It has been a very busy and creative start to the year and I'm really looking forward to playing some lovely local gigs this month and throughout spring. These include some brand new live music nights that are happening in Norwich showcasing the wealth of talented local artists from Norfolk.
Common People at OPEN Norwich ~ Friday February 21st
My next gig is a really special one. As well as performing my own material, I love to perform many of my favourite songs from different genres. I'm looking forward to be playing an acoustic set at OPEN Norwich next weekend as part of a special 90's music charity night of Britpop, indie and dance from the team behind Common People. Expect some surprise 90's favourites in my set!
Mark Morriss, frontman of The Bluetones will headline the evening that will be raising funds for the Priscilla Bacon Hospice Appeal and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Mark will play an intimate acoustic set featuring songs from his solo material and classics from The Bluetones including Slight Return, If, Marblehead Johnson, Bluetonic and more.
The night will also include DJ sets from Common People DJs, a 90's music memorabilia raffle and giveaways. All proceeds from the event will go to the two charities and to hosts Open Youth Trust, which works with the county’s young people.
The Priscilla Bacon Hospice Appeal aims to raise £12.5m to build a much-needed new hospice in Norwich. The new 24-bed facility will transform end-of-life care for those terminally ill in Norfolk and Waveney. NICU is a specialist unit which cares for more than 800 sick babies in Norfolk every single year. It has literally saved the lives of hundreds of babies and any money donated will help extend the fantastic work they do.
There are now only limited tickets available for the night. Here is the link:
https://opennorwich.org.uk/
The Reindeer Norwich - Tilting Sky Presents Sunday Sessions - Sunday February 23nd
The same weekend I will also be performing at The Reindeer Norwich - which has a reputation for hosting great live music almost every night of the week - as part of an eclectic line up of artists for the first in an occasional series of Songwriter Sessions from local promoter The Tilting Sky.
As well as myself, Tom Malachowski will be performing some blues whilst Vincent Knight & Molly Willis will provide some cool rock & indie to create a musical cocktail from the late afternoon through to the early evening.
Live music starts at 4pm. It's free entry and all ages are welcome.
Bare Feet Records Live at Bowling House - Thursday March 5th
Also on Dereham Road in Norwich is Bowling House which as well as being a cocktail bar, karaoke, restaurant and ten pin bowling alley, is working with Bare Feet Records to programme a series of events celebrating the launch of the Palm Bar as a new space for live music.
I am excited to be part of the inaugural night of performances on Thursday March 5 along with Yve Mary B, Chad Mason and Tangles. There will be events from March until June and the first few line-ups are here: https://www.musicglue.
I recently made a little music video for the title track of the my latest EP ‘Edge of Love.’ Even though most of it was filmed in the South of France, look out for some beautiful coastal views of North Norfolk. My EP is continuing to receive some lovely airplay including The Big Country Show on BBC Radio. Huge thanks to Keith Greentree at Radio Norfolk.
'The Edge of Love' Music Video: https://youtu.be/
Headline concerts in Beccles and North Norfolk
Moving further into spring I am looking forward to some lovely headline gigs including an intimate and totally acoustic concert on May 2nd in Beccles for Martello Promotions - a live music promotion team running quality folk and acoustic concerts in north Suffolk. The gig will be at the Acoustic Lounge, Hungate Church and tickets are now available online:
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk
There have already been a few sold and tickets are also available locally from Beccles Books. There is no bar for this show - audience will need bring their own refreshments, alcoholic or otherwise.
I will also be heading to North Norfolk to beautiful Cley-next-the-Sea and performing a headline concert at the Village Hall on Saturday April 25th. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for updates on this:
https://www.facebook.com/
Future Radio
I'm continuing to host the Afternoon Session on Future Radio in Norwich - playing a mix of indie, Americana, folk, electronica and rock, as well as showcasing local music and doing gig previews. With many local summer festivals also being announced, it looks set to be a very busy few months!
Tune into Future Radio: http://
Music Lessons in Norwich
Ever wanted singing lessons or fancy learning guitar or ukulele? Warm, encouraging and supportive, I am a professional vocal coach, guitar and ukulele teacher. With years of recording, touring and performing experience, I love sharing my skills and passion for music. I offer singing lessons plus beginner guitar and ukulele lessons in the Golden Triangle, Norwich for all ages.
