Fan Fare: Annie Ridout on her chance live encounter with a young Amy Winehouse

The guest Substack series returns as poet, author and journalist Annie Ridout reflects on her teen years kicking about Kentish Town with tattooed punks posing for polaroids

Amy Winehouse Street Art in Camden Town. Photo Credit: Donna Vallance

As much as I revel in being a one-woman show, solopreneur life can be lonely. A lot of the week is just me and the cat with the kettle on throughout the day, and the sun streaming in from outside onto my white wooden desk. So when I was offered the chance to join a group coaching session a few years ago at (the sadly now defunct) Birch hotel¹, just out on the Greater Anglia line from Liverpool Street, I bid farewell to Fitz and popped my laptop eagerly in my rucksack.

I think at this point, I was hurtling towards my book being released the next Spring and wanted to understand how to maximise the marketing around such a joyous announcement. The whole day was a real thrill, dedicating time to working on my business rather than in it (often more likely led by my lovely clients’ priorities than mine). Annie and I partnered up for an exercise, and I was immediately struck by her calm presence and vast knowledge of the pitching process as a seasoned journo herself; she boasts bylines from the Guardian, Stylist, and my beloved Red magazine.

Hey, Blue(print): Annie and I on a creative retreat (Annie's in mustard, I'm in the gingham) 📷Donna Ford

Six months on, when Annie announced she was running her own courses on The Creative Way to earn a living online, I knew I wanted to hear more of her wisdom, particularly as the poet had just added a burgeoning Substack profile to her portfolio. But what I didn’t know was that Annie and I also share a big love of penning and producing music in our youth. So for this month’s edition of Fan Fare², I’ll let Annie lead us through the infamous sticky streets of Camden Market and into the backroom of a local boozer for a chance encounter with an artist who remains one of the most discussed singer-songwriters of her generation.

Your cherished live memory is a little unorthodox, as this artist’s impromptu performance wasn’t actually what you came to Kentish Town to see. Set the scene for us; where were you and who were you with?

I went to secondary school in north London and spent my lunchtimes in the music rooms - writing songs, recording them, and singing on other people’s compositions. It was mostly me, and a load of boys. A group of those boys formed a rock band and got a gig in Kentish Town, so I went along to watch.

I can’t remember their set, but once they were finished, a girl about my age – around 16 – got up on the stage, grabbed the mic, and started singing an Erykah Badu song. We all stopped talking and packing up and listened, in silence. It was Amy Winehouse.