Great Southern Nights presents
Mahalia Barnes + The Soul Mates
with special guest Clayton Doley
Low 302 (Surry Hills, NSW)
Friday, 8 May 2026 7:00 pm
Mahalia Barnes has been in and around music her entire life. Throughout her childhood years she was exposed to everything from Mahalia Jackson, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke to Ike + Tina Turner to Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway and Stevie Wonder, all of which helped shape her into the powerhouse soul and blues vocalist that has jaws dropping every time she picks up a mic.
Mahalia has a unique ability to make her audience feel every word and note she sings. Fearlessly vulnerable and deeply connected to the songs she performs.
Mahalia Barnes + The Soul Mates consistently play to capacity crowds around the country. They have toured nationally and internationally supporting artists such as Bruce Springsteen, The Roots, Mavis Staples, Joe Bonamassa, Bryan Adams, Tom Jones and more.
The Soul Mates consists of a floating line up of some of Australia’s most respected and in demand players. Often featuring Clayton and Lachy Doley on keys, Franco Raggatt on guitar, Benjamin Rodgers on bass and Warren Trout on drums. The Soul Mates love to play intimate stripped back shows as well as big gigs where the MB current longform band
will sometimes include a horn section, or special guest vocalists like Karen Lee Andrews, Jade MacRae, Juanita Tippins and Prinnie Stevens – but no matter what format, every single show is powerful, dynamic and unique. If you are fortunate enough to be a part of the audience, you’re sure to be captivated, invited into Mahalia’s world and taken on a journey.
Mahalia and the band, have released three full length albums as well as several EPs since 2006. Their 2015 album “Ooh Yea – The Betty Davis songbook” entered the US billboard blues charts at #10, and the Australian ARIA Jazz charts at #5. Their latest release – “Hard Expectations” features appearances from US blues greats Kirk Fletcher and Joe Bonamassa, with the title track penned by none other than Don Walker.
Mahalia is also an in demand session vocalist and live backing vocalist across multiple genres – everything from jazz, soul and blues to rock n roll, pop and rnb. Mahalia has recorded, toured and collaborated with the likes of Joe Bonamassa, Liam Gallagher, Beth Hart, George Benson, Robert Jon + The Wreck, Birds of Tokyo, Diesel, Cold Chisel, Jimmy Barnes and David Campbell to name a few.
In 2024 and 2025 Mahalia took on her first Musical Theatre role as Mary Magdalene in the highly acclaimed Australian tour of Jesus Christ Superstar.
Mahalia has a unique ability to make her audience feel every word and note she sings. Fearlessly vulnerable and deeply connected to the songs she performs.
Mahalia Barnes + The Soul Mates consistently play to capacity crowds around the country. They have toured nationally and internationally supporting artists such as Bruce Springsteen, The Roots, Mavis Staples, Joe Bonamassa, Bryan Adams, Tom Jones and more.
The Soul Mates consists of a floating line up of some of Australia’s most respected and in demand players. Often featuring Clayton and Lachy Doley on keys, Franco Raggatt on guitar, Benjamin Rodgers on bass and Warren Trout on drums. The Soul Mates love to play intimate stripped back shows as well as big gigs where the MB current longform band
will sometimes include a horn section, or special guest vocalists like Karen Lee Andrews, Jade MacRae, Juanita Tippins and Prinnie Stevens – but no matter what format, every single show is powerful, dynamic and unique. If you are fortunate enough to be a part of the audience, you’re sure to be captivated, invited into Mahalia’s world and taken on a journey.
Mahalia and the band, have released three full length albums as well as several EPs since 2006. Their 2015 album “Ooh Yea – The Betty Davis songbook” entered the US billboard blues charts at #10, and the Australian ARIA Jazz charts at #5. Their latest release – “Hard Expectations” features appearances from US blues greats Kirk Fletcher and Joe Bonamassa, with the title track penned by none other than Don Walker.
Mahalia is also an in demand session vocalist and live backing vocalist across multiple genres – everything from jazz, soul and blues to rock n roll, pop and rnb. Mahalia has recorded, toured and collaborated with the likes of Joe Bonamassa, Liam Gallagher, Beth Hart, George Benson, Robert Jon + The Wreck, Birds of Tokyo, Diesel, Cold Chisel, Jimmy Barnes and David Campbell to name a few.
In 2024 and 2025 Mahalia took on her first Musical Theatre role as Mary Magdalene in the highly acclaimed Australian tour of Jesus Christ Superstar.