Interviewing Duffy, a Welsh wench
One of the things that I occasionally get my mitts on is freelance work for a certain music label back in Singapore. I’m always happy to get out of my web chick routine and be a live-in-the-flesh journalist.
About a month ago, Welsh singer Duffy came to town and I made my way down to Ebisu’s Liquid Room for her hour-long performance. It was just a showcase, meaning it wasn’t a full-on concert. To be honest, I wasn’t overly enthused about Duffy’s slow, soulful ballads but I was pleasantly surprised that her live act got jiving and grooving most of the time.
This was my view — almost at the back of the venue that was actually the dance floor of Liquid Room. I could hardly see Duffy’s pint-sized figure but bobbed along to her tunes.
I finally met her the next afternoon at her hotel where the round-table session was held. Like most new, up-and-coming stars, she came across as sincere, chatty, and a little bit nervous. From her answers, I gathered she got burnt by the press in the UK so she was more guarded but she said we all seemed like nice folks. I think reporters from Asia generally don’t look for dirt, especially the North Asian journalists who just ask questions about the music, their inspirations, and love lives.
She had quite a thick Welsh accent (or at least it seemed thick to a non-Welsh!) and fit the part of a sassy country lass who moved to a big city like London to fulfill her dreams. What you don’t quite see in her glossy PR pictures is she looks older than age 24 (the other reporters also murmured the same) and she has quite a husky speaking voice that sounded more clucky like someone’s aunt’s than a sultry nightclub singer’s. Her lips looked a lot more pouty and red in person, too. Anyway, it was a delight to speak to her as she was incredibly down-to-earth and funny.
It was quite an easy assignment where I could squeeze in all my important questions. I was a bit more daring to take a picture with her. Before I was too serious and kept in mind the mantra of movie Almost Famous, “You CANNOT be friends with the rock stars.” I do believe in it to a certain extent, but what the hell, I’d like some stardust in my memories. I actually regret not taking a picture with Mariah. Zanen, ne (It’s a pity).
Related posts:
Leave a Reply