Becky Hill visited her hometown of Worcester and the venue where her music journey began ahead of her sold-out homecoming show.
The two-time Brit Award winning artist visited The Marrs Bar and reflected on how early gigs in Worcester shaped her career, giving her the confidence and experience she needed as a young artist.
The singer-songwriter, who first took to the stage at the age of 16, is returning to The Marrs Bar on June 28 as part of Everywhere At Once—a nationwide celebration of grassroots music venues.
In a new video filmed at the venue, Hill reflected on the importance of those formative performances.
Becky Hill at Worcester’s Marrs Bar (Image: Matt Bottomley)
She said: “At 16 I played my own compositions and had friends and family down to Worcester’s Marrs Bar.
“In these early days it was venues like this that allowed a very young me to begin to learn how to perform, sing and play guitar on stage, gaining my confidence and broadening my experience as a teenager.”
The Everywhere At Once festival will see more than 400 grassroots venues host live performances, featuring a mix of established artists and emerging talent.
The Marrs Bar holds special significance for Hill, who described her return as a “full circle” moment.
She said: “I look back on those times very fondly and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity that places like The Marrs Bar provided.
“It saddens me greatly that grassroots venues are at risk as I believe that homegrown music is key to our country’s culture.
“I’m honoured to be working alongside The National Lottery and Music Venue Trust for their Everywhere At Once festival, 16 years later at the same venue but with far more experience.”
Everywhere At Once will take place from June 26-28 with more than 400 grassroots music venues hosting hundreds of live performances, coinciding with what would have been Glastonbury weekend.
The festival is supported by The National Lottery, which has raised more than £1 billion for music-related projects in the UK.
In partnership with the Music Venue Trust, more than 2,000 artists will perform during the event.