NOTES FROM UNDERGROUND
To be described, in front of a crowd of London’s great and good, as the ‘Goddess of Gargle’ might be considered more an embarrassment than a compliment. Mind you, when the person doing the describing is none other than Jean Paul Gaultier the context alters somewhat.
The incident is but one of many bits of weirdness dotting – perhaps defining – the professional life of Sydney chanteuse Christa Hughes.
The next installment in her distinguished career comes on Friday, November 11, when she will grace the stage at The Basement to launch her brand new album, a collection of 1920s-style vaudeville bawdies called ‘Shonky’ (published by ABC Music).
On stage with her and her band will be her father, singer Dick Hughes, which is altogether fitting – the father has been both mentor to, and collaborator with, the daughter ever since the young lass first started belting out the blues in the long-gone Sydney jazz club, Soup Plus.
Since those days, of course, she has done many wondrous thngs, earning herself a fine reputation as a polished and uncompromising performer.
Early shows found her banging out numbers with US blues luminaries such as Brownie McGhee and Katie Webster. After that she fronted a couple of bands before flitting off to the UK and the US, where she fell in with the likes of M Gaultier.
Returning to Sydney she did a bit more cabaret, followed by a rock opera at the Sydney Opera House. Triple-J fame followed shortly after when she co-founded a band called Machine Gun Fellatio.
Following the break up of MGF she ran away to join the circus – Circus Oz, in fact, with which she toured for two solid years.
There have been other highlights. She’s appeared in movies, forinstance, and so, of course (perhaps inevitably), ended up delighting and scandalising the cognoscenti of Cannes by singing to them a particularly descriptive version of ‘My Favourite Things’.
We could go on, but you get the picture – Christa Hughes is one hell of a performer, and the launch of her album will be one hell of a show.
We have four double passes to give away. To score one, just bell The Basement box office during business hours on 9251 2797.
For a full list of shows at The Basement: www.thebasement.com.au
Contact the writer: amasterson@thebasement.net.au
BY ANDREW MASTERSON
