LEVEL 1
WEST WING
Two complimentary tickets to a Jennifer Holliday concert, held at Sydney Town Hall, dated Saturday, 06 July 2019.
On loan from the personal collection of Simon Edds (b. 1979)
This is where it all began.
Back in mid-2019, I'd pretty much completely given up on finding love or a partner in Sydney. I was going on dates, but not really clicking with anyone I met - then along came Bryce. Initially, I saw his profile on Grindr and sent him a message saying something like, "Hey mate, great smile," but he didn't reply. A few days later, his profile popped up again and I decided to send a cheekier message saying, "note to self: he doesn’t like compliments." Bryce thought this approach was funny and we started chatting.
Bryce was fairly new to Sydney and I figured that he might not have many friends here yet, plus it was a Saturday night and I’d been given two free tickets to see Jennifer Holliday perform at Sydney Town Hall, as part of the 2019 Sydney Cabaret Festival. I had no idea if Bryce was into musicals, but when I asked if he wanted to join me, he said yes and we arranged to meet at the top of the Town Hall steps.
Bryce spotted me first, saying later that the light drops of rain on my hair and blazer made me look like I was sparkling. I looked up and saw him waiting for me with a warm smile across his face. He looked so handsome, and a little bit nervous too.
Without any time for some pre-show chat, we went straight to our seats, close to the back of the hall, where we sat quietly throughout the show. Because I was feeling nervous too, I kept my focus on Jennifer’s performance up front. Bryce would later tell me that he snuck some cheeky side glances of me during the show, which made him smile.
After the concert, the rain had stopped and we strolled up Oxford Street for a drink in an underground bar. Talking with him was just so easy. I really felt like he was different to anyone else I'd ever met. So kind, and funny, and just naturally himself. By the end of that evening together, I truly felt like he was the one for me, and thankfully, Bryce felt the same way too!
I've kept hold of these tickets as a reminder of the first time I met the love of my life, and also to remember just how nervous and excited I felt in that moment.
Additionally, ever since this first meeting, whenever we find ourselves in the city together, we always make a detour to climb the stairs of Sydney Town Hall once again and share a kiss at the top. It’s a little tradition we’ve chosen to uphold that lets us celebrate and remember the night we first met.