Happy Old Year!

So the final words of my last posting said that i’d hoped to get another one in before 2018! That wasn’t quite the intention, and it’s been far too long, but inspired by the posting of a friend’s blog yesterday, I’m getting back to doing this!

2016 was simply an amazing year, and very welcome, following on from 2015 which was, shall we say, not so good..but that’s the way of life, it ebbs and flows, and we take the bad to appreciate the good! Most notably was the introduction of Mat into my life. Having first met briefly through music, then latterly due to a chance meeting in Ipswich at Christmas 2015, we connected  and bonded a few days later at a party over our shared experiences with Brain Tumours. Not a pleasant subject, having lost dear Tash to the disease and speaking to Mat as a sufferer of one himself, however, if ever there was proof of something great coming from a bad situation, then this was it! Ironically, and most poignantly, it was the presence of Paul Daniels in Ipswich that day that led to mine and Mat’s subsequent meeting, but no-one knew then, not even Paul, about his Brain Tumour. We were very moved and saddened by his death just a few weeks later, and he will always be our magic man, performing one last magical spell that day! This January we joined together to create ‘Mat’s Walk and Talk Challenge’, an incredible month long project to get people to join together to make friends, get fitter, and simultaneously raise money for The Brain Tumour Charity. A separate blog will be created for that, but to find out more visit the Just Giving or Facebook page. So far we have raised nearly £19,000!!

As well as watching Mat’s band ‘The Broadside Boys‘ go from strength to strength last year and supporting them on their journey, in turn Mat has been a huge support and help to me and Kev Walford as we embarked on our own musical journey too. We’ve done wonderful things so far: released two e.p’s ‘Acoustic Sessions‘ 1 & 2, supported Reg Meuros and Russell and Algar, opened the stage at Folk East, played Ipswich Music Day, Cambridge Folk Club and Folk Festival, Ely Folk in the Town, featured in a week long session on BBC Radio Suffolk with Stephen Foster, collaborated with Honey & The Bear ..as well as many many more wonderful gigs and projects that took us all over East Anglia. We finished the year with a fun performance at The Froize for NYE, returning to the venue of our first real gig while joining forces with Mat to create ‘The Max Hayfield Quartet’. Not only was it magical night of music and friendship, but it also marked the first anniversary  together  for me & Mat, a very special time for us.

Vocally Vintage still makes occasional appearances too, as does Chasing Storms with various different line ups,  but the Jazz has taken a temporary back seat to the original Americana and Folk project with Kev. Stay up to date with mine and Kev’s progress on Facebook, or on the webpage.

So there was a very brief summary of 2016! I have no doubt that 2017 will be just as special, as we write new music, release Acoustic Sessions 3, as Mat embarks on his well deserved first National tour with Eric alongside Richard Digance, as more money is raised for The Brain Tumour Charity and yet more incredible  friendships are forged along the way, thanks not only to the music, but the Walk & Talks, as they continue throughout the year.

I still have Kansas in my sights, and the red shoes will always be there and waiting in the wardrobe; but as for my running shoes…will they be dusted off for one last crack at a marathon next year? Better watch this space to find out!

Kelly x

The Storms of Change

Well I realised it had been a while since my last blog post..but not quite that long! Yet another stark reminder of the swift passing of time. It would be churlish to summarise  nearly two years of news into one post, so i’m not even going to try! Those of you who have followed my progress on my pages will be in the know, but i will give a brief update on how things currently are, and the exciting changes which are now afoot.

Vocally Vintage goes from strength to strength, with an ever increasing diversity of gigs and venues, from care homes, to weddings, funeral services, parties and corporate functions. It still provides one of the most rewarding musical experiences for me, particularly my work with elderly and dementia patients and The St Elizabeth Hospice.

