| At a glance | - Thursday, 9 November, 2006: Sarah Sixsmith at Dragon Hall, King St, Norwich. Tel: 01603 663922.
- Doors open at 8pm and admission is £5.
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Acoustic singer-songwriter Sarah Sixsmith is looking forward to returning to the stage for a headline slot. Her concert at Norwich's historic Dragon Hall on Thursday, 9 November, 2006 is a chance for Sarah to soak up the spotlight again after spending the summer honing her live performances with warm-up slots for two well-known acts. The 26-year-old was chosen to warm-up for Van Morrison's daughter Shana in August at one of London's most popular gig venues, The Borderline. On home territory, Sarah was also picked by Norwich Arts Centre to support US trio Joan As Police Woman. The band's founding member Joan Wasser has worked with Elton John, The Scissor Sisters and Antony And The Johnsons. "That was the first time I'd supported someone internationally or nationally known," said Sarah, who splits her time between living in Norwich and working in London designing graphics for clothes. "It was good to get that under my belt and I feel like it increased my confidence." Perfect timing
 | | Sarah's confidence in performing has grown |
After playing gigs supporting other artists, Sarah now feels it's the perfect time to put on her own concert in her home city. "I do a lot of supports for people, but I've really enjoyed putting together my own gig, choosing who will be the support act and organising it," she said. "It's been a good experience to do it all. I thought Dragon Hall would be a lovely place to put on an acoustic gig and I plan to try out a couple of new songs." It is Sarah's first headline concert since she launched her debut EP In My Eyes this May with a sellout performance at Norwich's King Of Hearts. "It was such a lovely gig - people couldn't get in and had to listen from the courtyard," she said. "It was better than anyone expected it to be, so I'm hoping this concert will run just as well." At Dragon Hall Sarah will once again be accompanied by cellist Charlie McClean and double bassist Rohanna Torr. Dutch recording Charlie also appeared on the five-track EP, which was recorded in Sarah's brother's studio in Holland. "I went out for a long weekend and recorded the guitar and vocals," she said. "I also did some recordings at home - I put the cello and piano down in Norwich, sent it over for mastering then he sent it back." According to reviews, the effort was judged to be worth it, with her sound drawing comparisons with Nick Drake and the range of her voice praised. "I'd describe my music as contemporary acoustic," she said. "People speak about it having a folk element but I don't know it has although it has classical influences. "People have said I sound like Nick Drake but I only started listening to him after people said it. I think it's the way he arranges classical instruments," she said. With an EP available and a headline concert in the pipeline, it's a long way from where Sarah started just two years ago. Confidence growing An accomplished pianist, violinist and guitarist - who started playing as a child - it took a while for her to find her nerve in front of an audience. "I did an open mike slot at Po Na Na's which was horrendously scary, but people were listening and it gave me the confidence to do it again," she said. "I've taken confidence from every step and I feel a lot more comfortable on stage than I did," she added. | 
