Current mood: Focused
Evening
So there I was at my gig on Tuesday night, in between songs and plugging that I’ll be on radio on Thursday evening…when a really lovely lady piped up and said, “Well correction, you’ve just been live on radio, we heard you were playing here tonight, loved it and that’s why we came down to see you”…
Yes, for the past couple of days I have known that my live session on radio had already been aired and that you, my dear fans, have been told that it is happening tonight and will not hear it over the airwaves…So when I finally found out today that it had been broadcast and won’t be on again (Eagle 96.4 FM do say sorry for the mix-up by the way), I deliberated how I will explain this and regained my stiff upper lip, deciding to write to you and finally tell you just like it is.
In the last six months, I have given up my corporate lifestyle to pursue my music career. Being Captain-Keen, I’ve entered recommended competitions, play at every possible moment – even if it means paying to play, plug HerStory non-stop from fans to the media, constantly work on building my fanbase, keep in the know with industry movement, do freelance work to keep my bank manager onside as well as pay the band, and easily work 16 hour days, 7 days a week – check with my friends they haven’t seen me forever and the last couple of times I’ve arranged dinner parties and girlie nights, I cancelled because I was asked to perform. As well as that my whole family and best friends live 10,000 kilometres away, so if I need to be Mona Lisa the calls and text messages cost a fortune so there’s no chance that I can do that! And, there is certainly no time for moaning, as there are more positive things happening that really do require my energy and full focus.
So why do I want you to know?! Well, TheirSay, sometimes websites don’t function, the wrong information is published and live broadcasts are moved without me knowing. And as much as I am a perfectionist in telling you where and what I am up to, well I don’t always get it spot on and have no control once I hit the send button!!!
As an independently managed artist working hard at breaking through to the big time, this is the real deal. All the preparation for every gig from speaking to Head of Press to wear Vivienne Westwood at GuilFest, to fixing web bugs, to fetching the guys for band rehearsals is what I do. You see all the blood, hiccups, sweat and tears of joy.
Now I’ve giggled, scorned and laughed some more through this whole typing frenzy, because I really, really do love my job – no matter what, it rocks, it keeps me smiling and at the end of the day we are all human. And I’m sure you’d like to know that I do actually exist, have a personality of note and am not some email junkie!
So it goes that I’m hurdling over tonight’s little bump and you’ve gotta realise that Julia Moore and Jon Harris from Eagle 96.4 FM have done such an amazing job plugging me, oh yeah! So this is in NO WAY a dig – not at all, zip, zero (hope that’s crystal clear). Just have a listen to the Live Session on my website http://www.lisatheunissen.com. And I know you’ll want more, more, more especially because you didn’t get to hear it on the radio tonight – so just pick up the phone and dial +44 (0) 1483 300964 to ask them to play ‘Sweep Me Off My Feet’ all the time. Alternatively, email Julia via the website http://www.964eagle.co.uk. They’ll gladly oblige 🙂
As for this weekend, I must say that the whole GuilFest entourage have been brilliant to work with and they have put me forward for every opportunity in the press, on radio and to perform – so big round of applause to them! It has been the highlight of my career to date, opened many closed doors and the weekend festival only opens tomorrow…so I cannot wait to give it my all and share all of this with you.
I am Lisa Theunissen, a smoky-chocolate singer-songwriter from South Africa, so go on and tell HerStory!
I cannot do this without you and that’s the truth.
Need tickets for Saturday or Sunday?! Then email me at sounds@lisatheunissen.com – BlackBerry’s don’t sleep and neither do I! Come say ‘Howzit Theunissen!’, check out my Vivienne Westwood pirate boots and let me sweep you right off your feet at GuilFest 2008…
With love
Lisa
XXX