in a position where this was necessary, you see, I did something that was pretty selfish. I guess deep down I knew it was selfish of me at the time, but I didn’t think the person would take it to heart, however, they did. Now I could have maintained my point of view and been arrogant about it all, but instead I took a step back and saw it from their perspective. I understood how my actions had affected them and why they felt the way that they did. Granted doing so did make me feel like crap, and that’s a large part of the reason why many of us prefer not to look at things from another’s point of view, because it may cause us to have to look at ourselves and that’s not always a pleasant experience, though it is essential.

A few months back I attended a comedy show in Brixton and MC-ing on the night was a comedian by the name of Junior Booker. Junior has a very conversational style of comedy, it’s almost as though he’s just sitting there having a chat with you, picking his thoughts out of thin air and sharing them with you and he’s guaranteed to make you laugh. I really enjoy watching him do his thing. He hosts his own comedy night every now and then and so I reached out to him and asked whether I could perform. He kindly obliged and so after work I travelled to Streatham to perform 5-7 minutes of material. The night was very relaxed, a really cool vibe, comedians trying out new material and just having fun. I myself tried out a few new pieces, some of which went down very well, others that need work but I was up on stage for 15 minutes. That’s the longest set I’ve done thus far. The following day Junior and I were messaging back and forth on Instagram when he gave me the one compliment that any performer wants to hear. He told me that, and I quote “I killed it” very kind words from the big man and although it was a decent set I know I have a long way to go in this journey, one set a a time. 

Remember last week, when I vowed to no longer complain but instead seek solutions to my problems, well, as part of the solution to my commuting issue for work I started my car search. I woke up early and felt like I travelled all over London. Searching for a vehicle can take you to some very interesting parts of London, places you may have never been before. For example, have you ever been to Mudchute? I bet you didn’t even know such a place existed, I’m prepared to wager you don’t even know what part of London it is…well…do you? Ha! See! Told you. Anyway, I had to head over there…it’s East by the way. I went to view a Smart Car. I can now officially confirm that a Smart Car is not for me. If ever you wanted to feel like you were driving a box then this car will give you that experience. I first travelled to Crystal Palace to view a prius, it was advertised as having done 203,000 miles only to realise it had actually done 230,000 miles. The seller said he made a mistake and could not amend it, I on the hand smelt bullshit! From Crystal Palace to Mudchute to view the Smart Car then, from Mudchute to Holloway Road to view another Prius and nothing I viewed or test drove gave me that tingly feeling I needed. The day ended after the Holloway Road viewing, however that night at work I was granted a reprieve and not sent out to work from a different fire station. I had lined up a few more viewings for the following day and was hoping that one of these cars would do it for me.

Mudchute ain’t that bad!

This is a Smart Car…Not for me!

Buying a car is so so stressful, you’re hoping that the seller is an honest person, you’re hoping that the car will not blow up on you a few days after buying it, you’re hoping that it serves you well, there’s just so many stressful elements involved and then once you buy the car YOU HAVE A CAR! Then you have to look after the car and make sure it’s working and road worthy and healthy, just like a child! I guess the good thing is the car will get you somewhere, where as a child just stops you from going anywhere. A part of me wanted a nice sexy car, I’ve always wanted a BMW 1 series, but gone are the days when I put image over practicality. I have been driving for over 13 years now and ever since I worked part time for Uber and drove a Toyota Prius my life changed. I now love hybrid cars and automatics so I lined up a few Prius viewings. The following day I travelled all the way to Dartford to view another Prius. It was mostly everything I wanted. It was black, I like black cars, the interior was black leather, the mileage was reasonable and it looked in decent condition. Two men met me at the station, it felt like we could have been doing some kind of illegal activity but if the cops were following me they’d be rather disappointed. We drove to a Supermarket where I gave the car a good look over with all of my motoring knowledge...which isn’t much and then spent the next 45 minutes ummmming and ahhhhing over whether I should buy it. After an hour, I said to the guy that if he knocked a further £100 off the price I’d take it. He agreed, we shook hands and off I went to get the money. Before I knew it, the deal was done. That first drive after purchasing a used car is always the most uncomfortable. I was listening out for any noises, constantly looking at the dashboard praying that a warning light didn’t come on and as always hoping not to get stopped by the police. Not that I had anything to be afraid of, it was all legit, plus, the fact that the police in the UK don’t carry guns means the most I’ll get is a beating. I’ll take that over a bullet. I made it home safely, the car was all good and that night I drove in to work, where I did not get a reprieve. Instead I was sent to work from Paddington Fire Station. I welcomed the news, because now, I had my wheels and so off I went, feeling like I made the best decision ever…well maybe not the best ever, but at least for the month.

I wish I could say that I am always feeling positive about my art. But the truth is that as an artist your life is filled with ups and downs but when you’re going through a down period it is essential to acknowledge it and then start to do things that will get you back up again. Recently, despite releasing new music in Upon a Lifetime and having some great things happen surrounding it I was in a bit of a lull. It was at this stage that I saw an e-mail advertising an event called BBC Introducing Live. This is an annual music event where there would be live music and seminars taking place all about the music industry. I knew that it was the kind of event I should be attending but a part of me wasn’t sure whether I would go. However, I figured it best to book a ticket anyway and see whether the spirit would take me on the day. It just so happened that a fellow musician friend of mine was in the country from Germany, her name is Lia Blue and so I invited her along as I thought it would be a perfect opportunity for us to catch up and both get some great information and inspiration. Maybe her being here was what I needed to push me to go, so I did and I must say that it was just the tonic I needed. Not only did I learn so much about the industry but I heard some words of wisdom from the people that matter. One thing that stuck with me the most was spoken by a member of the panel at a seminar about juggling music and entrepreneurship. He said that we often get so caught up in the stats and figures surround music and also get so caught up in the idea of how many followers and likes we get on social media, but what we need to focus on is making great music. It’s not that I don’t know this but we can get distracted from this message from time to time. I guess you could say I had been somewhat distracted but feel like it brought me back to where I needed to be. Whist at the event I also bumped into a few people I knew, which was amazing. One of these people was friend and fellow songwriter Lucky Bamba we met last year and during our first meeting shared a bottle of red wine and wrote a lovely song entitled ‘Sliding Door’ we’ve gone on to write a few more songs together and have never had a bad writing session. One of our co-writes will he coming out on the 22nd November. It’s entitled ‘Angels’ and it’s beautiful!!!!! Watch this space! 

Me, Lia Blue and Lucky Bamba

When you have a lot of things happening in your life it’s so important to be as organised as possible. I do have myself a diary but that didn’t stop me from forgetting about an event I had been invited to on Friday. You see, A few months back I decided I would start applying for acting roles and within the first week of applying for roles I got myself an audition. It was for a short film called ‘2025 The Long Hot Winter’ and on Friday it would be shown as part of the Earl’s Court Film Festival. I only remembered last minute but as it was the first short film I had acted in I thought it would be great to go and also great to see some of the cast and crew once again. The short film was amazing, and I’m not just saying that because I was in it. It was really entertaining, with a great mixture of humour and seriousness as it brought in to focus the serious topic of climate change. The writer and director of the film really praised my contribution and expressed a desire to work with me again. The funny thing is that all of this came from rejection. I got in to comedy and acting as a result of being rejected from an audition I did for The Voice UK. After that day, I decided to quit my part-time job working for Uber and throw myself into everything that I enjoy doing and as a result of that decision the last few months have seen me doing things I never thought I’d have the opportunity to do. I say all of this, to say, don’t let your failures define you, learn from them and come back stronger. Often there is more for us to learn from failure than there is to learn from success.

I ended this week doing a few more things that I enjoy. One was playing football and the other was drinking beer. I’m a member of a football club that plays an 8-a-side game every week. I try to play whenever time permits but it had been a few weeks since my last game. I volunteered to be captain and I’m pleased to say I picked a winning team. We play first to 10 and on this occasion, we won 10-6. I even scored a goal, which is quite a rare occurrence for me. It wasn’t so much that I scored a goal, but more the way I scored it. A pin point pass was made to me form the back field, I watched the ball as it arrived and allowed the ball to cross my path, controlled it on the turn and calmly toe poked it past the on-rushing keeper. It was a thing of beauty. However, later in the game when the score was 7-6 to us I realised that I was making too many mistakes and we were being punished for it, so I put myself in goal and let the more talented players go and win us the game. It’s important to be aware of your strengths and play to them when necessary. I’m not a silky footballer with great vision but I am a good motivator and communicator, two things that are essential for being a goalkeeper. I’m also pretty agile so have been known to save a shot or two. With the score-line so close I figured I could do a better job in goal and that decision paid off.

The beer drinking on the other hand, in hindsight may have not been such a great decision. As I sit here with my stomach twisting and turning I believe that to be true, however, it was a really fun night. Here in London there’s an area called Bermondsey and it is here you’ll find the ‘The Bermondsey Beer Mile’ It’s a mile long stretch of 17 breweries that serve up craft beers and ciders. The challenge is to do the whole mile, but we managed to do two breweries. The beers were lovely though. I sampled a sour beer, not the biggest fan but it was alright, a stout called The Big Milk, which was amazing, and two Indian Pale Ale’s, I have grown to like IPA’s very much. I’m not sure just how much I consumed and at what percentage but let’s just say by the time I was heading home I could definitely feel it and my stomach is not very happy with me at the moment. Nevertheless, if you like a beer then I’d definitely encourage you to check this place out. I’ll definitely be back. I’ve got 15 more breweries to hit.

Dancing Juice (IPA) and Pointless Innocence (Sour Beer) find these at The Barrel Project

Well, here I sit, it’s nearly 9pm on Sunday. It’s very silent, so much so that I can hear the fan spinning in my laptop. She’s starting to overheat I guess. In the distance I can hear fireworks, the 5th November will be Guy Fawkes Night, a night where we let off fire works to mark the failed gunpowder plot of 1605 when Guy tried to blow up parliament but the fireworks always start a few days earlier and go on for a few days after. I am about to brush my teeth and get ready for bed, it’s been a busy week for me and I’m sure it’s been a busy one for you too. Take a moment for yourself, sit down and watch an episode of something you like, spend some time with someone you care about, or just sit in silence and get lost in the wonder of this thing we call life, whatever you do just be present, enjoy it and make a conscious effort to see the world from another’s point of view, you may be surprised at what you find.

Catch you next week

Roman Harris … Currently weighing in at 77.2 kg. Something seems to be working.

It’s 9:30pm on Sunday night and I’m sat here on the Piccadilly line. The train has just arrived at Earl’s Court and due to delays and line closures I’ve had to seek an alternative route home. I wish I could say that I’m surprised but when it comes to London’s public transportation system nothing surprises me, especially on a Sunday. I have my headphones on but can still hear the high-pitched voice of a woman at the end of the row of seats opposite me, I sense that her boyfriend is uninterested in whatever she’s saying, or maybe I’m just projecting because in truth I’m the one who’s uninterested. I’m just tired and cranky. I’ve been awake since 6am, finished work at 7:30pm and by the time I walk through the door it will be 10pm. That’s 2.5 hours it would have taken me to get home. Tomorrow will very much resemble today, then again, maybe it won’t. My job can send me anywhere and on any given day anything can happen. If only I could have gotten today off of work it all would have looked very different, a friend offered me a ticket to see the LA Rams v Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL UK, but it was just too short notice, oh well, maybe next time. As I write these final words of an introduction on the newly cracked screen of my iPhone I am determined not to let my current circumstances crack my spirit. The next stop is my stop, it’s where I’ll change lines to start the next leg of my journey. The train is currently being held at a red signal to regulate the service, just my luck. I’m now listening to two men talk about the Rugby World Cup...I’m still uninterested! I need a shower, I need a cup of cocoa, I need to sleep! Ahhh we’re moving now...Be home soon.

