The Melbourne singer/songwriter - with a jaw-dropping, unmistakable baritone that drives his gloriously-crafted songwriting - will replace Melbourne's Cool Sounds at Burning Love in Bendigo this Saturday.
The legendary Elvis Presley is the undisputed ‘King of Rock and Roll’. One of the most iconic public figures of the 20th century, Elvis left a unique and indelible mark on the American music landscape that endures to this day.
If like us, you’ve been reminded of the sheer brilliance of Elvis Presley over the past few months thanks to the arrival of the exclusive Elvis:Direct from Graceland exhibition at Bendigo Art Gallery and Australian director Baz Luhrmann’s long-awaited fever dream of a biopic about the King of Rock’n’Roll, Elvis, you’ve probably also heard of the inaugural Burning Love concert series at The Engine Room in Bendigo’s Historic Fire Station.
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around the region here.
So far enlisting the vocal talents and larger-than-life energy from Emma Donovan & The Putbacks, Gabriella Cohen, and Freya Josephine Hollick, the series has seen each of these acts tap into a different genre of Elvis’s musical legacy including gospel, soul, country, early pop, Americana, blues and 60s rock ‘n’ roll, and deliver a larger-than-life live music experience for Elvis lovers in the Bendigo region.
Adding to the experience and truly celebrating The King, each night the headline artist has also been supported by and guest starred with a special ‘Elvis Tribute’ set put together by The Burning Lovers Band – a line-up of local Bendigo musical royalty, featuring musicians from Cosmic Psychos, Bluestown Junction, Ramble Town, Benny and the Fly By Nighters and The Quarry Hillbillies, who have come together for this series to celebrate the music of the King.
With the exhibition coming into its last couple of months, the Burning Love series will come to an end this weekend with its final edition.
Melbourne guitar-pop band Cool Sounds were originally due to take to the stage, but with the onslaught of the falling temperatures and the ravaging flu, the band sadly had to pull out of the performance.
Luckily for Elvis fans, young and old, one of the most beautiful crooners in Melbourne’s indie-music scene has kept his voice warm and happens to be a massive Elvis fan himself. Meet Ryan Downey, who will be bringing his breathtaking performance to Burning Love audiences tomorrow night for a very special solo show in Bendigo.
At the forefront of Downey’s live and recorded performances is his voice – a rich baritone with a dramatic range that can shift from a rumbling purr up to a vulnerable crescendo, recalling the all-terrain vocals of Bryan Ferry and David Bowie.
Following sold-out headline shows, tours nationally and abroad with artists like Marlon Williams, Sarah Blasko, Middle Kids and Tiny Ruins, and performances at MONA, the Melbourne Recital Centre, BIGSOUND and Falls Festival, Ryan Downey performs in the Historic Fire Station for the long weekend to close the Burning Love Bendigo contemporary music series with his very special homage to the King.
A TON OF COLOURS is the first full-length release since Downey’s 2018 Australian Music Prize-nominated Running. The album has been praised by MOJO, NME, The Sunday Times UK, The Australian, Rolling Stone Germany, Double J and more and is the first album to be nominated for the 2021 Australian Music Prize.
Burning Love audiences are in for a real treat as they warm themselves and their hearts with local East Bendigo Brewery special Elvis beers and the sweet sounds of Ryan Downey and the rocking tunes of Elvis with Burning Lovers Band. Tickets are still available.
Burning Love starring Ryan Downey will take place at The Engine Room, 58 View Street, Bendigo on Saturday, June 11. Tickets and further information via the Burning Love website.