Chasing Storms has seen a few changes however. As creative musicians, we all evolve and grow in a very personal way, and our individual influences and tastes can move in different directions. I’m very proud of the body of work that myself and Mike have created over the past few years, and since we joined forces with Ben and Mark, we have become well known for our interpretations of  popular Jazz songs. Our own creative output however no longer fits particularly within that genre, so for the time being Chasing Storms will remain largely a live covers band. Mike’s own compositions are now mainly instrumental and have found a new lease of life with the wonderful Ingenious Gentlemen. I have yet to catch them live but hope they will perform locally very soon. Please check them out if you get the chance, they really are a talented bunch of guys! Chasing Storms will be performing next at Jazz nights at The Sorrel Horse, Chattisham in April and at The Crown, Woodbridge  in June.

As for my own songwriting, I’m very excited to currently be creating a new collection of material, and will be steadily performing and recording this over the coming year. I have the pleasure of working with some extraordinarily talented and friendly folks right here in Suffolk, most notably Kev Walford. I also have the privilege of  singing on Kev’s own material too, and we are very excited about our next gig together on Easter Sunday March 27th, supporting the supremely wonderful and award winning Greg Russell and Ciaran Algar at the next Folk At The Froize. These monthly evenings are fast establishing a great name for themselves, and we are really honoured to have been asked to perform. We are also looking forward a playing a double bill at a new music venue in Colchester in October called the Three Wise Monkeys. These great new music nights are being put together by the lovely Sophie Pol Simon at Sophie Music, who also has a brand new website showcasing her ongoing talents and success as a music promoter.

To mark these changes I have created another Facebook page to keep up to date with all the latest developments, but it won’t just be about me! What keeps everyone going is not just the music that we perform and create but the people around us. The music community in which we thrive is such a joy and inspiration to be a part of; everyone is incredibly supportive of one another and their gifts deserve to be heard and shared. I will soon be posting another blog to highlight some of the many great artists and events that we have to be proud of in here in Suffolk!

Because of all the recent musical excitement, the running has sadly taken a back seat for now, and while i successfully made it round the London Marathon course in 2015 raising money for Action Medical Research in the process, there is still unfinished business to contend with! I have yet to crack the 5hr barrier due to some poor race planning and it deflated me for a while, but I know will return to the roads and rivers steadily, along with the warmer weather I hope, and ease that goal back clearly into view!

Well that’s enough for now, and be sure to expect another post soon…before 2018 I hope!!

April in Paris, la troisième (et dernière) partie!

From the moment we stepped into the Montreux Jazz Café at the Gare de Lyon, nothing was like I had ever experienced a gig before. The seating area outside the front of the Café alone is larger than the space in Harrods, and the interior is bigger still, with beautiful elevated ceilings, chic diner decor, and most importantly, a stylish and perfectly sized stage with the Montreux logo emblazoned across the back. We were immediately greeted on our arrival….and I mean REALLY greeted….by everyone there! The sound and lighting engineers, the food and beverages manager, the floor manager and the front of house team all came over to shake our hands, introduce themselves, and offer their service for the evening. They hadn’t just been expecting us, they had clearly been looking forward to our arrival for quite sometime. They couldn’t do enough for us, and this made us feel very special indeed, something that can go a very long way when it comes to putting on a good show. Within a few minutes we had refreshments, an area to display our promo, somewhere to store our belongings, front row reserved seating for friends and family, and an extremely thorough and detailed soundcheck was underway. Even a trip to the toilets was out of the ordinary! The attendant was precious about my feet being on the (perfectly clean) floor while I changed my shoes, and a little girl washing her hands fixated on me putting the finishing touches to my make up, while I made out the words ‘tres Jolie’ spoken by her mother. Clearly, something special was expected from all these people, and I just hoped and prayed that we wouldn’t disappoint them.

After the sound check we were in for a lovely surprise. First, both Mike’s Mother and Sister appeared having spent a few days already holidaying in the city, followed by Sophie who arrived with some very special family members of her own. It was uncertain for a while whether she would be able to make it due to family commitments, but I’m so pleased she did. She was responsible for us being there and has been such an important part of our journey recently, it just wouldn’t have been the same without her! Another really special surprise for me was having an old school friend turn up during the set; it was the first time we had met in over twenty years….and she really hadn’t changed a bit.

