IT was a dream come true.One night Simon Chiverton was singing karaoke in an Ipswich pub, the next he was appearing on the same bill as Liberty X, 3SL and 911.

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IT was a dream come true.

One night Simon Chiverton was singing karaoke in an Ipswich pub, the next he was appearing on the same bill as Liberty X, 3SL and 911.

In less than 24 hours his ambition to sing on stage at a star-studded show in front of a crowd of screaming fans had been realised.

The transition from pub to stage happened almost by sheer luck however – a case of being in the right place at the right time.

Simon, of Queen's Avenue, Woodbridge, had gone to the weekly karaoke at the Great White Horse where the technical crew for the recent Party in the Dark show were drinking.

He got up to sing and impressed them with his rendition of Something Inside So Strong.

"When I finished Leigh, the guy behind the show, stopped everyone on the karaoke and asked if I'd like to appear at Party in the Dark," 22-year-old Simon explained.

"Rik Waller was supposed to sing that song but he was dropped by his record label before the show. He said as Rik wasn't going to be there would I like to sing it instead."

"I was shocked," he added. "One minute I'm doing karaoke, the next I'm singing live with Liberty X and 911. It was amazing."

Simon currently makes a living as a builder but he has always dreamed of making it as a singer.

His experience at Party in the Dark, at which the two winners of a Colchester karaoke competition also sang, has now given him a renewed determination to give it his best shot.

"It was a fantastic night and was such an amazing feeling," he said. "We were introduced by SGR and they made us feel really comfortable to get out there and be part of it.

"That's all I've ever wanted to do, to get on stage and sing. Now I've been out there I just want to keep doing it.

"This opportunity has been a dream come true."

Simon has already taken the opportunity to get some tips from the people in the know about how to go about making his mark in music.

While backstage at Party in the Dark, he got the chance to speak to some of the stars and chatted to So Solid's Romeo and Pop Idol's Jessica and Korben.

He managed to get some advice from them and from other people involved in the show.

He said: "I was right in among it so thought 'Why not?'

"I got quite a lot of advice from the stage manager Phil about what to do, like changing my style.

"I'm up for taking advice from anyone willing to give it."

Simon plans to keep on singing karaoke in the meantime but hopes the next big break will be just around the corner.