Bertie Blackman

Bertie Blackman
Background information
Born 1982 (age 32–33)[1][2]
Origin Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • singer-songwriter
  • producer
Instruments
  • Rhythm guitar
  • electric guitar
  • singing
Years active 2003–present
Labels
Website www.bertieblackman.com

Beatrice "Bertie" Blackman (born 1982)[1][2] is an Independent Australian singer, songwriter and guitarist. She rose to fame with her debut album in 2004, entitled Headway which came after years of prolific performances around Sydney's Inner city venues, where she developed a dedicated following.[3]

Early life and influences

Bertie is the daughter of renowned Australian artist Charles Blackman and grew up in the Inner-East Sydney suburbs of Bondi and Paddington. She began playing African percussion at the age of twelve and guitar at the age of fifteen.

Career achievements

Blackman playing at the Parklife Festival (2009)

Bertie appeared on the Australian music scene in 2004 with the single "Favourite Jeans" taken from her debut album, Headway (2004) a folk-inspired acoustic album featuring musicians Cameron Deyell, Laurence Pike and Cameron Undy and was co-produced by Richard Belkner. This album established her as an Australian headline alongside contemporaries Something for Kate, Ben Lee and Alex Lloyd. She wrote music for Australian films including the title track to the 2008 production Hey, Hey, It's Esther Blueburger which saw her collaborate with prodigious Australian producer Paul Mac.[4]

After forming a new band with Neal Sutherland, Evan Mannell and Cameron Deyell, she made her second album Black (2006) and received positive reviews and high rotation on Triple J[5] and demonstrated Blackman's move away from folk music to a focus on rock. This album was produced by well-known Australian producer, Paul McKercher (Augie March, Little Birdy)[6]

In 2008, Bertie signed with newly formed Australian management company Forum 5 and began working on her third studio album, entitled Secrets and Lies which was recorded between Sydney and Melbourne. Musicians involved included Neal Sutherland, Evan Mannell and Ben Hauptmann with producers Lee Groves (Goldfrapp, Gwen Stefani) and Francois Tetaz (Architecture in Helsinki, Gotye) [7]

Her first single from the album, "Heart" was released on 10 April 2009.[8] The song was added on high rotation on Australian radio station Triple J and nationwide on commercial radio network Nova as well as on regional and community stations across the country.[9] Altogether "Heart" was the 4th most added song on radio in the week of its release and entered the Australian radio airplay charts at #67.[10]

The album Secrets and Lies was the Triple J Feature Album for the week commencing Monday 27 April 2009[11] and was officially released on 8 May 2009 on Forum 5 Recordings with distribution through MGM Distribution.

Secrets and Lies entered the ARIA album charts at No. 72 and peaked at No. 49.[12]

At the fourth annual AIR Awards, held on 22 November 2009, Bertie Blackman received four nominations for 'Best Independent Single or EP', 'Breakthrough Independent Artist of the Year', 'Best Independent Album' and 'Best Independent Artist', winning 'Breakthrough Independent Artist of the Year'.[13][14]

At the 2009 ARIA Music Awards, she was nominated for 'Best Independent Release', which she ended up winning. In 2010, she released as a single a cover version of "Peek-a-Boo" from Siouxsie and the Banshees

Session and touring members

  • Laurence Pike – drums, percussion, vibraphone (2004–05)
  • Cameron Undy – electric bass, double bass, bass (2004–05)
  • Cameron Deyell – lead guitar, electric guitar, guitar synthesizer, grand piano, wurlitzer organ (2004–07)
  • Clayton Doley – hammond organ, wurlitzer organ (2004)
  • Calvin Turner – bass (2005)
  • Neal Sutherland – bass, keyboards, synthesizer (2005–09)
  • Evan Mannell – drums (2005–09)
  • Ben Hauptmann – string arrangement (2009)
  • Andrew Hines (2009)
  • Anthea Caddy (2009)
  • Gareth Skinner (2009)
  • James Ware (2009)
  • Josie de Sousa (2009)
  • Lewie Day (2009)
  • Manny Bourakis (2009)
  • Michael Iveson – drums, percussion, scissors, claps, toy drum kit, snare drum (2009–12)
  • Rachel Easton (2009)
  • Stephanie Zarka (2009)
  • Tim Harvey (2009)
  • Sam Lawrence (2009)
  • François Tétaz – organ, piano, glockenspiel, tack piano, elka organ, violin, moog, xylophone, castanets, wurlitzer organ, drums, claps, percussion, steel drum, vibraphone, harp, strings, woodwind, synthesizer (2012)
  • Luke Hodgson – bass, scissors, claps (2012)
  • Ken Yuguchi – guitar, electric guitar (2012)
  • Tom Spender – saxophone, alto saxophone, whistling, harmonica (2012)
  • Adam Simmons – saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, soprano saxophone, bass clarinet, contralto clarinet (2012)
  • Kram – acoustic guitar, guitar (2012)
  • Sophia Brous – vocals (2012)
  • Andy Stewart – guitar, difficult omnichord (2012)
  • James Wilkinson – trombone, euphonium (2012)
  • Kirk Pengilly – saxophone (2014)

