Ed Kuepper returned to Freo.Social with his The Exploding Universe of Ed Kuepper, the first live band experience of Ed Kuepper’s solo material since 2009.
Featuring Ed’s legendary sparring partner Mark Dawson on drums, Sunnyboys bassist Peter Oxley plus celebrated pianist Alister Spence and brass maestro Eamon Dilworth, The Exploding Universe tackled the best of Kuepper’s recent vinyl reissues Electrical Storm and the classic Honey Steel’s Gold.
Electrical Storm of course, was Kuepper’s first solo outing having spent the previous ten years spearheading two of Australia’s most pioneering and productive bands; The Saints and Laughing Clowns.
But with success largely eluding both those outfits Kuepper was resigned to retirement. Recently married though, and on his honeymoon he took an acoustic guitar and surprised even himself writing an album’s worth of material including some of his most enduring tracks Electrical Storm, Car Headlights and Master Of Twin Servants.
It was the beginning of a whole new phase for Kuepper that saw him become a leading drawcard across Australia’s burgeoning pub-scene of the 1980s and taking him ultimately to 1992’s ARIA-award winning Honey Steel’s Gold, an album that peaked at No.28 on the mainstream charts and which features his most well-known solo tracks Everything I’ve Got (Belongs to You) and The Way I Made You Feel. In 2010 Honey Steel’s Gold was even listed at no.50 in the book 100 Best Australian Albums joining an earlier work (I’m) Stranded by The Saints.
With thanks to Dave Laing and Dave Laing Publicity for the media access.
Photos by Shotweiler Photography
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