QUEENSLAND's hardest working blues and country guy 8 Ball Aitken knows all about having a good time on the weekend.
Aitken does that every weekend because there is rarely one where he's not up on stage and helping everyone else forget about their troubles for a while.
Or weeknights, too, for that matter, since he seems to play more gigs in a year than some do in their career.
Aitken grew up on a banana farm west of Mareeba and knows how much value people put on enjoying their weekend.
Anyone who has seen him perform can see he takes inspiration from the old-school of blues players who were engaging entertainers as well as great musicians.
"It's a muso's job to give the people at their shows a really good night, not just by playing good songs or good music, but delivering a good show," he says. "It's a lot more fun for the muso, too, if you can interact with the audience.
"Where I come from, when it's Friday night, people party like there is no tomorrow.
"When you work so hard during the week, by the end of it you are like a dog ready to get off the chain, hanging to cut loose. That's what it all stems back to for me as a performer."
Instead of becoming a banana farmer, Aitken hit the road with his guitar and he has not stopped, mostly touring overseas during the Australian winter and building audiences through Europe, Canada, US and Japan.
This year he's rediscovering winter for the first time in five years, opting to keep touring through Australia after the release of his fourth album, The Tamworth Tapes.
He feels it's the truest representation of his music, and he played every note on it.
"I found this great studio in Tamworth with a tape machine that hadn't been used for more than 20 years," he says.
"One of the things about recording to tape is that you can't make many mistakes, you really have to know the songs when you get there. I love that because you work hard on them and something kicks in and you focus on getting right up close to the mic and capturing it live."
The work ethic Aitken learnt about growing up on the farm is still what drives him.
"When it comes down to it, there is no substitute for hard work, and that comes to touring as well. You have to get out there and makes things happen," he says.
HEAR The Tamworth Tapes (MGM Distribution) out now.............
