top of page

63 DELUXE - MEMPHIS BOUND

Anthony Scott

Welcome to the lead up, through and out the other end of our upcoming album!



Well, looks like we are off to Memphis in January 2025 to compete in the international blues challenge held in Memphis Tennessee USA.


Yep, you read that right,


We took a little punt and entered the fabulous ARBA Memphis blues challenge held here is Adelaide South Australia. A great yearly competition that puts the best SA blues bands head to head in front of a panel of judges who decide who will represent South Australia at Memphis in January. Well....looks like they chose us.





Now, you might be saying "Well done lads" or "That's awesome but is it blog worthy?"

The reason we are writing about this in our blog is because just this one event has forced growth in the band in expected ways and some unexpected.


Raising the bar - if you know you are going to be onstage after some good established blues bands, have read the stringent criteria from the association holding the competition and know that you are being judged by some discerning music industry folk then you either raise the bar and pay some good attention to improving on your performance or not, but of course we chose to "raise the bar" as a band.


Sound - It was important that we really pay attention to the sounds coming out of our instruments, including our stage volumes and adjusting to the provided backline. We didn't want any surprises on the night, we needed to know we can achieve "our sound" in any circumstance.


The Songs - The choice of songs was important as was any fine tuning for this particular performance, our brand of original music has a foot in the door of blues of course but also rock, pop and funk. We did sweat a bit hoping that our blues leanings are conveyed to the judges and audience.


Performance - it's kind of everything really, you can have great songs and great individual talent but if anything detracts from that from a performance point of view then you can lose an audiences attention quickly. That includes banter between songs, song length and gaps between songs.


I guess the point we are trying to make by saying all of this is to pay attention to every detail in the band from song structure to tightening up live performances, banter between songs, instrument tuning, how you are perceived on social media to even what you are wearing! Everything matters and every performance matters so get into the weeds and really think about where your strengths are as performers and where you might need work. That's exactly how we approached this competition and that exactly how we are approaching the trip to Memphis, all in!


As artistic people it sometimes seems daft to try and find an onstage look or work on your approach to onstage banter but it's all in the detail. Like anything from cooking to a painting it's a culmination of minute tweaks and details that amount to something great.


Listen to yourself recorded, sound and video if you can and get honest and constructively picky, your art and your audience will thank you for it.


Many thanks of course to ARBA who put this event on every year and send the winners on a trip of a lifetime to Memphis. Also many many thanks and admiration to the other performers on the night, Big Bill Bourke Blues Band and The Tinmen. All great people and bands worthy of your patronage, check 'em out!


Until next time ....





















75 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


© 2023 by BLEACH TO BLACK.  Proudly created with Wix.com

bottom of page