Any ones first day at work is a night mare. It's not so much the actual day itself but the build up and the anticipation that surrounds you in the hours and minutes before your first shift begins. I don't personally think that it matters how important the job is, how many hours are involved or how much money you will be earning. Everyone gets sick to the stomach with nerves on there first day. Take me, for example, a 18 year old student who managed to find some part time work over the summer. I mean sure it's just above minimum wage, not a lot is evolved but at the end of the day I was going some where new, in an environment I was unfamiliar with.
The actual job at hand did nothing to calm these initial first day nerves. I was to be, basically, the errand boy for Dannii Minogue during the live audience stages of the UK X-Factor competition. Basically, I imagined, the job would entail a lot of doing nothing and a lot of standing to attention to the click of Miss Minogues fingers once she was backstage and needing some coffee etc brought to her.
I was very excited about the job, having always had a huge crush on Dannii throughout my teenage years, if I have to admit my first ever wank was over her, with many more to follow. Now I obviously knew nothing was going to happen, and I certainly wasn't going to try anything on with her. But just getting to meet her was like a dream come true. Clearly however this did nothing to calm my nerves and as the O2 Dome in London approached nearer and nearer my stomach churned and churned.
My mum dropped me off in the parking lot where many other part time recruits, who had been hired for various other backstage roles, were gathered at the meeting point. Many of them were students like myself and looked just as out of place and nervous, nobody knowing each other, everyone waiting on someone else to make the move to make acquaintance with them. I decided to make the first move and kill the tension and silence with some one, I spotted a guy to my right standing on his own. He looked about my age and height, so I walked over to him. "Hi I'm Michael"
"James" He stretched out his arm and shook my hand. "I don't remember you from last year? Your new I take it, you have that look" he chuckled.
I relaxed instantly at the find of a conversation someone seemingly nice "Yeah, just looking to earn some money at the weekends, the pay here is quite good, shouldn't intervene with my studies or personal time much. How many years have you done this?"
"This is my third year helping out back stage. It's a nice easy job, depending to what you're assigned to of course. Do you know what job you have?"
"Yeah I'm Dannii Minogues personal assistant. Are you a PA for one of the celebs?"
James laughed. "Dannii Minogues personal bitch more like. No I done that on my first year here, like you probably thought, I thought it would be exciting and fun to work with a celebrity. It's not, they landed me with Simon Cowell. He was and utter bastard, was not interested in me, and had me running around on his ever whim every 5 minutes. Since then I opt for cleaning the stage of props and what not after one of the contestants have preformed. Its a lot better and you get to hang out with everyone inbetween songs."
"Where will I be in between breaks and songs?"
James grinned and sympathetically hit me on the back "You my friend have to sit on your own in case Dannii Minogue needs her water glass filled up, some lipstick brought over to her etc, etc." He sighed a sigh reminiscing what must have been a hard few weeks a Simon Cowells PA. "It's a crap job most of the time they are cranky after their act being shit and are just looking to take there frustrations out on you. Be prepared to be shouted at a lot"
We both looked up as a burley unshaven, middle aged man in a florescent vest came out with a clip board. He was followed by a further four men. His voice was grainy and as unpleasant as he looked. "Good Afternoon ladies and gentlemen, my name is Mark Johnston and I will be your manager over the coming weeks. Any problems and queries that you may have, feel free to contact me directly." He paused as if to let us absorb this information "As you all know you will be temporarily employed by the O2 on a part time bases to help out with our busy "X-Factor" schedule over the winter period. In rare occasions individuals will be kept on by the O2 and kept on, on a permanent basis, if they perform to a particularly outstanding level. Others may be re-called up for next years X-Factor finals and auditions. If you can gather into a line in front of me and I will assign you to one of these gentlemen who will take you inside to your designated post and given task. If all of you have shown up then there should be 34 of you, so please bare with us as this will take some time for us to get everyone sorted out."
The process was slow and I stood in that line for a good 40 minutes, but it was boring and it seemed like an age. The cold weather did not help the fact either. I was looking forward to my meeting with Dannii a lot less than before, if she really is as horrible as James said Simon was my long time celebrity crush might be ruined for ever. But I needed the money and I was sure her personality couldn't ruin her amazing body for me that much.
Eventually I found my self at the front of the line facing Mark "My name is Michael Smith"
Mark looked down his list till he found my name and ticked it off. "Right Michael you are assigned as Miss Minogues PA this year, a very important role. If you just follow this gentleman here and he will show you to your post and explain the role to you."
I followed on to the man at Marks side. He stretched out his hand for a shake. "Pleased to meet you Michael I'm John, I am one of four supervisors on site, I will be more than happy to help you with any worries you may have. Just follow me and I'll take you to Miss Minogues room."
