Susan Lily New Music


ComScore

Monday 26 December 2016

2016...Another Year of Firsts

Dear lovely ones,

This year has been one of big change and high end learning so that I am set for a MASSIVE year in 2017.  Sure it's been a challenge, but what better time to be alive.  So many new things to explore:

 A fun Tamworth CMF in Jan 2016 


I performed for my biggest audience ever when I chanced up on the Country Music Cares Concert in the Town Hall mid week... Graham and I had got chatting with a lovely man in a cafe Wednesday morning and he turned out to be the organiser behind the charity event.  So he asked me to busk out the front to entertain people as they waited for the doors to open.  As fortune would have it, someone pulled out of the night so the MC offered me a spot to sing one song... I chose "Daisy Jane" and sang to 650 people...my biggest crowd to date x

photo by Vickiree2016


Sadly, Kalesti Butler's father passed away just as the festival was in full swing and we did not get our annual catchup.  My darling friend gave her spot in the cavalcade to me and I will always be grateful for this opportunity as it was great fun! Even though we did get belted with lashing rain just as we began our journey :)

Oh, ok then... selfie time!

Lovely open top car with a moment of respite from the rain. Photo courtesy of Graham Burkin



So, I arrived back home in time to get ready for my support spot with the very talented Adelaide songwriter Samantha Edge.  Together we launched her long awaited album "Moments" at Nexus Arts Centre on Jan 30th.  What a beautiful night that turned out to be.  Thanks Samantha!


Then suddenly it was Adelaide Fringe time!!!  I'd been asked by Steve Charles to join him in a show all about water/the sea.  Staged on the permanent ketch in the SA Maritime Museum we performed 3 shows to almost sellout capacity.  I got to dress up and have fun curling my hair the oldfashioned way (with socks tied into my hair), acting somewhat and singing my heart out each night.



Also in February I recieved a lovely surprise of a number 1 spot in an online publicly voted chart.  Spectrum Radio Petts Wood is in the UK

My mate Darren Scott and I had been in the Iceman's New Country Top 40 for 23 weeks and reached into the top 20.  We were the only Australian act to do this in 2016 and it's something I am very proud of to this day.


During the Adelaide Fringe (Feb-Mar) I joined in the crazy fun of working for a comedy group at the Griffins Hotel in town.  I met a great deal of wonderful Fringe goers each night at the box office and saw the world from a different perspective.  Thanks again to the hotel and to Terry North for a great month.


Another highlight during the fringe was being a special guest of Kylie Brice for her EP launch in Salsbury Secret Garden.  The Salsbury Institute will never be quite the same after my set of entertainment.  I gained so much more than anticpated and met a beautiful group of people that night.


The fun in February did not end there.  I was also invited to join forces with another songwriter/entertainer called Steve Charles.  Steve had moved down from Tamworth (via Melbourne)  a few months before and, to my delight, had wanted me to join him in singing sea shantys and other nautical songs to complement the open tallship "One and All"


This was our stage tent :)

this was us enjoying our break and some coffee and pancakes .........


Also during the Fringe I met these two gorgeous gals from Canada and went to as many of their shows as I could so I could learn about etiquette.   In short the word of the festival was "quality" and, if you look really closely at the back right of the photo you will see my darling man Grahan (hat), myself, my sista from another mista Michelle Walker and her hubby Steve.  What a joy to host them both for a few days.  As some of you will know, Michelle and I have forged a wonderful relationship both musically and in life.  She's an awesome friend and mother to 3 wonderful children.  Plus she's scored a number of charting songs this year and won an award in Tasmania recently.  
Wonderful to see.


the gals from Canada also painted my face :)
As the months flew by, many more things happened that have made this year a wonderful one for me.  I had some dayjob work in a a great environment.  In May/June I successfully completed the radio presenter's course for local community station WOW FM in Semaphohre.  Since then I've programmed over 80 hours of music and have interviewed quite a few Australian artists.

WOW FM in Semaphore SA
I now have my own fortnightly show "Melody Sunday" 6 - 8 pm wowfm.org where I showcase new and recent releases from SA, the rest of Australia and, some from overseas.  I love it!  One of the best things that's happened to me.  I feel I am giving back to a city that has given me chances and opportunities


The fun did not stop there either!  In July I was taken to the Entertainment Centre where we saw one of my favourite overseas bands play! 

The Cure - awesome show!

It would not have been possible with out my darling Graham's help.
Myself and my lovely man Graham, as we await the concert to start



In August I received my first passport and, together with my darling Graham, travelled to New Zealand for the first time.  What a great city Auckland is!!
View from my lunch space of the great harbour and the tall ships moored outside the Maritime Museum there.

View of Auckland from the 360 Orbit restaurant



View of the tall ships moored near the New Zealand Maritime Museum in Auckland.
Brilliant museum to visit if you get the chance.
They have 1 hour harbour cruises when the weather is good and there hasn't been any earthquakes


We travelled across the North Island to Napier, then Taupo where we stayed with a view of Lake Taupo.
One of the biggest surprises for me was to go see the snow and play in it.  
Even more surprising was the changing landscape as we drove closer and closer.  It actually becomes semi-desert looking, with spiky natural foliage that obviously can withstand the extremes of temperature.




Here I am with my darling Graham my cheeky monkey Coops (who had also never been overseas until this trip), 
posing for a happy snow selfie :)

In late September my fortunes changed again for the better when I was called upon to bring my band to the main stage in Harts Mill on Sunday 2nd October at 3 pm.  I was originally booked to play on the acoustic stage and was now to bring my music centre stage.  Excited, nervous and grateful, we stepped onto that stage and owned it!  What a brilliant feeling and many thanks to Debra Thorsen for taking a chance on me.


Once again, through chance, I entertained the travellers on the train from town to Glanville station on the saturday of the festival.  Someone had not been able to take the 10 am spot so I stepped up and did my very first train entertainment.







More "firsts" were to come along, with my successful application to Moorook Riverstock Festival with my backing band.    The wind was high and we had lost power overnight after a spectacular electrical and rain storm.  Ensconced in the caravan park dining area we shared the space with some funloving bikers who gave us some light.  I had a friend curl my hair using ties and in the morning had lovely curly locks to perform in.  We had a blast and again, I'm forever grateful to Lance and his great crew for a wonderful day.


What a great birthday month I had!!!  I also was chosen to become the resident acoustic act for Port Adelaide's "The Boat That Rocked" summer series.  On November 27th I played the top deck and The Incredibles ensured the lower deck was fun and lively.  Many thanks to Samone Wear and Platinum Event Agency for these opportunities


Our Stage setup on the top deck...complete with Hacker Girl :)
I will have 2 more dates:
Jan 21 with "Clearway" and
March 18 with "Rumours"

However, that is not ALL the wonderful things that have happened to me.  As some of you may know, I've not been able to afford to record any new music for the past few years.  It was also coming up to the tenth anniversary of my debut release "Got The Monkey Off My Back" to radio across the nation.

In October I released the title track off the "Butterfly" album and to date it's reached a high point of #11 on Country Tracks Top 40 and is now sitting at #21 as the best christmas present ever!



I've also got some other projects in the wings and a relaxing NYE to look forward to.  All in all, 2016 has brought me some more "firsts" and some beautiful times with my darling Graham.
Thank you 2016, You rock!

love 

Susan xxx



















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