It was time to begin, and the surprises weren’t over yet. As I positioned myself behind my microphone, I noticed that the many TV screens around the room (AND outside) had gone blank. Thinking they had just paused the current programming out of courtesy, I got one hell of a shock when I then noticed ourselves on all of them!! There would be people throughout the venue who would be able to see me, yet I wouldn’t be able to see them! It was a very scary thought, but I realised quickly that too long spent contemplating that would start to knock back all the confidence I had built up since arriving.

Now this may seem a little strange, but what happened over the next hour is actually a bit of a blur! The brain goes into overdrive during a gig…it’s a multi-tasking, multi-thinking, multi-thrilling experience…only this time with added multi-lingual too! Speaking in French is good, not speaking in French is bad, speaking in bad French is very bad. With this in mind, I kept it basic and let Ben translate for me…although I did manage a few whole sentences towards the end! The lay out of the Café means that not all the diners have a direct view of the stage which is why they have the TV screens, however, to my amazement it didn’t stop people from standing up and moving towards the stage to get a better view, many of whom were taking pictures and videos too. It was both thrilling and humbling, and just as I had debated in part 1, the audience were as I had hoped, extremely open to, and appreciative of our new music.

The hour soon came around, and we were delighted to be asked to play a couple of encores. It was a real watershed moment for us. You are often told in life to believe in what you do, and not everyone will appreciate what you do, but you don’t change it if it feels right, you just make it better. You have to keep searching for your audience, and when you do find it, it feels just like coming home. I felt VERY at home on that stage in Paris….so maybe THAT was my homecoming gig after all!

The gig finished with a shower of praise and wonderful compliments, and we sold some CD’s too which was lovely. The wonderful hospitality continued, and we were treated to a complimentary meal and drink which we shared while getting to know our new friends, and catching up with the old. While the Café closed up for the night, we definitely weren’t ready to, so, accompanied by my school friend we headed back to Gare du Nord in search of suitable bar to finish winding down in for the evening and take it all in! It was a huge relief to be sitting at a table in Paris, wine in hand, amongst good company, and feeling very proud to have done what we did. It was very poignant too to be sat reminiscing, not specially about the old old days, but about what we have learnt and acquired since. I have always been envious of studious and academic business types with a comfortable and regular income, but I am reminded every now and again, that just as many of them will envy what I do even more. Few well paid jobs are really that stable anymore and life can change in a heartbeat, so it’s reassuring to feel that my future is in my hands and no-one else’s, and that’s just the way I like it. Throw in a lot of faith and a little bit of luck, and I may just be heading home a little more often…..metaphorically speaking of course!

It was then time to head for a different sort of home. After just a few hours sleep we scurried for the train across the road, grabbed a couple of pastries and coffee and made ourselves comfortable on the Eurostar. I thought sleep would have overcome me, but my mind was alight with excitement and anticipation about the future of Chasing Storms. I had a very inspiring conversation with Ben about it, although we did have to amuse ourselves for a while too completing the Euro Star customer satisfaction survey.
Question: Was the reason for your journey business or pleasure?
Answer: Definately both!

I’m going to leave you with the song we closed our set with. Many thanks to Sophie and her family for all the lovely photos and video. À Bientôt!

April in Paris, la deuxième partie!

The second instalment begins somewhere on a platform in what is well known to be the busiest train station in Europe. Paris Gare du Nord is bold, bustling and hot, yet quenched easily by the effortless Parisienne cool. Now there are many words I could use to describe myself on a day to day basis, and cool is not one of them, however, I had decided that due to the current task in hand, I was in fact (for that day at least) pretty cool. Two minutes at the Gare du Nord, and my ‘pretty cool’ status was hastily upgraded to ‘über cool’ after spotting ledge front-man of Sonic Youth indie cult band fame, Thurston Moore.* I mused for a while optimistically whether he would have felt equally cool spotting Chasing Storms jostling through crowd. Probably, not.

