Australia Blog

In 100 Words or Less? You've got to be kidding...

This is Ging-Ms Vebose-Bangpants we're talkin' 'bout here; how on EARTH am I to be THAT succint. However, that was my assignment for last night's sassy acoustic gig from a performer I've been waiting about 18 months to FINALLY see in BrisVegas...

I first stumbled upon Ms Blackman when I heard the tres groovy, beautiful-people-slagging track, Favourite Jeans. I becamed obsessed with it... and her. It became 'my track'. I bought the ep and as Chrisso pointed out last night when she played it, 'All of a sudden I feel like I'm in your car'... She finally released her debut LP in August, I nabbed a copy and was delighted to see she was finally touring 'north of the border'. She's doin' a swag of gigs, and definitely count me in when she tours with her full band.

Here's something I prepared earlier [and yes, I was WELL over the limit, but I suspect it'll be published anyway...]

Bertie Blackman, The Troubadour, Thurs 16 September

With a string of promo gigs for her debut LP, Headway, the loungeroom-esque Troubadour was a fitting, laidback taster for Sydney�s singer-songwriter. Opening with the album opener, I Like Your Way, followed by its title track, Bertie then hooked into my current auto-repeat-in-peak-hour-traffic-fave, So Much To Do, sans the album�s full-band calypso feel. The �supersexy� Criminal of Desire revealed her be-bop-almost-scat vocal, then in complete contrast, Very Well returned to Bertie�s softer, dulcet tones. Sometimes �60s folk, sometimes smoky jazz, tagged �urban soul�, Bertie melts into her music, her eyes closed for the most of the set. With just a [huge] guitar and even bigger voice, Bertie delivered a rocked-up version of the Js-friendly �hit�, Favourite Jeans, a yet-to-be-named �newie�, a cover (Tyrone), ending with the sweeping waves & lulls of the onomatopoeic The Storm. Just as her time was up and she announced �my cold & flu tablets have worn off�, we realised the poor thing had been [unapparently] suffering all night� But, taking advantage of the small crowd of guinea pigs, she closed with another newie. Some people are clearly born to create & perform music; it�s obvious Bertie�s doing exactly what she should be.

Music Critic Ging