I am also able to provide lessons via Skype or FaceTime and there are currently some special block booking deals for February and March!
For further information and to view some testimonials, please visit my website: http://lisaredford.
As some of you know, last year I wrote a fundraising single for Norwich community station Future Radio, This Fine City - a celebration of Norwich and also a message of hope with us all coming together to get through this challenging and unprecedented time. It felt very rewarding that it was received so well, gaining radio airplay and local media coverage - including being featured here in an article I wrote for All Things Norfolk - whilst, more importantly, raising funds to help Future find a new city centre studio.
It’s continued to be a challenging start to the year for us all; for myself, with the lack of gigs and festivals on the horizon, it can be hard to find inspiration. I wanted to start the year on a positive note; be creative, while also doing something good, and felt that I wanted to do something for another local charity. One in the Crowd is a new acoustic song in aid of Safe Rescue for Dogs, whose events I have previously attended. As a huge animal lover and dog walker - mostly to springer spaniel Wesley who was also my co-star in the video for From Afar, a single I wrote and recorded during the first lockdown - I know the joy and unconditional love that they bring into our lives.
In her latest feature for All Things Norfolk, Lisa focuses on the exciting launch of her fundraising single in aid of Future Radio "This Fine City" about Norwich and how we're all coming together znd overcoming this tough time.
"I began volunteering at Future Radio in 2018, regularly hosting the Afternoon Session and also briefly covering NR Sounds which showcases bands and artists from Norwich and the surrounding areas of Norfolk and North Suffolk. It has been so rewarding and enjoyable to be part of the station - certainly been a real buzz broadcasting live to listeners and sharing my passion for music"
All Things Norfolk business member, singer-songwriter and music tutor Lisa Redford has written and recorded a brand new song at home during the lockdown "From Afar"
Lisa got her inspiration for writing this song when walking in her local area in Norwich and seeing a poster in a window which said "know you are loved from afar" . The song is all about missing loved ones but knowing that we can still love and care from them "From Afar" until we meet again. Once the song was written Lisa then recorded an acoustic version of it from her home studio.
We highly recommend that you take a listen to "From Afar" by visiting https://lisaredford.bandcamp.com/track/from-afar and support this talented local artist by purchasing the song digitally for £1 . You can also view the video by visiting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfnukKmLcqc
It has been a little while since my last All Things Norfolk column. I had a really busy summer playing lots of festivals in the area and further afield. Here in Norfolk I really enjoyed performing at the first F-19 festival, a major new music festival in Feltwell at the stunning St Mary’s Church; all profits from the festival went towards the upkeep of this stunning medieval building.
I was also part of a brilliant line-up for The Waterfront Sessions. It was an all day promoted by The Tilting Sky celebrating some of the regions finest country and Americana artists by the riverside at Norwich Waterfront and it really showcased the wealth of talent here.
In July I also released a single Let Go - the second from my latest EP Edge of Love. It has been receiving some lovely airplay on many stations and shows including BBC Introducing Norfolk. Edge of Love has continued to get great reviews, so much so that I’m excited to be releasing a new single I Just Can’t Forget next month. The ballad, like all of my songs, comes from the heart and has a more soulful country sound with harmonies, piano, pedal steel acoustic and electric guitar
It features terrific local musicians: The Vagaband’s Jose McGill - who also produced the EP - plus Mark Howes from local blues duo Dove and Boweevil and Mikey Shaw on drums. The single has already been performed live in session for Whispering Bob TV’s Under the Apple Tree - intimate live acoustic sessions recorded in the home studio of legendary BBC broadcaster Bob Harris - certainly one of the highlights of my career so far!
It has been a very busy and exciting time as my new EP Edge of Love - recorded and mastered in Norwich and featuring a whole host of local talent - is now released worldwide!
I have been blown away by the wonderful airplay and reviews I have received including 4 stars in national music magazines Maverick and RnR. The title track also features on the excellent Un-Herd cover mount CD which comes with the May/June issue of RnR, in shops now.
I have been interviewed for a few local glossy publications - including Norwich Resident Magazine, KL Magazine and Norfolk Magazine - as well as had airplay on BBC Radio Norfolk and Suffolk, most recently a live acoustic session for Drive Time on BBC Radio Suffolk with Stephen Foster.