The release of my debut album, “Company of Ghosts”, on Monday 26th April, also coincided with the completion of my first music video, directed by artist/ film maker Chiz Turnross. As we sat watching the finished cut of the gothic daydream he’d created for my ode to the drowned, “The Sleepers”, I’ll admit to feeling more than a bit emotional. All this alongside the re-launch of my newly designed website made it a good day for feeling like things were getting done; but there was little time for self-satisfaction as by the afternoon I was deep in rehearsal, experimenting with new live material. The following Thursday my self and my producer/ co-songwriter Vidar Norheim would be out on the road promoting the album.

 
The first of my live dates was “A Gathering of Folk” at Y Pentan in Mold, North Wales, run by my good friend and very fine singer songwriter, Andy Hickie. Andy’s become almost a regular at the Almanac Folk events I co-curate in Liverpool, and it was brilliant to finally get over to Wales to be part of his thing. Y Pentan’s a pub/restaurant with a lovely nook set aside for performance and once the candles were lit and the cushions were on the floor it was clear why it’s become a much loved folk venue. This was the first gig that Vidar and I ever attempted to play “The Sleepers” live, involving as it does a stomp box, a ukulele strapped to a snare drum and cymbals hit with a microphone. I’ll admit it was a little tense, but we made a good show of it and got a warm response as we wiped the sweat from our brows. Also on the bill were folk-rock experimentalists Bonnie Pilgrim, with a compelling performance from lead singer Karina Durrant that confirmed the night as a triumph for the folky ladies. The audience couldn’t have been more respectful and attentive while we all performed, but as soon as the music was done, nothing could keep them quiet, and it was after several shandies and much energetic debate about the Welsh music scene that we finally emerged on to the streets of Mold.

The following evening we were in the Met, Bury; an arts centre I’m always happy to go back to, with some of the friendliest staff you’ll ever meet. I was especially honoured to be supporting cult singer songwriter James Grant who floored his eager audience (us included) with his seductive swamp of blues guitar, and grandiose Scottish lyricism. It can be hard sometimes trying to win over an audience that’s hungering for the main act; blinking out in to the dark of a studio theatre, wondering which way the tide’s turning; but in this case they proved to be more than generous, and by the second song break we were all chatting back and forth like old pals. I even got a kiss on the cheek from James when we said our goodbyes.

Saturday saw us hit “The Company Store” at the Zanzibar in Liverpool; one of the city’s most acclaimed band nights; specialising in country, folk and bluegrass and always packed to bursting. We were on a bill with four big noisy bands so kicked off the night as the light weights punching as hard as we could. Despite the fastest sound-check known to man, the death of our stomp box minutes before the gig, and on the spot set list changes, we got enough whoops and cheers to make it more than worthwhile and got to spend some drinking time with a host of our favourite local musicians. “England Loves a Poorboy (The Ballad of Ernest Marke)”, a song about a Caribbean sailor abandoned in Liverpool after WWI got the biggest holler of the set, as Vidar’s tattoo like snare drum got some angry feet tapping.

Returning home many albums lighter, I checked online to see the video plays mounting and new reviews appearing... Nothing to do but keep on keeping on.

www.lizzienunnery.co.uk
www.myspace.com/almanacfolk

Album reviews:
http://www.theirishworld.com/article.asp?SubSection_Id=11&Article_Id=13829
http://newsandreviews.liverpoolacoustic.co.uk/2010/04/album-review-lizzie-nunnery.html