By PETER DOUGLAS
BELGRAVE will play host to music royalty as Jeff Martin touches down for a special performance on Sunday 13 December.
For this show, the Tea Party frontman will leave behind his penchant for exotic instruments and unveil just his acoustic guitar.
Martin is coming off a productive year creatively and audiences will be treated to some new material as well as some Tea Party favourites.
The enigmatic multi-instrumentalist told the Mail that he is looking forward to performing within an intimate setting.
“We’ve had a heavy touring year so I’m looking forward to playing some acoustic shows,” he said.
“It’s proof of the quality of Tea Party songs that you can strip them back bare and they still sound great.”
Martin is well-known for his fondness of Middle-Eastern music and tunings.
He’s been in Morocco playing around with different instruments and writing new songs.
The Canadian band has developed a close relationship with Australia and first endeared themselves to national audiences in 1994 with its single Save Me.
Founding members Martin, Jeff Burrows and Stuart Chatwood have worked tirelessly since, releasing many hits.
The band broke up in 2005, citing creative differences, but reunited in 2011.
Martin attributed their longevity to their close bond.
“I’ve known Jeff (Burrows) since I was five years old, there are not many bands that have their origins in their childhood,” he said.
“We love each other like family, we fight like brothers too but that’s what makes the Tea Party a very special band.”
The band has just played to sold-out shows in Brisbane.
Martin, too, has been expanding his horizons creatively, driving a highly successful sound art exhibition in Sydney.
There are also plans for solo releases next year, as well as continuing his ongoing collaborations with singer-songwriter Sarah McLeod.
