Pearly Black
Encyclopedia
Pearly Black is an Australia
n singer. Her performance style varies widely, performing with several ensembles in different genres and in short-run shows. She is perhaps best known for collaborations with avant-garde composer and musician John Rodgers
, including their "sex-and-death-cabaret-rock" band Madam Bones Brothel which developed a cult following in Brisbane
and Melbourne
.
in the late 1980s where she met John Rodgers
(sometimes known as John Bone) and created Madam Bones Brothel.
She moved to Melbourne
in the early 1990s (with John and other Brothel members) and worked extensively over the next 10 years in many diverse settings. Apart from performing solo and with Madam Bones Brothel, she was a member of acoustic prog-rock duo Diastima, Robin Casinader
's folk-noir ensemble Hood, stadium-disco band Butt Funky, and the short-lived latin/cabaret quartet Las Tangolitas.
During her time in Melbourne, Pearly also sang with Petrunka (the Melbourne Women's Bulgarian Choir) and performed as a local cast member for dance troupe Stomp
.
In 1996 Pearly had a minor (but prominent) role in the film Love and Other Catastrophes
as "Woman in Bathroom Making Love".
In 2003, Pearly lived in Hobart
and studied at the Conservatory of Music and with Maria Lurighi. She was a member of the Southern Gospel Choir
.
She returned to Brisbane in 2004 and once again began collaborating with John Rodgers. She has performed with John and other musicians in many and varied circumstances including in the gospel revue Tell Heaven, in the transcendental cabaret The Ultimate Prize - A John Rodgers Retrospective, and with The God Botherers (the precursor to Tell Heaven).
She was a member of the cast in 2004 for Women in Voice, Brisbane's annual singing showcase, alongside Chrissy Amphlett
and Kate Miller-Heidke
. Her performance was described as having a smoldering moodiness.
She has twice performed in shows with music composed by John in Mount Isa to audiences of thousands of people for the Queensland Music Festival
- Bobcat Dancing in 2003 and Bobcat Magic! in 2005. She performed lead vocals in a 2007 show for the Queensland Music Festival The Dream Catchers, also written by John Rodgers, held in Innisfail
.
In 2006, Pearly was a member of the cast for Tom Waits For No Man, a cabaret show featuring the music of Tom Waits
, performed at the Brisbane Cabaret Festival. The show returned for the 2007 season of the Festival by popular demand where it won a Matilda Award (Queensland
's annual theatre industry awards) for the Best Musical Production.
She continues to perform regularly in Brisbane and less regularly in Melbourne. She also offers singing tuition in styles ranging "from jazz to heavy metal".
is a composer, improviser, violinist, pianist, and guitarist. At a young age he was heavily involved in classical music with orchestras, touring Europe and Asia, often appearing as a soloist.
John chose not to follow a promising career in the classical field and Madam Bones Brothel, formed with Pearly, was a sharp rejection of all things represented in the highly-controlled world of classical music. As a composer, John is highly regarded for his creative genius and a vast amount of this uniquely brilliant music has been written for Pearly to perform. The material in Madam Bones Brothel (composed by John) ranged from funk to rap, jazz to rock, country to flamenco, often in the same set.
Madam Bones Brothel has not performed since 2000 but John and Pearly continue to play music together. John plays with Pearly in the gospel group Tell Heaven and they also play as a duo for special events (sometimes performing Madam Bones Brothel songs). John played in the Women In Voice band in 2004 when Pearly was a featured star and one of the songs she performed was The Ultimate Prize, a song previously recorded by The Brothel. In recent years, John has received several major grants to compose music for large shows and Pearly has often been included in the cast. Pearly sings the lead vocals in John's most recent large-scale musical theatre piece, The Dream Catchers.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n singer. Her performance style varies widely, performing with several ensembles in different genres and in short-run shows. She is perhaps best known for collaborations with avant-garde composer and musician John Rodgers
John Rodgers (musician)
John Rodgers is a Brisbane-based Australian composer, improviser, violinist, pianist and guitarist.Rodgers had an early background in classical music. He was the leader of the Australian Youth Orchestra, the Queensland Theatre Orchestra, and the Hunter Orchestra. With these and other orchestras, he...
, including their "sex-and-death-cabaret-rock" band Madam Bones Brothel which developed a cult following in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
and Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.
Career
Pearly began singing in BrisbaneBrisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
in the late 1980s where she met John Rodgers
John Rodgers (musician)
John Rodgers is a Brisbane-based Australian composer, improviser, violinist, pianist and guitarist.Rodgers had an early background in classical music. He was the leader of the Australian Youth Orchestra, the Queensland Theatre Orchestra, and the Hunter Orchestra. With these and other orchestras, he...
(sometimes known as John Bone) and created Madam Bones Brothel.
She moved to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
in the early 1990s (with John and other Brothel members) and worked extensively over the next 10 years in many diverse settings. Apart from performing solo and with Madam Bones Brothel, she was a member of acoustic prog-rock duo Diastima, Robin Casinader
Robin Casinader
Robin Romesh Casinader is an Australian composer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist.He has been a member of many bands including Plays With Marionettes with Hugo Race, The Wreckery with Hugo Race and Nick Barker, and Dave Graney And The Coral Snakes...
's folk-noir ensemble Hood, stadium-disco band Butt Funky, and the short-lived latin/cabaret quartet Las Tangolitas.
During her time in Melbourne, Pearly also sang with Petrunka (the Melbourne Women's Bulgarian Choir) and performed as a local cast member for dance troupe Stomp
Stomp (dance troupe)
Stomp is a percussion group that uses the body and ordinary objects to create a physical theatre performance.-History and performances:...
.
