How badly do you want it?
How badly do you want it? That was the tacet challenge facing me and the other audience members packed into the cinema last night in Winchester.
Daughters of Davis are an inspiring folk guitar duo from Hampshire. Inspiring not only for the fresh new sound they've forged with their music. Inspiring not just because they ooze enthusiasm and determination with every infectious smile. But inspiring because they sold everything and bought a camper van in order to tour the country busking and gigging.
That was the subject of their movie, 'Where Do We Go', which received its world premiere yesterday at the elegant Everyman Cinema.
Daughters of Davis' attention to detail is commendable. Every seat in the house was garnished with a hand-written note of thanks and a fun size chocolate bar. For bands looking for tips on how to win fans and build favour before you've even spoken a word on stage, this is a fine place to start!
The sisters, Adrienne and Fern, welcomed their guests with such confidence that you felt like they were ushering you into their own living room. They seemed right at home under the plush auditorium's charming wooden beams, which echo back to its days as a barracks chapel.
The evening started in style with a few songs sung by the girls, which allowed their voices and their iridescent personalities to shine, before the house lights dimmed for the main presentation.
The film itself is a well-crafted, entertaining fusion of documentary, talking head commentaries, phone cam footage and music videos. The pace is set perfectly in order to maintain interest, and the girls' candid home-movie footage provides real insight into life on the road. We are allowed into their world, to share in the very real sacrifices they make in order to survive in a bus, the striking friendship these sisters have living in each other's pockets, and the immense joy which is never more apparent than when we see the girls captivating crowds with their music.
It can't be overstated what a brilliant example Daughters of Davis set, not only to aspiring musicians but to anyone with a calling. Forfeiting comfort in order to pursue one's dream takes courage and fortitude, and these girls have demonstrated those qualities exquisitely. In the car on the way home, we discussed whether we would have the backbone required to make such a leap of faith ourselves; the determination to sacrifice everything; the strength to persevere in the face of discouragement. And it boils down to the simple question: how badly do you want it?