We fell out of the station and into our hotel adjacent, and the full magnificence of the imposing Gare du Nord neoclassical architecture became apparent. It’s no match for St Pancras but it certainly beats the unimaginative functionality of Ebbsfleet. Completed 150 years ago, the facade is adorned with more than twenty statues of female figures, each representing a destination served by the terminal. Their presence dominates the otherwise uncertain atmosphere, so I drew from the abundance of statuesque confidence, and stored it in readiness for the evening. We checked in, and I checked out my pathetic French on the unsuspecting portier, who was (sympathetically) impressed.

We had allowed a bit of time in our schedule for some sightseeing, just to remind ourselves that we were about to play in one of the most iconic capitals in the world, and hoped that some of the atmosphere would rub off on us for the gig. Fortunately we were positioned within walking distance of one of my favourite parts of the City, The Sacré Cœur and Montmartre. Being the weekend, being warm and sunny, and being the first day of the French holidays, the crowds were prodigious yet calm and laid back, and entwined themselves perfectly with the gently simmering artisan vibe and culture. Ben, already very familiar with the capital (having previously resided there) remained at the hotel, so it was myself and Mike who eventually indulged in a traditional savoury crêpe whilst perched on a street corner amongst all the artists, buskers, diners, lovers, entertainers, drinkers, dreamers, chancers, 2cv convoys, lamp posts, cherry blossom, and cheeky opportunistic sparrows.

When it was time, we pulled away with ease from the Big-Top congregation; we were here to live a dream, not dream a dream. We hurried back down through the hilly streets and back to the hotel, giving ourselves an hour to get ready for the night. For Mike, this was likely a 50min snooze and a 10min shower/change. For me it was a 60 min of shower, change, decide on clothes, moisturise, log in to wifi, make-up, decide on hair, manicure, change mind on clothes, pack shoes, jewellry, update Facebook, change mind on hair, run out of time for nails (again), negotiate an extra ten minutes for more make-up, and finally, re-arrange bag to accommodate shoes with the CD’s and flyers. It’s ritualistic chaos, but adrenalin fuelled excitement too. I arrived in the lobby sporting an updo, evening gown and baseball boots. This was Paris, no-one either noticed nor even cared.

It was rush hour, though quite impossible to ‘rush’ anywhere. I had to keep my claustrophobia firmly in check as we negotiated our way decisively through the tunnels and crowded trains across the pulsating city clutching guitars, music, stands and equipment. We made it safely to the Gare de Lyon, another historical railway station of vast proportions. It’s bewildering airport-like interior and throngs of commuters had us stalled for a while but we made it nevertheless into the stunning old part of the station, and finally laid eyes on the welcoming sight of The Montreux Jazz Café, and a life-size poster of ‘Chasing Storms’. ….to be continued!

*A more detailed and accurate account of events would reveal that it wasn’t actually me, but in fact Ben who first spotted Mr Moore and his female, guitar bearing companion. Despite his lofty frame and brooding yet unassuming rock-idol appearance , his presence would have passed me by completely had it not been for the blatant show and tell. But it’s my story, my cool story, and I can tell it how I like 😉

April in Paris, la première partie!

It’s hard to believe (for me at least) that I’m actually typing this on The Eurostar train on the way to Paris, on the way to a gig, with my band, to sing songs that we’ve written. I was sent a picture during the week, of our poster outside the Montreux Jazz Cafe in the Gare de Lyon. That’s when it all started to seem ‘real’. Yet I was still scared to go to sleep last night incase I woke up to find it had all been but a wild fanciful dream of momentary fame and international stardom (cough). But no, we have just exited the tunnel on the French side, it’s a sunny spring day, and we are thundering along nicely towards the capital.

The previously daunting task of singing in Harrods now seems a mere warm-up compared to this. I’m sure it would feel the same in reverse for a European artist to come to London, however the increase in pressure is quite significant. Not only is there the psychological language barrier to overcome (although I’m not expecting, or indeed expected to converse in fluent French with the audience) but there’s also the perceived idea that to travel this far to perform, you must be good! So then, I wonder, will the universal language of music transcend all the barriers and break down the fears?

