Thursday, August 24, 2023

Issue:

Mackay and Whitsunday Life

A Trip Down Memory Lane

By Sam Gillespie

She’s mesmerised audiences across the world on the stage and the screen, and now Mackay gets its chance to experience acclaimed singer/songwriter Bloom performing her Stevie Nicks, Carole King and Linda Ronstadt Songbook. Sam spoke to Bloom about her musical motivation, what we can expect from the show and her important fundraising work.

You’ve clearly got a wide variety of experiences in the music industry, from writing your own music to tribute shows and even The Voice. How do you balance it all?

It’s pretty chockers. I like being busy and as a creative person, the variety of all the different artists that I cover plus the creativity of writing my own stuff, it definitely keeps it interesting, and I never get bored.

What motivates you to keep so busy?

Performance, for sure. I love to connect with people. I love being on the road and travelling. That’s what makes all the admin and the behind-the-scenes stuff worth it … I just love being with a live audience and creating a show together with that audience because every show is different depending on who’s there. The audience is a big part of the show, so I love meeting new people and putting smiles on people’s faces.

Tell me about the show you’re bringing to Mackay, Bloom sings Stevie Nicks, Carole King & Linda Ronstadt.

That one is one of my favourite shows just because it allows the audience to take a trip down memory lane. A lot of the songs are older than I am so it’s nice to see cross-generations, mothers and daughters, everyone experiencing these songs. These songs are soundtracks to people’s lives, so it brings back a lot of memories and I find that to be super powerful. Everybody leaves buzzing because the songs have taken them back to their youth and being that it’s Stevie Nicks, Carole King and Linda Ronstadt, trailblazers in the music industry, hit after hit after hit, there’s not one song that people don’t know.

Can you tell me more about the fundraising you’re doing with the show?

Linda Ronsdadt can no longer sing due to her Parkinson’s, so with that, I just decided to bring deeper meaning to the tour and help Australians with Parkinson’s, so I’m an Ambassador for Shake It Up Australia and so far, we’ve raised over $30,000 for Australians with Parkinson’s.

How important is it to you to utilise your talents for such a good cause?

It’s one of the most important things I do, because, unfortunately, I’m not a scientist, so I’m not one of the people out there working everyday to try and find a cure, so if I can use my platform to contribute to that in my way, which is by raising the funds so we can keep those people researching, then we’re making a difference.

WHAT: Bloom sings Stevie Nicks, Carole King & Linda Ronstadt Songbook

WHEN: Sunday, July 30, 3:00pm

WHERE: The Metropolitan Hotel

TICKETS: Oztix

Bloom will perform the songs of Stevie Nicks, Carole King and Linda Ronstadt at the Metropolitan Hotel on July 30

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