By Natalee Kerr
Geelong group Sassy will bring its unique festive spirit to Drysdale when the group belts out popular Christmas tunes with a “twist” next month.
Singer Gayle Burrill said the show was a “little bit different” to their normal gigs, with Christmas songs at the forefront for the first time.
“Once a year we’re asked to sing at the Potato Shed but it’s normally around August, so this Christmas show is new for us,” she said.
“We’re taking on traditional Christmas songs, but with a couple done a little bit differently.”
The two-hour show also features a selection of hits from the 60s to the 90s including those from Stevie Wonder, The Bee Gees and Abba.
The four-piece band sees Burrill performing alongside keyboardist Gary Tigani and her twin sisters Linda and Shelley.
Burrill said her and her sisters grew up singing, dancing and learning instruments.
“My parents met in music theatre, my father was a trombone player and my mum sang,” she said.
“We had music influences from both sides so it was inevitable that something was going to happen with us.”
The sisters first started performing together as a girl group in the 70s before “everybody got married, moved away and did their own thing”.
Burrill joined the group under a different arrangement in 2012, with the current line-up together now for almost two years.
The music teacher said it feels “fantastic” to sing with her sisters again.“There is nothing like singing with your sisters,” she said.
“It’s just fabulous having the three of us back together and Gary adds a great addition to it all – he’s like the fourth sister.”She said the band has a “big focus” on harmonies and dancing.
“We’re most comfortable when we all sing in harmonies rather than singing a solo,” she said.
“We’ve always had really good timing, we feed off each other – it’s very natural.”
Burrill said she was excited to get locals dancing when A Sassy Christmas show comes to the Potato Shed on 3 December.
“We like to be really inclusive by having our audience participate,” she said.
“We ask our audience to get up and have a bit of a dance, which is something that doesn’t usually happen at the Shed.”
