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James Kelly

James Kelly singing and playing guitar in a smokey and dark yet neon lit dive bar.

James Kelly has been playing, recording and writing music across a broad palette of tasty musical genres. His music draws from blues, jazz, soul, country, rockabilly, and all sorts of rock n roll. Whilst also traversing the worlds of disco, pop, exotica, and so much more.

He's played across all of Australia over the last 30 years, including stints throughout Europe, The UK and Ireland.

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His influences offer a myriad of eclecticism that astonishes seasoned fellow musicians and informed fans alike. On any given tune, James can weave lines as disparate as Tom Waits, The Beatles, Otis Redding, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder and beyond into 80s & 90s pop and 70s disco hits like The Bee Gees, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Britney Spears... all played in that soulful, greasy and dangerously bluesy style of Rock’n’Roll.

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Below is a short show reel to give you a vibe of the solo acoustic show.

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James Kelly's set list usually draws from this long list of songs​ below, but he's always pretty good with requests. Ask him for a song, and there's a pretty good chance that he'll have a go at it for you.

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A Boy Named Sue - Johnny Cash

A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall - Bob Dylan

A Little Less Conversation - Elvis Presly

Add It Up - Violent Femmes

Addicted To Love - Robert Palmer

Ain't No Sunshine - Bill Withers

All The World Is Green - Tom Waits

Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life - Monty Python

Andy's Chest - Lou Reed

Baby Did a Bad, Bad Thing - Chris Isaac

Baby One More Time - Brittney Spears

Bad - Michael Jackson

Bad Leroy Brown - Jim Croce

Bad Moon Rising - Creedence Clearwater Revival

Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) - Nancy Sinatra

Big River - Johnny Cash

Billie Jean - Michael Jackson

Black Rose - Waylon Jennings

Blame it on the Boogie - The Jackson Five

Blister In the Sun - Violent Femmes

Blue Monday - New Order

Boom Boom - John Lee Hooker

Born On The Bayou - Creedence Clearwater Revival

Bowie Knife - Frankie Laine

Brown Eyed Handsome Man - Chuck Berry

Call Me - Blondie

Can't Buy Me Love - The Beatles

Captain of a Shipwreck - Neil Diamond

Car Wash Blues - Jim Croce

Careful Man - Jim Croce

Clean Elvis - Dan Reeder

Cocaine Blues - Johnny Cash

Come Together - The Beatles

Coming Into Los Angeles - Arlo Guthrie

Crazy - Patsy Cline

Cream - Prince

Cruel Summer - Bananarama

D.R.U.N.K. - Shooter Jennings

Day Tripper - The Beatles

Dead Flowers - The Rolloing Stones

Devil In The Hole - Tom Waits

Dirty Deeds (Done Dirt Cheap) - AC/DC

Dirty Life and Times - Warren Zevon

Dock Of The Bay - Otis Redding

Don't Worry Be Happy - Bobby McFerrin

Down On The Corner - Creedence Clearwater Revival

Drive My Car -The Beatles

Dune Buggy - The Presidents of the United States of America

Eye Of The Tiger - Survivor

Faith - George Michael

Fellin' Alright - Joe Cocker

Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash

For What It's Worth - Buffalo Springfield

Gangster of Love - Johnny Guitar Watson

Get Back - The Beatles

Get It On - T. Rex

Get On The Whiskey - Whitey Morgan and the 76ers

Grandma's Hands - Bill Withers

Guns Of Brixton - The Clash

Hard Day's Night - The Beatles

Hard To Handle - Otis Redding

Heart Of Glass - Blondie

Hit The Road Jack - Ray Charles

Honky Tonk Women - The Rolloing Stones

Hung My Head - Sting

Hungry Like The Wolf - Duran Duran

I Ain't Drunk - Whitey Morgan and the 76ers

I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Creedence Clearwater Revival

I Saw Her Standing There - The Beatles

I Think We're Alone Now - Tiffany

I wanna Be Sedated - The Ramones

I Want To Break Free - Queen

I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor

I'm Too Sexy - Right Said Fred

I'm Wondering - Stevie Wonder

If It Hadn't Been For Love - The Steel Drivers

In The Midnight Hour - Wilson Picket

Jockey Full Of Bourbon - Tom Waits

Kiss - Prince

Let It Bleed -The Rolloing Stones

Let's Go Get Stoned - Ray Charles

Light My Fire - The Doors

Like A Virgin - Madonna

Little Red Riding Hood - Sam The Sham and the Pharoahs

Living After Midnight - Judas Priest

Lodi - Creedence Clearwater Revival

Lonely Avenue - Ray Charles

Long As I Can See The Light - Creedence Clearwater Revival

Mama Tried - Merle Haggard

Maniac - Michael Sembello

Material Girl - Madonna

Me and Bobbie McGee - Janis Joplin

Midnight Special - Creedence Clearwater Revival

Minnie The Moocher - The Blues Brothers

My Wife Thinks You're dead - Junior Brown

Old Time Rock 'n' Roll - Bob Seger

One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer - John Lee Hooker

Ophelia - The Band

People Are Strange - The Doors

Poor Boy - Steve Earle

Port Of Amsterdam - David Bowie

Proud Mary - Creedence Clearwater Revival

Raspberry Beret - Prince

Red Right Hand - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Relax - Frankie Goes To Hollywood

Richard Corey - Paul Simon

Rock 'n' Roll All Night - Kiss

Rusty Cage - Soundgarden

Satisfaction (I Can't Get No) - The Rolloing Stones

Serve Somebody - Bob Dylan

Seven Spanish Angels - Willie Nelson

Shake Rattle and Roll - Elvis Presly

She Caught The Katy - The Blues Brothers

She Works Hard For The Money - Donna Summer

Sixteen Ton - Tennessee Ernie Ford

Speedball Tucker - Jim Croce

Spider and The Fly - The Rolloing Stones

Stand By Your Man - Tammy Wynette

Stayin' Alive - The Bee Gees

Stuck in The Middle - Steeler's Wheel

Sunny Afternoon - The Kinks

Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) - Eurythmics

Sweet Home Chicago - The Blues Brothers

Swordfish Trombone - Tom Waits

Sympathy For The Devil - The Rolloing Stones

T.N.T. - AC/DC

Tainted Love - Soft Cell

Take Me To The River - Al Green

Taking Care Of Business - Bachman Turner Overdrive

The Band Played Waltzing Matilda - The Pogues

The Beast In Me - Johnny Cash

The Future's So Bright (I Gotta Wear Shades) - Timbuk 3

The Galaxy Song - Monty Python

The Guns Of Brixton - The Clash

The Letter - Joe Cocker

The Wanderer - Dion and the Belmonts

The Way You Make Me Feel - Michael Jackson

The Weight - Bob Dylan

Three Cool Cats - The Coasters

Underneath The Radar - Underground

Valentines Day - Steve Earle

Venus - Bananarama

Walk On The Wild Side - Lou Reed

Whip It - Devo

Who Do You Love - Bo Diddley

Wonderful World - Sam Cooke

Word Up - Cameo

You Got A Friend In Me (Toy Story) - Randy Newman

You Keep Me Hanging On - Vanilla Fudge

You May Be Right - Billy Joel

You Spin Me Righht Round (Like a Record) - Dead or Alive

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