Keiran Brown, whose stage name is Kingsy, opened for London Grammar at the Brighton Centre last weekend, saying he was given less than an hour to drive to the venue, complete a sound check, prepare his set list and do his make-up.
The English indie pop band have racked up two number one albums in the UK charts, including their most recent, Californian Soul, in April, while their second, Truth Is a Beautiful Thing, has been certified double platinum after being released in 2017.
Mr Brown, who works in the Radiology Department at the Hospital, said: ‘I was in Brighton having dinner with a friend who works in the music industry over here. He then gets a call saying that Eloise [the original support act] has had to cancel and tells me that he has put my name forward.’
He added: ‘I was absolutely stunned because I am a big fan of London Grammar and never in a million years did I think I would be opening for them when I got on the plane in Jersey earlier that weekend. The trip itself was spontaneous because I was actually meant to be in London that weekend watching another gig, which got cancelled. I then decided to use the flights to go and see some friends in Brighton.’
Mr Brown, who is a songwriter and producer as well as a singer, said it was the ‘quickest’ he had ever got ready for a show and it was the ‘biggest’ audience he had played in front of.
‘I still get excited thinking about it now. The whole weekend feels like some kind of miracle,’ he said.
‘The evening was crazy and I think it wasn’t until I had the chance to speak to Dan Rothman [member of London Grammar], that I realised what I had done. He thanked me for helping out and that really grounded me and made me realise what I had just managed,’ he added.
The former Hautlieu student added that he hoped the opportunity would give him exposure to help further his own music career.
‘It has allowed me to play in front of a lot of people and I am hoping other good things will come from it. I am now focusing on some new releases which I am hoping to put out in January,’ he said.
Next month Mr Brown will be appearing in the Jersey Green Room Theatre Company’s production of Ghost the Musical, being staged at the Royal Jersey Showground.
