Queensland Cabaret Festival presents a passionate rock affair in 'Girl & Guitar: A Tribute To Axe Queens Of The Ages’.
Musicians Kristy Apps, Pandora Karavan, Sabrina Lawrie, Jackie Marshall, Georgia Nielsen and Megan Samardan will take to the Brisbane Powerhouse stage, backed by a killer band, for an unforgettable evening, paying homage to trailblazing female guitarists and vocalists.
All things women in music are celebrated in this night of signatures songs and righteous riffs – you can expect to hear familiar tracks from Joan Jett, Melissa Etheridge, Courtney Love, Tracey Chapman, Buffy Saint Marie, PJ Harvey and more.
We learn more from 'Girl & Guitar' Director and Queensland Cabaret Festival Director Alison St Ledger.
Tell us a bit about ‘Girl & Guitar’.
It’s an idea that’s been bubbling away for a few years now. It's a subject dear to me as it's kind of my roots, when I was six I just wanted to grow up to be a guitarist and play a Fender Strat. I ended up going down a different road but there's nothing I admire more than a girl and her guitar giving it her all. Each of the artists will take their turn paying homage to the female guitarists and vocalists who’ve blazed the trail and inspired new generations of artists.
As Director, what’s your main objective when preparing this show?
I have a simple principle when directing a show, serve the artist, serve the show, serve the audience. By that I mean that I want to create a platform and an environment that enables the artist to fulfil their vision and offer their best performance. I need to also make sure that the overall show is being served by ensuring it has a good narrative flow, a balance of light and shade and builds in the right places. Foremost in my mind is serving the audience. I want to take them on a journey, give them moments to think and feel, and maybe spark some memories and ultimately they can come out at the end having had an experience that stays with them. And of course, most definitely, to have been entertained.
What makes this group of performers stand out to you?
They all have really different styles and a richness of character that they bring to their work. In some respects, I'm asking them to step outside of their comfort zone too as they are usually playing their own songs, I'm asking them to get inside songs by other artists who've inspired them. These women stand out to me because I know they can meet that challenge with thoughtfulness, grace and maybe a kind of playfulness too.
What is it like to direct a performance such as this?
It's thrilling actually. When I'm in the company of these great women who all have different energies and approaches to music and individual experiences to bring to the table, I am inspired; energised and totally in the happy zone.
And why do you think it’s a good fit for Queensland Cabaret Festival?
It ticks all the boxes of great cabaret – brilliant performers, great music and personal stories.
How are you hoping audiences respond to the show?
I'm hoping there'll be some fists in the air, unabashed singing along and spontaneous dancing in their seat moments. Actually dancing out of their seats, I believe we can do that in Queensland now, right?
It’s a celebration of female guitarists and vocalists. Who is your favourite female musician and why?
I'd have to say Joni Mitchell. As a musician she totally created her own corpus of chords. She played multiple instruments but as a guitarist, there's just no one else who played like her, she invented that style and repertoire of chords so she could express how she felt inside and in turn gave generations of women a voice for their own emotional inner world.
Describe ‘Girl & Guitar’ using a song lyric from the show.
"Hello world I'm your wild girl. . . I'm your ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb!"
'Girl & Guitar' plays Brisbane Powerhouse 24 March as part of Queensland Cabaret Festival.
