This Micro Festival was a celebration. It was a tribute to all the struggles, day to day achievements and triumphs of all women paving the way throughout history to the present day in a commitment towards achieving equality, celebrated on International Women’s Day. The festival was put together and curated by both We Want Women and Satellite Music & Events entirely voluntarily, as were all the performances from the artists for the occasion. The festival took place on the Friday and on the weekend. This is an account and a review of the festivities.
Fridays lineup:
Opening up the festival is Aimee Cross. A singer/songwriter armed to the teeth in satire and substance. Cross was an artist unafraid baring her soul to the world with songs about hardship and heartbreak. Unlike others, she is adroit. She invited (pop) cultural references into her music and into her text. In doing so she made meta-modernist art fun and enjoyable.
Cross is an observant artist. She referred to Netflix and the invasive nature of ‘personalised’ streaming services. Indeed, there is no denying that online ‘live’ events fail to live up to ‘real’ live events – but Cross somehow managed to project her voice out of the internet and into the room.
Cross’s performance was witty and informed, her songs were intelligent and expressive. This was a great opener to the festival.
Miss PetalFace kicked her set off with a pair of comedic glasses. A great intro and to her style and her approach. MPS was the magician who wraps reality in harmony, mystery and melody. A satirical auteur with dashes of surrealism and sarcasm. That said, she was very much grounded in kitchen sink everyday-ism’s but projected such through comedic and expansive instrumentation. Throughout her set, her ‘punk rock’- direct approach reminded us to employ direct action so as to resolve aspects of inequality. Miss PetalFace’s performance was that of an artist very much required in this time of inequality and one we should pay close attention to.
Clairey Beerjerazi began with heartfelt and emotional intricacy. Her art spoke of truth, honesty, heartbreak and necessity. Her ability to construct scenes with metaphors and anecdotes was breath-taking. Her words cover areas of everyday life and of inequality (racial, gender, identity) and I believe it is fair to say that political subjects at the core of her text. Of the many unique factors attributed to Clairey PB is that of resolution. Clairey PB offered hope, or rather, left us with the notion that we have the wonderful gift of creativity to help us move forward.
Her last piece, ‘Woman?’, truly impels both perspective and nuance. The piece deals with dilemma, society and the roles/stereotypes that emanate from such. The subjects of injustice manifests as the words climbed and scrambled. I felt both educated and entertained by Clairey PB. I felt her work inspired me to reflect and think about the way the world is at present.
Tegan Tukana had a voice that was both delicate and capacious. Her voice took us through every facet of pop history – from the inception of soul music to the contemporary pop artists of the present. As a performer, Tukana was extremely confident and poised. She held her own and owned the songs she covered. She closed with a tune dedicated to her mother. I truly appreciated this gesture, as it reminded me the humility and sincerity where still well and truly alive.
A mezzo soprano from Merseyside named Sophie Clarke came on soon after Tukana. Sophie Clarke, it must be said, was as much a painter as a vocalist/soprano. Her voice captured and collected all that stored subconscious ‘footage’ from the Golden Age of Hollywood and brought it to the table. Her voice danced in the celluloid and watching her sing was like sitting in the cinema watching a Katharine Hepburn movie. Additionally, Clarke gave each song an introduction upon its history, its creation and its pop-cultural presence. This addition added to the nostalgic value of stored information and one felt somewhat more educated coming away from such.
Next up was Lyndsay Writes Poems who opened up with poetry revolved around textures, faux femininity and Myspace. She spoke 90s nostalgia and mashed in with current affairs and the inequalities that exist in society. In an almost Zizekian fashion, she formulated from multi-dimensional and multi-faceted perception and draws lines into the centre. LWP was in complete control, she knew how to convey and she knew how to project. This was evident with her piece about her grandfather. ‘Are you OK for money’, a line that resonated with me and my grandparents. The piece dealt with love, emotion and connection and how all three interlink with each other.
And finally, closing the night was Nottingham based singer/songwriter, Charity Stow. Wearing Carol King, Stevie Nicks and Bob Dylan on her sleeve, Stow brought a nice dose of Americana, folk and pop to this evenings event. Like the aforementioned, she knew how tell a story with just a few words and guitar. This was especially evident in ‘Fool’, a song filled with depth and emotion, charisma and character. Stow showcased her musical eclecticism, with a cover of Kate Nash’s ‘Birds’ – giving us a nice send off to finish with.
Further reviews of the online festival to follow.
Words: Lewis Elliot McWilliam, Images: Artist and We Want Women Media
We Want Women Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wewantwomen
Aimee Cross Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aimeecrossmusic/
Miss Petal Face Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/misspetalface/
Sophie Clarke Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sophieclarkesinger/
Lyndsay Writes Poems: https://www.facebook.com/lyndsaywritespoems
Charity Stow Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charitystowmusic/
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