My top six favourite gigs
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I have the pleasure of performing in lots of different venues and I have supported some wonderful artists and charities as part of my work. Here are six of my favourites in no particular order!
1. Daylight music - The Union Chapel
A wonderful initiative curated by Ben Eshmade and produced by Artic Circle 'Daylight Music' brings together amazing music, a magical atmosphere and homemade cakes in one of London’s finest venues. Such an incredible building! I loved singing there and hope to again.
2. A Night Of Notes for Refuweegee created by Raukarna - Kelvinside Hillhead Church
Refuweegee are a project in Glasgow, if you don't know them check them out :) Their aim is to welcome refugees and asylum seekers to Glasgow in style, with welcome packs including ‘letters fae the locals’. These also include return envelopes so that recipients can respond with their words and stories.
The evening was put together by Raukarna and was made up of music written that was inspired by these letters. Ross Clark (Three Blind Wolves), Kim Edgar (Cara), Dave Fraser, Lucy Cathcart Froden (Raukarna), Andrew Howie, Tom McIver and myself performed.
The songs where then recorded and an album was created to raise funds for Refuweegee, listen or purchase here.
3. Supporing Karine Polwart at The Lothian Greens Fundraiser - Augustine United Church
This event was organised by the Ceilidh Collective in Edinbrugh who create wonderful events to raise money for enviromentally focused charities and organisations. Other performers at the event where Jenny Lindsay and The Pink Ladies. I was very excited to be supporting Karine as she is a wonderful songwriter, she liked my set and fell for my loop pedal :) If you love a ceilidh I would definatly suggest heading along to one of theirs. Dance!
I created a one off EP for the event as a PWYW called 'Lets make Waves.'
4. Willkommen Choir with The Leisure Society - St Giles In The Fields
When I used to live in Brighton I had the pleasure of being around many musicians in my home. I lived in a house with none other than the founders of Sons of Noel and Adrian - SONA and the Wilkommen Collective. Weekly band practices took place in the house and we also had the wonderful 'Kristin Mcclement' and 'Bea Sanjust' who at that time was part of 'Shoreline.' Amazing musicians would come through the house from bands like 'The Miserable Rich' and 'The Leisure Society.' My most rock and roll moment was coming home one night to find Nick in my bed, to his credit he was told I would be out for the night and an obliging house mate had said he could kip in my bed. Having decided not to wake him up, I wandered down to sleep on the sofa, with no blankets to be found I ended up sleeping in a soft cello case.
Anyway, by means of proximity I was asked to sing a number of times in the Wilkommen choir and this time really stands out. It has also been beautifully captured in this film! Here we are singing.
You will also see Danny from Laish in the choir and the angelic Rowen Coupland.
5. Nicolette Macleod performs as part of Buswell and Nyberg's 10 day Orchestra Challange - The Electric Circus
10 cities, 10 days, 10 pop up orchestras. The strapline of Buswell and Nyberg's event. Shaun Buswell & Erik Nyberg like a challenge and I had the pleasure of being part of one of them. A friend of mine asked if I would like to sing with an orchestra I said YES and applied to be the singer as part of the event. They were selecting one artist from each city they toured to. After I was choisen I was asked to send one of my orginal song's ahead of time to Erik who then scored it for orchestra. Then as part of my solo set for my song 'Father Father' I was accompanied by an orchestra that had been created in Edinburgh for the tour :) I loved it.
Last but not least:
6. Supporting The Irrepressibles
The Irrepressibles is the creative guise of vocalist, composer, artist and producer Jamie Irrepressible. I was so chuffed to have the pleasure of being the support act for one of their live shows on their tour for 'Mirror Mirror'. The orchestrated songs are just stunning and Jamie as a vocalist is truely compelling and beautiful to hear and watch. As a artist he works with a beautiful visual asthetic and the stage show had amazing sychronised lighting that was magically in time with the tracks performed. Not in a cheesy way, in a hypnotic and magical way adding to the whole experience. If you like lush, sexy, orchestrated pop ballads check them out.
This is one of my favourite melencoly tunes from 'mirror mirror' - Forget the Past
Another one of theirs with a beautiful video: