My New Wave adventure

That’s me in the spotlight.

Let me tell you what I did last year, which I admit I thought I was far too old for.

I became part of a new all-female punk band at the age of 57.

Without any stage experience or the ability to play the guitar, I became part of a new band - Clamour Club – as vocalist and guitarist.

I didn’t take this leap without help though.

It was all part of a project in Leicester, in the UK, to get more women playing music and forming bands. It’s called Unglamorous Music. The driving force behind this was one woman. Ruth Miller. She put her energy, talent, time, and even her own money into her mission. I couldn’t wait to take part when I heard about it. The pitch was that even if you had never picked up an instrument, that shouldn’t mean you can’t do it now, whatever age you are.

What I didn’t know when I started on the workshops was that Ruth was terminally ill with cancer. She used her last couple of years and months to create something wonderful and life-changing for around 70 women, including me. She died last year, in October. She was 61.

Ruth had been in bands over the years, and she wanted to encourage more women to do the same if they dreamed of doing so. And most of the women taking part in Unglamorous Music were in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s. Through Ruth’s drive, inspiration, energy, and encouragement, we tried instruments, learned how to write songs, and perform, and we formed bands. And we got on stage. Terrifying and exhilarating, but Ruth was always there encouraging us, driving us on, and generally making stuff happen.

This all culminated in an amazing all-dayer in September 2023 at a pub in Leicester called Firebug. All the bands played, including Ruth’s band The Verinos.

It was an incredible day.

We got on stage, we played our songs and loved it. It seemed to all be over in a few minutes. Coming offstage we were exhilarated, relieved and on top of the world.

I remember seeing Ruth perform that day. And then later seeing her sitting upstairs in the ‘backstage’ area, taking a breather. She praised us for being so well rehearsed, and we simply couldn’t have asked for more than that.

I never saw Ruth again after that day.

A memorial for Ruth was held at Firebug on Saturday, November 4, and while it was a sad and emotional day, it was also life-affirming. I looked around at all these women, most of whom I didn’t know at the start of the year. It’s a community now. I thought wow, look at what Ruth did. What a legacy. What a genuine inspiration. It’s not even that I could say I knew her very well, but she made an important impact on me. She used her limited time at the end to follow her dream and create something meaningful that was completely in line with her personality and values. It’s been a valuable lesson for me.

Clamour Club lasted for exactly one year (to the day). I learned a lot and now I’m lined up to start rehearsing with a new band as the main vocalist. I never thought that would be me. In fact, even writing that down hardly seems like me. But it is and it shows me that while change can be scary it can also open some new doors, and that is very exciting.

As I say, I didn’t do it without help, and you don’t need to make your leap without help. If you have a dream that you think you have missed your chance on, why not book a discovery call with me and make a start on building the life you really want.