Review By Dennis Atkins

The Cave Inn in Woolloongabba, one of Brisbane’s liveliest emerging, small music venues, was already buzzing when the doors opened on a Friday evening in mid-September.A merch table offered CDs and vinyl, while raffle tickets promised prizes ranging from tickets to British comedian Bill Bailey’s Brisbane show to a hand crafted feature mirror, with a top prize of six psychotherapy sessions for anyone feeling a little lost.

But the music was the main draw, and this was no ordinary Friday night. Blues singer-songwriter, guitarist and all-round entertainer Lecia Louise was launching her new record, Strike to Ignite.

The performance followed Lecia’s victory at the Blues Association of Southeast Queensland (BASEQ) playoff at Lefty’s, earning her the chance to represent the local blues community at next January’s International Blues Challenge in Memphis. At that playoff, held on a Sunday afternoon in late August, Lecia won over both the judges and the crowd.

BASEQ backed her success with $4,000 to help offset the costs of travelling to the United States and living in Memphis during the competition. That contribution, while most welcome, will cover only part of the needed expenses, so Lecia is continuing to raise funds for the trip. The Cave Inn launch was one fundraiser; another is scheduled for the end of October, when she will headline the BASEQ monthly jam at the Royal Mail Hotel in Goodna.

Friday night’s show delighted the crowd gathered in the cosy venue, where live music and pizzas are firm favourites.

After a warm-up set from Michelle Belle, Lecia and her band delivered an eight-song set, drawing largely from the new album. Songs including Woodstock, Admirable Woman, Saturday Night, One Man, Reeperbahn Blues and Hot Blooded Woman were warmly received.
The standout crowd favourite was Love’s Fool, the album opener. To demonstrate the unity of Brisbane’s blues scene, this song is a joint composition of Lecia and 8-Ball Aitken, one of last year’s winners at the Lefty’s International Blues Challenge playoff.

Lecia’s high-class guitar work illustrated her love of the giant of genre bending blues from the 1960s, the late Jimi Hendrix, someone she cites as an early influence.
She was backed by a tight blues unit: Christian O’Donnell on guitar and backing vocals, Craig Kickbush on bass and vocals, and Mark Hinman on drums – with Leica demonstrating a critical ability to follow and lead blues musical pathways.

At the October blues jam in Goodna, Lecia will perform primarily as a solo act, although she is keen to join some of the afternoon’s jams.
Overall, the Cave Inn gig offered a spirited showcase for Brisbane’s new musical ambassador, plenty of enjoyment for the crowd and the perfect soundtrack to those terrific pizzas.

Lecia says she still has a limited number of special-edition vinyl copies of Strike to Ignite available online and has promised to sign each record – vinyl or CD – before it is posted. They’re available using these links:
https://www.lecialouisemusic.com/strike-to-ignite-cd/
https://www.lecialouisemusic.com/strike-to-ignite-vinyl/