I went to a wild Farage rally – it had fireworks, Eminem and Bellingham cheers

As my train pulled in at 7.10pm in Clacton-on Sea, the seaside town was calm and still. A couple of teens rode past on bikes, while the sound of seagulls filled the blue skies. “Perhaps not many will turn up to Nigel Farage‘s rally,” I said to another journalist. “It’s a Tuesday evening after all.”

That was until I turned the corner to see herds of eager fans queuing in all directions towards the grand entrance of Clacton’s Princes Theatre. For £3.41, supporters could come to see TV legend Nigel Farage – as seen on ITV’s I’m a Celebrity and GB News – perform Live at the Apollo (or an election rally).

Security was tighter than your average local theatre performance, with staff frantically confiscating bottles of water from people or telling them to stand to the side and down them. In a totally normal security request, I was forced to check in my packet of ready salted crisps to the cloakroom (yes, they stuck a numbered tag on it).

I was then ushered to my seat, where the theatre, which has a capacity of around 800, soon filled up. People squashed together holding placards reading, ‘Nigel Farage for Clacton’, next to a photo of his face. A room full of hundreds of faces of Farage. Music played in the background, with Hozier’s “I like my Whiskey neat” lyric filling the room.

The Reform UK leader was introduced by Dr David Bell, the party’s deputy leader, who declared that the Tories and Labour are terrified of Farage, of Reform UK… and of Clacton constituents. “They’re terrified of you!”, he roared.

Suddenly, and with no warning, Eminem’s Without Me then started blaring out the speakers: “Guess who’s back, back again? Shady’s back, tell a friend.” Heads whipped around as Farage began descending down the stairs between the raised auditorium seats, grabbing people’s hands in the audience as if he was the King. A devilishly large smile was pinned to his face as people whooped at the dramatic – and self-centred – entrance.

As he ascended the stage, he began clapping along to what is apparently his new anthem (he’s used the song multiple times even though he returned weeks ago). He then raised his hands in the air as if he was Jude Bellingham scoring England’s first Euros goal as X-factor style fireworks started shooting upwards in each corner of the stage.

Farage stood back in awe (of himself) as he lapped up the applause like an EastEnders background character finally getting to play a leading role in a pantomime – probably at Clacton’s theatre. “Guess who’s back,” he laughed. “Back again.”

For the next hour of my life I saw Farage criticise practically anyone who has ever lived. He dissed David Cameron, Theresa May and Boris Johnson. He dissed Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer. He dissed Tony Blair. He dissed the French and the European Union. He dissed businesses and banks. Self-declared Mr Shady was throwing shade in all directions.

But what about when it comes to Farage? Well, Farage can do no wrong in his own eyes. In fact, everyone loves him. “I’ve so far been to 48 pubs in Clacton,” he said (to huge laughter in the room). “I walk in the pub and people say: ‘Oh my goodness, we were just talking about you.” And explaining why he changed his mind and chose to stand as an MP for the eighth time, the apparent Pied Piper said: “I can’t let my people down.”

At one point, he whined about the “great degree of self-sacrificing” he’s had to do campaigning in Clacton (in a bid to show he was putting in the effort… I suppose). It reminded me of his previous comment, before he announced he was standing: “Do I want to be an MP? Do I want to spend every Friday for the next five years in Clacton?”

But beyond the pomp, beyond the extravagance and beyond the fireworks was a man who commanded a room in a way I have not seen a politician do before. It was an anti-migrant and gimmick-oozing speech full of policies that to many voters may appear attractive. Did it matter to the people in that theatre that Reform UK’s plans have been torn apart by experts and economists?

His attacks on small boats were praised by the audience as he said migrants crossing the channel were all young men “who throw their iPhones and passports into the sea”. A raucous applause filled the room – in the only place where Ukip ever managed to get an MP – when he said he believed the situation to be a “national security crisis”.

As the event came to an end, Mr Farage announced four Tory councillors – who were actually all already sitting as independents – had joined Reform UK. Virtually every member of the audience raised their hands when asked if they’d volunteer to deliver leaflets, donate money to the party and spread the word to their mates.

I headed to the cloakroom, retrieved my crisps and walked to the station to the sound of seagulls again. But Clacton no longer felt like the quiet, calm seaside town I first arrived at. Something appeared to have changed in the air.