 A few weeks ago, whilst scrolling through Instagram I came across a post on comedian Aurie Styla’s page that read “Any up and coming artists send us an e-mail to be featured on my BBC Radio London show, The Scene” without hesitation I logged in to my G-mail account and did just that. A few days later I received a response asking whether I would be free on Monday 21st October to perform live on the show, when the e-mail came through I was in Canada but luckily, I was due to be back in the UK before the 21st. I then looked at my work schedule and was due to be working a night shift the night of the show, this was an issue because it directly clashed with show time, but I knew I would figure out a way to get the night off and I did just that! For opportunities like this you simply have to find a way. I would be performing on live radio, this has always been a dream of mine and it was about to come true.

I arrived at the BBC London studios in good time. Collected my security pass and was met by the producer for the show who took me up to the waiting area. There were two other individuals being interviewed that day. Both were involved in music and we had a great little chat amongst ourselves before going on air. There was jxnior an up and coming singer-songwriter who had recently returned from performing in Aya Napa and also Elroy “Spoonface” Powell who wrote a book entitled “How To Think Beyond a Chart Position” I purchased it recently and can’t wait to get stuck in to it. I couldn’t chat for too long though, after a while I had to sit with my thoughts and focus, for within a few minutes I would be on live radio and performing, the nerves started to appear but I said to myself, these are the moments that you have longed for, so embrace them and just enjoy it. Often, we hope and pray for things to come our way yet when they do we find ourselves afraid to take hold of them. I know this is something I’ve battled with over the years but I try my best to realise when I’m in one of these moments and instead of becoming crippled by the fear, I try to embrace it. As I walked into the studio it was the perfect opportunity for me to do just that and I am happy to say that the interview and performance went very well. Aurie is a really cool guy and made me feel very comfortable which helped bring out the best in me. After the show, we hung around and took a few pictures before all going our separate ways. I left the BBC building on cloud nine but on this journey, it’s so easy to keep looking for the next milestone, this was a special evening for me and quite the achievement but already my mind was ticking over and thinking about all the work I still have to do and what the next thing would be. I caught myself in this moment and instead of getting lost thinking about what was to come next, I slowed down and appreciated exactly where I was and it was a beautiful feeling. I’d like to say a massive thank you to Aurie and his team. You can catch Aurie Styla touring with his stand up comedy show ‘Just Like That’, click here to go to his website for tickets. 

A few days after the interview I finally received an e-mail from Dre. If you’ve been reading my blog for a while then you’ll remember that Dre is the photographer I met whilst in Toronto. He sent me through the first draft of edited pictures and I was very impressed. I can’t wait to receive all of them but for now the images are looking pretty good. Here’s a few of them. My only wish is that I smiled more. 

This year I have made a conscious decision to not watch the news. Some may think that’s irresponsible of me, however, the way I see it, there is little I can do to change most of what I see on news stories, all I can do with that information is worry a little more than I already do so I have decided to let the news go. Unfortunately, I cannot do the same with the things I see on a daily basis. I have always been very observant and when I travel around it’s amazing just how much some people display their true colours, often without even being aware that that’s what they’re doing. I was on the tube recently (I know it seems like I spend my life there right?) and two young Muslim ladies got on my carriage. They were wearing full traditional dress and as I looked around the carriage at other people I noticed one woman in particular and just how much disdain I could see in her eyes as she observed the two Muslim ladies. They say the eyes never lie and I believe this to be true, you can say one thing with your mouth but your eyes will reveal what you truly feel. People feel all sorts of ways about other people and though many may never admit it there is always a moment when their true colours will show and should you see those colours, don’t make excuses for them, believe them.

Is it bad to not want to see poverty? To not want reminders of it on your doorstep? I know it exists but I just don’t want to see it. I walk a similar route every day and for years now I have seen the same drug addicts walking up and down my area. Now I can identify them clearly, which means they must also be able to identify me, so we’ve been seeing each other for years and I have seen them in all kinds or weather walking to get their drugs, begging on the corner and recently it really has started to bother me more than ever before. It just doesn’t put me in the best frame of mind to start my day. However, on the other hand I also think about just how addictive drugs must be for someone to live such a life day after day and not be able to get it together. Something that I’ve seen recently which is totally new to the area is a tent that has been erected in a disused car park at the rear of my building. If I were famous then I’d be paranoid that it was the paparazzi, but then again, if I were famous I don’t think I’d be living here! It would appear that a homeless person has set up in this disused carpark at the back of my block of flats and now I see this tent every day. A few days into the tent being there I noticed that the person had placed a piece of cardboard on top of it, they must have had a leak of some kind. There’s a part of me that wants to report them and have them moved and then there’s a part of me that feels like I should just leave them be, I mean life must be hard enough for them. This scenario reminds me of the time a pigeon built a nest and laid eggs on my balcony. I wanted the pigeon gone but I just didn’t have the heart to get rid of the eggs and nest so I let the chicks hatch and grow up on my balcony until they were old enough to fly away. I think what bothers me about seeing the tent is that it is a daily reminder of just how unfair this life can be, maybe also a reminder that none of us are too far away from being homeless. I’m unsure as to how best to play this one, maybe I’ll wake up tomorrow and the tent will be gone, just like those birds. We’ll see.

So, it would appear I have new neighbours! How do I know this? Well, not because they baked me a cake or asked for some sugar, when you live in a block of flats like I do that’s not how you get introduced to new neighbours. Instead, you begin to notice slight differences in the sounds coming from the properties surrounding yours. In the last few weeks it would appear a baby elephant has moved in upstairs, this elephant likes weed, dancehall music inviting other baby elephants over and talking too loud. Whoever, lived there before was my kind of person, very quiet and considerate and as a man that really likes silence this was perfect. However, now, for the first time I am considering my options and thinking about where I could possibly move to, however, I then look out my window and see the tent and think, “Ahhhhh Roman, it’s not that bad…it could be worse…see”

As you may remember, last week I was feeling pretty down and decided to go to a comedy night to lift my spirits, well it did lift my spirits but me feeling down went deeper than one night of comedy could fix. You see, I had been questioning my current job and considering my options, whether to continue in this field of work or seek pastures new. Sometimes change can be good for us, it can give us a new lease of life, it can put that pep back into our step, but we have to be changing for the right reasons and what we’re running towards must be something we genuinely want, as opposed to running away from something we don’t. I found myself unsure and unclear of exactly what to do and as a result of my uncertainty my attitude was affected. I sat with my manager for a very frank discussion and asked him how he thought I was doing so far in my new role since promotion. His responses were very positive, however he mentioned that I seem to be lacking a little enthusiasm of late. It was very eye opening to hear someone else highlight this, of course I felt it inside but this meant that is was clearly visible to others and if it was visible to others then it could be affecting them too. It was upon hearing this that I decided I would need to make some changes. The one thing we can all control is our attitude and I needed to make some adjustments to mine in order to present myself as a better employee.

One of the challenges I have experienced since promotion is being without a vehicle. My current role requires me to travel a lot more than I used to and whenever I do I also have to take my uniform with me, which is like dragging a suitcase weighing about 15kg, so, as part of my attitude adjustment I have decided to start searching for a car, now I am really not desperate to own a car, but it has become necessary to own one, so here I am, looking for solutions rather than complaining about my problems. Now, what car should I get? Here in London we have two additional charges for motorists. One is the congestion charge, which applies if you drive your car within certain areas of Central London, however, the government have now brought in another charge to take more money from motorists and that is the ULEZ, which stands for Ultra Low Emission Zone. Like the congestion charge the ULEZ applies if you drive your car within specific areas where the charge is enforced. However, some cars are exempt from paying these charges if their emissions are below a certain amount, so I am weighing up whether it’s better to spend a bit more money on a car that is exempt, or to buy a cheap banger and just pay the charge as and when it applies to me. My main reason for not wanting to get a car though is that they are just so demanding, like children, the moment something is wrong with them you just have to get it sorted out, you ultimately become a slave to your vehicle but hey, needs must.

It’s now been over a week of intermittent fasting. My eating window has been from 12 midday to 8pm and although I did have a few days where I ate after 8pm due to my normal routine being interrupted I made sure I did not break my fast until midday. So far this has been helping me to eat better and coupled with regular exercise I am confident I have lost weight, but I want to give myself another week of doing this before I check in on my weight. Sometimes checking your weight can be discouraging, especially if you haven’t lost as much as you think you have or on some occasions not lost anything at all, but what matters most is how you feel and I’ve been feeling really good. I go to bed and wake up with a light stomach and having a light stomach helps me to focus more on the things I have to do, now this may be too much information but since starting with the intermittent fasting I’m also no stranger to the toilet, if you get what I mean, and that’s a really good sign of a healthy digestive system, so I’ll keep this going for as long as I can and hopefully I’ll start seeing physical results soon enough.

It would appear that my blog is developing a bit of a following, I received some recent feedback, albeit from my mother, who informed me that she’s been enjoying the read, however, she felt as though blog #8 was somewhat shorter than the previous one “Thanks for that!” I guess some people enjoy it so much that they want it to be even longer. She did have some positive things to say though and I guess this is nice for her to read, I mean we don’t talk very often so it’s a way for her to keep tabs on her son’s life. Forgive me if the length of this week’s blog is a bit shorter than expected but I think here is where I shall leave you all.

As another week is upon us do your best to face it with a positive outlook, remember, we control our attitudes, so try your best to have a positive one as you move through the week. Take care of yourself and others and I’ll catch you next week. 

 Be well

 Roman Harris

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I sat there, waiting patiently for the waiter to approach me. It was the second time I had eaten at this restaurant and today was busier than the last, which meant patience was necessary. The waiter finally approached and asked “Black Coffee?” in a way that suggested he knew that’s what I wanted. I think he remembered me from the first time I ate there. I answered “Yes please” then went on to order two pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon and maple syrup, my final dirty breakfast before returning to London and my normal routine. I watched him move around the restaurant, laughing and joking with diners, clearing and cleaning tables, taking orders and delivering food and I thought to myself, I could fly back to London, return two weeks later and he’d probably still be there, chatting with the same customers, collecting the same pay cheque, paying the same bills, smiling and frowning at the same things. I could return, sit at the same table and he’d approach me once again and ask “Black coffee?” maybe with a little less confidence this time, but not much would have changed for him and in truth, not much would have changed for me either because our lives are all rather similar.

I’ve been gone for two weeks and while I’ve had a break from my normal routine and experienced new things, I’m sure the lives of those I know back in the UK have been much the same. I’m sure they too have been getting up for work, paying the same bills, smiling and frowning at the same things and soon enough I’ll be joining them. I am not above anyone in this…whatever “this” is. Trust me, I’m right in it with you. The thing is, I’m sure deep down none of us really want “this” we all want to break free of this cycle we find ourselves in, some of us find new jobs or new career paths, others move to a new city or a new country seeking something different, but after a while that different becomes the norm and we find ourselves in a routine, albeit in a new office, location or time zone. So, if we want to be free, how do we “get free?” Maybe the only way to truly be free is to give it all up, to give up our desire to move, our desire to change, our desire for things, to turn our back on the ways of the world, to want for nothing but to be content with all we have, maybe that’s the only way…maybe…Black coffee anyone?

