Dad-daughter uke act strikes a chord

MUCH-loved Mullumbimby ukulele player Stuart Eadie and his daughter Rosie are preparing to perform a special father-daughter set at The Top Mullumbimby before heading to Sydney for another performance together.

Known locally as ‘Stukulele’, Eadie first picked up the small string instrument in 2011 after his wife gave him a ukulele as a Father’s Day gift.

He quickly fell in love with the ukulele because of its versatility and simplicity.

“Playing the guitar was such a stretch because you’ve got two extra strings you have to worry about,” he said. “The ukulele just makes everything so much easier. Because they’re so portable, they’re a great social instrument. I also love the challenge of approaching music with the limitation of having just four strings.”

Rosie, 22, began playing when she was around four years old.

“I think she pretty much copied, watched and picked it up by herself,” Eadie said. “Singing is more her thing now, though I think it’s important to be able to accompany yourself.”

Rosie would occasionally join her father on stage during the Mullum Uke Club sessions he hosts every Wednesday night at the Mullumbimby Ex-Services Club.

The pair were in Sydney attending the memorial for Midnight Oil drummer Rob Hirst when Eadie received an unexpected phone call from an old keyboard player friend saying someone he knew was producing a play involving ukuleles.

“It’s about a woman in her 50s who takes up the ukulele, and the other male role plays six or so different YouTube instructors,” he said. “Because I am actually a YouTube ukulele instructor in real life, they thought it would be good to have me as part of the promotion. I decided that I wouldn’t be able to do a whole hour by myself because I’m not a strong enough a singer, and that’s how ‘Dad Daughter Ukulele’ was born.”

Before taking the show to Sydney, the duo decided to stage a preview performance at The Top Pub in Mullumbimby to test audience reactions and fine-tune the show.

With Rosie becoming increasingly interested in pursuing singing, Eadie said the upcoming performances feel like something of a final chapter for the pair’s musical collaboration.

“Rosie and I do have a very special bond through music,” he said. “I hope our show reminds people of the power of playing music together.”

Dad Daughter Ukulele is at Mullumbimby Top Pub in Mullumbimby at 7pm Saturday 6 June. Tickets are available via Humanitix.