Wallis’ live shows have gained her a devotional fan-base. Her performances transition seamlessly from the defiant anthems that can motivate thousands of festival-goers into a rousing sing-a-long to the most hushed and fragile ballads that can captivate an audience into a spellbound silence.
Wallis has also played some of Europe’s biggest festivals, with her recent appearance at Paris’ Rock En Seine Festival prompting French paper Le Monde to hail her set as one of the highlights of the festival alongside Arcade Fire.
An exceptional guitarist, her unique playing style only adds to the intrigue of her performances. Following a childhood accident which permanently damaged her left hand, Bird learned to play her instrument flipped back to front, thus having to create her own bafflingly complex chord fingerings, much to the bewilderment of any musicians in the audience.
A musical magpie whose mature, self-affirming songs display an unusual emotional breadth, Wallis defies categorization.
The Irish songwriter has paid her dues, shredding her fingers and breaking string after string from the sheer force of playing on stages small and large across Europe, and throwing her entire soul into each performance with a level of energy that makes her an unassailable force of nature.
Solo Tour for May 2012
Wednesday May 9th: Liverpool, Leaf, Bold St
Thursday May 10th: Manchester, Jabez Clegg
Friday May 11th: Glasgow, Captains Rest
Saturday May 12th: Leeds, Recital Room, Leeds College of Music
Monday May 14th: Nottingham, Bodega