Grit, Glam & Glory - Celine Filbee + Betsy Raines + Karen Clarke

Grit, Glam & Glory is a showcase of Taranaki Singer Songwriters that celebrates International Women’s Day as the finale of Whanganui's La Fiesta Women’s Festival.

Featuring sets from Karen Clarke Blueswoman, Betsy Raines & Celine Filbee, these three mountain women who live under the cloak of Taranaki Maunga have all got attitude, sass, style, and vocal chops to die for. All have a predilection for the groove and know how to take ownership of it. You will remember you've met these girls.

From wind-beaten stages in the lower North Island to late-night sessions deep in the Taranaki back blocks, Karen Clarke Blues Woman has been holding down the groove for decades. Now a rising force in Aotearoa’s indie blues scene, her live show hits like a freight train — one woman, one guitar, and all the damn feelings. This indie mama owns her own sound — a gritty, groove-driven mix of blues, RnB, alt-country with an occasional jazz dalliance. Her honeyed vocal oozes warmth and soul, with textures that range from velvet to sass and gravel. Live, she’s warm, sharp, and dangerously disarming. A quiet storm — until the fire kicks in. Presence, power, and stories that sting as she shifts the room with warm, intimate connection. He korokoro tūī!.

Betsy Raines is a captivating, emotional and honest songwriter, her funky feel on keys, accompanied by soulful vocals, means she is a force to be reckoned with. Combining NZ reggae and dub with her deep adoration for classic blues and soul, Betsy creates a unique show, her iconic keyboard sound is warm like a good bath, singing about warped love and rejection, her songs are melodic and fun with a finishing touch of sass. She is well-known for her performances as a front woman for her band, Betsy and The Reckless. Her solo performance presents a more intimate storytelling, a vibe that is soulful, relatable and sometimes quite quirky and amusing.

Celine Filbee can own the biggest banger, feel the suffering of a blues standard or dial it right back to expose all the sentiment in a ballad. You can expect to laugh at her humorous take on some songs, cry at the beauty of the ballads, while toe tapping to her groove. Over the years singing and playing guitar in several line ups, Celine has honed an act fitting her large persona and eclectic musical bent encompassing folk, blues, Americana and roots music. It comprises a mix of the self-penned songs, and co-labs with Lyttleton based singer songwriter Michael O’Dempsey. With a striking voice, unique style and charisma, Celine has the storytelling magnetism to carry even the most sparse song.