They never quite know what sort of a reception they are going to get. Still, members of New Zealand’s Fat Freddy’s Drop are hoping Aussies at their next gig across the ditch act a bit like Austrians.
The seven-piece electronic-reggae-dub-jazz-soul act will be headlining at the Kurrawa Park Sunday Ticket, a new event at Blues on Broadbeach (May 16-19) this year.
At Kurrawa Park on May 19 a special line-up for ticket holders will feature the genre-bending New Zealand (Aotearoa) outfit along with local music innovators Tijuana Cartel and electric creatives BOOMCHILD.
Fat Freddy’s Drop’s sound is a euphoric blend of genres and the band is renowned for their lively gigs.
They are in the middle of recording a new album right now but as saxophonist Scott Towers, 51, aka Chopper Reedz, says, it will be nice to get out and have some fun at Broadbeach. With any luck the audience might end up being a bit like the Austrians.
“Every country seems to have a particular way of expressing themselves,” Towers says when we chat in the lead up to the gig. “Some are very loud and are into it from the get go. On the other hand, a French audience will listen then clap after every song in a very respectful way. In Portugal it’s a bit looser and then some places surprise you.
“We played in Austria, for example, and I expected a quieter crowd,” Towers recalls. “We played a couple of smaller shows there and people were hanging from the ceiling and trying to get on stage.”
Maybe don’t try that at Broadbeach as there will be no ceiling to hang off, so just go wild instead. Fat Freddy’s Drop like their audiences to party because they are usually having a party on stage.
Towers says he and the Wellington-based band is looking forward to coming to the Gold Coast.
“We haven’t been to that part of Australia,” he says. “It will be really nice to come and stretch our legs before our next European tour in July.”
Adding Fat Freddy’s Drop to the line-up is a stroke of genius because they have a growing audience, thanks to plenty of “fan evangelising”, and they cover so many genres that their music has something for everyone.
Blues on Broadbeach has an electrifying line-up this year and one set to transform the Gold Coast into a rhythm and blues mecca for four days.
Blues-rock genre benders Melissa Etheridge (US), Samantha Fish & Jesse Dayton (US), Ana Popovic (US), fiery bluesman Eric Bibb (US) and returning favourite, Melbourne’s Lloyd Spiegel, are among the headline acts. Add to that Jon Cleary and The Absolute Monster Gentlemen (US), Dallas Frasca (Melbourne), Chase The Sun (NSW) and The Hi Rhythm Section with Boo Mitchell (US).
Following last year’s phenomenal program, Blues on Broadbeach 2024 (produced by Experience Gold Coast) will lift the bar higher by featuring strong female guitar heroes, international heavy hitters and much-loved homegrown talent, says festival director Mark Duckworth.
“We have truly embraced some heavy-hitting blues rock acts for the 2024 line-up including some of the world’s best female blues guitarists,” Duckworth says.
“We had so much fun putting together this year’s line-up, and can’t wait to see Melissa Etheridge and Ana Popovic set the Blues on Broadbeach stage alight. Add in Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton performing their Death Wish Blues Tour and multi-Grammy Award-winning bluesman Eric Bibb and we’ve got an unmissable four days of live music!”
And there are plenty more acts on the bill with Fat Freddy’s Drop set to be a major drawcard. This band formed in the late 1990s and has built a worldwide audience over the past two decades. Ever since their first album, Based on a True Story, the band has been building a career in Australasia and elsewhere, particularly Europe.
Scott Towers joined in 2007 and says the band records the way they play. He’s on a break from a recording session when we chat.
“We have a big studio filled with all sorts of crazy instruments. We all dabble, we all specialise and everyone likes to have a muck around and be part of the writing process,” says Towers, who has a background in jazz and also got into reggae and dub while living in the UK.
“My flatmate was a huge dub fan and we used to turn the sound on the TV down and watch football listening to dub,” he recalls.
He says Fat Freddy’s Drop started as “a loose collective of people and ideas”.
“You have to be engaged with everyone else, to listen and be prepared to improvise and change tack, be a bit reactive,” he says, “That’s where the party vibe comes from. It’s exciting for us and the audience definitely picks up on that.”
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Mark Duckworth says the festival is free but adding a special new ticketed experience, headlined by Fat Freddy’s Drop, will “enhance the festival experience for fans and attract new audiences as well”.
“The Kurrawa Park Sunday Ticket will mean Blues on Broadbeach can continue to grow, bringing more international acts to the Gold Coast for our audiences to experience and enjoy.”
bluesonbroadbeach.com
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