IMELDA MAY: It's not a heartbreak album, it's a year in the life of me

But if they insist she recommends that they get a picture of her bald – and draw on her hair themselves with a marker pen.

This bizarre conversation takes place after Weekend reminds Imelda of the last time she was in Warrington in 2014 when fan John Taylor got her to sign an image of her face on his arm.

That was during Imelda’s ‘rockabilly’ phase on which she made her name and she has since kissed the quiff goodbye.

Imelda said: “He must be annoyed at me that I changed my hair. He’s going to have to get another tattoo now isn’t he?

“I’ve signed a few tattoos of my face and I think these people are crazy.

“I’ll probably change my hair again at some point so he’d be best getting a tattoo of a bald me and drawing the hair on.”

It must be humbling to see such dedication from fans though?

Imelda added: “Humbling? No, I think they’re bonkers but I do enjoy meeting fans.

“I don’t encourage anybody to get my face across their back or anything like that.”

Imelda is returning to the Parr Hall on Monday following the release of her fifth album, Life Love Flesh Blood.

It draws on the ups and downs in her life since her divorce from her husband of 13 years, guitarist Darrel Higham.

But the Irish singer, and mum-of-one to five-year-old Violet insists it is not a heartbreak record.

She added: “A lot of people read what was going on in my life and presume that’s what the album is all about. I got divorced and it was a tough time but I wrote that album over the course of a year.

“A lot happened to me in that year. I also had lots of happy times and I fell in love again so there’s heartbreak and hope and lust and regret and all these different things.

“I was writing and writing. I wrote about 40 songs for this album. It was a year in the life of me. It’s not a heartbreak album, it’s not a divorce album.”

The record also felt like coming full circle for Imelda as she invited Jools Holland and Jeff Beck to make guest appearances on the tracks.

Both were her heroes and both helped her make her breakthrough.

The 43-year-old said: “It was a very special album for me and very personal and they’re really dear friends of mine who have both been instrumental in my career.

“I was working hard for many years and couldn’t get a break. Jeff and I went on tour together and Jools had me on his show.

“Both of them were so supportive and I’d been on their albums so it felt right to ask them to be on mine and I was thrilled when they said yes. It made it feel that bit more special for me.”

Another recent highlight for Imelda was when she shared a stage with The Who at the Royal Albert Hall in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust earlier this year.

She first headlined the historic venue five years ago and it remains one of her favourite places to play.

“Every time I go there I have magical evenings that I remember forever,” she added.

“I opened for The Who and got to hang out with them. It was a great evening. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I danced all night.

“I also did a Ceiliúradh in there which was a thing for Anglo-Irish relations with the president of Ireland and the Queen.

“I sang with Jeff Beck, Dave Gilmour and Jools Holland.

“I’ve done a gig in there while I was heavily pregnant. I felt my baby kicking my belly while I was singing a song.

“So the Royal Albert Hall holds a lot of lovely memories for me.

“You can feel the history of it in the walls. It’s magical and it’s such a beautiful room. The audience feels it too.”

So why did Imelda decide to completely reinvent herself for her new album?

She said: “This is the thing. I’ve been known for seven years of a 27-year career.

“I’ve been gigging and writing for 27 years and I sang jazz and blues and country and gospel and punk.

“I always enjoyed all these elements and for a short period of time I listened to old rockabilly as I loved the ‘original punk rock’ if you like. I like anything that breaks the rules and maybe that’s why I put it into my songs.

“But I got known for that period of my life and that stuck in people’s minds. I’ve done all kinds of stuff and always will.

“I’ve probably gone back more to my roots. I also feel if people expect something from you or demand something from you it’s time to change.

“I listen to music all the time and associate different albums with different times in my life.

“I was horrified the other day because I asked someone what types of music they liked and they just said: ‘whatever’s in the charts’.

“I couldn’t comprehend that at all. Basically whatever someone hands you, you listen to. That’s not for me.

“I like to delve and find what I love so I have all sorts of music I listen to for different times of my life and I hope my album is a soundtrack for a moment in lots of other people’s lives.”

Imelda May performs at the Parr Hall on Monday. Visit pyramidparrhall.com or call 442345