AGM + Tracey Barnett + Empire Blues
AGM | 7.00pm
You must be a member to attend the Annual General Meeting of the PERTH BLUES CLUB.
Tracey Barnett | 7.45pm
Tracey Barnett is not only a singer/songwriter but a multi-instrumentalist dedicated to creating the songs and sounds that infiltrate her imagination and bringing them to her devoted audience. Born and raised in the idyllic South West hamlet of Bridgetown – regional Western Australia’s home of the blues – Tracey has recorded and released two EPS, two albums plus numerous singles and played hundreds of headline and festival shows over the last 15 years.
Tracey’s songs contain the best flavours of blues, rock and folk and are made all the more endearing (and enduring) by the pop sensibilities she imbues in them. Her second album, 2021’s Eyes Forward featured four successful WAM Song Of The Year Award-nominated singles – Gotta Get Out, Eyes Forward, Darkness In The Light and Haunted – and marked her second piece of work with producer James Newhouse, whom she credits with helping to find a new freedom in the studio. Tracey and James have since been working on a new batch of songs together, the first of which, Everything Is Changing, (October 2023) depicted a new atmosphere in her sound, somewhere between The Cranberries and London Grammar, but still with the Australian blues/roots accent that has consistently enriched her work. Her latest single ‘Somewhere in the Middle’ (August 21, 2024), leans more heavily on her blues influences whilst taking listeners on an uplifting journey. As ever Tracey’s songwriting and her performances are fueled by her openness and the unique bond she has created with her audience.
“As a solo artist, I find that what people value the most is that connection, where they feel like they’re literally just sitting down chatting with you over a cup of tea,” she says. “I don’t know if there’s ever comfort in being so vulnerable but realising the value in just being genuine with people and the healing and the connection and the therapy that that can offer to an audience is just beautiful.”
Empire Blues & Guests | 9.00pm
Dynamic blues power outfit Empire Blues’ primary influences come from the British Blues invasion of the 1960s. Initially, the band took its material from this period, but over time it has moved on to performing more original material in the belief that for blues music to evolve, you can’t keep just repeating the past, so in addition to their existing material the band will be performing a selection of new songs compiled over the last couple of months.
The band features prominent Western Australian blues musicians Andrew McIlroy (guitar/vocal), Alan Dawson (bass guitar/vocal) and Frank Shinall (drums), they will be joined throughout the set by some of Perth’s well known and PBC favourite musicians.
Members will be admitted free if attending the AGM.
Non-members will be admitted after the meeting at $15.