Blak Country Rocks To Showcase First Nations Artists

Loren Ryan, Roger Knox and Sue Ray will lead the three-hour, free event that showcases First Nations country artists: Blak Country Rocks.

Held at The Tivoli in Brisbane, Blak Country Rocks is described as “an afternoon of three-chords and truth-telling featuring a curated selection of First Nations icons of the various forms of the genre.”

The event kicks off at 2 pm, ends at 5 pm, and will be held on an Ekka public holiday on Wednesday, 16 August. Blak Country Rocks is a free, all-ages celebration as part of Blak Social’s residency at The Tivoli. You can respond to the Facebook event here.

In 2018, Roger Knox was inducted into the National Indigenous Music Awards Hall Of Fame. The First Nations country music legend has enjoyed a career that’s spanned over three decades, from his debut album, Give It a Go, in 1984 to his seminal 2013 LP, Stranger In My Land, Knox's incredible work in the Australian music industry was formally recognised at the Darwin Amphitheatre amongst his peers.

Knox said in a statement, “It is really deadly and a great honour to be inducted into the National Indigenous Music Awards Hall of Fame, alongside heroes like Uncle Seaman Dan and my brother Kutcha Edwards.”

Earlier this year, Gamilaraay woman Loren Ryan told Countrytown in an interview that black artists were making their mark across all genres of music. “If you're the last to champion First Nations acts, you're going to be old news. The time is now to make a difference-- to be a mover and shaker for inclusivity.” You can read her whole interview here. 

Sue Ray, based in Toowoomba, has flourished in her career for nearly two decades, hustling in Australia and recording in Nashville. To date, she has three Queensland Music Awards to her name, along with eight records. Ray and Ryan are featured in Countrytown’s list of Black Female Country Artists You Should Know.

Don’t miss out on witnessing three generations of country music heroes performing in Brisbane this August.