Graham Reid | | 2 min read
Nitty Gritty
From the opening passages of this Australian band's album of last year, Tales of a Rich Girl, you are thrown into some biting, classy and intense blues-rock . . . as befits a band which picked up the Most Outstanding New Act at the 2014 South Australian Blues and Roots Association for their live shows and their debut album Red Dress.
Their long-awaited follow-up Tales of a Rich Girl was produced by Jim Scott in LA who has worked with the Stones, the Tedeschi Trucks band, Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters and many others.
It went straight number one on the Australian blues charts and picked up strong reviews in the US.
This year they are nominated in album, song, artist and group of the year categories at the Australian Blues Music Awards.
With the double threat of vocalists Angela Portolesi and Benjamin Cunningham, and the twin guitars of Cunningham and Steve Portolesi (who also plays bass), they bridge blues from Chicago to Florida via Texas. And Angela can pull out some real soulful burn.
And that is good news for two New Zealand cities where they play in early March (see poster below), so time then Steve Portolesi to answer one of our Famous Elsewhere Questionnaires . . .
The first piece of music which really affected you was . . .
I’d like to say Red Sails in the Sunset by Midnight Oil, but in reality it might’ve been one of mum’s ABBA albums….I do love ABBA though. I think I vaguely remember sitting in the lid of her sewing basket listening to it.
Your first (possibly embarrassing) role models in music were . . .
Well, possibly not so embarrassing it was Midnight Oil. My wall was plastered with Midnight Oil clippings. I got to see them a couple of months ago and they were just as good as ever.
Lennon or Jagger, Ramones or Nirvana, Madonna or Gaga, Jacko or Jay-Z?
Lennon
Nirvana
Madonna
MJ
If music was denied you, your other career choice would be . . .
An economist ….I loved that subject at school but I was too side tracked by music to study.
The three songs (yours, or by others) you would love everyone to hear are . . .
Tin Legs and Tin Mines by Midnight Oil
I’m Your Man by Leonard Cohen
I Want to be Loved by Muddy Waters
Any interesting, valuable or just plain strange musical memorabilia at home...
I actually don’t think I have anything at all…
The best book on music or musicians you have read is . . .
Dave Grohl’s most recent biography…it’s very good.
If you could get on stage with anyone it would be?
The three films you'd insist anybody watch because they might understand you better are . . .
Delicatessen
Midnight Run
Frozen
The last CD or vinyl album you bought was . . . (And your most recent downloads include...)
I think my last CD was Houses of the Holy by Zeppelin, I picked that up at an op shop.
Last downloads were a bunch of tunes from Blur.
One song, royalties for life, never
have to work again. The song by anyone, yourself included, which
wouldn't embarrass you in that case would be . . .
Tough….but I’m going to say The Long and Winding Road by the Beatles.
The poster, album cover or piece of art could you live with on your bedroom forever would be . . .
Definitely something drawn by my kids.
You are allowed just one tattoo, and it is of . . .
I have one tattoo…. and it says ‘Angie’
David Bowie sang, “Five years, that's all we've got . . .” You would spend them where and doing what?
Listening to everything else he sang.
And finally, in the nature of press conferences in Japan, “Can you tell me please why this is your best album ever?”
Because we had so much fun recording it. Everything about it was a buzz.
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