Heading out to Beer no Evil this evening I had no idea that I was going to have such a life-affirming experience. Lady Nade is a staple on the UK folk scene; a songer-songwriter rooted in the music of artists such as Nina Simone, Joni Mitchell and Joan Armatrading; advocate for women, advocate for the Black Lives Matter movement and general all-round lovely person.
I've been to these intimate gigs before so I knew how cosy it is. Room for perhaps 20 people, 25 at a push, and usually sold out so we squeeze in on the wooden benches. The close proximity gives us all a sense of community that only comes from hearing live music and storytelling in such a confined space that you're just all in this experience together. It's unique, and it's beautiful.
Lady Nade starts the evening by singing a song about having a conversation, which sets the tone for the overall theme of the night. With absolute rawness and vulnerability, she sings and plays acoustic guitar entirely unamplified, interspersed with stories of her experiences that are honest and at times, it seems, a little painful to talk about. The result is a tangible feeling of awe at her ability to drop her defences so far as to let us in on such a personal journey of mental health ebbs and flows, a childhood littered with issues, therapy sessions, her propensity to choose men who are likely to abandon her and the definite need for good friends.
Her song 'Willing' explains her passion for community and upholding each other and this certainly comes through in the way she speaks. She encourages us to speak to each other, to be kind, to have conversations about how we feel and not bottle up big emotions because it can have dramatic consequences for our bodies. She openly explains that she's recorded a song in the wrong key after placing her capo on the wrong fret for a song; we all laugh and she continues - gracefully, confidently, without hesitation.
You can tell that Lady Nade's creativity comes hand in hand with her feelings and the heart-on-sleeve lyrics delve into emotional territory that cleverly twist her tales of life's joys and woes. 'Grandaddy was a grand man, Daddy,' she sings to her Father about his Father, who she spent most of her childhood living with, 'I'm glad you gave me to him'. Families are such complex things and for Lady Nade, despite all the hardships she has faced, the ability to put her emotions into song appears to have given her a positive way of moving forward from negativity - although the voice inside her head is always there bringing her down (but that's something she's working on).
Well I for one appreciate the music, the stories and the vulnerability that shows us all that we are only human, and no-one is perfect. It's in embracing our imperfections that we shine the most. Lady Nade, you gave me so much this evening in your openness and honesty. Thank you. And thank you also to Beer no Evil for providing such a beautiful, safe space for live music that really gets right into hearts and minds. It's a lovely thing you're cultivating and I am grateful.