Overview
| ADULT | $55.00 |
| CONCESSION | $50.00 |
Hear Them Holler and Bendigo Venues & Events present Burning Love at The Engine Room, Bendigo’s historic old fire station, a contemporary live music series that fittingly coincides with Bendigo Art Gallery’s exhibition Elvis: Direct from Graceland.
Running from May - June, the line-up of cool and considered performers will traverse the genres that the King helped to define; each act tapping into a different genre of Elvis’s musical legacy including gospel, soul, country, early pop, Americana, blues and 60’s rock n’roll.
To kick off the series on Saturday 7 May is none other than Emma Donovan & The Putbacks, acclaimed Indigenous soul singer-songwriter Emma Donovan leads some of the best funk and jazz musicians in the country as she delves into the Elvis inspired gospel tunes she grew up on.
Gabriella Cohen’s been kicking around for the last 8 years as a solo artist, having just released her third album, her laidback, tongue in cheek throwbacks to 60’s girl groups and Lou Reed cool, Cohen will perform on Saturday 21 May.
Australian Cosmic Country Queen Freya Josephine Hollick will lead from the front with her soulful take on alternative country music on Saturday 4 June.
Cool Sounds will close out the series on Saturday 11 June with their effortless Nashville cool that’s full of poetic lyricism, whammy-country guitar and Randy Newman-esque melodies.
Each night will feature a full set of original music by one of the aforementioned artists, followed by a special ‘Elvis Tribute’ set put together by The Burning Lovers, a line up of local Bendigo musical royalty, featuring musicians from Cosmic Psychos, Bluestown Junction, Ramble Town, Benny and the Fly By Nighters and The Quarry Hillbillies, who have come together for this special series to celebrate the music of the King.
Each feature artist performing on the night will also guest star with The Burning Lovers and bring their sounds to a much loved Elvis song.
Emma Donovan & The Putbacks - Saturday 7 May
Acclaimed Indigenous vocalist Emma Donovan and Melbourne rhythm combo The Putbacks burst on to the Australian scene with their album Dawn in 2015, announcing a new voice in Australian soul music. Emma’s songwriting is optimistic, impassioned, and bruisingly honest, The Putbacks’ music is fluid, live and raw, and the collaboration has won friends and admirers all over the world. The project was born of Emma and the band’s shared love for classic US soul and the protest music of Indigenous Australia. Shades of every soul record you ever liked sneak through: Al Green’s Hi Records era? Check. Aretha’s Classic Atlantic recordings? Check. Stacks of Stax? Check. It’s all there, but there’s also a whole lot of Coloured Stone and Warumpi Band influences giving this project a uniquely Australian slant.
Emma grew up singing church songs with her grandparents on the North coast of New South Wales and her first secular gigs were singing in the family band, The Donovans, with her mother and five uncles.Throughout her career, she has toured and recorded with many of the mainstays of Indigenous music from Archie Roach to Dan Sultan and was a part of the Black Arm Band project. It was in The Black Arm Band that Emma met members of The Putbacks and their journey together began.
The Putbacks are stone cold pros, grizzled veterans of all the tours and all the studios. As individuals, they’re the players behind so many bands it’s difficult to list, but let’s start with Hiatus Kaiyote, The Bombay Royale, D.D Dumbo, Swooping Duck and The Meltdown. When they come together, they’re one of the tightest, sharpest, most dynamic musical units ever to exist. Their collaboration with Emma elevates their music and Emma’s songs to another level. Emma Donovan & The Putbacks have together released three studio albums: Dawn (2014), Crossover (2020) and Under These Streets (2021).
"Driven by brutally honest lyricism, irresistible percussion and a purist’s respect for the funk and soul tradition, Dawn hearkens back to the heyday of Stax and Atlantic Recordings" – Karaslamb, Okay Player
“Emma’s voice is everything you’d want in a soul singer. She’s the real deal.” – Wax Poetics
"Donovan can front a well-oiled soul band in her sleep” – Rolling Stone AU
“A tour de force of funk and soul hailing from the land down under” – Pop Matters
Tickets
ADULT
$55.00
CONCESSION
$50.00
The Venue: The Engine Room
Take a seat in the Engine Room and expect the unexpected – intimate, edgy and topical dramas, new pieces and reinterpretations of old favourites.
More about The Engine RoomTerms and Conditions
This event is sold on behalf of the organisation responsible for presenting this event and is subject to the conditions applicable to that event and/or the venue where held.
All sales are final. There is no refund or exchange on tickets except as provided for under the Live Performance Australia Ticketing Code of Practice.
The right is reserved to vary advertised programmes and to add, withdraw or substitute artists as necessary.
The management reserves the right to refuse admission.
Latecomers may not be admitted until there is a convenient break in the performance.
The use of cameras or other recording devise and equipment constitutes a breach of copyright and is strictly forbidden.
Patrons must ensure all electronic devices are switched off or to silent throughout the performance.
Persons bearing a concession ticket must carry proof of entitlement.
G.S.T. included where applicable.