When I first heard Emma Skipp sing it was two years ago at Jasper Carrot’s ‘Rock with Laughter’ at Birmingham NEC when she won Heart FM’s ‘Search for a Star’. Packed full of comedians and songwriters and a 13,000 strong crowd, Emma’s powerful vocals rocketed through the audience with energy and vigour. A couple of years on and I had just returned from Ibiza. By chance, I met someone called Sophie at my local gym and she told me about a band she was part of called Vertigo Slide. I checked out the bands myspace page and was excited to see front women of the band, Sophie’s sister – none other than Emma Skipp.
Emma has appeared with Ocean Colour Scene and features on their new album, Saturday, with track “Village life” a calm and thought provoking tale which like all songs on the album entices me to see their next live performance. In the last year Emma has also toured with The Enemy and is now launching into the production phases of her first solo album with Vertigo Slide.
Vertigo Slide recently performed at Wizzafest, a three day festival on Saturday 24th July, which was launched on behalf of Macmillan Cancer Relief and in memory of a loving father who passed from the Wizza family in May 2006.
Peter Butler, also part of Vertigo Slide along with Emma are also boldly putting on their very first one day festival, “Live on the A435″ located in Kings Coughton nr Alcester. They have been working extremely hard to fill an action packed programme of Birmingham bands with lots of music, art, fun in the sun to spread the word about rising talent in the Midlands.
Drawing the summer to a close the band will be performing in Stratford on Friday 20th August at The Chapel in Stratford Upon Avon. A five piece stripped down version of the band will be supporting Ocean Colour Scene’s Simon and Oscar in a special acoustic performance. Emma will then be singing alongside the dynamic duo for a night to remember. Emma has been setting stages alight over the last few months and I’m excited to hear the results of her forthcoming album with Vertigo Slide later in 2010/11.
Alex Evans
