Jess Kemp hits a high note in Amsterdam!

Talented singer-songwriter Jess Kemp has successfully completed her first European tour, thanks to support that Hamilton Davies Trust (HDT) was delighted to provide.

Jess, aged 21, is an accomplished acoustic artist from Irlam who is currently unsigned and self-managed. However, a string of impressive performances in Amsterdam will help to raise her profile and provide a platform for the success her music deserves.

Jess has played at gigs and festivals across the UK and the young artist recently reached out to us to help with her mission of promoting her music to a wider audience.

We were happy to do so and our support also meant that her supporting band members Sam Butterworth, Matt Royle and Luke Finch were able to join her Amsterdam tour.

After returning home Jess said: “We played two packed out headline gigs in Amsterdam at CC Muziek Cafe and The Waterhole, and in between played for hundreds of people in VondelPark during an outdoor session. With a 32-strong UK crowd with us on the trip, we really spread the word about my music and gained quite a large number of Dutch fans.

Jess resized “The venue owners and promoters were amazed at the crowd we brought along with us, especially when we all walked through the door wearing #WeAreJessKemp T-shirts. I was able to give out CDs and flyers to help with promotion and this really had an impact. We even had a Dutch reviewer and photographer come to one of the gigs and take photos.”

Jess added: “The tour has been the experience of a life time for me and my band. We got home in the small hours after a long journey back from Amsterdam, but I would do it all again in a heartbeat.”

Throughout the tour Jess has been posting social media photos and videos of all her gigs. She has also amassed about 200 short videos of behind the scenes activities and on-stage footage which she has combined into an official tour video available on YouTube – why not take a look!

Jess continued: “I can’t begin to thank HDT enough for the sponsorship they have provided. Without that help, I wouldn’t have been able to do the tour and engage with so many amazing people. I feel it’s really pushed on my career and I am already thinking about what’s next.

“It’s going to have to be something pretty big, though, to follow Amsterdam 2016. From me and all of the band, thank you so much for all your help, we will never forget Amsterdam 2016.”  

bw resizedNeil McArthur, HDT chairman, said: “We are thrilled that the Amsterdam tour proved so successful for Jess and her band and wish them the best of luck moving forward. In the main we support local community groups and regeneration initiatives rather than this type of project. However, on this occasion we decided to make an exception after listening to Jess’s single ‘Star’ – and appreciating her super voice and talented lyrics.”

Neil added: “We are hoping that as well as giving her a helpful step in the right direction for her career, that Jess can help us raise awareness of what HDT does in the community so we can attract even more partners to work with us and thus to achieve even more for the area.”

Jess has also recently performed on the main stage at Manchester Pride and straight the Irlam Festival. Keep up to date on the live performances of this super talented young artist by following her on Facebook or Twitter – @JessKempArtist.

Posted on: 23rd August 2016