So, back to my dirty breakfast. Pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon and maple syrup! Hell, I was raised a vegetarian. What am I doing??? The eggs were cracked to form part of the ingredients for my pancakes, then more eggs were cracked to make my scrambled eggs and the pig was killed to make my bacon. So, effectively I ate about 4 unborn chickens and some pig with syrup! These were my honest thoughts after consumption. When you look at it that way it’s just not as appetising. Now I’m not Greta Thunberg 2.0, I’m just a guy that was having a serious thought about what I just put in my body. I am not trying to convert, shock, chastise or even educate any fellow meat eaters and note I said “fellow”, because I’m yet to fully commit to a life without it, ultimately, I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know, but I had to ask myself…why am I eating this? And the only conclusion I could come to is because, well, I wanted to, but is that a good enough reason? In this life, we all have to make decisions. We make them every day, but a lot of the time we make them for ourselves, it’s either because WE want to or don’t want to, but I genuinely believe that if we don’t start making decisions for the sake of others and for this planet then we can’t complain when shit gets real and it’s pretty real at the moment. It’s up to you to decide how much you’re willing to change for this earth we live on, but changing nothing isn’t an option…Well, it is, but then we’ll all be screwed so…yeah…let’s change something…at least give it some thought…you know? Cool!

I was listening to the radio recently heard a news story that said the Indian Prime Minister has declared India ‘open-defecation free’. It’s not that I was taken aback by this story, as I am well aware of the slums in India and the poor conditions many live under, but it did make me think about all the different worlds that exist here on earth. On one hand, there’s us in the west and for most of us we’ve had toilets all our whole lives and on the other hand there are people in India who for entire lifetimes have been defecating in the open. That’s a problem. Throughout my life I have relieved myself on trains, airplanes, friend’s houses, even buses (with toilets of course) and with the pull of a handle, a chain or these days even a sensor, I have watched my problems just flush away, but for some people in India, that’s a lot of problems just sitting there, day after day. Sometimes we really don’t realise how lucky we are. 

I arrived back into London safely and had a few days spare before I would be returning to work. When I got home I decided to weigh myself, before leaving for Canada I was about 75kg, however, I came in at 79.5kg. I’d put on a whole 4.5kg. That Poutine was weighing heavy on me. The heaviest I’ve ever been is 89kg, this was back when I was 25. It was at this time I decided I had to get fit and healthy, so worked my ass off with diet and exercise to get down to 75kg. The lightest I’ve ever been, apart from when I was a new born, is 70.5kg but I tend to remain around the 74-75kg mark, so to be 79.5kg was not good. I decided I had to do something and fast, so I got back into the gym that day and have decided that exercising little and often exercise will be my way forward and I am currently trying out intermittent fasting where the diet is concerned. Watch this space.

That evening as I went for a walk I was crossing the road and saw a young lady walking towards me, she took out her phone and snapped a picture of the sky. I couldn’t help but turn around and have a look myself. It was absolutely amazing. I had to take a picture too. I found myself thinking had I not been looking up to observe my surroundings and seen her take a picture of the sky I may have missed this opportunity to do the same. I guess sometimes it pays to look up.

Exercise is a great thing, it can help to put you in a positive frame of mind but sometimes the weight of the world feels like it is on your shoulders and even exercise doesn’t help. Just two days into my return to the UK this is how I was feeling. I was really low and thought that maybe doing something I enjoy would be a good idea, so I registered to perform at a comedy night in North London. As the day progressed I felt more and more like I wasn’t prepared to leave my bed, let alone my apartment. I didn’t want to see or speak to anyone but I reached out to a comedy friend of mine and asked whether he ever performs when he’s feeling low and he told me that it’s the best thing you can do and one should use the gig as a haven. I wasn’t convinced and thought staying in bed would be the better option but somehow, I decided to go and it was truly worthwhile. Just to perform, to speak and interact with other people. It lifted my spirit immensely. I received compliments from others about my set and it made me feel as though maybe I’m doing something right. It really was what I needed.

I ended this week on the phone with a fellow creative who is in a similar situation to myself. We both have that burning desire and passion for art and performance but also have those worldly responsibilities that require us to have a steady job. We spoke for a while about this and that and the idea that maybe we should both just focus on what we have and seek to be the best we can be in our current field of work, but for people like us that will never be enough, because deep down we know that there’s something else, that there’s another calling for us and it’s something you just can’t bury. To be able to create is a blessing and to not express such a talent is a crime. I just find myself asking the question, what would it look like to be all in? To just throw everything into it, sink or swim. Is that what will be required of me? Do I have the courage for the calling? I guess time will tell but for now I just have to keep believing and keep striving.  

I hope you all enjoyed the read. Thanks for taking the time and I hope that your week ahead is a great one.

Take care until.

Roman Harris

I don’t know how to start this week’s blog. I’m not too sure of what I’m feeling right now. Maybe a little anxiety. Why anxiety? Well, my Canadian Aunty had to drive to the airport tonight to pick up my British Aunty, however, my Canadian Aunty doesn’t like driving at night and I have a feeling she would have liked me to go with her. She should be back home by now and I’ve called and text her but had no response, hence the anxiety. Is she ok? Did she get home safe? Argh, it is rather late after all, maybe she’s back home and sleeping. I’m overthinking. Let me have a look at my phone…Ha! See Roman! She’s text you back! Everyone is fine. Relax! 

I’ve always been a thinker/over thinker. It has been both a blessing and a curse. There are times that I wish I could quiet my mind but it ticks on and on. So, whenever people or situations give me reason to think more than I wish to it is a real pain to me. This reminds me of a story. One night my sister and I were talking on the phone when she became unresponsive. I called her name a few times but nothing. I couldn’t even hear her breathing. Anyway, me being the “over thinker” that I am decided to call the ambulance and tell them that my sister had become unresponsive while on the phone, 30 minutes later my sister called me back telling me how embarrassed she was that the police and ambulance had broken into her apartment and she woke up to find them standing over her. Can you believe??? My sister fell asleep on the phone to me! I mean come on! I’m not that boring! Maybe most people would have figured she’d fallen asleep but not me. I thought of all the worst scenarios possible, thankfully it wasn’t any of them…but what if it was? And that’s the space in which I live my life. The “what if?”

Prior to leaving Toronto I treated myself to a night out. A night out for me these days doesn’t consist of poppin’ bottles and trying to pull, not that I wouldn’t go to a club anymore, trust me, I like to shake a leg, but of late it’s more going to comedy clubs. I searched Google for comedy clubs in Toronto and came across one called ‘The Corner Comedy Club’ the tag line for this club was ‘So small it’s funny’ and believe me, this is a small club but so cool. It was a Sunday night so it wasn’t packed but the comedians on the bill brought the funnies! I spoke to the organiser and asked her whether I could get 5 mins but unfortunately the bill was full. Maybe next time. Check it out if you’re ever in Toronto.

After a bus ride from Toronto to Montreal and a day of rest I decided I would have a little adventure. I woke early and prepared myself for a trip to a place called Mont-Royal, which is a large volcanic hill here in Montreal with amazing views over the city but before I headed out for the day I went to spend the morning at my Auntie’s house. If you ever wanted to feel good about yourself then my Aunty is the woman to be around. She’s very complimentary. I remember her once saying to me “Roman, look at your head! You have such a perfectly shaped head”, now if that’s not enough to make you feel like some kind of king then I don’t know what more you need. I arrived to find her in the kitchen making pine tarts and my uncle sitting at the table on his laptop, coffee was brewing and I helped myself to a cup. After an hour of conversation and trips down memory lane I told my Aunty I was going to leave for my trip.

 Aunty: Roman, why are you leaving?

 Me: Aunty, I’m going to Mont-Royal remember?

 Aunty: By yourself?

 Me: Yes aunty, I do a lot on my own

 Aunty: But you’re leaving so soon, you just got here

 Me: I’ve been here for an hour and a half

 Aunty: But how will you get there? Do you know the way?

 Me: Yeah sure, Google Maps

 Aunty: Let me drive you to the train station 

 Me: But my bus is coming in 5 minutes

 Aunty: NO! I’m going to drive you!

30 minutes later I’m still sat there talking with her, hmmmmm, I see the strategy. But hey, it’s always lovely catching up with family, especially when your presence is appreciated. She finally did drive me to the train station and my adventure began.

I arrived at Mont-Royal station and began my walk towards the mountain. I stopped off en route to sit and have a coffee before my ascent. There’s something truly wonderful about sitting in your own company, the sun on your face, in an unfamiliar place and just being, even if only for a short while. After a lovely latte, I began the journey to the top of the mountain, it was a good walk and the views once arriving at the top were amazing. After the mountain walk I went to a restaurant for Poutine #3. It was nice but still not as good as the first one. In my opinion, what makes a good Poutine is hot and crispy fries, some of the cheese must be melted but not all of it and the gravy must be hot too, I don’t like it luke warm, anyway, I’m not sure whether I have the will to eat any more Poutine while I’m here. My stomach may never forgive me. Yep, I think that’s it for Poutine…That’s definitely it!

Poutine #3 from La Banquise

So! After all of that big talk about no more Poutine, Poutine # 4 came about a few days later. I fell hard off the Poutine wagon or I guess you could say I jumped back on to it, but that’s not important, let’s not dwell on my developing Poutine addiction. However, what lead me to Poutine #4 was that earlier in the week I had gone to a comedy club in Montreal called The Comedy Nest and met a few comedians, one of which advised me to go to a show at a place called ‘Art Loft’ I found the Facebook page for the event, and decided I would check it out.. Comedy at Art Loft is a bring your own booze type event and since weed is legal here in Canada it’s a bring your own weed type event too. It’s been going for about 3 years now and takes place in a private apartment. 4 young men convert their place into a comedy club every week and invite local comedians to come and do a set. It is such a great idea and the vibe is fantastic! You pay $10 to get in and you are then treated to 4 – 5 acts. The doors open from 9pm so I was there at 8:55pm not wanting to miss a second of the action. What I didn’t read was that the show started at 10:30pm so I was uncomfortably the first person there, just chilling with the 4 guys that live there. Luckily they were pretty chill and after about 30 minutes people started to arrive. It was a great night of comedy and such a cross section of people attended the event. I met people from Italy, Holland and even Botswana. The show is hosted by Quinn McMorrow who was ridiculously funny and headlining was a young man called Aba Atlas. He was great and has performed at ‘Just for Laughs’ a huge comedy festival that takes place annually in Montreal. After the show, I mingled for a bit finished my 3rd beer and then popped over the road to a corner restaurant called Patati Patata, where Poutine # 4 was demolished. 

I was way too early!!!!

2nd best Poutine so far!

I’ve set myself a new goal and that is to attend an American Football, Ice Hockey, Baseball and Basketball game in my lifetime. I can happily say that I have now crossed one of these off my list. I’ve always loved sporting events and travelling to arenas and whilst here in Montreal I had the pleasure of going to the Bell Centre to see the Montreal Canadiens v Detroit Red Wings. The whole experience from start to finish was amazing, well, apart from the $12 I paid for a beer and the beer that spilled on my iPhone, but apart from that it was great! Canada is very much a hockey nation, they live and breathe it and although Montreal have not won a Stanley Cup (The ultimate prize in hockey) since 1993 the atmosphere was fantastic and the support for the team here in the city is strong. What amazes me about this sport is just how fast paced it is and how these guys can skate so effortlessly, of course they’ve been doing this since they were kids, hence the ability but my oh my, they have some skill. No matter where you travel to in North America definitely try to catch a game, you will not be disappointed. After the game my cousin and I went to a restaurant where I discovered why it is so easy to put on weight in North America/Canada. I was torn between getting a burger or getting macaroni cheese, until I discovered a burger that has breaded macaroni cheese as a bun. Do you understand what I am telling you!!!!! Madness!!!! So obviously I had to try it! I made it through most of the burger but could not finish it. I have some serious training to do when I get back to the UK, need to shed these extra pounds.

