Leon Rolle, aka Locksmith, may appear to be the man who has got it all – a superstar musician who makes up one quarter of MOBO and Brit award-winning band Rudimental, and a long-timesupporter who realised the dream of every fan when he got to represent his beloved club, albeit, at academy level.
‘I got introduced to football when I was about eight years old, and I fell in love with it instantly,’ Locksmith says. A poster of Wright adorned the wall above where Locksmith slept, often with his football boots still on his feet, and when he got to meet his hero, he was completely and utterly lost for words.
While that experience allowed him to refine his skills at the club he had grown up supporting, it ultimately made the downfall of not making the cut even harder, and put him in a ‘dark place’ mentally. After that rejection, Locksmith tried his luck at Tottenham’s academy but by that time, the north London club had already decided who they were going to take on for the year. In searching for his purpose, he even briefly contemplated joining the British Army at the age of 17.
The drum and base track – a high-octane mood-booster – featuring distinct vocals from John Newman, instantly went to No.1 in the UK charts. ‘They were sympathetic with what was going on with me, they understood the stresses. At the time, I was the only one who had a kid in the band. It was a dark moment.
‘I think it’s just about talking and expressing these feelings to someone, in my case I’ve got my bandmates,’ Locksmith explains. ‘It helps because it makes me feel like I’m not alone in those scenarios.
Locksmith The Metro r irresponsible in their reporting as they r reporting mental health week but only seem 2 focus on non-whites. when they should b including all people from various races if their reporting was totally genuine!