Spiegel will perform for the first time in front of Kiama audiences, at the Kiama Jazz and Blues Festival on Sunday, March 11.

“This will be my first time at the festival, but I’ve stopped there more times than I could count while on the road,” he said.

“It's always been a great place to stop for lunch or a coffee. I'm looking forward to a longer stay.”

The allure of regional music festivals is not lost on Spiegel.

“I really enjoy community based music festivals because you can submerge yourself in it,” he said.

“It isn't about headliners and hanging backstage with the other musicians.

“I'm expecting to enjoy Kiama as an artist and as a music fan.”

Spiegel said he enjoys connecting with the audience above all else when he performs live.

“My solo show is part guitarist, part blues singer, part songwriter and part storyteller these days,” he said.

“I enjoy a connection to the audience above all other elements of performing, so my show is based very much on the energy of the crowd.

“Ultimately, I've always figured I'm in social work – my job is to give people a little time off, a laugh and a bit of a boogie.”

Growing up in the music business, Spiegel made his way into the world of blues at a young age.

“Blues records were the norm in my house when I was a kid, I assumed all kids were listening to blues music at home, ” he said.  

“From the age of six or seven I was spending my weekends at blues gigs and I think that if you expose any child to blues music in that way, they're bound to love it.

“It was a very natural progression to go from watching my dad's friends play, to jumping up and jamming with them.” 

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