Jeff Buckley's Grace was instrumental to Australian musician Katie Noonan, we chat to her about seeing him live and her stellar career that followed.
It’s February 1996, and music scene in Australia is buzzing. The sun is beating down on the roof of a beat-up Datsun Bluebird as it drives down the highway from Brisbane to Seagulls on the Gold Coast, which is about to become the room in which Jeff Buckley’s Grace will alter the musical course of one young Brisbanite; eighteen-year-old Katie Noonan.
Now, Noonan is about to set off on a national tour celebrating the 30 year anniversary of the album that became the “single biggest influence” on her musical journey.
Katie Noonan: Jeff Buckley’s Grace tour
- Astor Theatre, Perth – Wednesday 17 (just added)
- Astor Theatre, Perth – Thursday 18 September (sold out)
- Hindley Street Music Hall, Adelaide – Saturday 20 September (sold out)
- Hindley Street Music Hall, Adelaide – Sunday 21 September (just added)
- Princess Theatre, Launceston – Friday 26 September
- Odeon Theatre, Hobart – Saturday 27 September
- The Play House, Geelong – Friday 3 October
- Civic Hall, Ballarat – Saturday 4 October
- West Gippsland Arts Centre, Warragul – Sunday 5 October
- Wangaratta Performing Arts & Convention Centre, Wangaratta – Friday 10 October
- Albury Entertainment Centre, Albury – Saturday 11 October
- Canberra Theatre, Canberra – Sunday 12 October
- The Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane – Friday 17 October
- The Station SC, Birtinya – Saturday 18 October
- The J, Noosa – Friday 24 October
- HOTA, Gold Coast – Saturday 25 October
- Northcote Theatre, Melbourne – Thursday 30 October (just added)
- Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo – Friday 31 October
- Gippsland Performing Arts Centre, Traralgon – Saturday 1 November
- Hamer Hall, Melbourne – Sunday 2 November
- Anita’s Theatre, Thirroul – Thursday 6 November
- Enmore Theatre, Sydney – Friday 7 November
- Civic Theatre, Newcastle – Saturday 8 November
- Tickets: here
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Jeff Buckley’s Grace was released in 1994 to only a smattering of applause from his home country in the USA, landing itself at 149.
However, it sparked a Buckley fever across Australia as the album smashed into the Top 10.
His Flowers in Time tour crossed the country in 1996, stopping at what Katie Noonan says “was basically an RSL, not the most illustrious venue” on the Gold Coast, but for Buckley, it didn’t have to be.
His soaring vocals and crooner look completely redirected Noonan’s musical journey.
“I realise now, thirty years later, how much it influenced me. I basically started my band George the next month.”
Having finished a year of her opera degree, Noonan rerouted her sound from classical and jazz toward rock, and you can hear the influence of this spectrum of musical agility with the works of George and her first album, Polyserena.
Noonan’s amalgamation of sounds connected her in such a deep way to Grace.
“I was surprised and perplexed and excited that [Buckley] had a random Benjamin Britten carol on a Rock ‘n’ Roll record, alongside a beautiful show tune which he turned into a jazz ballad, that would be made famous by people like Nina Simone.”
Noonan doesn’t consider this tour, which will be travelling through capital cities and regional Victoria from September, a tribute.
Rather, this ode to Grace is a homage.
“I’m not going to sing like Jeff. Having heard all of his live stuff, he never did anything the same way twice either”.
Rather, Noonan’s Grace tour promises to be full of life and love as her adoration for Jeff and his art is evident in the way she speaks of her live experience with him.
“The two things that struck me most in his performance was that he was absolutely connected to an otherworldly spiritual plain.
“I think he had a capacity to connect with whatever that magical, otherworldly, ether space is, and that’s been my approach for music all my life.”
“He was incredibly real in a very un-American way. I think Australians love authentic storytelling, and that we have a pretty high bullshit radar, and there was no bullshit. It was all very genuine from a place of serving the art, and not so much the ego. Even though his talent is prodigiously freaky, it didn’t feel like he was showing off, he was exploring. That’s the eternal search of any good musician to just keep exploring and getting better and better. I remember thinking, that’s the shit – that’s what I want to do.”
“I’ve just turned 48. I was 18 when I saw Jeff, and that’s been a big journey. I’ve only really felt the desire to celebrate this work now, mostly because my youngest son, Jonah – who has just turned 18 – is at the age where I was when I was discovering Jeff.”
Katie Noonan’s hope for the tour, among celebrating 30 Years of Buckley’s influence on the musical world, aims to connect with those who experienced Grace through the 90s, and to introduce the album to people Jonah’s age.
“I still listen to it now and think it sounds incredible. It’s a master work that has stood the test of time. I want to introduce this music to a wider generation so they can explore the amazing artist Jeff was, because sadly, I don’t think an artist like Jeff could cut through today. The music industry is so homogenised, and Jeff was completely interesting”.
Katie Noonan: Jeff Buckley’s Grace kicks off in September and will tour nationally through to November, with special guests Georgia Fields supporting all Victoria shows plus Albury, NSW and Jack Carty across the rest of the country.
Get your tickets here.
