Blues singer Gail Page tips her hat to the legends of rock when she and her band perform at 'Rockfest: War Of The Surf & Rock Guitars' as part of Adelaide Fringe.
A finalist on the 2015 version of 'The Voice', Gail is an accomplished purveyor of deep, soulful blues who harbours a little-known knack for belting out good, old rock & roll.
She says the Rockfest performance will be her chance to show off her rock stylings. “I do soul, I do funk, I do blues but no one realises that I can rock,” Gail says.
“So I've had a few of the rock gods over time say 'come on Gail, you can do this' and I've done a song here and there, but I've never done the whole show as rock. It will be good.
“Blues is where rock comes from, it just depends on how much stick you give it. Give it a bit of a different treatment and you're on your way.”
Accompanied by a live band made up of South Australian musicians, Gail says she's selected a set list made up of lesser-known songs from some of the world's biggest and most-beloved rock acts. “I chose some well-penned songs that I have always liked,” she says.
“I've not tried to be the rock god lady, or woman, but rather than that I've picked a few bands I know everybody digs, and I've not picked the songs that everyone would do, so they'll be slightly more obscure songs by some of the best rock bands.
“Expect to hear the harmonies of those old bands you don't hear anymore, which is exciting. I've got some guys from Adelaide who are great, lovely players and there will be a great vibe onstage; it will be an inviting vibe for the audience.”
Beyond Fringe and Rockfest, Gail says the next few months for her will be devoted to finishing her next album, a long-awaited follow-up to her 2007 full-length 'Colours That Run'. “In the next few months my plan is to complete one album in its entirety,” she says.
“While I've been in South Australia the past three years I've written for another album, which is really different. I think part of South Australia is that you've got all these open spaces and I've got a lot of time on my hands, so it'll be really different songs.”
With goals to keep producing exciting and fresh new music, Gail is also focused on providing valuable support for up-and-coming South Australian musicians and songwriters. “I love getting people in that have talent but don't realise they have it and nurturing it, so I'll be doing a bit of that this year,” Gail says.
“All across the board, we've got a lot of talented people in Australia; a lot of people don't have that opportunity and they don't need much to spark them up. If you can reach somebody, communicate with them and get them to understand what they have, it's bloody rewarding.”