So, here we are, we finally made it to the reason I am here in Canada, the big day! The wedding day! The ceremony took place outdoors, which is something I don’t think I’d have the guts to do. I’d be too scared that it would rain or a bird would fly past and shit on my suit or on my bride’s wedding dress. If it had to hit one of us then let it be me, I think it would be easier to get out of my suit than a wedding dress, plus I think I could play it off better that she would, I mean no woman wants to be the bird shit bride. That has to be bad luck though, a bird shitting on you on your wedding day! Anyway, I digress. The ceremony was lovely, short and sweet, no singing, no sermon, just lovely words shared between the bride and groom, then pictures, then off to the reception. My cousin Kim and her husband Cliff truly seem like they’re made for one another, well, to have been together for 15 years so far you would hope so. He’s a really cool guy, granted I’ve only met him twice, well three times now, sometimes once is enough to know if someone is genuine and he sure is. No doubt they’re both great parents also and I wish them all very best and all my love.

That cake was amazing!!!

The wedding reception was filled with warmth, some lovely speeches from the mother of the bride and the groom and not to mention the best man. The Groom’s father sadly passed away years ago and so his uncle said a few words on the father’s behalf which was truly wonderful. It was a revelation to me to find out that my Aunty had been married to her husband for over 50 years! Truly amazing. One of the highlights of the reception for me was when my 2nd cousin who was sat a few seats away from me got my attention once I had finished my main course and said “Roman, you eat so well”, now apart from compliments on the shape of my head this has to be the next funniest. But I remember eating at a friend’s house once and using my thumb to move the last few grains of rice on to my fork and being told off for it. Apparently their parents were horrified at my poor table manners. I felt really embarrassed and from that day I changed my ways. Sometimes we need to be embarrassed into change and sometimes we can do something a certain way for so long that we don’t even see anything wrong with it. This is why it’s important to be open minded and willing to change for the better.

Monday the 14th October is thanksgiving here in Canada and so on Sunday afternoon we all went around to my Auntie’s house for Dinner. There were no turkey’s involved in this meal but there was a lot of fish, lamb curry, friend rice, chow mien, boiled and friend provision, vegetables and the list goes on. The spread was lovely and the food was fantastic, all of the delicious foods you can find in Guyana were on offer and if you were wondering, yes, I fell off the vegetarian wagon and had a bit of meat, but I’ll be getting back on to it soon enough. There was also much Beer, Guinness, Rum and laughter listening to the stories of the older men and women, while watching the kids run around and play and somewhere in the middle was me and my generation of cousins enjoying each other’s company, looking at the youth we once had in the children running around us, and the wisdom that we may come to realise in the elders that surrounded us. It was a fitting end to a lovely time out here in Canada. Before my cousin Kim departed she told me “Roman, really enjoy your life” she encouraged me to the time to reflect on my accomplishments and enjoy the things I have achieved instead of constantly looking on to what’s next. We embraced, I kissed her on the cheek a smile was exchanged and off she went. 

My time in Canada is winding down now and so is this blog. Much like the beginning of this blog I am not sure how to end it, so I’ll just finish the same way I started, by telling you how I feel right now. I have recently returned from the Sunday Dinner at my Auntie’s house. I am really, really full and tired and happy I made this trip happen and though I am not eager to get back to the grind of work I am grateful I have a job and I am also grateful that I have the capacity to continue doing the things I love. I feel blessed to have been able to spend this time with family, those I know and those I have come to know I feel blessed to have been there at my cousin’s wedding and to be a part of making the day so special for her and more than anything I’m truly grateful to be alive, to be well and to be sharing these words with you all.

Have an amazing week ahead and don’t forget to be great.

Roman Harris

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I remember speaking with my father when I was a young boy, I couldn’t have been more than 8 or 9 and I asked him “What’s the point of doing anything if ultimately we all die.” Quite a deep question for a child. He said that, we all have to find a way to survive in this world, so we all have to find something to do. He always encouraged me to make that ‘something’ art and in truth it’s the only thing that has been a constant throughout my life thus far. In Primary school, I got good enough grades to attend one of the best high schools in Guyana, St Stanislaus’ College, but throughout my primary school years, whether singing, acting or presenting I was always performing. In high school, I did business studies and accounting and finished my schooling with very good grades but I was always performing. In college, I studied video production and achieved 3 A levels and was accepted to every University I applied to, but I was always performing. And now, in my working life I’ve been a paperboy, worked for a number of supermarkets, a bank, a payroll company and now the London Fire Brigade for the last 10 years and you guessed it…I’ve always been performing. I honestly cannot see anything better than creating art for a living. Maybe I’ve been conditioned to think this way, in the same way that most of us are conditioned to believe the things we believe but art has always been my thing. It’s up to you to find yours and if you haven’t already then I sure hope you do.

I was booked in to perform at a comedy show on Monday at a place called Monty’s Bar in Brick Lane. It was the first time I had ever performed at this particular night and was looking forward to it. However, the weather on Monday was horrendous. It rained nearly all day and would have been the perfect reason to stay home where it was warm and dry, but once I commit to something I like to follow it through. Added to the terrible weather I came to discover, while walking through puddles, that I had holes in the soles of my favourite shoes and so for the duration of the night had wet socks and soggy feet! The worst! I was playing around with my set earlier in the day, thinking of what jokes to run with and the order in which I would be delivering them. I decided to throw a new bit into my set and place it in the middle. With any new bit of comedy you take a chance and run the risk of falling flat on your face but it’s the only way to see if it can work. One suggestion I received regarding set structure is that it’s best to start with strong material, put the semi-strong/new material in the middle and finish with the strongest material, so, I decided to try this out. When I arrived at Monty’s I was asked whether I’d be happy to close the first half of the show and do a 7-minute set, closing the first half would have been perfect, however, I’m only comfortable with doing 5 minute sets at the moment so 7 minutes is a bit of a challenge, I know 2 minutes doesn’t seem like much but depending on how your set is going it definitely can be. However, I backed myself and figured it would allow me time to try out a few more things and not be too rushed. Unfortunately, the second act did not show up in time and I was asked whether I could go on in their place. This was unexpected, took me aback and was not ideal, but to not come across as a Diva I said yes and before I knew it was on stage sooner than desired. These things happen I guess. At one point during the set it felt like I had been talking for ages, then I looked at my watch and only 3 minutes had passed. I had another 4 minutes to fill. I nearly panicked! But composed myself and just tried to enjoy it. I think all artists are quite self-critical and when I finished my set, I didn’t feel like it went well. Don’t get me wrong, I got laughs, but not the kind of laughs that fill you with confidence and give you a buzz, the energy coming back at me wasn’t overly positive, however, one thing I try my best to do is never blame the crowd. I like to take full responsibility for the way in which my comedy is received, after all, I’m the one that wrote it and I’m the one performing it, so who else can I blame. I’ll be getting the video from the gig soon and will be able to re-watch and deconstruct the performance. There’s every chance it might not be as bad as I think it was, or maybe it will be worse, but one thing’s for sure. It can only get better. 

(At the time of completing this blog I have received the video of my performance and oh my gosh it was terrible!!! Just kidding, it wasn’t as bad as first thought. I think I wasn’t totally comfortable in my delivery, partly because I went on sooner than expected and also because on this particular night I had someone very dear to me in the crowd and I was more concerned with how my jokes may have been making them feel rather than focusing on my delivery. The ability to deliver my set regardless of who’s in the crowd is a muscle I have to develop, because it’s important to believe in your material and deliver it with confidence or else the audience will have no confidence in you)

I spent the next few days preparing for a trip abroad. Now before I write this paragraph I know this will sound like first world problems and trust me, they are, but here I go anyway. I’ve never been a fan of preparing to go away. In fact, everything up until the moment I arrive in a new part of the country or world is a chore to me. From deciding where to go, to booking the travel and accommodation, to packing, to getting to the airport, going through security, boarding the plane, the flight…oh don’t get me started on the flight, the regimented times that you’re given food…like what if I don’t want to eat when you’re bringing the food around. It’s 11am and you’re serving lunch, I don’t eat lunch that early…Arrrggghhh!!!! Like I said, first world problems. I would be travelling to Canada. Montreal and Toronto to be exact. Why have I chosen to leave a cold climate for an even colder one? Because my lovely cousin Kimberly is getting married and I’ve had nearly 2 years notice, so I’d be a bit of a prick if I didn’t turn up, in truth, I wouldn’t miss it for the world. My cousin Kim and I go way back. She’s the cousin I see the least, yet weirdly feel the closest to. She and I used to write each other letters, like actual hand-written letters, we were pen pals at a young age and as we got older would speak once in a blue moon but our conversations were always effortless and flowed so nicely. In fact, as I write this I’m actually feeling excited for the first time. It’ll be lovely to see her and her soon to be husband, not to mention their cute little baby girl, from the pictures I’ve seen she’s not so much a baby anymore. Well, looks like it’s lunch time, whether I like it or not!

Me and Kim during my first trip to Montreal (1992) Check out the high top though!

Still blows my mind to think this thing was actually in the sky!

Why don’t they just fly in a straight line?

I landed in Montreal safely, navigated my way out of the airport and into the city centre where I then boarded a bus to Toronto. I would be staying in Toronto with my cousin for the first few days of my trip, he moved out here two years ago in order to pursue a new life. Like me he’s a musician. Rap is his genre and he released his first single a few months ago entitled ‘Letting Go’ click here to check it out on Spotify. You don’t get to choose your family but if I could then he’s definitely one I would have chosen. I like him, not because he’s family (which in my opinion is not a good enough reason to like someone) but because he’s a good person. He’s a deeper thinker than most, he’s genuine and he’s driven. When I arrived at his place we sat up and spoke for an hour or so about his time in Canada thus far, his plans for the future and the vision he has for his life. It was great to talk with him and I have no doubt that he’ll make his dreams come true. 

K.I.N.G.I.S.H lost in music!

On this trip away I took my laptop with me, not something I would usually do but as the music video for ‘Upon a Lifetime’ would be coming out whilst I was away I had to prepare promotional material for social media. Another thing I’ve had to do is wake up early enough to post at Greenwich Mean Time. This sounds like a pain but for some reason my body clock has been waking me up around 5-6am every morning. Canada is currently 5 hours behind the UK so in terms of me posting online it’s been working out fine. I’m hoping to sleep a little later as the days roll on though or else I’ll burn out. The music video for ‘Upon a Lifetime’ has been very well received thus far. Thank you to everyone who’s been supporting this track, I’ve already hit 5k streams in the first week alone so you’re all doing an amazing job. I think that Joe Constante the director for the video did amazingly well at making the imagery match the feeling of the song. I really hope you’ve all been loving it and sharing it with your friends and family.

let’s get to 10k!

For my first few days in Toronto all I wanted to do was rest but I figured as I’m here in a new city I should take the opportunity to go out and explore. I’ve travelled enough to know just what I enjoy when in a new country. I like going to markets, I like trying new food and new beers, I like meeting new people and I like not being in a rush for anything. So, that’s what my day consisted of. I did a little research and found a place called Kensington Market and made my way there. It was lovely just walking around the streets, listening to different accents, popping into random shops, a few of which were marijuana shops, as marijuana is legal here and before you worry, I can confirm that I did NOT try any, we can be randomly drug tested at work so I stayed away from the sticky ickey but the smell of it fills the air as you walk around town.

