So, the Florence and the Machine tour has come to an end. Our lucky volunteer campaigners were privy to some amazing, sell-out shows in venues in Edinburgh, Blackpool, Wolverhampton and London. Really breathtaking stage scenery, with flowers, lights like stars, ornate birdcages and a GIANT disco ball where Florence made her entrance (who doesn’t want to arrive in a giant disco ball? I know I do). The set list and performance was simply divine too, really something.
Obviously, this wasn’t about blagging free tickets to sold-out shows – it was about connecting with music lovers and talking to them about things that really matter – poverty, injustice, and how together we can overcome them. With some determination and people power, we really can make a difference.
If you’ve been following my blogs, you might already know that the campaign we were talking about at the Florence and the Machine gigs was the Robin Hood Tax, a tiny (averaging 0.05%) tax on final transactions between banks that could raise billions, that could be fed back into domestic healthcare and education, helping the world’s poorest, and funding projects designed to help us deal with the effects of climate change. It’s not without its fair share of celebrity and political supporters, look out for the new Sienna Miller video launching tomorrow on the site, and please have a look at the first video, “The Banker”, starring Bill Nighy. Oh yeah, there’s also got a video with Sir Ben Kingsley in it… But it’s the idea that matter, not the celebrities. The supporters we need are YOU. YOU are the ones that really can make a difference, YOU are the ones that can make or break a campaign and ultimately YOU will be the ones that benefit in some way. Show some support if you haven’t already!
Anyway, back to the tour. Approaching people to talk to them about a campaign is pretty nerve-wracking for a first-timer (which I was), knowing how to approach people in the first instance was what I found to be most difficult. A lot of it involves reading people – looking at the person, and assessing what kind of approach they would be most receptive to. Some people are responsive to a bubbly, energetic, almost silly introduction, and some people are more responsive to a gentler smile-and-”excuse me” approach. One thing I found was that once the initial approach had been made, getting people to show support and sign the petition was relatively easy – the campaign idea is brilliant and the cause worthwhile, so the work was pretty much done.
I got a lot from the experience, aside from a free gig ticket. I got to talk to many different kinds of people (Florence’s fanbase is pretty diverse), got to hear first hand the public response to our campaign, and it was an excellent exercise in building self-confidence. I’d thoroughly recommend it.
If this sounds like something you’d like to get involved in, there’s still time. Become a Local Events Campaign Coordinator! Apply here.