Discography

Albums

Studio albums

Title Album details Peak chart
positions
AUS
[15]
Headway
  • Released: 16 August 2004 (AU) (BB3)[16]
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: CD
 —
Black —
Secrets and Lies
  • Released: 8 May 2009 (AU) (F5-BB09)[18]
  • Label: Forum 5
  • Format: CD, digital download
 49
Pope Innocent X 54
The Dash
  • Released: 31 October 2014 (AU)[20]
  • Label: Outpost, Warner
  • Format: CD, LP, digital download
 —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Extended plays

Title Album details
Blue Sky Pueblo
  • Released: November 2002 (AU) (BB1)[21]
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: CD
Town of Sky EP
  • Released: 18 March 2009
  • Label: EQ
  • Format: Digital download
The Remixes
  • Released: 5 July 2011 (AU)[22]
  • Label: Full Tilt
  • Format: Digital download

Remix albums

Title Album details
B-Sides – Secrets and Lies Remixed
  • Released: 16 April 2010 (AU)[23]
  • Label: Forum 5
  • Format: Digital download

Singles

Title Year Peak chart
positions		 Album
AUS
[24]
"Criminal of Desire" 2003 — Blue Sky Pueblo
"Favourite Jeans" 2004 — Headway
"You Kill Me" 2005 — Black
"Television" —
"Hold Me Close" 2006 —
"Fast Bitch" 2007 —
"Heart" 2009 99 Secrets and Lies
"Thump" —
"Byrds of Prey" —
"Black Cats"[25] —
"Peek-a-Boo"
(Siouxsie and the Banshees cover)		 2010 92 N/A
"Mercy Killer"[26] 2012 — Pope Innocent X
"Boy"[27] —
"Run for Your Life"[28] 2014 — The Dash
"Kingdom of Alone"[29] —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
As featured artist
Title Year Peak chart
positions		 Album
AUS
[24]
"Young & Dumb"
(Chance Waters featuring Bertie Blackman)		 2012 91 Infinity

Promotional singles

Title Year Album
"War of One"[30] 2014 The Dash

Other appearances

Title Year Artist(s) Album Notes
"Don't You Ever"[31] 2006 The Tongue featuring Bertie Blackman Bad Education
"The Futurist"[32] 2007 Something for Kate The Murmur Years – The Best of Something for Kate 1996 – 2007 Backing vocals
"The Only One"[33] 2008 Paul Mac featuring Bertie Blackman Hey Hey It's Esther Blueburger – Original Soundtrack
"Town of Sorrow" (Mic Newman Remix)[34] Bertie Blackman One Love – Mobile Disco 2009
"In the Air Tonight" (Phil Collins cover)[35] 2009 Triple J: Like a Version Five
"Heart" (Live at The Hi-Fi Brisbane 14 August 2009)[36] 2010 The Hi-Fi Live Highlights
"Peekaboo" (Marco Del Horno Remix)[37] Bullet Train Volume One
"Gold Dust Woman" (Fleetwood Mac cover)[38] 2011 When I First Met Your Ma
"Do You Love Me?" (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds cover)[39] 2012 Bertie Blackman and Muscles Straight to You – triple j’s Tribute to Nick Cave
"The Mercy Seat" (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds cover)[39] Bertie Blackman

