From the moment I stepped into the Bull’s head in Ellesmere Port on the 18th of July to attend ‘Ellen Lewis and Friends: MIND Charity night I could feel the buzz. Even before guests arrived there was an element of atmosphere that one can only describe as feeling at home. One by one, both new and familiar faces started filling the seats. By the opening song the place was packed—locals squeezed around high tables, pints in hand, all in genuinely good spirits. Nothing beats a good local hometown piss-up with genuine community togetherness. When I asked Ellen why she chose The Bulls she replied:
‘’The Bulls Head felt like a really fitting venue, as this was our first official KERB event. Before KERB, we started out putting on open mic nights under the name “Matador Presents”, which were all held at the Bull. I think there was a real sense of wanting to progress the brand further, whilst also sticking to our routes, doing the first event in somewhere that felt like home, in our home town.’’
The supporting act, new kids on the block ‘The Boy’ kicked things off with a fantastic lively and unique set that immediately grabbed everyone’s attention. By the time Ellen took the stage, the energy was high and heads were nodding in approval. Ellen brought a full, lively sound that didn’t miss a note. The song choices varied and Ellen had that effortless charm that gets a room cheering without even trying. At one point, half the pub was holding onto whoever was sitting next to them, tearfully singing along to Adele’s ‘Make You Feel My Love’, minutes later those same people were doing their best Gallagher impression during ‘The Importance Of Being Idle’. That’s how infectious Ellen was and how well she controlled the vibe of the evening. Ellen stated that chose the songs carefully to create an electric mix to appeal to the different tastes of as many supporters as possible. With it being her first headline gig she also wanted to choose songs that really show off her vocal range. There were also a lot of requests in the build up to the event but unfortunately there were too many for her to do all of them.
Throughout the two hour set Ellen was joined by a whole host of guests who wanted to come and show their support for a variety of different styles of music. ‘Oranj Son’ front man Kieran Linford teamed up with local songwriter Joe Massey to join Ellen in songs such as Paramore’s ‘The Only Exception’ and ‘Stuck In The Middle’ by Stealers Wheels. Newcomer Jake Hoare stepped out of his comfort zone for the first time and gave his first live performance alongside Ellen and her Sister-in-law Gemma, which just goes to show the level of inspiration Ellen pours into anyone around her. Honestly, it was hard to find a moment to queue at the bar out of fear of missing something. Even during the intermission the music did not stop, as we had young stars Sam White and Tate Davies gracing our stage. Ellen’s solo rendition of Queen’s ‘No One But You’, dedicated to a special person was sung with such raw emotion that really hit deep inside. A few words of dedication was all that was needed for the audience to know how much this night meant to Ellen.
When I asked our host how she managed to round so many local artists up to collaborate on this great night, she had this to say:
‘’The event was called Ellen & Friends for a reason. There is so much, often unsung (pardon the pun) talent in Ellesmere Port and I didn’t want that to go unnoticed. That was why it was so beautiful playing with KERB members, friends of Kerb, and friends and family of mine. For example, I sang with my sister in law, Gemma, who hadn’t graced the stage in ten years, and Jake played guitar for us, who had never performed to the public. KERB is all about giving a platform to unrecognised talent, so it felt good to be able to have that platform to help friends and family that have that talent.’’
Of course, it wouldn’t be a proper pub charity night without a raffle. Ellen procured some incredible prizes from a shed-load of local businesses who graciously contributed to the great cause. People left with hampers, T-shirts and of course, bottles of alcohol.
What impressed me most was how smoothly everything ran and how genuinely invested everyone seemed in the cause. It wasn’t just a night out—it felt like the town showing up for each other. And judging by the massive amount raised, it worked!
I asked Ellen why she chose MIND Charity to raise the money for:
‘’Doing the event in my home town was really something special, but I felt that a light needed to be shone on the mental health epidemic that is happening in Ellesmere Port. So many people are struggling, and unfortunately we’ve noticed a real uptick in suicides, especially within young men in the town. One of my best friends, Tom McKenna, sadly lost his life to suicide, and therefore the charity choice was a personal one for me. I wanted to raise money to help those who desperately need it, and I’m really proud of what we achieved. Not only the raising of money, but bringing everyone together in the name of a great cause.’’
I left with my ears ringing, my cheeks hurting from laughing with family and friends alike, and that lovely sense of community you only get from small towns doing something big together. The night was a total success raising a whopping £700.
Ellen, from all of your KERB family, we are all so proud of you, and Tom would be too.
Ryan White