Oscar LaDell

Blues and soul got into Oscar LaDell early. A second generation musician, raised on almost nothing but those two genres in a small seaside town at the southern end of Aotearoa New Zealand, and it shows in every set he plays. He's based in Naarm now, writing songs that swing between the personal and the political, drawing on music made as resistance. Live, he mixes his own material with the standards you'd hope for: Let's Stay Together, The Thrill Is Gone, Try a Little Tenderness, Sittin' On The Dock of the Bay, Bring It On Home to Me, Tennessee Whiskey. It suits bars, cafes, outdoor events and festival stages. Cruisier or rowdier is your call. Solo he needs a chair and power; with the band, room for three or four and a PA, which he can bring.