As a nation we are pretty lazy when it comes to speaking other languages. Not only that, we are lazy when it comes to listening to other languages too. For most the only exposure to foreign music is the annual farcical feeding frenzy that is The Eurovision Song Contest. Or course, other countries are used to listening to English lyrics, and I think on the whole this gives Europeans much wider palates and broader minds when it comes to accepting new music.

Or not. I could just be kidding myself, but at the moment, I am being positive and optimistic about how we will be received by our new audience. I need to stop worrying about my rusty subjunctives or word gender sexism, and concentrate on being English, and just doing my thing.

The weekend has a very slight tinge to it though because tomorrow is of course the London Marathon, which I had secured a place in. Thankfully I have been able to defer till next year, but it won’t stop me from thinking of all those I know who are taking part tomorrow, and remembering again what a momentous day that was in 2011 when I first ran. I will never forget that day, and I’ll never forget this one…however it goes! It took three blogs to cover that one day…..I wonder if today will be as eventful! A la prochaine!

A Tale of Two Cities

When I was a little girl, if we were in London, for a treat my mother would often take me to Harrods. I remember being mesmerised by its maze like interior; corridor after corridor running through never-ending rooms filled with luxurious displays of the very finest wares that money can buy. I recall also, standing in awe within the grandiose splendour of the Food Hall, speculating as to just how many people actually had the privilege of doing the weekly shop there. One could argue that its status now is more that of a tourist attraction than a shop, but to me, it is still as exciting a place to be as ever, and it buzzes constantly with all the energy and cultural richness of Heathrow airport. Because of all this, singing there the other week was not only an enormous privilege, but also an incredible, if yet surreal experience, and one that I don’t think any of us will ever forget.

We arrived at the back of the store at half past three to a security escort who took us to the Montreux Jazz Café on the third floor, and by four o clock we were sound checking. This was a strange experience in itself, because as soon as you start to sing and play, people start to look and listen! It’s then that you realise the enormity of what you are about to do, and if there are nerves to be felt at all, then this is the time! Things were about to get even stranger though, because the Café then began to fill with friends and family that had travelled some way to see us, but there were at least three groups who turned up as a complete surprise! It was very emotional and humbling to have so much support, and it’s fair to say I was in a state of mild shock by the beginning of our set! It’s tempting to suggest that no-one actually believed we were playing there and had to witness it with their very own eyes…but the truth is that it was me who had the most trouble believing it was real!! This really was a very special occasion, and I had been treated by my boyfriend to a five star weekend in the capital to mark the event. For Mike it was special also, as it was the start of a week long birthday celebration that then continued in Morrocco. It was lovely to meet the rest of his family whom I had heard so much about over the years. A big thank you to everyone who came, especially Steve Stoddart our videographer, who took the brilliant photos below.

At 5 o clock we had 1 hour to showcase the best of our original songs as well as a few carefully chosen covers. Our new bass player was as cool as a cucumber throughout, but for Mike and myself, this moment was such a milestone, not only within our history together as Chasing Storms but within our entire respective music careers. Wanting to be true professionals though, we did our best to hide our nerves, smile, and just enjoy the moment! We played a mixture of material, from the first song we wrote together, ‘The Mists of Avalon’ to the four that will be on our new EP, together with a brand new song finished only the week before. As this song is yet untitled, we gave our audience the challenge of giving it a name; a challenge they rose to very graciously, however it still remains wanting! We made it successfully to the end of our set, and even got asked for an encore. Fortunately we had ‘The Girl from Ipanema’ up our sleeves, which went down well too.
After bidding our farewells to friends and family, and being escorted underground through one more final security check, it was time to relax and enjoy the rest of our evening in the city with our respective loved ones. Every moment over the last few weeks had built up to that one singular moment, so it was difficult to know just what to do with myself after, but as long as it involved a large glass of Sauvignon Blanc, I was happy!

So…what next? How do you follow a gig like that? Well, how about the Montreux Jazz Café again, but this time in Paris? Yes please! April in Paris!!! So, on 12th, we will be heading to the French Capital for another 1 hour showcase at the Gare de Lyon! Now, the more astute of you will have noticed that this date clashes with the weekend of The London Marathon, so it’s with a certain amount of sadness that I have had to defer my precious place until next year. I was disappointed, however it has proved to be a blessing in disguise because I have been able to devote my time completely to Chasing Storms, which is a privilege in itself.

