Blues News #716
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Blues News #716

It’s June, and by definition, it’s winter.

Now, there’s really not a lot you can do about the weather, but at least you can get into some really good music to take your mind off of it. We’ve got a couple of interesting gigs coming up.

First up a good one this month at Sleepy Hollow Blues Club: Paulie Bignell and the Thornbury Two will be at SHBC on June 23rd.

The rest of the band consists of Peter Beulke (bass and backing vocals) and Craig Hadlow on drums, but Paulie is well known around Australia for his work with The Detonators, a band he formed over 12 years ago, that has covered every corner of this wide brown land including Geelong on more than one occasion.

Paulie is one hard-working guitarist. As with all artists who stand out from the pack, he has developed a unique sound and style. His sound, a driving rhythmic guitar, that twangs, yet hypnotizes, screams but seduces. A little juke, definitely rollicking and getting the feet tapping. Time to dance!

Their first CD is “Lost and Dangerous” and according to Paulie, “When it came to naming this album, the title wasn’t sticking out. We could have used a title track but I wanted to be sure it was doing justice to the rest of the songs and the album. I wanted to describe the vibe of the album and the ride we take you, the listener on.” It’s no surprise that they went off like a frog in a sock when played at Bluestone – a very impressive and tight combo.

On the 12th we have something a bit different at Pistol Pete’s – Kelly Brouhaha.

I have to admit I’m pretty stuck on the name, “noisy and overexcited” is definitely a good handle for your music!

Roots warrior Kelly Brouhaha is all about the “feel-good” side of life. She’s a multi-instrumentalist who has awards to her name for her songwriting and achingly soulful vocals, her uplifting music is more than a simple band-aid to the blues. Clare Bowditch described her as having an extraordinarily rare voice. She was described on Triple J Roots and All as having “amazing pipes, she sounds like Amy Winehouse – but with more of a soulful edge as opposed to a jazz hook”

She was shortlisted for the Americana Music Prize in 2018 for her Americana soul. This South Australian spends most of the year around a campfire, traveling in her 1992 Toyota Hiace Van called “Pamela Vanderson”.

Her debut self-titled album, which was released on June 7, tells the story after leaving her marriage and mortgage behind in the pursuit of happiness. The single ‘40,000 Star Hotel’ co-written with Aleyce Simmonds is a big, ballsy, freedom-esque blues which captures the heart of the Australian landscape and the lure of off-grid living. A diverse first offering from an artist you absolutely need to hear.

You cannot put her unique style into a box.

Put these gigs in your calendar now, Kelly Brouhaha on June 12 at Pistol Petes, and Paulie Bignall & Thornbury Two on June 23 at SHBC.

Written by Dr John Lamp