Big Pups, pictured performing at the Lion’s Den Hotel, said adios to Cape York for 2024 with a special NAIDOC Week performance in Hope Vale on Monday. Photo: Supplied.
Cape-loving musician Big Pups is wrapping up the Cape York leg of his Let’s Do It Again tour following a special NAIDOC celebration performance in Hope Vale on 8 July.
Pere “Big Pups” Paul has been touring the Cape York region for the past four years, but Hope Vale was a first for him this year.
A raw and bare-boned artist, Paul performed many songs that shared a personal story and encouraged others to do the same with his audience in Hope Vale.
“It’s very raw, because I only play with a guitar, a stomp, and a microphone, and it’s all my own personal songs I write about what’s going on in my life,” he said.
“Some of it may be dark, but dark for good reasons; especially up in the Cape, there’s a lot of suicides, so I have a few songs written about suicides as well.
“I just want them to be able to talk to someone; I’d rather them tell their story rather than me read their eulogy, so that’s the kind of thing I’m trying to push with the communities.”
Having grown up in Papua New Guinea and regional Australia, Mr Paul said there were not many opportunities to see live music, which drove his passion for taking his work to places like Cape York.
The singer said he especially liked to do events where the community was involved and he could set the atmosphere.
“When I first started this, one of my goals was to try and bring music to the outback and to remote areas,” he said.
“Things like community fun days, I can just be the background music and see all the kids and families enjoying the day with a barbecue.”
Throughout his tours, Paul said he had gotten to know the many communities across the Cape, adding it was an honour to celebrate NAIDOC Week in the region.
“Just being able to come to the communities and to Hope Vale for the first time, and share a little bit of myself and learn a lot more about them, it’s just unbelievable,” he said.
“I’ve got three sons and they’re Torres Strait Islanders as well, so I just want to be able to honour my children as part of the [First Nations] community.”
