Last Saturday proved ideal for the second of SteamPacket’s railway platform Blues Masters gigs.
The Master this time being the Mistress of the Blues Guitar, Fiona Boyes, who accomplishes the almost impossible task of singing highly expressive lyrics while playing highly complex blues licks at the same time with astonishing ease. (Something B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton never mastered. They sing, then they play: or vice versa.)
The audience came mostly from Woodend, Bendigo, Castlemaine and other regional places and were treated to a Victorian Goldfields Railway steam locomotive putting on a show as well. These events can only run with the active co-operation and co-ordination of SteamPacket and VGR working together. Just as the forthcoming Russell Morris and New Year’s Eve shows see SteamPacket and Maldon Golf Club working together as part of their community involvement programs.
2022 will see SteamPacket resume its relationship with the Maldon Vintage Machinery Museum for more atmospheric shows there. The one before the last lockdown was a knockout performance by Lloyd Spiegel’s trio. The musicians love the vibe of that space.
SteamPacket will return to the station platform in February for the third and last of the Blues Masters gigs with the astonishing virtuosity and gripping songwriting of Jeff Lang. In a sense the COVID pandemic has been a blessing for us in keeping these amazing performers in Australia when in other times they would be performing and teaching their arts all over the world.
This article appeared in the Tarrangower Times, 26 November 2021.
