There once was a band that played a Blues Brothers tribute show, but what happens when you outshine the ‘tribute’ mantle? Allow me to introduce you to The Soul Men.
A big band comprised of four instrumentalists in the rhythm section, three in the brass section and three dynamic vocalists, The Soul Men energise the stage with a mixture of dance, laughter and the kind of tunes that’ll make you mourn what music once was.
Though, like all great things, it had to start somewhere: jump back almost two decades and by chance you may encounter a young Greg Hill auditioning for the Universal Studios’ performance of The Blues Brothers.
Greg Hill rolled into the open audition at Universal Studios Japan in 2001, his motorcycle and slicked-back hair disguising his performing-arts background. However, his leather jacket and torn jeans couldn’t do much to hide his stellar voice. After jolting the judges to life and melting their expectations, Greg was no longer a James Dean-looking kid from Australia; he was Jake Blues.
Two years passed and Greg, failing to suppress his performing-arts passion, left Universal Studios filled with the inspiration to “assemble a big band to bring The Blues Brothers to life”. After a buzz on his phone and a question taken straight from the film: “Have you got the band back together?,” Jake and Elwood hit the stage to entertain a huge corporate crowd at The 5-Star Sofitel Grand Ballroom in Brisbane. The Blues Brothers had punters shaking their tail feathers, and though it was their debut gig, it was pretty clear these two were on a mission from God.
The brothers quickly earned notches on their belts as they performed for countless charity events and festivals, such as: Kids With Cancer, Flood Relief, and Mitchell Creek Rock ‘N’ Blues Fest. With every gig the band acquired more members, until they reached the full quotient of ten musicians to present the Blues Brothers as faithfully as possible.
With Malcom ‘The Major’ Bell leading the band on drums, his son Damian ‘The Minor’ Bell on bass guitar, Andrew ‘The Kid’ Fincher smashing the keys like no other and Travis ‘T.J’ Earsman shredding on lead guitar, this rhythm section has its mojo going on. Add to that the talented Brad ‘The Mad Dog’ Scriven on Sax, Dan ‘The Code Breaker’ Brown on trumpet and Andy ‘The Bones’ Troy on trombone, this horn section is really taking care of business.
Playing Elwood to Greg’s Jake is renowned singer and harmonica wizard Brent Moetara, and playing the role of vocal powerhouse Mrs Murphy is the incomparable Asabi Goodman.
With the band back together, the choreography spirited and the jokes loaded the only thing the band needed was a pair of wheels. In true Blues Brothers fashion Greg acquired a ’77 Fairlane fully-loaded with a Cleveland 351 and transformed it into the Blues Mobile. Greg stayed so true to the beast that he hid the stereo inside the glove box, just so they could keep it ‘original’ whilst blasting the tunes when cruising.
The Soul Men aren’t just a tribute act; they’re a time-machine to an era where dropping the bass actually meant dropping your bass guitar. You won’t find an act like this anywhere so shake a tail feather and go catch them live.
For bookings or more information call Greg on 0424 002 747.
I would like to introduce you to the hardest working band from Brisbane’s streets: The Soul Men - Tribute to the Commitments. The band specialise in performing music from the movie ‘The Commitments’, and they do it damn well. The band cover all your favourite rock, soul and pop classics brought back into popularity by the 1991 film. Rather than just a tribute band, they’re a portal into the humble days of blues and soul.
The Soul Men have rocked the club circuit, festivals and other events with their resurrection of the classics for almost a decade. Crowds experiencing their lively performance are transported into an oasis alive with classic rhythm and blues, however the show isn’t just about reliving the glory days. The music is reverberating through to the next generation of fans, illuminating the true origins of R&B and enthralling crowds to dance along with the choreography of the band – rather than getting lost in a mosh pit.
With musical roots like these, this band is bringing soul back to the people, uniting cardigans and rock band tees to the same beat and inspiring crowds to really shake their tail feather. Lead vocalist and blues showman Greg Hill believes everybody can dance, it just takes the right beat. You can bet you will find that beat, and an infestation of tapping toes at a Soul Men - Tribute to the Commitments show.
Come on a journey with the band and be transformed by Australia’s own version of Dublin Soul. This isn’t just a band; this is entertainment. They are the saviours of soul. They are The Soul Men.
Greg Hill - Vocals, Louise Smith – Vocals, Ella King – Vocals, Eve King – Vocals, Malcolm ‘The Major’ Bell - Drums, Damien ‘The Minor’ Bell – Bass, Travis ‘TJ’ Earsman - Guitar, Andrew ‘The Kid’ Fincher – Keys, Clint ‘The Lips’ Allen - Trumpet, Brad ‘The Mad Dog’ Scriven - Saxophone, Andy ‘The Bones’ Troy – Trombone
With the remarkable success of both the Soul Men Blues Brothers Show and their Tribute to The Commitments, it was a no-brainer to form The Soul Men – Soul, Rhythm and Blues Revue. This show is a non-stop hit factory featuring the best tracks from both acts, guaranteed to get the crowd moving.
A band with character is hard come by these days, and The Soul Men – Soul, Rhythm and Blues Revue rekindle the spirit of true showmanship and embody the essence of the old bluesmen.
Dressed to impress, rehearsed to a tee and built on years of experience, this act provides a first-class experience of classic Soul and R&B songs filled with sing-a-long choruses and infectious dance steps.
This 7-piece band brings vigour to every note they play and can arouse even the most apathetic youths to move to the music they were conceived to. “We’re a not just a band, we’re a show,” Greg Hill, lead vocalist testifies, “We’re here to make people dance again.” The Soul Men – Soul, Rhythm and Blues Revue are bringing back entertainment, so rather than a room full of people staring at their phones, we have a full dance floor, a busy bar and an atmosphere of goodwill and good times.
The Soul Men – Soul, Rhythm and Blues Revue are here to turn an ordinary night into a simply unforgettable one.
Greg Hill - Vocals, Malcolm ‘The Major’ Bell - Drums, Damien ‘The Minor’ Bell – Bass, Travis ‘TJ’ Earsman - Guitar, Andrew ‘The Kid’ Fincher – Keys, Brad ‘The Mad Dog’ Scriven - Saxophone, Clint ‘The Lips’ Allen - Trumpet