Entertainment
30 January, 2026
Unique music show has it all
TRUMPETER, vocalist and songwriter Harry James Angus will return to Cairns on Saturday 31 January for a one-off collaborative live music night bringing together jazz, neo-soul, hip hop and Latin folk on the same Tanks stage.
The show builds on a previous Cairns performance during the early stages of the COVID period, when an unexpected change led Mr Angus to abandon a solo format and work with local musicians instead.
“This show mirrors a gig I did in Cairns at the Tanks just before Cairns had its first COVID measures come in,” Mr Angus said.
“My band couldn’t get on the plane, so luckily, there were some local musicians who could jump in. I asked them to come and play with me and we did a completely improvised performance that was really fun.”
Mr Angus said the relaxed, exploratory energy of that night stayed with him.
“We kind of thought, let’s try and do it again, but let’s invite a few more people this time.”
Joining Angus are FNQ-born neo-soul trio IZY, rapper and storyteller Jamahl Yami and Latin folk group Los Caracoles, creating a lineup built around live interaction rather than a fixed set. Mr Angus, a former The Cat Empire trumpet player, said the project reflected a shift in his musical focus.
“I’m a jazz musician at heart, and I’m kind of interested in improvisation mainly,” he said.
“What I do these days is a little bit weirder, a little bit left of centre and probably not something you hear on the radio.”
He said live collaboration created moments that could not be planned or replicated.
“When you bring a group of people together and we don’t know exactly what we’re going to do, we’re going to improvise, we’re going to have a good time, that’s when you really get to see the magic of communication that happens through music,” Mr Angus said.
Storytelling will sit at the centre of the night, with each songwriter contributing their own material.
Tickets at www.bit.ly/3ZAEvKg.
