Facial hair, blues and fun. Chris Russell's Chicken Walk promise to bring two of those three when they play the Beards, Brews & Blues Festival.
The Sunshine Coast festival, which is in its second year, is part celebration of facial hair, which could be a concern for Chris. “I think everyone should be warned that neither me, nor Dave, who plays with me, have beards or moustaches. I have got big side burns though so I hope they let me in. And, well, I have a hairy back.”
A fan of blues for a long time, Chris has honed his craft by visiting its birthplace in the US. “I first went to Mississippi in 2007 and then I went every year for the next six years; sort of learning a specific style.”
Chris explains that Mississippi can be an uneasy place to try and perform. “The first time I played in an all black, juke joint in Mississippi was a big thrill for me. A lot of white people try and play in those joints and they are not allowed up on stage. They will go to approach the stage and will get a big, black forearm across their chest. In order to play that music to the people who invented it, you can't be a flashy guitar player; you actually have to have a feeling for it and a respect and a love for the people and the culture that created it.”
It is this foundation and passion for the blues that drives Chris. Working a day job in a factory, he can sometimes feel disconnected from his dream and passion but this also inspires him to connect with his audience.
“When I'm playing music, I am not thinking about my day job, I am not thinking about rent and I'm not thinking about anything. In the north of Mississippi, I will often play a song for 40 minutes. You spend 20 minutes of that wondering if there is going to be a chord change? And there isn't. They just wear you down until your conscious mind becomes irrelevant. And it ends up going into your subconscious,” Chris says.
“I want people to feel freed up from their everyday worries. It's not overly intellectual. It's more physical and sort of always tribal. Its an inclusive music.”
Slaving away for sometimes up to 16 hours a day in a factory seems worth it when it creates time so that he can share his passion with an audience. “Creating an honest and meaningful connection with the audience is the only reason to do this that I can see. I just try and make my music about music.
"You are promised nothing in this world. You are not even promised seeing the sun come up tomorrow morning. None of us are promised that. I guess I am just trying to do whats important to me and hope that it touches other people. I can only see things from my perspective. I'm not really in the music industry, I am in a factory,” Chris says.
Chris Russell's Chicken Walk can be heard in all their bluesy goodness and showcasing their newest collection of the 'Drive' album this month in the Sunshine State. “Every time we go up to Queensland we have a ball. Honestly it seems kind of, I wouldn't say easy, but people usually seem to be drunk enough to get into what we are doing. The old inhibitions and expectations are lowered.”
Chris Russell's Chicken Walk Tour Dates
Sat 27 Nov - Beards Brews & Blues Festival, The Helm (Mooloolaba)Sat 28 Nov - Lefty's Music Hall (Brisbane)
Sat 5 Dec - Gin Lane (Melbourne)
