Europe Reflections Finale: To Norwich With Love

My last gig in England.  A sole sojourn on the train from London for an overnight in Norwich UK to play Jurnets Bar.   By now, I'm singing OK but not yet past the cold that had been pulling me down since my arrival.   Luckily, I'm travelling through the land of overflowing healing tea and have been blessed with the care of healing Brits.  People (Brits and Non) had been joking with me "Sooooo...how's England TREATIN' yeh?" with the assumption that I would find this country's citizens to be a rude or indifferent bunch.  Happily, that hadn't been my experience to this point for even a moment.

But I sincerely feared that was all about to change here at Jurnets Bar in Wensum Lodge, with a Friday night Norwich UK crowd made mostly of fashionably unfashionable persons who were all no doubt carded at the door.

A good twenty-ish years older than the rest of the performers for the night (and weighing as much as two of them combined), I sat in the back of the room nursing my glass of red wine and talking myself out of bailing the gig. 

Alex, our young and ultra-friendly sound man, graciously put me 2nd in the line-up right after another singer-with-guitar.  I would play before the bands, thank gawd, which relaxed me a bit.   I started taking in the look of the room itself, as a young British man with an acoustic (whose name I have sadly forgotten) sang some really great original reggae-folk.   I would later learn from Andrew, the equally friendly man who booked me for the night (via awesome & very generous UK booking agent Lauren Razavi @ Jigsaw House) that this gorgeous old building has been around for a handful of centuries with a rich history of music and the struggles of its Jewish owners during 12th century anti-semitism.  (For more info, check this link I found while writing this post: http://www.edp24.co.uk/content/edp24/norfolk-life/norfolk-history/content/17JurnetsHouse.aspx)

Tonight, it was all about the Norwich college crowd and in spite of the beautiful venue vibe I felt like a forty-something American fish out of water.   I enjoyed the guy playing before me who sat and soulfully belted out some bare protest songs.   I think he knew people in the audience, maybe not, but they treated him as such. 

And when an MC (in this case, Alex the Sound Man) announces that the next act is from New York, you never know if the locals will sneer or be impressed that you've hopped on their merry-go-round.

I was up.  No stage, just a spot against the front wall and a folding chair behind the microphone.   I tried to forget myself and just sink into the song.   Put the songs before me and my Curvy Middle Age New Yorker identity.  I had again put together a set list of songs I felt I could pull off in spite of my cold and started with 'Listening Chair' from my 1st album with the same name. 

19-year-olds right in front to my left.  19-year-olds right in front to my right.   I played a song.   They were completely quiet.  They listened, with their faces relaxed from alcohol but their eyes attentive and bright.  My first song done.   The room thundered with the most amazing, receptive, blood-pumping applause.   My Gawd, I couldn't believe it.   These music-lovin' kids in this music-lovin' room were mine. 

After a couple songs, the people from the smaller room back by the bar had moved into the back of the main room, standing for lack of empty available seats up closer to me.  After 3-4 songs, the room was fully engaged; smacking their knees to my rhythm and shouting out "Yeah!"   I could have kissed them all.  In my between-song banter, I said that I'd played London a few days before to a much tougher crowd.  Someone shouted "London is RUBBISH!" and we all laughed.  

This room in Norwich was teaching me a very valuable lesson as I finished my set with some of the best and most appreciated applause I've ever received.  Never judge a small town UK pub by its cover.  And never underestimate anyone's ability--no matter their age or location--to enthusiastically cross a musical bridge. 

After my set, I chatted with Andrew and Alex and a handful of the totally friendly listeners who said hello.  I handed out a few of my album download cards to some of them, one being a man named Neil who I discussed the trials and joys of guitar playing with and who is now a fun Facebook friend (Hey, Neil!).  They asked me to come back to Norwich someday.  They gave me the names of other places I should play.  Alex offered me a place to stay should I ever be in their neck of the UK again. 

It was somewhere near midnight.  Andrew walked me up to the Taxi Station, my borrowed Epiphone 6-string from another wonderful Neil (Thank you, Neil Sumner, so much!) tucked safely away in my gig bag strapped to my back.   Another lovely convo with my 2nd cab driver of the night (seriously, so friendly these guys) and I crawled into my B&B bed (which wonderful Joanne Sumner booked for me, THANK YOU Jo!) with a satisfied grin.

To Norwich, With Love.   I would love to come back someday.   Thank you--more than I can say--for asking me to.

--jennifer