A teenage singer who shunned an opportunity to appear on Britain’s Got Talent is full of beans after landing her latest gig.
Laura Wilson, 15, of Buckley, set to wow the audience at an acoustic evening at the Costa coffee shop at the Odeon cinema at Eagles Meadow on Wednesday, May 4 between 7 and 9:30pm.
The Argoed High School pupil is delighted to have been asked to play and sing for customers.
Laura said: “My music is everything to me it’s all I want to do to be honest. I started playing the guitar aged eight but I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember and performing since I was 12.
“I hope music will be my career, it’s all I want to do. I write my own songs as well as performing covers.
“I performed at an event in Mold and someone from Britain’s Got Talent suggested I might like to audition for the show but I turned it down. I’d never go on that or the X-Factor; it’s just not how I want to do things.”
According to Laura, she is gaining experience performing her songs at smaller local gigs and says the offer to play at Costa was an ideal opportunity to get more local recognition for her music.
She said: “I really enjoy performing live and have sang at gigs at Mold Food Festival and the town’s Christmas concert as well as a few others. But the biggest audience I have sang in front of what as the Towersey Folk Festival, near Oxford.
“I sang there in front of an audience of almost 2,000 people which was nerve-wracking to say the least. I’ve been invited back this year so I must have done OK.”
Laura believes she has her own unique style but says her music is most similar to Ed Sheeran if she had to pick another musician.
She said: “I’m pretty much self-taught when it comes to guitar although I have had some lessons in the past. But I’ve never had a singing lesson in my life.
“I’ve always got my guitar in my hand and although I’m not sure what I want to do academically yet I do know my music is everything to me.
“I’m really looking forward to singing at Costa at Eagles Meadow, it will be intimate and a real chance to introduce myself to a local audience.”
Laura’s mum, Donna Wilson, a Wrexham Maelor Hospital staff nurse, says the family is right behind Laura and believes she can go all the way to the top of the music tree.
She said: “I know she’s my daughter and I’ve no idea where the musical ability comes from but her dad, Craig, her younger brother and I will be right behind her.
“When she sings it makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and she writes some lovely songs too. When she performs the audience reaction to her is amazing ”
She added: “Academically she’s very bright and we will wait and see what she decides to do in a few years. But whatever it is, and if she chooses to follow a musical path, we will support her all the way.
“It’s wonderful that places like Costa at Eagles Meadow put on evenings such as this acoustic night. It gives young local performers a chance to get noticed.”
Odeon Eagles Meadow assistant manager Kenny Kempster says the idea of the acoustic night is to give local performers a chance to impress while offering something a little different to customers.
He said: “We are in for a special evening with Laura and several other artists performing at our Costa coffee shop.
“Listening to some amazing talent it’s a really pleasant way of enjoying a coffee and I know it’s an event our many regular customers will relish. In fact we know many people are coming along specifically for the acoustic night.
“And if it gives local performers the chance to get noticed and let people hear their songs and music that has to be a good thing.”
Eagles Meadow manager Kevin Critchley fully supports the idea of holding an acoustic night at Costa within the Odeon cinema.
He said: “What a great way to end a shopping trip or a trip to the cinema. And it’s a real opportunity for local acoustic musicians to get noticed and for people to hear their songs.
“It’s an idea I fully support and I’m sure customers of the Odeon and Costa are in for a wonderful evening. I know I’m looking forward to it!”
