Joe Camilleri and The Black Sorrows have announced a run of shows in Victoria for February and March. They will play Burrinja Cultural Centre, Upwey on Sunsay, February 11.

Joe Camilleri has been at the forefront of the Australian music scene for decades as the leader of Jo Jo Zep and The Falcons, and The Black Sorrows, and as writer of radio anthems ‘Hit and Run’, ‘Shape I’m In’, ‘Chained To The Wheel’, ‘Harley and Rose’ and ‘Never Let Me Go’.

Camielleri is an ARIA Hall of Famer and a rock’n’roll lifer.

“Renowned for their high-energy live shows, musicianship and infectious raw, rootsy, rhythms, The Black Sorrows are masters of the eclectic and one of the most sophisticated ensembles in the country.,” says publicist Dave Laing.

“From gospel to sweet soul, raw blues to country with a hint of jazz and wild rock’n’roll joyrides, no musical style is left in the corner waiting for a dance partner. Renowned for their high-energy live shows, musicianship and infectious, roots-soaked blues rock. They’ve sold more than two million albums to date and won an ARIA Award for Best Group.

“2022 saw the band return to the ARIA charts with their 19th studio album Saint Georges Road hitting #1 on the ARIA Jazz and Blues chart three times.

“For Joe Camilleri it was extra special as the album also represented his 50th career release. The album was quickly followed by the release of The Black Sorrows’ Live from The Shangri-La, an incredible live recording that captures that spark that defines The Black Sorrows.

“In Joe’s words: “Live from The Shangri-La gives you a sense of how far the Sorrows have come, of how we’re always moving forward as a band. It’s never about the past. Although we are aways celebrating where we been, we are constantly finding a new and fresh pathway… for the beyond.”

The Black Sorrows, in one form or another, haven’t stopped recording or performing since Joe pulled the thing together. The current version of The Black Sorrows showcases some of Australia’s finest musicians – Joe Camilleri (vocals/guitar/sax/harp), Claude Carranza (guitar/vocals), Mark Gray (bass/vocals), James Black (keyboards/vocals) and Tony Floyd (drums/vocals) – and has toured Europe several times playing songs that have become radio staples like “Chained to the Wheel”, “Harley & Rose” and “Hold On To Me” and “Stir It Up”.