Abby Dobson brings the cabaret to Speakeasy

AUSTRALIAN singer/songwriter Abby Dobson will join the Speakeasy lineup of artists in Byron Theatre’s forthcoming series of cabaret shows on January 10.

Dobson’s star rose in the 1990s as the platinum-selling Leonardo’s Bride singer. The band’s chart-topping hit When I’m Sleeping won APRA’s Song of the Year and made it into the Top 20 Australian Songs of All Time.

She honed her craft busking the streets of Paris, Athens, and New York, where the young artist became steeped in developing her soulful voice and captivating performance skills.

Dobson established a successful solo career and produced and co-produced her two original solo albums, It’s Okay, Sweetheart and Rise Up. The singer also wows audiences as part of the faux French cabaret outfit Baby et Lulu.

Crossing over from jazz to cabaret, pop to rock, her career has taken her down varied musical roads.

“I’m not sure if there is a genre that feels best,” Dobson said.

“If I’m playing with people whose musicality inspires and opens exciting pathways of expression for me, then that’s the genre I love.

“In this show, we’re doing stuff from my solo albums, Leonardo’s Bride and Baby et Lulu, plus a few select covers we love to do around the piano after dinners with friends. David has a beautiful voice.”

Dobson has had a long love affair with Byron Bay and is excited to return.

“My eldest brother used to live there in the early 80s when I was still at school,” she said.

“I would catch the mail train up every school holiday, and he would pick me up at the Rails. It was my favourite place in the world.

“I’d buy Paddle Pops from the Top Shop – when it was just a milk bar.

“Now my mother and many friends live up there too, so it’s even more of a special place, despite the radical changes that have transformed the town from the idyllic anti-capitalist utopia it once was.”

The intimate show of original songs and beloved tunes spanning her long career will feature friend and collaborator David Lane on grand piano and vocal harmonies.

Abby Dobson plays Byron Theatre’s Speakeasy series on Friday, January 10.

For tickets, visit byroncentre.com.au/theatre-events/the-byron-speakeasy-presents-abby-dobson