Jem Pryse's heart was pumping as he stepped up for the biggest performance of his life.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Bendigo musician took to the Grooving the Moo stage on Saturday morning and impressed crowds with his jazz and funk inspired music.
It was Pryse's third time at the festival after attending as a fan in 2016 and volunteering with the Red Frogs Crew in 2019.
Read more:
He said the whole experience was exciting from start to finish.
"It was a crazy experience," he said. "My heart was pumping until I saw some familiar faces in the crowd, which always helps. You give them a thumbs up and it helps calm the nerves to know they are there and excited and supporting you.
"Playing along side my band members was so fascinating to see them play and see the chemistry come together for the band. It was awesome."
"Having that line check for 20 minutes before hand helps. It gets you used to the stage and gives you time to be there and get things ready and a chance to build a rapport with the crowd."
The crowd responded strongly to Pryse's set, getting involved with his performance at every opportunity.
"It was insane, while you're playing you see more people rocking up," he said. "Seeing familiar faces is the one of the most special parts of playing
"It was important to enjoy the process and enjoy the moment while you're up there."
Read more:
The set was Pryse's biggest performance to date and he hopes to use the momentum to play at more places around Victoria.
"It's a huge career highlight for my music," he said. "It's for sure the biggest festival I have played at so far but hopefully more opportunities come.
"It's ahead of where I was planning and dreaming my career would be at the moment but really it is an incredible stepping stone to go into more shows and gigs.
"I'm hoping to do a little tour around Victoria in Geelong and the Peninsula as well as Bendigo and looking forward to that and keeping the momentum going."
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Download our app on iOS and Android
- Bookmark bendigoadvertiser.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter @BgoAddy
- Follow us on Instagram @bendigoadvertiser
- Join us on Facebook
- Follow us on Google News