In 1996 Pearly had a minor (but prominent) role in the film Love and Other Catastrophes
Love and Other Catastrophes
Love and Other Catastrophes is a quirky 1996 Australian romantic comedy film featuring Frances O'Connor, Radha Mitchell, Alice Garner, Matthew Dyktynski, Matt Day and Kym Gyngell...
as "Woman in Bathroom Making Love".
In 2003, Pearly lived in Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
and studied at the Conservatory of Music and with Maria Lurighi. She was a member of the Southern Gospel Choir
Southern Gospel Choir
The Southern Gospel Choir is a gospel choir based at the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music in Hobart, Tasmania, and is directed by Dr. Andrew Legg.The choir and its band, the Very Righteous Gospel Band were formed by Dr...
.
She returned to Brisbane in 2004 and once again began collaborating with John Rodgers. She has performed with John and other musicians in many and varied circumstances including in the gospel revue Tell Heaven, in the transcendental cabaret The Ultimate Prize - A John Rodgers Retrospective, and with The God Botherers (the precursor to Tell Heaven).
She was a member of the cast in 2004 for Women in Voice, Brisbane's annual singing showcase, alongside Chrissy Amphlett
Christina Amphlett
Christine Joy Amphlett was the lead singer of Australian rock band Divinyls. She is also known as Chrissy Amphlett.She grew up in Geelong as a singer and dancer...
and Kate Miller-Heidke
Kate Miller-Heidke
Kate Miller-Heidke is a singer-songwriter from Brisbane, Australia. Although classically trained, she has followed a career in alternative pop music. She is signed to Sony Australia, Epic in the US and RCA in the UK.-Career:...
. Her performance was described as having a smoldering moodiness.
She has twice performed in shows with music composed by John in Mount Isa to audiences of thousands of people for the Queensland Music Festival
Queensland Music Festival
The Queensland Music Festival is a series of musical events staged in a number of locations in Queensland, Australia usually around late July, every second year. It is financially supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland and a wide range of other partners...
- Bobcat Dancing in 2003 and Bobcat Magic! in 2005. She performed lead vocals in a 2007 show for the Queensland Music Festival The Dream Catchers, also written by John Rodgers, held in Innisfail
Innisfail, Queensland
Innisfail is a town located in the far north of the state of Queensland, Australia. It is the major township of the Cassowary Coast and is well renowned for its sugar and banana industries, as well as for being one of Australia's wettest towns...
.
In 2006, Pearly was a member of the cast for Tom Waits For No Man, a cabaret show featuring the music of Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
, performed at the Brisbane Cabaret Festival. The show returned for the 2007 season of the Festival by popular demand where it won a Matilda Award (Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
's annual theatre industry awards) for the Best Musical Production.
She continues to perform regularly in Brisbane and less regularly in Melbourne. She also offers singing tuition in styles ranging "from jazz to heavy metal".
Partnership with John Rodgers
John RodgersJohn Rodgers (musician)
John Rodgers is a Brisbane-based Australian composer, improviser, violinist, pianist and guitarist.Rodgers had an early background in classical music. He was the leader of the Australian Youth Orchestra, the Queensland Theatre Orchestra, and the Hunter Orchestra. With these and other orchestras, he...
is a composer, improviser, violinist, pianist, and guitarist. At a young age he was heavily involved in classical music with orchestras, touring Europe and Asia, often appearing as a soloist.
John chose not to follow a promising career in the classical field and Madam Bones Brothel, formed with Pearly, was a sharp rejection of all things represented in the highly-controlled world of classical music. As a composer, John is highly regarded for his creative genius and a vast amount of this uniquely brilliant music has been written for Pearly to perform. The material in Madam Bones Brothel (composed by John) ranged from funk to rap, jazz to rock, country to flamenco, often in the same set.
Madam Bones Brothel has not performed since 2000 but John and Pearly continue to play music together. John plays with Pearly in the gospel group Tell Heaven and they also play as a duo for special events (sometimes performing Madam Bones Brothel songs). John played in the Women In Voice band in 2004 when Pearly was a featured star and one of the songs she performed was The Ultimate Prize, a song previously recorded by The Brothel. In recent years, John has received several major grants to compose music for large shows and Pearly has often been included in the cast. Pearly sings the lead vocals in John's most recent large-scale musical theatre piece, The Dream Catchers.
With Madam Bones Brothel
- Family Of Abjects (1994)
-
- 7 tracks, album
- Fleas On The Bitch (2000)
- 8 tracks, album
- 7 tracks, album
With Hood / Robin Casinader
- Are You Wearing Despair? (not yet released)
-
- 9 tracks, album
- Useful Tunes (2005)
- 11 tracks, album
- 9 tracks, album
With Tell Heaven
- Live At The Judy (2006)
-
- 8 tracks, promotional EP
- White Stone Chapel (2009)
-
- Live concert DVD
Compilation and guest appearances
- Sweet Young Corn (1998) by Sweet Young Corn
-
- Track: Temptation, composed by Tom WaitsTom WaitsThomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
- Track: Cancion Mixteca, composed by Ry CooderRy CooderRyland Peter "Ry" Cooder is an American guitarist, singer and composer. He is known for his slide guitar work, his interest in roots music from the United States, and, more recently, his collaborations with traditional musicians from many countries.His solo work has been eclectic, encompassing...
- Andrew Entsch Tribute Live At The Empress (1999)
- Track: Queen Of Hearts, with Hood
- Deeper Shades (2004) by Bat
- Track: The Place Of The Stars
- Bobcat Magic! (2005)
- Track: When They Shine
- Track: A Weird Kind O' Strange
- Track: If You Happen To Be There, with Sven Swenson
- The Minotaur's Lament (2006) by Dark Waters Tango
- Track: Desire
- Track: Poison Tango
- Track: Temptation, composed by Tom Waits