Having a ball and a hoot eight times over

8 Ball Aitken singer of ‘She’s going to Mexico, I’m going to jail’; as his name suggests used to enjoy a game of pool but nowadays there is no time for that with 8 Ball telling me, when we caught up for a chat about his upcoming ‘Blazing Blues Summer Tour’, that he is completely committed to music. Music is always on 8 balls mind as he transports himself to gigs all over the world. With guitar always in tow he’s constantly making literal and mental notes to inform his music.

8 Ball says he believes music was what he was born to do, in fact he has been doing it since age 4 when he wrote his first song. Such an early introduction was natural in a family of 12 kids with musical parents that would sit around the kitchen table singing and making music. At the present 8 Ball is the only one of the siblings to choose music as a career but he tells me that some of the younger ones, as they choose careers, may decide to dabble in music.

Creating a song is poetically described by 8 Ball as akin to seeing something on TV, freezing it in time and approaching it from different angles. 8 Ball continues the visual metaphor in saying songs are ‘the soundtrack of the movie that is one’s life and have a ripple effect’ in reaching and resonating with many people, indeed that is what has happened with 8 Ball’s songs. Fans tell him they have employed his songs to accompany life marking events like weddings. One such song ‘Girl on a Mission’ has resonated deeply with people.

In between the dates on his 54 show tour 8 Ball will use any opportunity to further his song writing repertoire. In 13 years, 8 Ball’s touring has spanned 18 countries including his home base of Texas where he is proud to tell me his song ‘Sleepy’ is enjoying an extended place in the charts after arriving at number 92 in the top 100.

So what can Tassie audiences expect from 8 Ball? He promises ‘a great hoot’ for the crowd. In fact 8 Ball has fond memories of some incredible gigs in Tassie and always includes a visit on his tour when he’s launching a new album.

You can see 8 Ball and his ‘Blazing Blues Summer Tour’ around Tasmania in December:

Thurs 8 Dec 8.30pm Republic Bar HOBART TAS
Fri 9 Dec 5.30pm Live At The Wharf ULVERSTONE TAS
Sat 10 Dec 7pm Lower Wilmont Hall LOWER WILMONT TAS
Sun 11 Dec TBA Iron Horse Bar & Grill LAUNCESTON TAS
Paula Xiberras