As I explored, I came across a little park that had a piano in it. A man was playing a lovely tune and a young Taiwanese woman was taking pictures of him. When I’m away I try to get some pictures of myself for music and promotional purposes and figured this would be a great opportunity to do just that should I take a chance. So, I approached this young lady and asked her name, she said “Kitty” I told her who I am and what I do and asked if she’d be willing to take some pictures of me. I offered to pay her for her time or buy her lunch but she said there was no need and that she would do it for me for free. So for the next hour we walked around the streets of Toronto, I was her model and she was my private photographer. The kindness of some people never seises to amaze me. Later that evening she sent me an e-mail with all of the pictures and a note saying how much she and her boyfriend loved my music, especially ‘Upon a Lifetime’ I was overjoyed. Thank you Kitty!

Snapped by Kitty!

After the impromptu photoshoot I stopped off and had some poutine for lunch, which is a popular dish here consisting of French fries, gravy and melted cheese. It was lovely but I could feel the pounds increasing with every fork full. I then found a little bar and enjoyed a pint of beer in the sunshine, more pounds added. It took me over an hour to finish it but I think the setting made me want to savour the moment a little more than usual. I then took an evening stroll over to the CN Tower, which is an iconic landmark here in Toronto, I’ve been up enough towers now to know what they’re all about an in my experience they’re rather anti-climatic. You pay a bunch of money, queue for ages, then take an elevator to the top where you have a view of the city and then, well, that’s it. I’ve been to the top of the Arc De Triomphe, The Shard, Berliner Fernsehturm, The Sydney Harbour Bridge…no, wait, the Sydney Harbour Bridge was bloddy impressive, amazing I would say, but the others? hmmmm…not so much, although on second thought the view from the top of the Arc De Triomphe is lovely because of the way the city of Paris is designed. My point is, I often like to look at these structures from the outside as oppose to going in them. So that’s what I did. I also try to catch some comedy when away, so booked myself a ticket to an improv night. I guess I was rather tired by the time I got there and also improv was not my first choice for comedy so I only stayed for the first half of the show, I really wanted to see some stand-up but all the shows I wanted to see were sold out, maybe I’ll have better luck in Montreal. My next stop.

I don’t even want to know the calorie content!

Ahhhhhhhhh! That bloody glass was sooo heavy though!

The week ended with me meeting yet another photographer, although this meeting was planned and he’s also a professional. His last photography campaign was for Reebok and his name is Dre, click here to check out his Instagram. I had been put in contact with him by my cousin, they had met at a studio session. This would be a proper photoshoot and boy am I glad that I booked him. The guy has such a great artistic eye. We moved around the city finding some really cool locations and used props and the natural light to create some lovely images which I can’t wait to share with you when the time is right. For now, I’ll just extend a thank you to a talented young man that I hope to work with again sometime.

As I complete this week’s blog I’m sat here on the sofa at my cousin’s place having just finished a black coffee whilst watching Arsenal vs Bournemouth and it’s just gone 10am. I’ve not slept past 8am since I’ve been here, nor have I had a problem with waking up early and I’ve no doubt it’s because I’m away from the daily grind, from the pressures of life and time is well and truly my own. I think we all feel better when we’re away and I’m convinced it’s because this is the way we were actually meant to live, without care, without worry, without somewhere we have to be. We weren’t meant to be slaves to our jobs, to money, to paying bills, to material things, we were meant to wander, to enjoy, to LIVE, but what we do day in and day out, is it really living? I saw a post recently that said, “working hard for something you dislike is called stress, working hard for something you love is called passion” which is why it is so important to find yours. Performing has always been mine, it has been the one constant throughout my life and I hope that with this continued drive and consistency I may perform for a living and one day do more than just exist, but truly LIVE while I am alive.

Thanks for reading and I hope that you make your week ahead a great one.

Be safe

Roman Harris

Welcome back! Did you miss me? Probably not because I’ve been promoting the release of my song ‘Upon a Lifetime’ so much you’ve most likely seen and heard from me more than usual, but nevertheless, here I am with another blog, after another jam-packed week. 

I was absolutely gutted!!!! Ok, maybe that’s an overstatement, let’s just say I was somewhat disappointed because I really needed a haircut but my barber did not respond to my text. I also called him but it went straight to voicemail, (Surely, he’s not blanking me after our little miscommunication). You see, I had a TV interview the next day, so I ended up having to do what I really didn’t want to do...visit my 3rd choice barber. Now I can hear you wondering, why didn’t you just go to your 2nd choice barber. Well, that’s because my 3rd choice barber is closer to my home and the quality of 2nd choice barber’s cut is only slightly better than my 3rd choice barber so after weighing up the pros and cons I figured 3rd choice would do. 

The next day I woke early and got myself prepped for my interview with London Live. They had kindly agreed to interview me ahead of the release of my single. I’m known to be a punctual person and pride myself on not just being on time but being early. So, I left in good time to arrive at the TV studio for 10am my interview was due to be at 10:30am but that morning the heaven’s opened and rain fell. In most cities, this would not be a problem but this is London! As London was turned on its head because of a little rain I stood there on the District line platform awaiting my train only to be informed there had been a signal failure and trains were delayed. I could feel the time tick away, making me later and later for my interview. As I stood there, helpless, I thought to myself just how little control we have over anything in this world. Have you ever stopped to think about what would happen if things just stopped working? The District line stopped working and it only took 10 mins for frustration to kick in and tempers to flare. Now let’s just imagine electricity stopped working, can you imagine the horror when your iPhone gets down to 20% and you can’t charge it? And we all know that 20% is the new 1% so you’ll only have time for one more Instagram post…if you’re lucky. Anyway, I ended up having to get out of the underground at Sloane Square and get a bus, as I frantically searched for the bus stop I needed I heard someone call my name, “Roman!” I looked over and in a very lovely Mercedes was one of my colleagues from the Fire Brigade. He beckoned me over to his car and asked me how much? Ha! Just kidding! He asked me where I was going. I told him I was late for a TV interview and needed to get to High Street Kensington. He told me to hop in and drove me all the way. Call it the universe working in my favour, good karma or just plain luck, either way I am truly thankful to him. Bless you brother! I made It to the interview and it went very well. 

In the London Live studio

As the week rolled on I got back into the swing of comedy! There’s a new comedy club that’s opened in my area called Vauxhall Comedy Club. Since it opened I’ve been wanting to perform there. I had applied and waited, waited and waited some more with no response coming my way, but as fate would have it, I bumped into one of the promoters at another comedy gig and expressed my interest to perform. This promoter is fellow comedian Ali Woods and I liked his comedy from the first time I saw him perform (that’s a genuine comment and there’s no reason for me to suck up to him because I’ve already performed at the club...so...) he told me to drop him an e-mail, so I did and recently I performed 5 minutes at his comedy night ‘All I Do Is Fail’ I was on third, which is a decent number to go on as the crowd are already a little warm and I’m pleased to say it went pretty well. I did a mixture of more seasoned material with some newer material that I’m trying to work out. The thing about comedy is that you simply have to get on stage and try things out in order to see whether they work. There’s no other way to do it! On this occasion it worked, but the night may come when it doesn’t and should that happen it’s important to not become despondent, just dust myself down and go again! As I write this I have now completed 10 comedy shows. I started this journey back in July and so far it has been great. I have met some amazing people and learnt so much. I’ve been lucky enough to even get on to TV as a result of my comedy, playing a recurring role as a cashier in a gameshow called Supermarket Sweep and that was a great boost to my confidence.

If you’re reading this Today 30th September, 2019 then I’ll be performing this evening, 7:30pm at Monty’s Bar 149 Brick Lane, E1 6SB. Come on down!

Post gig at Vauxhall Comedy Club

This week was definitely one of my busiest for a long time, especially as I found myself on a first aid course with work whilst trying to do everything else on my list of to-do’s. We’re required to do a first aid course every few years to keep our skills up and I must say, they are very informative. If anyone were to go into cardiac arrest right about now then I’m your man! My course ended on Friday, which was the same day as the release of ‘Upon a Lifetime’. 

‘Upon a Lifetime’ what can I say, releasing new music is always a great feeling but when you’re doing it all solo it can feel a little like you’re on a raft in the middle of the ocean, unsure as to which direction you should be paddling. Every now and then something happens that makes you feel like you’re on course for dry land, other times nothing happens and you wonder whether you’ll ever see land again, the one thing you just can’t do is stop paddling. A quote that I try my best to live by is “it’s always too early to quit” and so I keep keeping on. The initial feedback from the release of my 3rd single has been very positive. A few lucky people have also gotten to see the music video, which will be released on Friday 4th October and the feedback on the video has been amazing also. I can’t wait to share it with you all.

I’m going to end this week’s blog with this. On Wednesday morning I woke up, it was raining, the sky was grey and as I sat on the edge of my bed before taking a shower and having my morning coffee, I thought to myself “Well done Roman!”, well done for getting your ass out of bed! For looking after yourself and keeping your head above water from the age of 17 when you started living on your own, for keeping your dreams alive and for not giving up. These were the thoughts I had before I started my day. Sometimes it’s important to take a moment, to commend yourself for the things you’ve done right, or course we’ve all done things wrong at times, but the fact that we’re still here means we must be doing something right, so allow yourself a moment of praise and celebration, you deserve it. 

Thanks again for reading and I hope that these words provided you with a little escape, entertainment and inspiration for the week ahead. Be sure to scroll down and subscribe to my mailing list and check out my new single ‘Upon a Lifetime’ by clicking here, if you love it, share it with a friend. Word of mouth is a powerful thing. You can also subscribe to my youtube page by clicking here and get notified first when the music video drops.

 Take care and have a great week

 Roman Harris

Upon a Lifetime: Artwork designed by Marianna Boff

I was once told that there is no such thing as closure. That we are all walking around with the past still very much a part of us. I believe there is some truth to that, however, I also believe that we decide how much of the past we allow to affect our present and ultimately our future.

Relationships end. Sad but true. Some on a sour note, some through mutual agreement, and others are casualties of time, but everything that ends also has a beginning and a middle and although ‘Upon a Lifetime’ is a song born out of the end of a relationship it is the beginning and the middle that are just as important in bringing this song to life.

You too would have loved and lost. It is inevitable, but do not let sadness consume you because it is over, smile because it happened. Smile because you were made to feel special, smile because someone you never knew came to be more than a friend and cared for you, smile because they made you smile, smile because of the inside jokes you created with one another, smile because they were there, smile for the trips you took, for the times you got lost together and for times you found one another, smile because it happened and keep smiling because it can happen again, albeit with someone new but that is the wonder of life.

I was once told that there is no such thing as closure. That we are all walking around with the past still very much a part of us. I believe there is some truth to that, but if closure does exist then maybe ‘Upon a Lifetime’ will bring me closer to it and I hope it gets you a little closer to it also.

Bless

Roman Harris

Click here to listen and download ‘Upon a Lifetime’ NOW!!!

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Hello you wonderful people,

I hope you’re all well. Every time I complete one of these blogs I find myself thinking, wow! That’s a whole week that’s gone by and so much happens in that time, so much that I don’t actually include in this blog, I mean, If i told you everything then this would go on for a while, some of the things I leave out are little things, like the advertisement I saw on the underground for a watch that cost £795 but it was advertised in such a way that suggested £795 for a watch is a good price. Clearly I’m not part of the the target market! Or the ugly mannequin I saw in a shop window whilst travelling on a bus, this took me aback, because you know, most mannequins are pleasing on the eye, coming to think of it, most mannequins have white features, even in mostly black countries…in fact, I think that all mannequins have white features, has anyone ever seen a mannequin with black features? or Asian features? Do let me know…anyway, I digress. Other things I leave out are big things, like the fact that I forgot my friend’s birthday…Sorry Yolanda! Please forgive me. But regardless what I leave out, I hope you enjoy the read and someone please get back to me on the mannequins.

