Lauralee Faith and The Fat Wallet Blues Band | Prince of Wales Hotel Bunbury

Name: Lauralee Faith and The Fat Wallet Blues Band | Prince of Wales Hotel Bunbury
Start: 2026-05-08T19:00:00+08:00
Location: The Prince Of Wales Hotel

Schedule

Fri, 08 May, 2026 at 07:00 pm

UTC+08:00

Location

The Prince Of Wales Hotel | Bunbury, WA

𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐈𝐧 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬 – 𝐀 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐞
Lauralee Faith and The Fat Wallet Blues Band, joined by acclaimed local blues songstress Beth Chia, present a soul-stirring tribute to the trailblazing women who shaped the blues with unmatched creativity, emotional depth, and raw power.
Kicking off the evening is Beth Chia, a cherished Southwest WA favourite known for her ethereal yet edgy blend of blues, roots rock, sultry vocals, and captivating guitar work. Hailing from Balingup and a regular at Perth and regional blues scenes, she has supported Ash Grunwald, Abbe May, Dan Howls, Blue Shaddy and played 2025 Ravo Blues n roots. Beth brings her powerful, moody presence to set the perfect tone, blending exotic rhythms and heartfelt originals that honour the genre's spirit while feeling utterly fresh and local.
The inspiration for this special show springs from our own powerhouse singer, Lauralee Faith, a third-generation Perth performer who grew up immersed in the voices of legends like Koko Taylor, Bessie Smith, Janis Joplin, Ella Fitzgerald, Amy Winehouse, and Aretha Franklin. "Honouring the women who defined the blues felt inevitable," Lauralee says. "Their stories, struggles, and sheer emotion shaped me, and they deserve to be celebrated."
Since forming The Fat Wallet Blues Band, they have aimed to deliver blues that's vibrant, energetic, and deeply alive: journeying from the genre's roots to its modern edges, re-energising classics with contemporary fire while spotlighting under-the-radar female artists who've reimagined the sound in extraordinary ways.
Highlights include our take on Bessie Smith's 1929 gem "Nobody Knows When You're Down and Out", inspired by Susan Tedeschi's soulful modern version; And a show-stopping rendition of "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" (the Al Kooper classic made iconic by Donny Hathaway), where Lauralee channels the gospel fire of Beth Hart and the raw vulnerability of Amy Winehouse into one heart-wrenching, soul-busting performance.
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗱, 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘀 - 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳:
• Aretha Franklin, the ultimate musical matriarch, whose sons Clarence, Edward, Teddy, and Kecalf performed with her and carry her legacy forward.
• Etta James, whose musician sons Donto and Sametto toured and played alongside her.
• Koko Taylor ("Queen of the Blues"), whose daughter Cookie (Joyce Threatt) managed her career and joined her on stage.
• Sam Brown, mother to daughter Vicki and son Mohan.
• Susan Tedeschi (Tedeschi Trucks Band), mum to son Charles Kahlil and daughter Sophia Naima.
• Shemekia Copeland, who received the ultimate Mother's Day gift in 2016 when she learned she was pregnant with son Johnny Lee Copeland-Schultz.
• Ana Popović, the proud "rock-mommy" balancing global touring with her son and daughter.
They also pay heartfelt tribute to the blues voices that burned brightest and left us too soon - Janis Joplin and Amy Winehouse. Separated by decades yet bound by the same fierce, blues-soaked spirit, both poured joy, pain, love, and loss into every note. Both found their true tribe on stage, wrestled openly with their demons, became spiritual mothers to generations who found solace in their vulnerability, and both were lost at 27 to substance abuse, leaving us forever wondering what more they might have created.
While many of these icons are celebrated for their voices, their instrumental prowess often steals the show too:
• Guitar wizards: Ana Popović, Susan Tedeschi, Samantha Fish, Joanne Shaw Taylor
• Slide guitar queen: Bonnie Raitt
• Bass powerhouse: Danielle Nicole
• Piano/Keys masters: Beth Hart, Sam Brown, Judith Hill
• Sax fire: Vanessa Collier
• Harmonica & Drums trailblazer: Big Mama Thornton
To all the music-loving mums, blues mamas, and families - this Mother's Day weekend, join Beth Chia, Lauralee Faith, and The Fat Wallet Blues Band as we raise a glass (and our voices) to the women who proved the blues isn't just music... it's survival, resilience, and unbreakable spirit.