At just 11 years old, Maitland’s 2014 Junior Citizen of the Year Jess Kowalski is a huge fan of glam-rock band The Darkness.
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So when her parents bought her VIP tickets to last week’s show in Sydney, she was overjoyed. But that was just the beginning for the young Tenambit tap dancer.
Jess’ mum Angela said her daughter’s eyes lit up when her ticket got her backstage for the legendary British band’s soundcheck and a Q&A at the Enmore Theatre.
“Jess asked the band if they had any tips for young performers and they got talking to her about what skills she had,” Ms Kowalski said. “She was talking about tap and they invited her up to dance during the soundcheck.”
But, later that night, with the crowd churning, the Darkness called for Jess to dance on stage to her favourite song – One Way Ticket – which deals with cocaine use and addiction.
“Jess fundraises for the Maitland Neighbourhood Centre which helps people who crawl their way back from addiction,” Ms Kowalski said. “So that song means a lot to her.”