With less than six weeks to go before we board the EuroStar, there is still lots to do. All the recording for the EP is finished, but we still have the mastering, artwork and CD production to complete. This Saturday 8th March we will be live on Felixstowe radio, and on 21st March playing live at The Douglas Bader in Martlesham. We will be gob-smacked if half as many friends and family turn up in Paris as they did in London….but the way my life is going at the moment, you just never know!!

Looking Back, Looking Up, and Looking Good!!

In exactly a week, three members of Chasing Storms will be in the Montreux Jazz Cafe in Harrods, ready to give a one hour showcase of our original music with a few covers thrown in too for good measure. At the risk of repeating myself, it is, in equal parts, both totally terrifying, and extremely exciting. We have a miniature army of dedicated supporters making the journey to Knightsbridge too, so a celebratory atmosphere will be inevitable I think, but with only seven days to go, feelings are running high in Camp Storms!
Earlier this week FB celebrated ten years by giving (nearly) everyone a video short of their very own to reminisce with. Whether you loved them, or got sick of the novelty within half an hour (the spoofs were hilarious too) mine definitely struck a chord. It started and ended with a picture of the children (growing all too fast), and included a picture of our dear departed Tash, as well as some key moments I’ve shared with friends and family. Some things were a bit random, but it was the poster of one of our first gigs (Kelly and The Footnotes at The Turks Head in Hasketon), followed by a recent status update showing our current position in the Reverbnation Jazz charts that is pertinent here.
We recently appeared at an Acoustic Showcase at the John Peel Center. It was lovely to be back in the building where we shot our video, but the best part about it was being able to watch all the other acts. Every member of the audience is there to listen to, and support the independent artists and the centre itself, so they are very attentive and forgiving. On that particular night the line-up stretched right the way across the spectrum, in both age and genre, and it reminded me of how I felt when we first began as a group. In 2009 I was a returning musician. Returning, because over a decade earlier I had all but given up on singing, having allowed myself to be convinced by others that I didn’t have what it took, that I couldn’t write decent enough songs, that I was getting too old (at 24!) and I wasn’t prepared to do ‘anything’ to get somewhere. I see unbelievable talent everywhere, in young people who have the time, funds, skills, support and dedication to go far, but many never get there (wherever ‘there’ is) and it’s this knowledge that nearly prevented me from beginning again. I’m so very glad I chose to ignore all that, you have to follow your heart, not everyone else.
The night after the John Peel was Burns night and myself and Mike had been asked to sing at a private party. As well as performing we were also invited to dine as guests on Haggis Neaps n Tatties, and consequently had the privilege of conversing with a fascinating group of new people. We were completely spoilt and felt so very appreciated. We left on such a high….because it’s the heart of what we do. While I was there, someone asked me what the plan was, and where we wanted to go. I truthfully couldn’t answer that…because last year, of all the places I could have wished to sing in, I would never have thought to include Harrods!
The plan I believe is to keep moving up, keep loving what we’re doing, and keep doing what we love. Whether we are in somebody’s home, or in the worlds most famous department store, being able to sing songs you have written yourself and songs you love by other people, whilst giving pleasure to those listening AND getting paid to do it all (MOST of the time) really is a major achievement. So, next week I’ll be looking forward, and looking into the faces of all the amazing people who have believed in what do from day one. We have already come a long way, things are looking good, the rest is all a big fat bonus!

Happy News Year!!

