Since Peace portrayed DS Sam Murray in BBC3's hit drama Lip Service, her fanbase has grown rapidly with every acoustic set she did in small venues across UK as a one woman show. A multi-talented artist, she's been singing for as long as she can remember. Peace independently released her first album This is me in December 2010, which includes both covers and her own songs and is in the process of making a second one called Sabotage, with her own material to be fully produced and released in November.
Having said that, Peace managed to fulfill her lifelong dream, which was to do a big band tour. The support acts, two fabulous female musicians: Scottish songstress, guitarist and former Speedway front woman, Jill Jackson and percussionist Lisa Tring.
The tour start wasn't uneventful, when Peace was stranded in Belfast while her band was stuck in a harbour in Scotland due to bad weather. She also had to follow doctor's orders due to a nasty cold and take a two-day vocal break after her gig at L-Beach in Germany, which delayed the Cardiff show until May 2nd.
April 15th, UK Tour Finale, London
Last Friday, London's Village Underground was packed. It was the night when the trio Peace, Jackson and Tring ended their tour. Also DJs hosted an aftershow party until 2am.
The MC for the night was comedienne Suzi Ruffell. Hilarious is an understatement when talking about the Portsmouth native. Full of energy and self-deprecating jokes, she did a fantastic job entertaining the audience.
The opening act was Midas Fall, a duo that holds an alternative rock repertoire compared with Mogwai, Radiohead and Portishead. Also, two of their songs were part of Lip Service soundtrack.
Jill Jackson's London Set Kick-off
Then it was Jill Jackson's turn. She practically has blown the audience away with her set which included some of her songs from her latest album Back To Zero as well as a couple of covers. She started with Long Way Round followed by a fascinating version of Lady Antebellum's Need You Now and Wanted.
Her proclaimed love for Cheryl Cole couldn't miss when she covered Fight For This Love. A very nice surprise was listening to Jackson perform Culture Club's Karma Chameleon. The set was rather short but it was just the beginning of a wonderful night.
Heather Peace and Jill Jackson - a Match Made in Heaven
When Heather Peace came up on stage I released the breath I was unaware of holding. She performed a powerful piano version of Thank God For You. There was no secret that Peace masters the piano the same way she does master her white Gretsch guitar, but I was thrilled to see that live. She was then joined by Jackson, Tring and a new addition introduced as Dave, the bass guy and "officially the lezbro", who completed what was already a tight group with such great chemistry.
They played Ain't No Sunshine, Never Been a Girl Like You, I Will Make A Wish and It's About Love. The usual banter between Peace and Jackson was just lovely to watch. Peace also highlighted what a long way she had come, saying that a year back she had to drag her friends to come and see her perform and now all her gigs are sold out.
Before playing an absolutely awesome cover of Michael Jackson's Human Nature, Jill Jackson tried to bust a move to Billie Jean and do the legendary "Moonwalk". Although she happens to be a Jackson, she hilariously failed and returned to her seat, her guitar and what she does best - singing.
What followed was Better Than You, a song Peace dedicated to all her ex-girlfriends. The stunning performance showed once again her vocal range.
The next three songs were also new material on Peace's upcoming album: My Way Only (and my absolute favorite), Harmony and You're For Keeps, the latter dedicated to her girlfriend, Ellie.
Sabotage was next, a song Peace and Jackson co-wrote and which is the title track of Peace's next album. It's an amazing song and everyone enjoyed once again the way Jackson/Peace voices gel together.
Peace had an emotional moment thinking what an adventure this tour had been and thanked Jill, Lisa and Dave, her management team, her friends, parents, partner and, ultimately, her loyal fans for all the support. The last song performed was Usher's DJs Got Us Falling In Love that left the door open to an outstanding encore.
Ruta Gedmintas Supported Heather Peace in London
Ruta Gedmintas, who played Frankie in Lip Service was at Village Underground to support her co-star and showed up on stage to briefly greet the audience.
The best was saved for last. Forgive Me, a ballad written by Jill Jackson, simply left me with goose bumps. Jackson and Peace performed the vocals accompanied by Jackson on the guitar. There are no words to describe this song and the emotions, you just have to listen to it.
And finally, Rihanna's covers of Te Amo and Only Girl In The World set the audience on fire. Jill Jackson's strumming of the guitar, Lisa Tring's beat boxing and Heather Peace's vocal and piano performance were the icing on the cake.
The whole show was a treat to watch and a memorable experience. Heather Peace has undoubtedly a bright future ahead as a musician and actor. With her astounding voice, amazing song-writing skills and ability to connect with fans there's definitely more to come. I know I'm going to stay tuned!
For more on Heather Peace's acting and music projects, visit her website.
Anca Dumitru - A Romanian native, Anca has been living and working in different European countries for a long time. With over 16 years of corporate life ...
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