I can think of 795 cheaper ways to tell the time!

Who’s buying anything this mannequin is wearing?

Happy Belated Birthday Yogi! Note: I was very drunk when this picture was taken.

I started my week by making a list. Now of course this is not a new concept so I’m not fishing for praise but I can honestly say that whenever I’ve made a list of things I need to do then the next day has always been more productive, which begs the question, why don’t I make a list every night? I’ll let you know when I find a decent answer to that question.

A few things on my list included, washing clothes, cooking my food for the week, taking my suit to the dry cleaners and editing some video clips for social media. What did not make the list was spending most of the day watching ‘Top Boy’ on Netflix. If you don’t know what ‘Top Boy’ is, it’s a programme that originally aired on Channel 4 here in the UK. There were two seasons of this show and then it was off the air for a six years until Drake...yes Drake as in ‘Hotline Bling’ Drake, swooped in to revive the show and now it’s back, on Netflix and dare I say better than ever. I watched 7 of the 10 episodes that day and still managed to get everything on my list completed. I was rather impressed with myself. Who says men can’t multitask? I have quite a bit to say about ‘Top Boy’ but we’ll come back to that a little later. 

I’m currently working on returning to vegetarianism. I say returning because, if you don’t know, I was raised as a vegetarian. This was back in the 80’s 90’s and 00’s before it was the kind of movement and big business that it is now. I was original in this thing…I knew about Tofu, Quorn and Linda McCartney Sausages before they were fashionable…what do you know about Sosmix???? (Inside joke for those that know) I was a strict vegetarian until around the age of 14 when I tried chicken for the first time at a friends house. It didn’t become a regular part of my diet and to be honest I didn’t like it that much but I did adopt seafood into my diet in my early 20’s. Since then I have tried it all, Chicken, Duck, Beef, Pork, Puffin, Whale, Kangaroo, Crocodile, Ostrich the list goes on, but now I feel like the time is right for change. So, first stop pescatarianism and then we’ll go from there. I think I’m destined to be a vegan at some point but rest assured I will not be a preachy vegetarian or vegan. If life has taught me anything it’s that people will always do whatever they want to do regardless of what you say. You can take a horse to water but you cannot make it drink, we all do things when we’re ready so each to their own. i wonder…how many more metaphors can I fit into this paragraph.

Meal Prep.

This week I started to realise just how hardened I have become as a result of living in London. It really hit me because I noticed the contrast between the Roman abroad and the Roman at home. Abroad I have more time for people, I feel more relaxed and more giving, but whilst here in London it feels as though I have a constant frown on my face when in public and I’m definitely not as generous or caring. It really hit me during my recent travels around the city, you see,  I have to travel quite a lot for work and I have been using public transportation to do so for a while now. I also have to transport my fire gear around with me, which means carrying a rather large and heavy bag everywhere I go. The other day I was on the lower deck of a double decker bus and had my fire gear with me. I used the space for prams to rest my bag, since these days that’s the only space available, do you remember once upon a time when there used to be a space for bags at the front of the bus. Well, for some reason that space is gone and in it’s place is a box for the bloody Metro Newspaper. Anyway, so I’m resting my bag in the pram space and then two people get on with prams, instead of me thinking how tough it must be to be a parent and have to travel around with those children, I was just pissed off that I had to move my bag. Then when I finally got a seat, a bunch of pensioners got on. Instead of thinking how commendable it is that they’re still getting out and about and how hard it must be to get older with all the aches and pains, I was just pissed that I had to get up and vacate my seat. I thought about just how much of a dick I was for feeling this way, where was the compassion? The understanding? The care and consideration. I know it’s in there, somewhere, but I have to get through this hardened exterior that London has caused me to develop. With so much negativity coming at you constantly it feels harder and harder to care about things. Maybe this is why people have children, maybe having a child gives you something more to care about and a renewed purpose or maybe I just need a proper holiday, the holiday would most certainly be cheaper. I’ll be working tonight and that means more public transportation…pray for me. 

My fire kit bag! The bane of my existence.

So, where am I meant to put my bag? Cha! Also, loving the snap shot of the mother outside on the street looking back at her daughter like “Hurry the f*#k up!!!!!

They say when it rains it pours and while there’s much for me to be positive about at the moment the sweet is also mixed with a bit of sour. You see me feeling good isn’t just about me, it’s also about the people around me. I want all the people around me to be feeling positive also, but some of those closet to me have been going through it and I’ve been doing my best to be there for them and lend an ear and a shoulder if needed. I know we’re all experiencing our own stresses but every now and then it could mean the world to someone if you take a bit of time to listen to what they’re going through. I had a bad habit of always wanting to fix things and offer solutions but sometimes it’s just about listening and allowing someone to get things out at you. This is important to remember. 

Ok, now back to Top Boy, I have now finished all 10 episodes of season 3 and here are my thoughts. First and foremost I think the storyline and the acting was very good. I also found the characters to be very engrossing. What i liked about this show more than anything was the fact that, in my opinion, it did not glamorise road life, drug dealing, gang culture or anything else associated with criminality. It gave an accurate account of the negatives associated with such a lifestyle, the unnecessary loss of life and destruction of communities and families. What Top Boy also did very well was shine a light on the reasons why many young people get involved in road life and the disadvantageous circumstances they find themselves in that lead them down such a road. Issues such as deportation, gentrification and a lack of parental guidance were also highlighted over the 10 episodes. The writers, producers and directors of this show all did an amazing job in my opinion and the actors really brought it home. A great watch! 

This week ended on a sombre note with the funeral for Ian. I attended the service along with a number of other guys from football. It was a truly emotional service made even more so with a recorded audio message from the man himself that was played for us during the service. Ian encouraged us to hold on to the things we care about and not let go of them, a beautiful parting message. I think that what scares us so much about death is just how final it is. Well, that’s definitely what scares me about it, there’s no, see you next week, or next year or maybe we can catch up tomorrow, it’s just over. One of Ian’s friends asked me how I’ve coped with loss and the only answer I could provide is that I don’t have an answer, because I’m yet to figure it out. I wish I knew of a successful way to deal with loss but I don’t, I guess everyone finds their own way, the one thing I know for sure is that it’s good to talk, so for anyone out there dealing with loss don’t keep your thoughts and feelings inside, find someone you can share them with.

As I come to the end of another blog I’d like to say a special thank you to everyone who’s been pre-ordering my upcoming single ‘Upon a Lifetime’ which will be released on 27.09.19 There’s still time to pre-order the track before it’s release date. You can do so via iTunes, Google Play and Amazon. I also can’t wait to share the music video with you too. I saw a first draft of it this week and was blown away! So make a note! This Friday is release day!

Finally, If you’d like to continue reading my blogs then please do subscribe to my mailing list below, as this is how you’ll be notified of future blogs and as always, thank you for reading. Have a great week.

Roman Harris

Hey People,

I hope you’re well and the week has been kind to you. Here we are, at the start of yet another week and it’s another opportunity to make magic happen in your own special way. I know that we’re all going through our respective trials and tribulations, so be kind, be caring and whatever happens remain as positive as can be. Now let’s see how much of my own advice I can take!

Thanks so much to the many of you that reached out to compliment me on last week’s blog. I’m so glad that you enjoyed the read and that it resonated with you. I’ll keep them coming if you keep on reading. I was talking with a very close friend of mine this week. He was very complimentary about the blog and said that the part where I spoke about the seconds of our lives ticking away really connected with him. He is at a crossroads regarding his career and we were discussing life and the importance of finding a balance between what we have to do and what we want to do. He’s a very smart guy, very driven and has an amazing family network around him, so I’m confident he’ll figure it out. That’s all any of us really want to do, figure it out. I myself am trying to do just that everyday. He mentioned to me just how important it was for us to have conversations, as they are a form of therapy. This is so true, and it made me realise why I’m enjoying writing this blog, as this is a weekly conversation I have with myself and then share with you and that for me is very therapeutic. 

This week got off to a pretty tough start with a crash back to reality! After spending such a lovely weekend in Perugia I was back to work and my first day back saw me placed on a training course in Harrow...now I don’t know if you’ve ever been to Harrow and if you’re from Harrow then no offence is intended here, but let’s just say it’s far from paradise...I went from this…

...to this...

Now you tell me, how am I suppose to keep my spirits up? The chill is now in the air and the seasons are clearly changing. John Snow warned us and now we can clearly see “Winter is coming” 

In preparation for the release of my next single (Upon a Lifetime, Available for pre-order now) I would be shooting a music video and so in order to get myself looking sharp I went to see my barber. The relationship between a man and his barber is a very important one. I always wanted to have the kind of relationship with my barber where I wouldn’t have to even tell him what I wanted. I’d just sit down and he’d know what to do and I’m happy to say, I have this now and my barber is a wizard with the clippers. I’ve been sporting this high top, which has continued to get higher and higher and so, to prevent myself becoming a bit of joke #KidnPlay I thought it wise to take a bit off the top. However, the way I communicated this to my barber left a lot to be desired. My words were “Can you take this down half a level” but what I think he heard was, “Can you take this down to half the level”. Can you see where the misunderstanding may have occurred? So now my hair is much lower than intended. I actually didn’t tell him any of this at the time, I just accepted that this would be my new hairstyle for the time being. After that first bit of hair came off, there was no turning back, so I thought it best to just relax and accept it. One thing I learnt a while ago is to take ownership for things, whether you think it’s your fault or not, don’t get into the habit of blaming others and one thing I’m definitely not going to do is blame my barber! The man is great at what he does and I truly value his trade and skill...And you know what? Everything happens for a reason, maybe it was time for a change and to be fair, I like it! Thank you bro for giving me what I didn’t even know I wanted. 

(I think my barber actually reads my blog, so bro, if this is the first you’re hearing of this just know it’s all love and you’re still my Barber! See you soon for another cut)

For those that didn’t get the #KidnPlay reference, google it!

Shooting a music video is a stressful process, even more so when you’ve had little time to prepare due to being so busy with travel and work, but once you’ve committed to doing it and the equipment is booked and the director is so great at what he does and has come all the way from Swindon to shoot the video for you, then you simply have to find a way to make it happen. Directing this video for me would be the talented Joe Constante. Joe trained as a dancer and growing up he tells me he always had a love for art. He sees the ability to direct, film and edit as another form of choreography. I imagine he was a great dancer because the man clearly has skill when it comes to directing and dreaming up concepts. However, two days before the shoot we still hadn’t secured one of the venues and were is desperate need of a smoke machine. I made some calls regarding a location but had no luck, plus it would be tough to find somewhere that would be happy for us to use a smoke machine...currently a smoke machine that we didn’t have. I decided to just order the smoke machine on Amazon rather than try to find somebody with one. It would be delivered the night before the shoot. Talk about walking a fine line. As for the venue, well, I had to bite the bullet and use the only location available. My flat! It was 9:30pm on Tuesday evening when the smoke machine arrived, thank god it got here and thank god for Amazon Prime, I knew that subscription would come in handy...but I’d only know whether the machine worked come Wednesday morning as the production team would be bringing the liquid needed to operate it. Things could so easily have fallen apart...but they didn’t. I managed to clear the living room, the smoke machine worked, everyone arrived on time and we were able to accomplish all that we set out to do, just in time for me to put my flat back together and head off to work a night shift. Day 1 of filming was complete.

