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Steve Edmonds. Photo supplied: Steve Edmonds Band
Airlie Beach Hotel will hum with the riffs of Jimi Hendrix and the guitar anthems that defined the ’70s when the Steve Edmonds Band brings a weekend of classic blues rock to the stage on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th November.
Their Hendrix & Heroes show runs from 2pm to 5.30pm both days, giving music lovers plenty of reasons to leave their seats and hit the dance floor.
Fronted by singer and guitarist Steve Edmonds, with Graham Burns on bass and vocals and Ben Elliot on drums, the trio celebrates Hendrix by putting their own spin on his music.
“We don’t go out there to do like an absolute concept where we’re kind of imitating,” Steve said.
“We use his songs to be ourselves.”
That freedom is part of what keeps Steve coming back to Hendrix’s music, with each performance offering an opportunity to explore something different on the guitar.
“I like to do any of the Hendrix tunes because they kind of tick those boxes for me as a musician,” he said.
“I get to improvise, which is my kind of goal.”
The show generally unfolds in two parts, opening with Hendrix before moving into the ‘Heroes’ set, celebrating the guitar greats who helped shape Steve’s love of music.
“It’s a salute to all the great guitar songs and great guitar bands of the ’70s, which I guess is the kind of peak guitar era,” he said.
Expect music from ZZ Top, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, with a set designed to welcome casual listeners as much as devoted guitar fans.
“Just some stuff to dance to, or sing along with,” Steve said.
“We just play the room and sort of feel out what we should do at the moment, and then have a crack at it.”
Steve brings more than three decades of experience to the stage, having recorded and toured with Australian favourites including Jimmy Barnes, Billy Thorpe and the late Renée Geyer, gaining lessons that no amount of practice alone could provide.
“I got to play with some fantastic musicians and learn firsthand on the stage,” he said.
While the music industry has changed, Steve believes the connection between a band and its audience remains as powerful as ever.
“If you see a really good, tight, strong band and they’re projecting and you’re feeling it, and you understand it,” Steve said, that’s what makes a good gig.
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