This week the XLR Collective had an inspiring session with Bristol-based singer and MC Eva Lazarus. KWMC Communications Coordinator Daniel explains what they got up to…
Bristol based sensation gets comfy with XLR’s newest collective. Last night was an exciting night of development for Hack a Heckle (HAH). The group sat down with Eva Lazarus, who is perhaps best known for being the lead singer of Bristol born bass-music band ‘Dub Mafia’. Having learned from their previous experience with Kaptin Barrett from Boomtown Festival, the collective organised themselves before their session. They delegated who was going to give the newly refined ‘elevator pitch’, what questions they were going to ask and what they were going to ask from Eva at the end of the night. From the very beginning, the attitude and energy of the group was shifted into a position of coming to get what they needed to make this project the best it possibly could be.
After giving their pitch and showing Eva their passion for the cause they were championing, the session steered towards a sharing of experiences around musical street promotion and busking. After giving some practical advice Eva stated that “it discredits what you’re trying to do if one person can shake the rage out of you” – a valuable lesson in how to navigate through disrespect while promoting their cause in the city.
Having a short break to keep the energy in the room high, the session changed direction to music and the practicalities of their campaign launch on 22nd July. The collective shared their finished and in-progress songs and got feedback: having an accomplished singer, songwriter and record label owner praise them for their hard work and talent brought a real sense of unity and accomplishment to the room!
Next, the group moved from the music to the strategy for the set list: the group made the unanimous decision that it was best to start and end with upbeat music while having more low strung selections in the middle.
The end of the evening was perhaps the highlight of the session. Eva opened up about her personal experiences with harassment including a time where a man grabbed her while on stage then had no help from the venue security who witnessed the situation. It was evident that the collective had found someone who had a genuine heart for their cause. To finish off the night a member of the group who was quite shy about speaking to Eva regarding what the team wanted from her (at first), confidently articulated their requests and why they felt Eva was a perfect fit to partner with them. We’re all pleased to say that Eva proudly agreed – a successful meeting to say the least. Bring on 22nd July!
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