Ironing Maidens set to electrify the Wide Bay and Burnett

28 September 2023
Two people pose happily in brightly coloured, pop-art styled t-shirts in front of two ironing boards and a tiled walled with large pastel toned subway style tiles.
Patty Preece and Melania Jack from the Ironing Maidens are bringing their live show and creative workshops to the Wide Bay and Burnett

A global, award-winning electro music duo hailing from Far North Queensland are taking their unique show on the road to not only entertain regional audiences but also share their musical talents at a series of community music and dance workshops.

The Ironing Maidens, made up of Melania Jack and Patty Preece, will put domestic labour, technology, and the history of women in electronic music on centre stage with their live electronic performance art piece that ingeniously adapts real irons and ironing boards into electronic instruments to create groundbreaking music (and a new genre –  electro housewife!).

Audiences can expect to be wowed by music that delivers a fresh take on house music, with four to the floor beats, driving 303 style bass patterns, samples from 1950's advertising, plus real-world laundry sounds as well as lyrical concepts that will iron out ideas about housework and gender roles.

“It’s a high energy mix of music, visuals, costumes, dancing and ironing puns,” artist Melania Jack explained. 

“We explore domestic themes like, who is doing the ironing these days and why do white goods break just after the warranty ends, and we also celebrate the women who were pivotal in the development of electronic music.”

Melania is photographed in front of a pink background and has bright yellow hair and wears a black top with a high collar.
Melania Jack

Trudie Leigo, Regional Arts Manager from the Central Queensland Regional Arts Services Network run by CQUniversity, said that it was a great opportunity for regional audiences to experience a totally original world-class music performance. 

“Together the duo has toured Europe, playing Germany's famous Fusion Festival, The Performing Arts Festival Berlin, featured at Byron Bay's Falls Festival, Woodford Folk Festival, won two Innovation Awards for their shows at Adelaide Fringe Festival in 2019 and 2020 and recently won two awards for their iron instruments at the New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME) Mexico. 

“It really is an amazing opportunity for regional audiences who love music to experience something completely original. 

“The pair are exceptionally talented and very entertaining,” Ms Leigo said. 

The Ironing Maidens’ tour and music and dance workshops have been generously supported by Bundaberg, Fraser Coast, South and North Burnett Regional Councils, as well as Arts Queensland through the Regional Arts Development Fund and the Regional Arts Services Network.

The Ironing Maidens will deliver multiple live performances across the region starting in Tairo on Friday, 6 October, before moving on to Nanango, Gayndah and Bundaberg. 

Each performance is for all ages, with food and beverages available for purchase at the venues. 

Patty stands in front of a pink background and wears a collared button up shirt with a colourful pattern on it. They also wear a pair of stylish black-rimmed, hexagonal framed glasses.
Patty Preece from the Ironing Maidens is also an Associate Lecturer in Music & Theatre Technology at CQUniversity

Along with their four live performances, the Ironing Maidens will also be offering 13 creative workshops in electronic music making, songwriting and dance across the region.

They will be running workshops at five schools across the Wide Bay and Burnett also offering community-based workshops in Tiaro, Kingaroy, Bundaberg and Gayndah. 

Workshops in each region are open to participants aged 12 years and over. 

Spaces at the workshops and the Ironing Maidens’ performance are strictly limited and bookings are essential. 

For more information about the tour and the workshops, including venues, times and dates please visit Opportunities / Events - Regional Arts Services Network - CQUniversity (cqregionalarts.net).

To learn more about the Ironing Maidens please visit THE IRONING MAIDENS.