The following day we would be shooting more scenes for the music video. This meant that I had to make it to Kingston University for 11am, the only problem is that I finished work at 9:30am and that’s provided I didn’t get any overtime call outs so I was hoping and praying that the stars would align for me and I would get out of work on time if not early. Luckily they did align and someone came in early to relieve me. I had a shower, got dressed and raced over to Kingston Uni. Barbara Mendes who is a powerhouse of a woman and has also been working with me on this video organised a studio for us at the University, free of charge and it was amazing! The lights, the space, everything. Joe who I mentioned is the director for this video had been working wonders yesterday and so I had total confidence in his ability to deliver today. Once we finished recording we decided to do a little interview about the track, Barbara asked “how would you describe ‘Upon a Lifetime’ in one word” and before I could even gather my thoughts Joe said “It’s the most beautiful painful thing you will ever experience” I was blown away by his answer. What blew me away was not just how perfect an answer it was but the fact that this was someone else talking about a song I had written, not me talking about my own work, but someone else...do you know what that means? It means that the music has done it’s job! It has been created, shared and felt by the listener, Joe felt it so much so that he was able to find those words to describe it in one sentence and soon enough you’ll all be able to feel it too. 

Still from ‘Upon a Lifetime’ shoot Day 2

That’s a wrap! Roman Harris x Joe Constante x Barbara Mendes

Random Dream

(It’s 3am on Friday morning and I’m on a night shift. When on night shifts we can rest between 12 - 6:45am. As I slept a dream had just started where I was on a bus and two women had come over to sit on my lap, I said to them…“Well, now I’ve got my hands full” and at that very moment the call bells went down, I was woken up and we were called out to an incident. I’ve just got back to the fire station, wish I could return to that dream right now) 

It’s Friday today...Friday the 13th, you know what that means right. That’s right! ‘Upon a lifetime’ is now available to pre-order. Come on people! Get behind your boy! Have I ever dissapointed you??? Ok, depending on who’s reading this maybe I have once or twice but trust me, you won’t be disappointed by this song, so please do support. Friday also saw me get back into the world of comedy, as I performed at my first gig for a few weeks. It was for a night called Riffin at the Griffin in Vauxhall for ZAM comedy. I tried out a few new pieces of material just to see how they worked with the crowd. Apparently, in comedy the idea is to write a routine and then keep working that same routine before moving on to new material, but I keep getting so many new ideas that I want to try out so every now and then I give them a try. I think one of the major keys with comedy is confidence. Even if you bomb or fall flat on your face, just do it confidently and that will help a whole lot.

Soundcloud

iTunes

Amazon

Google Play

I have a question for you...When’s the last time you heard the bird’s sing? Can you remember the exact time and place? This is a question I ask myself from time to time. It’s a test I have with myself to see how present I was during the day. Some days I honestly cannot remember whether I heard a bird sing at all, however, on Saturday I awoke, lay in bed, realised for the first time in a while I had no reason to rush and there it was...the sound of bird song. I lay there for a while just enjoying the moment. Moments like these need to be savoured more often.

Later that day I went to play football for the first time in months. It was the first game to be played since Ian died. The game was played in good spirit and all of the guys seemed to be coping well. My team lost 10-6 but the score line flatters the opposition. I mean we went 3-0 down and then rallied back to 3-2 before conceding again to make it 4-2 before our water break, after the water break we managed to tie the game at 5-5 but we made silly mistakes at the back and just couldn’t put our chances away. I was directly at fault for at least 2 or 3 of the goals conceded and although I scored one, I missed a handful of chances too, to be fair, we all missed chances. It just didn’t come together for us this week but it was a great bit of exercise and competition. 

That evening I went to the theatre to see a play called ‘Chiaroscuro’. It’s a play that focuses on the struggles of black women who are gay and is directed by Lynette Linton. Lynette is my cousin and over the last 10 years I have watched her growth as a writer and director. From putting on her own shows to now being the artistic director at Bush Theatre. I’m extremely proud of her and her achievements and I know that there are much bigger things in store for her. The play will be running until October 5, so do get down to see it! 

Lynette Linton - Artistic Director at Bush Theatre

I ended my week attending an event called ‘Connected by Humanity’. This event was dreamt up by Richard Faulkus, a friend of mine who I’ve known for a few years now. Connected by Humanity aims to bring people together of all backgrounds, races, sexualities, genders etc and provide them with a safe space to speak on various topics. This month’s topic was ‘forgiveness’. Richard asked me to come along so that we could together sing a song for his mother, as it was her birthday, but whilst there I decided to share with the group and so it’s only right that I share with you too.

5 years ago I ended a long term relationship with my then girlfriend. We had tried to make it work but we lived on opposite sides of the world and neither of us were prepared to make the move for the other person. A few weeks after we broke up she called to tell me that her brother had been diagnosed with leukaemia, sadly he did not beat the disease. I remember feeling so helpless, I remember thinking that this was the one time she needed me the most and yet I could not be there for her. I have lived with this guilt for the last 5 years and am still yet to forgive myself for not being there. The things about forgiveness is that no matter how many people try to console you or tell you that there is nothing you could have done, it doesn’t change how you feel inside. Ultimately, you have to learn how to forgive yourself and I have no idea how to do that. All any of us can do is embrace the life we have and try our best to do what we think is right and most importantly not beat ourselves up too much. 

Well, this brings me to the end of another blog. I won’t be watching Match of the day 2 tonight after Arsenal squandered a 2 goal lead! Yes…I’m an Arsenal fan! What a ridiculous defence we have. Anyway, thanks again for reading. Have a fantastic week and be safe. 

Roman Harris

Hey Everyone,

I hope you’re all well and welcome back to another blog. This week I found myself wondering whether I should start a podcast, many people are doing them these days, however, there’s something about sitting and writing/typing that I find rather therapeutic as opposed to talking. I think when writing you can sit with your thoughts a little more, you can also be a lot more measured and precise. Maybe one day I’ll start a podcast but for now let me continue to be consistent with this blog and then see what the future holds. Plus…(warning…mini rant coming) If I’m going to do a podcast then it has to be quality. I’ve heard too many bad podcasts. If you’re going to make a podcast at least make an attempt to do it well. Like, for starters, get a decent microphone and record it in a space that’s built well for recording sound and If you’re going to have 4 or 5 of your friends on the podcast at the same time, make sure everyone has a microphone close enough to capture their voice…that’s just basics man! What’s the point of a podcast if you can’t hear what everyone is saying. Ok, rant over. Now on to the good stuff.

Remember in my last blog I told you that I had been working on a project, well. It’s time to tell all. Back in July I decided to quit my part time job working for UBER and focus more on my creativity (I retired with a 5* rating I might add).

Music is my main passion but I am also a huge fan of stand-up comedy and so I threw myself into this world, performing my first gig on the 4th July at a comedy night in Brixton called ‘Get Laughs Or Die Trying’ a night created by Sotonye Ogan who is a very talented comedian. Following the success of this gig I continued to find other places to perform and my third gig was for a comedy company called Nice n’ Spikey. After I performed at this gig I was approached by a casting director for ITV who was in the audience that evening. He asked whether I would be interested appearing in the revamp of a TV gameshow. This gameshow turned out to be ‘Supermarket Sweep’ and I would play a recurring role as a cashier. It was an offer I could not refuse and so, over a 10 day period we filmed 20 episodes, of which I appeared in 14 of them. The show is hosted by Rylan Clark-Neal of ‘Big Brother’ and ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ and debuts on ITV 2, tonight, the 9th September at 8pm. I’m so excited!

Ready for action!

Rylan and the gang.

Working on this show was really great fun, not only did it give me a chance to showcase my acting and developing comedic skills but it also opened up a few doors for my music, hopefully the clips of me singing make the final edit. On one occasion I even had the opportunity to perform my single ‘Get Me Got Me’ to a live studio audience. It was surreal. One thing that stood out to me the most during my time filming at Maidstone Studios was just how much everyone seemed to be enjoying what they were doing. The days were long, filming wasn’t always easy and not everything went to plan, but through it all there was a feeling that people were where they wanted to be and that was so refreshing to be around and made me want to chase a life in entertainment now more than ever.

Recently, whilst travelling in to work I caught myself looking at my watch and noticed the seconds ticking away. As I stood there on a packed district line train I had the sobering thought that these are the seconds of my life ticking away. These are the seconds of all of our lives ticking away, so why not do the things that we genuinely want to do. I take some comfort in knowing that I am doing my best to chase my dreams and getting a spot on this show through the strength of my comedy was proof that I am moving in the right direction. I hope you all enjoy the show as much as I enjoyed being a part of it.

Another date for your diaries is Friday 13th September. This is a date that you surely cannot forget, I mean come on…It’s Friday 13th. This is the day that my next single ‘Upon a Lifetime’ will go on pre-sale. I know we live in an age where purchasing music is not something we all do regularly, myself included, but it would mean the world to me if you spread the word to your friends and family about this song and buy it. I remember the day that I sat at my keyboard and this song just poured out of me, when I say that this song is my heart I truly mean it. It was written at a time when I was in such pain and sadness but there’s also a lot of love in this track and I feel like these emotions can be felt when you listen to this song. I just know you’ll be moved by it. 

In other news, I was pleasantly surprised this week with an invitation to see the play ‘Hamilton’ at the Victoria Theatre. A good friend of mine had VIP tickets, and when I say VIP I’m talking, stalls, 3rd row, smack bang in the middle, complementary wine at the interval (which I had too much of)  free programmes and access backstage after the show to meet the cast. It was a great night and I thank you brother for the invite. Sitting so close to the stage was a great experience, however, I’m not sure I’d like to do it again. Don’t get me wrong, it was amazing to be close to the action but at times I found myself eyeing up the women on stage a bit too much, I’d say at least 30% of the time...ok…maybe more. They were so sexy and of course talented. You know what dancers are like...right? No? Just me? Hmmmm, they’re soooooo flexible! I was so distracted that at times it was bloody hard to follow the storyline. I think the play was about this guy who went to New York to be a battle rapper or something...but yo! The women though! I kid, I kid. The show was amazing, though I think I’ll stick to the dress circle next time.

As I write this section of my weekly blog I am on a flight to Rome. I know you must be thinking that my life is a movie but trust me, not every week is packed with this much excitement and activity. So, why am I heading to Rome? Good question...it’s because I missed my flight to Perugia! That’s why! So embarrassing! (And if you don’t know where Perugia is, don’t worry, because I sure didn’t either, but Perugia is a city in the Italian region of Umbria, see, this blog is entertaining and educational) Remember when I said I drank too much wine at ‘Hamilton’ Well...I was due to catch an early morning flight the next day and by the time I got home I was pretty tipsy. I decided I’d try to stay awake through the night, I only had to kill a few hours before my coach for the airport, so I set my alarm (just in case I fell asleep) and started watching episodes of ‘The Office’ the next thing I know I’m waking up on my sofa to the sound of birds and the sun in the sky. At first I had no clue why I was on my sofa, then I slowly started to remember the night before, “ahh, yeah, Hamilton! That was great!...hmmm the women” Then I started to feel like there was somewhere I was meant be, then........”FUCK!!!!!!!!” There was nothing I could do, my flight would leave in one hour, there was no way I’d make it to Stansted in time!

