Music > Interviews
ReWork - We catch up with Kitty Perrin
14/12/23
One of my favourite things about our fine city is our amazing local music scene- it really is something to be celebrated! And it seems as if I am not the only one who believes this talent needs to be recognised too! This year, ‘ReWork’ was launched, which aimed to empower our amazing local music scene, whilst also broadening the audience they reached. Hits from iconic musicians and bands (from The Beatles to Beyonce!) are given their own spin and ‘reworked’ by five local musicians at every event, which takes place at the Norwich Puppet Theatre.
Tomorrow, the Norwich Puppet Theatre will be home to ‘ReWork: Christmas edition’, where you can expect a night full of festive fun and music, including all your favourite Christmas tracks (which have been given their own local spin!).
I got to speak to Kitty Perrin, who is the Programmer for ‘ReWork’ (and will also be performing in the show!) ahead of their festive event tomorrow!
What are you most looking forward to at ‘ReWork:Christmas’?
I’m so excited to see four of my favourite local artists of all time all on the same bill! Curating these shows has been a chance for me to put on my dream gigs every month and I’ve been loving it. I also can’t wait to see what they’ve done with the songs they’ve each been given. Every time I am shocked and impressed at how the artists reimagine the hits and I think Christmas songs will have been an extra challenge but such a fun one to watch.
When did ReWork begin?
June 2023 and our first event was FleetWood Mac. The idea came from Alexander Carson (local artist) and Ben Rodwell (local musician) and I was asked to get involved because of my knowledge of the local music scene having previously hosted BBC Introducing in Norfolk.
What inspired you to create ‘ReWork’?
We set it up because we wanted to showcase some of the amazing bands we are lucky enough to have right here in our county. We noticed that local gigs were happening in the same few venues (largely due to closures after the pandemic) and often attended by the same audiences. So, we came up with ReWork as a way of introducing local artists to a new audience who might come to the show because they love The Beatles for example and leave a fan of 4 new local bands. We also wanted to help establish the puppet theatre as a venue for music as well as puppets!
What festive fun can we look forward to tomorrow?
At ReWork gigs, local artists are asked to perform 2 songs by the same spotlight artist i.e. Beyonce, and 2 original songs.
For this one we have pop artist Alice Lily, hip hop artist Sleep’s Cousin, Midwest emo band SUDS, and indie-folk singer songwriter Phoebe Troup. They will each be performing a Christmas hit and a Christmas carol. So you’ll be hearing lots of your favourite Christmas songs in ways you’ve probably never heard them before!
We also have lots of plans to make sure that this one is one big party for the acts and the audience alike, so expect Christmas party with better music.
What importance does celebrating the talent from the local musical scene have to you?
As a local artist myself I know how important the support of your local music community is. Few artists gets noticed without establishing a strong fanbase where they live first and that fanbase will define the start of an artists career. I also think that a great local music scene creates a great city! And Norwich is definitely one of those. I can’t imagine this city without it’s vibrant local music scene, supporting audiences and exciting independent venues. And I want to do everything I can to keep them alive.
What advice would you give to new and upcoming artists?
Get involved in your local music community and support other upcoming artists. That means go to shows, share their new tracks, if you can afford to buy their merch! If you’re there supporting others that support will be reciprocated when it’s your turn. Also being in a venue a lot and getting to know the promotors there will put you in a great position to get better gigs and support slots.
Have you got any plans for ReWork in 2024?
We are currently planning out February Rework which will be on the 2nd of Feb and feature the music of 00s Girl Bands!
Make sure to stay up to date with the amazing work (and exciting future!) of ‘ReWork’ on their socials @reworknorwich!
You can grab your tickets for ‘ReWork: Christmas’ (which is guaranteed to be a night of great music, festive fun and laughter!) here- https://puppettheatre.co.uk/event/rework-christmas/