The weather forecast didn’t put me off the trip to the Leeds Bluegrass Club to witness and report on the first, try out / see how it goes / gig, of the all girl a-capella group, Sweet Storm.

Now, this combination would be difficult to absorb in most contexts of Bluegrass, due to prejudice in some quarters against female Bluegrass singers and, surprisingly in my experience, women make up the larger part of the group of listeners who prefer Bluegrass to be sung by men. But wait - here is something different, with all the wrong combinations for it to work properly and all the odds against success for the launch of a new group. Six young ladies make up Sweet Storm; they are not a four piece, which is hard enough to arrange parts for.

The Scenario. 9.15 p.m.: Bags of nerves to begin with, a little drink to calm the butterflies maybe, not enough Bluegrass related material? A small dose of parental harassment beforehand, would they remember the arrangements, their lines? Will the audience listen? 9.20 p.m. Despite all these fears the girls, ages ranging from 16 to 22 years, prepared to face The Grove audience, but of course they are the young generation and have in-built nervous confidence.

Cover Photo - The Sweet Storm SexTet

Anna, Nola, Debbie, Holly, Chloe and Kate took the stage in a packed room with not a seat unfilled. The set began with Born in Bethlehem, the well known gospel standard. It was very well sung and in a vocal arrangement they had worked out on their own. The “Storm” had begun. The thunder that followed the first number was the audience’s reaction to this new beginning.

The set progressed with a variety of songs which, to my mind, was a difficult choice of material to attempt on a first gig. But they needed a programme to put on a good show and overall it was a great first event. The encouragement for them to continue is there from friends and family. Judging by the comments on the night they can, with some training and encouragement, become a tour de force.

I asked Holly how she felt the show had gone and she replied “I feel the good outweighed the bad, with some parts sung slightly out of tune and the odd mistake. I think it went OK.” What an honest reply - a true reflection of the beginnings of the group. They showed enthusiasm and a display of real girlie charm, which can only be an asset to festivals when Sweet Storm have ‘got it together’, as the saying goes.

The girls are being realistic about their performance and have not yet reached Spice Girls status (‘Scary Spice’ is from Leeds too). But they are prepared to work at it and realise there is a long way to go. The quality of the singing at this launch stage needs work to improve the overall show, but success is built around a whole show, using visual appeal, stage presence, vocal choreography and the will to woo an audience.

Singing isn’t the most important factor in being successful; 80% of learning is by vision alone. A very successful man and wife ‘Country Duo’ I recall seeing in the 70’s and 80’s would attract only 6 out of 10 for their singing, but 10 out of 10 for their stage clothes, instruments and presentation. So 16 out of 20 would be a better score because they compensated for the weaker section of their act. And Bob Dylan didn’t reach the heights of his success due to his singing voice but his talent as a songwriter and performer!!!

Sweet storm are to attend the Sore Fingers Week (an event initially supported / sponsored by the BBMA) on the vocal course, as part of their build up. Now there’s another reason to attend this very useful event! They plan to record a demo cassette after the SFW and who knows what the future holds?

To sum up the gig, I would say there was an abundance of enthusiasm, a great deal of charm and a brave attempt at some difficult numbers that did not truly reflect the talent the girls have. There is every indication that the girls will succeed if they select carefully the material to suit the lead singer for the chosen song.

100% for effort girls!! ‘King Arthur’ approves and in the words of the first line of the great book:- In the beginning ...

Arthur Robinson, Scarborough. | Previous article: Sweet Storm at Silsden festival |

Editor’s note: The caption below the cover photo was for fun and had the girls’ approval. But they are serious and want to be known for their Gospel and Soul, etc., not just sex appeal!

Updated 1st March 1999