Music videos

Title Year Director(s)
"Favourite Jeans" 2004
"You Kill Me" 2005 Simon Wright[40]
"Television" 2006 Clemens Habicht[41]
"Fast Bitch" 2007 Beth Halon[42]
"Thump" (Viral video)[43] 2009
"Heart" Danielle Zorbas[44]
"Thump" Don Cameron[45]
"Byrds of Prey" Marc Furmie[46]
"Black Cats" 2010 Miland Suman and Richard Thomas[47]
"Peek-a-Boo" Jonathon Lim and Andrew Smith[48]
"Mercy Killer" 2012 Chino Moya[49]
"Boy" Quan Yeomans[50]
"Stella" Andrew Kavanagh[51]
"Run for Your Life" 2014 Timothy Nash and Lucas Crandles[52]
"Kingdom of Alone" Nick Waterman[53]
"Strangers in a Moment" 2015 Radioactive Gigantism Films[54]
As featured artist
Title Year Director(s)
"The Only One" (Paul Mac featuring Bertie Blackman) 2008
"Young & Dumb" (Chance Waters featuring Bertie Blackman) 2012 Craig Foster[55]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Donovan, Patrick (9 May 2009). "Beating around the brush". The Age. Bertie, now 26
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Urthboy/Bertie Blackman/Mark Seymour". RocKwiz. Season 11. Episode 143. Australia. 2013-06-22. Event occurs at 10:55. Special Broadcasting Service. SBS One. Retrieved 2013-06-22.
  3. ↑ Waterfront Records - Artist Info
  4. ↑ 'The Only One' by Paul Mac and Bertie Blackman on YouTube
  5. ↑ JPlay Profile
  6. ↑ Bertie Blackman Beat Magazine Review
  7. ↑ JPlay Artist Bio
  8. ↑ Waterfront Records
  9. ↑ Bertie Blackman Official Myspace
  10. ↑ Music Network Magazine, Issue: #728/729 March 16/23 2009
  11. ↑ Official Triple J Site Review
  12. ↑ "Bertie Blackman - Secrets and Lies". Australian Charts.com. Retrieved 8 January 2010.
  13. ↑ "2009 Air Awards". AIR. November 2009. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  14. ↑ Cashmere, Paul (24 November 2009). "The Drones Take Home The Major Air Award". Undercover.com.au. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  15. ↑ Peak chart positions for albums in Australia:
  16. ↑ "Headway". MGM Distribution. The Groove Merchants. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  17. ↑ "Bertie Blackman – Black (CD)". MGM Distribution. The Groove Merchants. Archived from the original on 29 August 2007. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  18. ↑ "Secrets And Lies". MGM Distribution. The Groove Merchants. Archived from the original on 23 October 2011. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  19. ↑ "Pope Innocent X". Getmusic. Universal Music Australia. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  20. ↑ "The Dash". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  21. ↑ "bertieblackman.com". Bertie Blackman. Archived from the original on 25 August 2004. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  22. ↑ "The Remixes". Beatport. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  23. ↑ Northover, Kylie (16 April 2010). "Bertie Blackman B-Sides – Secrets and Lies Remixed". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Peak chart positions for singles in Australia:
  25. ↑ "Black Cats – EP". iTunes Store Australia. Apple Inc. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
  26. ↑ "Mercy Killer – Single". iTunes Store Australia. Apple Inc. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
  27. ↑ "Boy – Single". iTunes Store Australia. Apple Inc. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
  28. ↑ "Run For Your Life – Single". iTunes Store Australia. Apple Inc. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
  29. ↑ Dunn, Matthew (14 August 2014). "City slicker finds new meaning in dust of the rodeo". Townsville Bulletin. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  30. ↑ "War of One – Single". iTunes Store Australia. Apple Inc. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  31. ↑ "Tongue, The – Bad Education". Discogs. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  32. ↑ "Something For Kate – The Murmur Years: The Best Of Something For Kate 1996- 2007". Discogs. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  33. ↑ "Hey Hey It's Esther Blueburger – Ost – Soundtrack". JB Hi-Fi. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  34. ↑ "One Love – Mobile Disco 2009". Apple Inc. iTunes Store Australia. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  35. ↑ "triple J’s Like A Version Vol. 5". ABC. ABC Music. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  36. ↑ "The Hi-Fi Live Highlights". Apple Inc. iTunes Store Australia. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  37. ↑ "Bullet Train, Vol. 1". Apple Inc. iTunes Store Australia. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  38. ↑ "When I First Met Your Ma". Apple Inc. iTunes Store Australia. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 "Straight to You (Triple J's Tribute to Nick Cave)". Apple Inc. iTunes Store Australia. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  40. ↑ "Bertie Blackman – You Kill me". Google. Simon Wright YouTube. 23 February 2010. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  41. ↑ Gleeson, Tom. "Tom CV Resume 2010" (PDF). gleeson.net.au. p. 4. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
  42. ↑ "Bertie Blackman Video Fast Bitch". Google. Bertie Blackman on YouTube. 16 July 2007. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  43. ↑ "Viral video for Thump.". Bertie Blackman on Facebook. 1 March 2009. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  44. ↑ "Bertie Blackman – Heart (Official Video Clip)". Google. Forum5Recordings on YouTube. 6 June 2009. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  45. ↑ "Bertie Blackman – Thump (Official Video Clip)". Google. Forum5Recordings on YouTube. 7 July 2009. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  46. ↑ "Bertie Blackman – Byrds of Prey (Official Video)". Google. Forum5Recordings on YouTube. 24 September 2009. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  47. ↑ "Bertie Blackman 'Black Cats'". Miland Suman on Vimeo. 4 June 2010. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  48. ↑ "Bertie Blackman – Peek-A-Boo (Official Video)". Google. Forum5Recordings on YouTube. 27 April 2010. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  49. ↑ "Bertie Blackman "Mercy Killer"". Chino Moya on Vimeo. 4 July 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  50. ↑ "Bertie Blackman – Boy (Official Music Video)". Google. Bertie Blackman on YouTube. 27 August 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
  51. ↑ "BERTIE BLACKMAN – Stella *OFFICIAL VIDEO*". Google. Bertie Blackman on YouTube. 5 December 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
  52. ↑ "Bertie Blackman – Run For Your Life [OFFICIAL VIDEO]". Google. Bertie Blackman on YouTube. 12 June 2014. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  53. ↑ "Bertie Blackman – Kingdom of Alone [OFFICIAL VIDEO]". Google. Bertie Blackman on YouTube. 19 November 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  54. ↑ "CHORUS x BERTIE BLACKMAN | Strangers In A Moment". Google. Bertie Blackman on YouTube. 15 March 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  55. ↑ "Chance Waters – Young & Dumb ft. Bertie Blackman (Official Crowd Sourced Video Clip)". Google. I Forget, Sorry! on YouTube. 7 November 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2013.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bertie Blackman.