Yesterday we received our promotional material for what is without a doubt, our most important and significant gig to date. Even though we had kept the news excitedly under our high-hats for a while, it still hadn’t quite sunk in until I saw it in print, before my very own eyes.
It all came about after a chance gig at the Steamboat in Ipswich last year, where we had the pleasure of meeting the very delightful Sophie Pol Simon. Sophie presents a radio programme that showcases new artists from Europe and beyond, and being French herself, she has an excellent ear for music that transcends the traditional musical borders between Britain and the ‘mainland’. She was there that night to promote Singer-Songwriter Gion Stump, who had travelled over from Switzerland to perform. We were fortunate to be supporting him (along with the wonderful Reb Capper), and we even managed to sing a spontaneous duet together, that later found it’s way onto youtube! Sophie showed an immediate enthusiasm for us, and was keen to play our music on her show. Naturally we obliged, and she then brought us in the studio for a one hour Chasing Storms special. We felt hounoured to be given that sort of opportunity.
Little did we know that behind the scenes Sophie was also working closely with a very exclusive and internationally acclaimed management team. One day I received a call that threw a totally new and brilliant light on our career together as Chasing Storms and Sophie offered us a Showcase at the kind of venue you can only ever dream of playing in. In order to promote the event, they required a full HD video of us, which we didn’t yet have! So, it was all hands on deck last month to create one for our track ‘Lighthouse’, and if you happen to be inside this particular place in the next four weeks, you may catch a glimpse of it showing alongside the Elevators!
So, without further ado, it is my humble pleasure to share with you our ‘Chasing Storms’ showcase special, on Saturday February 15th, 5-6pm, live at the Montreux Jazz Cafe, situated on the third floor of Harrods department store in Knightsbridge, London. We would love to see you there!!

Lights, Camera, ACTION!

The last few weeks have gleefully whistled by (don’t they always when you’re busy) and there’s no busier month than December. Whatever your profession, and especially if you’ve got children, the festive season can itself appear to arrive like a tornado…wreaking havoc on your daily routine, your bank balance, and your sleep! So, hold onto your hats…because we’re heading for the eye!
My self contained act Vocally Vintage kicked off a whole season of Christmas Shows last month with a Vintage Tea Party in aid of leading disability charity, The Papworth Trust . It was a pleasure to be involved, a privilege to witness so much passion for such a great cause, and an honour to also find myself twice in The East Anglian Daily Times together with organiser Sarah Moss because of it. Further shows continue, and you can find these on my Vocally Vintage Calender.

In the mean time, behind the scenes, Chasing Storms has been undergoing some major changes and is evolving hugely. We were deeply upset last year to see James Murphy move to Leicester to begin a new chapter with his family. The loss of James’s multi-instrumental talents, together with his songwriting and recording skills left a large gap to be filled, and while we have been fortunate to welcome him back for our most important gigs this year, sadly the distance and work commitments have proved too much to overcome. James is sorely missed, but we are very thankful to have worked with him since 2009, and we hope he will come and guest with us in the future whenever he can.
We always knew it would take more than one person to replace James so we have been really fortunate to welcome aboard the talents of Mark Sewell on Drums, and Ben Watson on Bass. Having such a strong and dynamic rhythm section has lifted the band into a whole new dimension and broadened our possibilities and opportunities, and not a moment too soon! 2014 is going to be very exciting for us, and to make the most of that, we have been very busy filming video, recording tracks, and being photographed. To be more economical with everybody’s precious time (it is December after all!) we decided to do this all at once, and hired the beautiful John Peel Centre for the purpose. Having already been there for gigs, it was wonderful to have the place to ourselves for the evening, and if the early glimpses are anything to go by, then we will be over the moon with the finished results. We were very selective about who we involved in the project, and felt that the combination of Steve Stoddart and Paul Nicholas proved to complete a really successful team on the day. We also have an exciting extra photographer on board….but we’re keeping that under wraps for now!

Here are a couple of those glimpses from the Wandering River Lens.

