Sutton Coldfield Festival of Arts

A Streetly singer who began performing live less than a year ago recently landed a series of Midlands tour dates with chart-topping Journey South.

Gemma Shaw, 20, who works in the pro shop at Aston Wood Golf Club, teed up shows at the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham, Lichfield Garrick and the Prince Of Wales Theatre in Cannock with the Middlesborough duo, who were third in The X Factor in 2005.

Gemma will perform twice at Sutton Festival Of Arts, firstly in support to Natalie Powers and Ian Palmer at Sutton Town Hall on Wednesday July 9 (www.suttoncoldfieldtownhall.co.uk) and secondly at a Sutton Unsigned night at The Gate Inn on Saturday July 12 from 8pm, on a bill with Hot Monocles, Ben Drummond and James & Edwards.

The Journey South brothers, Carl and Andy Pemberton, outsold winning X Factor contestants as their debut album soared to the top of the chart in 2006, with 216,000 sales in its first week.

Former Streetly School pupil Gemma also performed with the boys at The Wolf Radio’s anniversary night in Wolverhampton in September, then in Whitehaven the following month and in Batley in March. The boys had become impressed by Gemma’s talents after hearing her sing at Aston Wood.

“Last July, at the Ladies’ Captain’s Ball, I was asked by Ken Heathcote [former Aston Wood manager] if, instead of saying Grace, I would sing Fields Of Gold by Sting,” she said.

“At midnight I was asked to sing Danny Boy. The main act that night was Journey South.

“Nobody at the club knew that I could sing. Up to that point, I had only been playing guitar and singing in my bedroom for fun.

“I had got a new guitar for my 18th birthday, but my only wish was to play on stage with my Dad [Chris, an accomplished guitarist and Gemma's regular accompanist].

“Andy and Carl have been so supportive. They said anything they could help me with, they would do. They are fantastic lads.”

Gemma, who holds the ladies’ course record at Aston Wood, is busy writing and recording songs. She uses a loop station, like her idol KT Tunstall, to build up layers of guitar backing as she sings.

She added: “Journey South fans are amazing. A lot of them are e-mailing and messaging me on Myspace. They’ve said they’ll come and watch me at any places I play.”

Visit www.myspace.com/gems1987