Women performers can be “entirely unique”, says Kate Ceberano, flashing a bright smile.
And, she should know. Ceberano’s achievements in Australian music have marked her out as quite unique herself.
In her career she has recorded 11 platinum and eight gold albums, had 10 albums in the Top 10, 15 Top 40 singles, three Countdown awards, five ARIA awards and performed live more than 6,000 times.
“We have to keep presenting ourselves [women] with equal opportunity, instead of trying to compare our experience to anyone else’s,” she tells me over a Zoom call from her home in Melbourne.
“We [women] have to keep presenting ourselves with equal opportunity and instead of trying to compare our experience to anyone else’s. We just have to make the female experience entirely unique.”
They are fighting words, which have set the tone for her upcoming Australian Made tour this June, a 22-date national regional celebration to mark 40 years since she performed in the same-named tour alongside INXS, The Saints, Jimmy Barnes and The Divinvls.
I’d stand in the wings and they would pass by me and I couldn’t speak. I was starstruck!
The legendary Australian line-up was a once in a lifetime experience for Ceberano that as a young performer taught her some valuable lessons.
“Regardless of your gender you have to be really good at what you do, like you should never be offered something that you are not truly worthy of whether you’re a male or female,” she adds.
“Know in your heart that you are the best that you could possibly ever be in the field that you’re interested in and get the job because you’re a professional and by that attitude you won’t ever feel less than anyone on the field.”
In 2014 Ceberano became the first woman inducted into the Australian Songwriters Association Hall of Fame. More recently she joined the bill of Roar Festival in Melbourne which celebrated women in the Australian music industry on International Women’s Day. Ceberano performed alongside the likes of Tania Doko, Ella Hooper and her daughter, Gypsy Lee.
“These people supported some of the most famous Australian female artists in their lifetimes but don’t often get the guernsey because they’re in the backline,” she says.
I ask her what it was like as a young 20-year-old woman to step on stage with I’m Talking for the original Australian Made tour in 1986 and working with INXS and Barnes.
“Being a fan of a lot of those musicians like INXS and Chrissy Amphlett, every time they would come up on stage I’d stand in the wings and they would pass by me and I couldn’t speak,” she remembers.
“I was starstruck!”
Kate Ceberano performing, aged 20, at the original Australian Made tour in 1986. Image: supplied.
Her upcoming tour, which starts on June 6, is very full circle for Ceberano who will perform songs from the artists at the 1986 shows.
“It’s such a great way for me and my public to jump back into that pool of love and remember all the songs that were the soundtrack to our memories as young people,” she says.
“The arts and the music always keep us connected because we go to the deeper part of our souls with music.”
Indie-pop musician Harts and rock guitarist Kathleen Halloran will join Ceberano on stage as they shift seamlessly through eras and influences.
Fans can expect a unique show with the trio of artists playing a range of different instruments, including drums, keyboard and bass.
“We have this little power trio that’s going to really try to make really, really big sound,” she laughs.
“We have to make a big sound as big as INXS and a small sound as Paul Kelly and intimate and familiar. Its gonna be good.
“It will definitely be a masterclass for any young punks who think all there is to rock and roll is three chords.”
A lot of this stuff like Australian Made was all before social media, there wasn’t a lot of documentation on what happened.
Ceberano speaks fondly of her co-acts on the upcoming tour.
“Kathleen’s a really exciting, new electric guitarist, blues player whose got a really big fanbase herself,” she tells me. “I think it’s a great way to be able to mentor and give people opportunity to be exposed to different audiences so I’m really happy for her.
“He (Harts) was mentored by Prince who thought that he was a bit of a genius and he really is a genius, he’s amazing! He’s also going to be doing a lot of the documentary because we are shooting a lot of this as a 40-year anniversary.”
Asking her more about the documentary Ceberano again laughs and explains I’m the first journalist she’s mentioned it to.
“It’s breaking news!,” she says. “When you’ve done 40 years of this and a lot of this stuff like Australian Made was all before social media, there wasn’t a lot of documentation on what happened.
“So, I really wanted to document this, showing people how the material back in the ’80s used to sit really comfortably together with all this different music from different bands.”
Ceberano says artists shouldn’t be confined to one genre because musicians are curious and eager to try new things especially after a lifetime in the industry.
“You’ve got to live your life and I hope I can tell that story and film that experience for audiences.”
Kate Ceberano will embark on a 22-stop tour across Victoria, New South Wales, ACT, Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory from June 6 to August 23.
Tickets to all shows are now available from www.kateceberano.com
Main image of Kate Ceberano supplied.
