Wallis Bird follows her heart to create magic on stage

The line-up for this year’s Sligo Live, which takes place from October 24-29, includes Van Morrison, Joan Armatrading and Bell X1.

However, those people looking for a more left-of-centre, propulsive show should check out Wallis Bird’s set in The Model on Friday, October 26. The double Meteor award-winning singer released her third album earlier this year, and is a relentlessly energetic performer. At present, she is getting ready to move to Berlin after six years in London.

“The six years have been great,” she says. “I think it’s always good to leave on a high, that’s why I’m looking for different pastures. Not greener or anything, just different. It’s treated me really well; I’ve learned a lot. I’ve worked really hard here.”

For the Sligo show, Wallis will be joined by her four-piece band. Aoife O’Sullivan, brothers Michael and Christian Vinne and Irish/Belgian musician Aidan (who just goes by his Christian name), have been playing with her for over five years and they all like to keep busy.

“We’re actually never off the road,” she says. “This year is going to be band shows until the end of the year. Then next year I’m kicking off my one-man band set that I’ve been working on for the past year.

Basically, I’m trying to do as much as I can, creating a visual/experimental show. 

“It’ll be nice to come back and have only myself to rely on, which pushes me harder,” Wallis adds. “Which is something I really need right now. It’ll be interesting.”

Wallis Bird and her band have a rare chemistry. They’re more than a bunch of players falling in behind a lead singer – every member brings something to the stage. Wallis recalls how the group formed.

“I went to college with Aoife O’Sullivan,” she says. “There we met Aidan, when we were doing the college music scene around Dublin. We met on the street, at four in the morning, Aidan was playing glockenspiel. We were coming out of a bar, and we played it until the cops told us to move on. I think we ended up sitting down with the cop or messing for a while! Eventually we went back to a house and jammed some more.”

For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.