Acclaimed Indigenous vocalist Emma Donovan is the latest artist to bring music to the streets of Melbourne as part of the Victorian Government’s On The Road Again initiative.
Having dominated the 17th Music Victoria Awards late last year with three wins, released a new mini-album out with ABC Kids Community and performed at the likes of St Kilda Festival and Geelong’s SweetFest in recent week, Emma Donovan is keeping the momentum moving with a free pop-up gig in Melbourne this week as part of the Victorian Government’s On The Road Again initiative.
She will perform near the GPO Steps in the Bourke Street Mall at 1pm Thursday, 10 March 2022.
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around the region here.
Donovan and her Melbourne rhythm combo The Putbacks first burst onto the Australian scene with their album Dawn in 2014, announcing a new voice in Australian soul music. After six years, the band reunited launching the long-awaited Crossover in 2020 to great acclaim.
Donovan’s songwriting is optimistic, impassioned, and bruisingly honest, The Putbacks’ music is fluid, live and raw, and the collaboration has won friends and admirers all over the world. The Putbacks are stone-cold pros, grizzled veterans of all the tours and all the studios. When they come together, they’re one of the tightest, sharpest, slickest, most dynamic musical units ever to exist.
Their collaboration with Donovan elevates their music and Donovan’s songs to another level.
Having toured and recorded with the likes of Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter, Spinifex Gum, Christine Anu, Yothu Yindi, Jimmy Little and Paul Kelly among others, the renowned Indigenous soul singer and powerhouse has a voice that deserves to be heard. You won’t want to miss this spell-binding free experience.
Already the city has seen hundreds of talented performers who have already taken part in the initiative, which kicked off in February and will run until the long weekend in March. Alongside the city’s massive busking program, the initiative has also been showcasing Melbourne’s spectacular live music scene with surprise gigs by some of our state’s best and brightest performers. So far we’ve seen pop-up performances from the likes of Alice Skye, Kaiit, Hayley Mary, Fergus James, Uncle Kutcha Edwards and Gordi.
For future performances in the On The Road Again initiative, follow What’s On Melbourne’s Instagram to find out where pop-up gigs are happening in the city.
Catch Emma Donovan at the GPO Steps in the Bourke Street Mall at 1pm Thursday, 10 March 2022.
