Giving it her best shot
2010 is proving to be a bumper year for lovers of iconic female frontwomen: in November, Blondie and The Pretenders embark on a double-billed Australian tour, and the month before that, rocking singer Pat Benatar will return to our shores for the first time in 15 years, ably assisted by the Bangles.
Speaking to Sydney Star Observer, Benatar promised that fans could look forward to a hit-laden set.
“We have what’s called the ‘holy 14’, which are the hits everyone clamours for every night. Then around that we can plug in the obscure ones, or new ones we’re working on,” she said.
At 57 and with a string of multi-platinum albums to her name, Benatar surely doesn’t need to tour any more. But she’s perpetually on the road — the day we spoke, it took her a few moments to remember where exactly she was (Omaha, Nebraska, as it turned out).
“I began in theatre, so live performance is everything to me. It doesn’t make any sense to me to write songs and record them and then not have the shared experience with the audience.”
Benatar takes her children on the road, and her lead guitarist Neil Giraldo also happens to be her husband of 28 years.
This strong family base meant that when it came time to write her autobiography, the recently-released Between A Heart and a Rock Place, Benatar was unsure if she’d lived the wild life required for a tell-all memoir.
“I’ve lived a very private, quiet life. I didn’t think I’d be able to provide any of that good juicy stuff that people want to read about.”
Benatar’s upcoming stint with the Bangles comes after tours with Blondie and REO Speedwagon, and she said she was happy to share the stage with other acts.
“All of us are old dogs who’ve been doing this forever — you put all that ego stuff to bed by this stage.”
Asked if she could hear echoes of her own sound in the current music scene, Benatar admitted she spent more time listening to old musical theatre records than plugging in to current trends. So the Hit Me With Your Best Shot rocker is a closet show tunes queen?
“Oh yeah! Every time I put them on, my husband’s shocked. He says ‘I can’t believe my wife knows every lyric to South Pacific’. ”
This will no doubt be music to the ears of a certain segment of Benatar’s fan base — her upfront nature and impassioned vocals have attracted a sizable gay and lesbian audience over the years.
“Is that what it is? I don’t know, I thought it was the headbands…”
info: Pat Benatar and the Bangles play Sydney Entertainment Centre on October 22. Tickets through Ticketmaster.