And finally…what could possibly make this month even busier? Well, if you count back 16 weeks from The 2014 London Marathon, you’ll find the starting date for my 16 week training plan, right smack bang in the middle of the month, on December 15th! It was a sobering realisation that despite the big build up and all festive jollyness, it looks like Christmas itself will in fact also be, pretty sober! This brings me swiftly onto the subject of my chosen charity for the big run. I have thought so long and hard about this; there are so many charities close to my heart that I would love to support, but I feel this year that to get so personal, and to be so emotionally involved with my fundraising cause this time would in fact hinder my ability to focus on everything else that’s going on right now. So, I thought back to this Summer’s ‘Gig In The Garden’ and remembered how overwhelmed I was by the dedication shown by the long term volunteers for the charity it supported. We’ve also performed at a couple of other events this year to support them, and as they will be again be giving us a opportunity to showcase at next years ‘Gig In The Garden’ I wanted to give something back, so I have decided to run for ‘Action Medical Research for Children’. We were busking the other night for the Choose Woodbridge Festive Fridays, and all the money raised in the hour has kick started the fund. So, if you would like to add to that, I, and thousands of families everywhere with sick and vulnerable children in need of medical help, will be very grateful indeed.
Click here to sponsor me for the 2014 London Marathon, running for Action Medical Research
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Kansas Calling

I’m still pinching myself every morning since receiving the news about my place in The London Marathon, and I have to keep the magazine by my bed as a reassuring reminder that it wasn’t just a dream, but this blog isn’t going to focus solely on my running ambition; it’s about another passion of mine too….singing.
I spoke in my other blog about bucket lists, because running the London was always high up on mine, but another aspiration is to one day go storm chasing through tornado alley. When I finally had the chance to put a band together in 2009, we went through the usual lengthy task of deciding on a name. Although a challenging process, it’s a good litmus test for band compatibility and agreeableness! Naturally we passed that one with flying colours, but It wasn’t until after I’d suggested the name ‘Chasing Storms’, that I began to make the connections between the obvious ambition, and the more subliminal influences that inspired it. Joining the dots between them created a thread that stretched all the way back to early childhood, and a little motion picture you may be familiar with…The Wizard of Oz.
Back in the day when we only had three channels on the TV and filming budgets were low, you could rely on the same classic movies being reeled out over again during the holidays. Alice in Wonderland and The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe foretold the presence of Easter, while Christmas was often heralded by the arrival of Julie Andrews in one of her many guises and of course, the extraordinary Miss Judy Garland and a little black dog called ‘Terry’.
There is something undeniably enchanting about The Wizard of Oz, and it hasn’t lost any of its sparkle since MGM re-created the 1900 L. Frank Baum novel in 1939. I don’t need to list it’s many industry accolades, but for me, every time I see it, I’m just as gripped with wonder, excitement, fear and anticipation as I was the first time over thirty years ago.
As well as the glorious costumes, eye-popping technicolor and fantastical sets, I was completely seduced by the marriage of Harold Arlen’s songwriting and Judy Garlands inimitable voice, and I’m not the only one. Many singers since have recorded their own love affair with ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’. Eva Cassidy’s version is well known and has an originality all of it’s own, but more recently I discovered Melody Gardot. Her own songwriting is exquisite, and although her rendition of SOTR is fairly ordinary in comparison to Eva, the tale she tells of how the film came to influence her is really very beautiful. I’ve been asked to sing it several times myself, (as recently as last weekend at a Dinner Party in fact) and I always like to stay as true to Judy and Harold as I can, but it was at a memorial service in November 2011 when the real effect of the film struck me.
As usual, I had not planned my outfit to sing in, (what’s the point…us girls always change our minds at the last minute anyway) but as I walked hurriedly out of the door I noticed that, without thinking, I had donned a pair of Blood Red Shoes from my wardrobe. Was I subconsciously playing Dorothy, or Judy, or both!? (Incidentally next month will be the fourth successive year singing at the same service, this time with Eva’s ‘Fields of Gold’).
And so, inspired by Hollywood Twisters, a lifetime ambition, the awesome power and unpredictability of Mother Nature and the heady mixture of danger and excitement, ‘Chasing Storms’ is the living out of my own technicolor dream. In the final scenes, the revealing of the Wizard is a disappointing moment and a huge anti-climax for the audience and the characters. Many messages come through the story at this point, but the most significant one for me here, is that my singing dream is not a lone destination with a singular defining goal, but that dream is a journey, a brightly coloured path, the lessons to be learnt, and the amazing friends I’m making along the way.