Ask anyone and they’ll tell you that I’m “Mr Reliable” but every now and then I honestly surprise myself. Now, what I haven’t told you is the reason I was going to Perugia, it was for a wedding, a wedding that I had been asked to perform at. (yes, I know that I’m shooting myself in the foot when it comes to being booked for future gigs but this story is rather entertaining so I’ll take the chance) I could not let the Bride and Groom down, so I did what any noble man would do and started to work on the perfect lie to cover up this enormous screw up! Just kidding! I grabbed my credit card, accepted that I was about to put myself into a sea of debt and worked out a way to get there! The best route seemed to be London to Rome then a train from Rome to Perugia, and so, here I sit, about 1 hour into my flight with another hour to go, followed by a 45 minute journey to the railway station then a 2 hour train ride to Perugia and finally another 45 minute drive to the hotel. The VIP ‘Hamilton’ tickets were free, but I’m paying for them now! 

I arrived in Perugia past midnight, everything was fine until I got to Rome Termini which is the central railway station in Rome. My train was delayed, then eventually cancelled. The next train was then delayed and when we finally departed what was meant to be a 2 hour trip took 3.5 hours. It was honestly the trip from hell but it was all my fault. Got to take this one on the chin! I’m not a fan of arriving in to new places at night, all I could see was darkness, but as the sun rose I was greeted with spectacular views. This region of Italy is absolutely amazing. I mean, of course there may be more amazing regions. as this is the first I’ve seen but it’s truly spectacular here, what a treasure. The venue for this wedding is amazing too and I had the pleasure of playing some songs at the pre-wedding party, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I’ve always been a fan of weddings, there’s so much love and positivity and everyone’s in high spirits. However, when the pre-wedding party finished I checked my phone and came to find a few messages shared in a WhatsApp group that I’m a part of and the messages weren’t positive. You see, I play football with a great bunch of guys every Saturday and one of them has been battling Cancer for a while now. Sadly he lost his battle and messages of condolences flooded the group. Upon hearing of a death there’s a range of emotions that you are overcome by and helplessness is one of them. That’s how I felt. Here I am in Italy about to see a friend of mine get married and start a new journey in his life and on the other hand another friend has come to the end of his road. Life can be so unfair. I sat alone under the stars and shed tears, I called a few people close to me and sent a few text messages and would like to thank those of you that provided the support I needed at the time. It means a lot! Bless you brother. You were truly a gentleman and a kind soul, you faced your illness with bravery, a true fighter! I liked you even though you were a Chelsea fan and I’ll will miss you mate, we all will! Rest in peace Ian. 

Upon waking up the next day, as well as being ridiculously hung over (I swear...I don’t have a drinking problem despite all the evidence against me) I was ever so thankful for life and took a moment to contact a few people to let them know just how much they meant to me. The day ahead would be a big one and was the the reason I flew to Italy. My manager was getting married. I was touched to get an invite to the wedding, especially as I’ve only known him for 6 months, but come on...who wouldn’t want me at their wedding? I kid! I’m not that conceited. You see, I was promoted back in March and upon moving to my new fire station (Yes...I’m a Firefighter) and finding out that my manager was getting married I had a chat with him and told him not to feel any pressure to invite me to his wedding. You see I understand that these things take a lot of planning and preparation and so I wouldn’t have been offended if an invite didn’t come my way. But alas, he did invite me and the wedding was amazing. The ceremony was short...just the way I like wedding ceremonies but it was also very moving. There were a few showers earlier in the day and even during the ceremony the rain threatened to fall but it held off and later on the sun came out to create the perfect setting. It was such a beautiful day. Later in the evening we sat for dinner and speeches. The venue was immaculate and on our tables were individual handwritten notes from the bride and groom. Words mean so much to me and the words that were written in my note gave me goosebumps. We go through life not always knowing how others feel about us, or the impact we have on them so to receive a card with words that express such things meant a lot. After events of the last few days I think it’s important to let people know how you feel. If you love someone, let them know, for all we have is this life, so make the moments count. 

As I come to the end of this week’s blog I am sat here in Perugia airport, yes! That’s right! I’m not missing this flight! I’m drinking a black coffee and seriously considering giving up alcohol. I’ve done so before for 3 months and the benefits were plentiful. The next wedding I’ll be attending is in mid-October so I think I’ll take a break until then. I’ll let you know how I get on in next week’s blog! 

Just before I go I’ll leave you with these reminders:

. Tune in to ITV2 tonight at 8pm to catch the first episode of Supermarket Sweep! 

. Remember ‘Upon a Lifetime’ goes on pre-sale on the 13th September. 

. Don’t get drunk the night before a flight or any form of travel for that matter. Even if you have VIP tickets to see ‘Hamilton’ 

. DON’T MISS A FLIGHT!!!! 

. Finally, share your feelings with those that matter to you and remember to do something for yourself with the time you have. 

Thanks for reading, be well and I’ll catch you next week. 

Roman Harris

As I sit here on Sunday night I’m trying to remember what my Monday was like. I’m trying to remember without looking at my diary, a calendar or messages from friends and family and I’m honestly struggling. Hold on, let me think…ok, I’ve just finished working out that Monday was the 26th August, hold on…Ahhh yes, that was bank holiday Monday, Carnival! Now I remember. Honestly, that took me about 3 minutes. Now, what was I doing on Tuesday?

The last week came and went so fast that I can’t even remember most of what I got up to, but here’s what I do know. I was sick for a few days over the bank holiday weekend. I came down with a throat infection and it got to the stage that I had to go to my GP who prescribed me some anti-biotics, he said to take 2 pills four times a day for 10 days…That’s 80 pills. So I decided to just get some Lemon and Ginger and try to nurse myself back to health. Still got the pills though, as a back up. 

It’s been a progressive few weeks for music. I played an amazing Sofar Sounds gig recently. The vibe and venue were just amazing and I have also registered my next release which is entitled ‘Upon a Lifetime’ it will be available for pre-sale as of 13th September and released on the 27th September. I have had a few meetings with a very talented director by the name of Joe Constante, we have been discussing ideas for the video and I’m looking forward to this one, as this song is my everything. 

As for Comedy, well, it’s time to get back on that train. The last few weeks have seen me pretty busy with a side project (more will be revealed in a future blog) but it’s caused me to be away from stand-up for a while, so, now it’s time to get back out there. I’ve got a couple of gigs lined up for September already and more to follow so am truly looking forward to that. I went to a comedy gig last night, just to watch but also to get myself back into that atmosphere and it made me want to do it all even more. 

This blog is an attempt at consistency. I have tried numerous times to start a blog, but after a week or two I lose the will to continue writing. My intention, as well as updating you on my thoughts and general progress, is to develop a degree of consistency for something. If I can be consistent in this area of my life then it may well spread to other areas of my life and so I am going to try my best to document my week by week experiences. I know that many of you out there follow me but have no idea what my life looks like behind the pictures, videos or music, so this will be a little insight into it all. Ok, I have to go to work now. Enjoy.

Roman Harris

GET ME GOT ME, YOU GOT ME BABY! 

It’s the 30th of May, one day before the release of my second single ‘Get Me Got Me’ I am anxious, I am excited but above all I feel blessed and privileged to be in a position to create music and offer it to you and the world. I truly mean that! 

Now there may not be much glits and glamour attached to this release, no major campaign with bells on, no bottles poppin’ in the club, but there is something, something worth so much more and that’s the drive and determination of an artist that believes in the music he dreams up, there is the support that he receives from the people who also believe in his work. Some of you I’ve know for years and others only days, literally, and there is the music, the sweet, sweet music that will be here long after us. You all see what I see and you feel what I feel, and that’s why you’ve decided to jump on board for the ride and that I appreciate more than you know. 

‘Get Me Got Me’ is the second of 4 singles I will be releasing this year, all of these songs are connected in some way, much like all of us. This song will infect you...in a good way! But it will have you singing, whistling, moving, and remembering what it feels like to love! Trust me! My hope is that with every song you hear from me, you are moved, you are touched, you get goosebumps or chills, You smile or you cry, ultimately I want you to feel something, because if art is not causing you to feel then what is it doing?

Thank you for taking this ride with me and for your continued support, when this track drops tomorrow, play it loud!!!! Save it to your playlist, give me a follow and tell a friend. Maybe even use it as an excuse to contact your ex! Haha! Thank you all once again! 

Bless

RH

I hope you love it

In 2012 I came across a book of poetry called ‘Heather’s Book’ written by Vivian Anglin. The first poem in the book was entitled ‘The Smell of Heather’ and from that poem this single was born. 

I was so moved by his body of work, by the raw style of writing, by the true compassion and longing expressed in his words that I simply had to use music to tell Heather’s story.

Great things do take time and it has taken quite a few years for this song to find it’s way to the ears of the public and now it’s yours to stream and download.

I would like to thank everyone connected with this project for your guidance, inspiration and support along the way and to you the listener for taking the time to enjoy this piece of art. 

Thank you.

RH

So here we are, on the eve of a new year and I’m writing a blog…A BLOG!!!!!! A few weeks back a friend of mine said to me “Roman, I am very disappointed in you”, well, I was horrified by this statement, especially as I suffer from this horrible condition to be liked and make others feel positive about the man I am (I think I’ll be working to rid myself of this condition on 2019) so I responded “Why?” half knowing the reason already. You see, this friend is the one that designed my website and he showed so much faith and belief in me, which is why he was kind enough to use his expertise to help me out. He told me “Roman, I’ve looked at your website and you haven’t written one blog yet, you’ve posted nothing!” I knew this would be his reason for such disappointment in me and so, here I am, writing and determined to turn a new leaf in the new year.

My lack of desire to write a blog was partly because of a very negative thought, that thought was... “Who’s going to read it?” I reflected on this thought and realised just how stupid a thought it was. You see, we shouldn’t create only when we have an audience, we should create because it’s in our heart, our mind, our soul, because it’s what we do and if we keep doing what we love, well, the audience will come. All in due time. 

I know, you’ve been here before haven’t you? So have I. On the eve of a new year we make promises to ourselves about the people we intend to be, the changes we intend to make and the things we will leave behind and then by the 31st of January…or the 13th depending on your level of will power, we’re right back to being our old selves. That’s because we know this old version of ourselves, it feels comfortable being that person and change brings about discomfort, so we resist it. Ultimately it’s all about how badly you want it, it doesn’t matter how much others want to see you succeed, the question is do you want to succeed? Well…do you?

Recently, I have had to be very honest with myself and ask, what do I really want? I tend to think in a somewhat negative way, I know…bad habit, so instead of thinking about what I want, I’ll think about the things I don’t want. This has caused me to attract more and more things that I don’t want…what a surprise.” I don’t want to keep eating mince pies and put on weight!”…”Ooooohhhhh look, mince pies are only £1 a box, essential purchase.” “ I don’t want to sleep in late and waste my day.” But ooooohhhh it’s so warm in bed, let me just keep hitting snooze. This has been my life of late, so in order to change this, I need to change the way I think. “I want to eat healthy food and feel better!” “I want to wake up earlier and make the most of my day”, even as I write this I feel more positive and I believe that I can make it happen and trust me, you can too.

We make thousands of decisions everyday, some are positive and some are not but if you can make the majority of your decisions positive ones then you’ll be winning. Don’t beat yourself up too much if you make a bad decision from time to time, learn from it, grow stronger and keep keeping on. I am truly thankful to have lived through this year, to have made it to December 31st, 2018 in good health and with all that I have. I am working hard to make 2019 another year of progress and I hope that you take this same approach as the clock nears midnight. To one and all, I wish you a Happy New Year.