Women in Music (St Kilda)


Rosie Westbrook

Rosie Westbrook is a classically trained guitarist and double bass player and a composer for film and television. Rosie has been plying music since 1994 and her musical genre includes Contemporary/Rock music. 

Rosie released her first two solo albums Wave in 2003 and Big as the Ocean in 2007, receiving critical acclaim and establishing her compositional style with its filmic and emotive qualities. Rosie’s new album Always the Sea (2022) is a collection of ethereal, hypnotic, constantly moving and meticulously structured musical narratives, created from a rich palette of sounds and effects plucked and bowed on her trademark double bass and ringing guitars. 

Rosie's work as a bassist with countless contemporary Australian music artists has included Sean Kelly (Models), Mick Harvey (PJ Harvey; ex-Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds), Rob Snarski (Blackeyed Susans), Spencer P. Jones (Spencer P. Jones & The Holy Spirits; Beasts of Bourbon).

Rosie's bands are as follows::

  • Spencer P Jones & the Holy Spirits (Spencer P. Jones, Graham Lee, Tanya Cavanagh, Carl Manuell)

  • Charlie Marshall & the Body Electric (with Charlie Marshall, Ash Davies)

  • Red Dress (Cathy Green, Tanya Cavanagh, Penny Ikinger, Mary Ellen Stringer)

  • Blush (Astrid Munday, Penny Ikinger, Clare Moore)

  • Maurice Frawley & the Working Class Ringos (with Maurice Frawley, Charlie Owen, Spencer P. Jones, Des Hefner)

  • Brian Hooper Band (with Brian Hooper, JP Shilo & others)

  • Goddess Band (incl. Josie Jason, Tanya Cavanagh, Cath Rutten, Sherry Rich; Sue World, Christine Carley)

  • Sean Kelly Trio - Band (with Sean Kelly; Bill Miller. Cam Goold & others)

  • Penny Ikinger/Rosie Westbrook Duo 

  • Anthony Morgan & a Band Called Ron (with Anthony Morgan; Spencer P. Jones & others)

  • Mick Harvey (in various lineups with Mick Harvey, Thomas Wydler, James Johnston, JP Shilo)

  • The Dames with (Kaye-Louise Patterson and Clare Moore)

  • The True Adventurers (with Ash Davies, Jeff Lang, Bruce Haymes)

Rosie’s work as a composer includes: 

  • Soundtracks for ABCTV Artscape film series profiling Australian artists including Lindy Lee, Jon Cattapan, Del Kathryn Barton and Patricia Piccinini.

  • Music for The Nice House, a short film about Rosie Batty.

  • Soundtrack for short film The Fox in 2016.

  • 2020 commission to write music for Waterline, part of an environmental film project for Bass Coast Shire

Rosie has played gigs at St Kilda music venues including: The Esplanade Hotel, Greyhound Hotel, Prince of Wales Band Room, Prince of Wales Piano Bar, Vineyard, Pure Pop Records, George Lane, Readings Bookstore, George Hotel. 

"I have lived in St Kilda for almost thirty years, most of my friends lived in St Kilda and I have played in bands with many female musicians, so my memories are mostly of people that I’ve worked with. Some of my favourite and most cherished experiences would be playing with legendary guitarist Josie Jason. We played together in gigs as part of the Goddess band at Chasers nightclub in Prahran in the 1990s. Goddess was a bit of a supergroup featuring women from various bands & we’d play for the 'Hard n’Fast' nights at Chasers, playing songs of bands like Metallica, Faith No More, Pantera, Nirvana, Soundgarden etc. Later on I played bass in Josie’s last original band (approx. 2000)  and she played guitar in my original band in gigs promoting my first two solo albums, released in 2003 and 2007. The album launch of Wave, my first solo album was in the Espy Front Bar in 2003. We also did some memorable gigs at Brightspace Gallery in St Kilda during the same period."

Rosie Westbrook, 2012, The Espy - Photo by Gary Bradshaw - Source: Facebook

"I was very fortunate to play with Cathy Green on drums in Red Dress (1990s) and then worked with Cathy on many projects, including  her solo trio (Cathy on vocals & guitar, with the late Peter Jones on drums, me on bass). I saw Cathy many times working her magic as bassist with Ian Rilen & the Love Addicts, many gigs at the Greyhound Hotel (circa 2006).

I’ve worked in many bands with both Penny Ikinger & Clare Moore and done many gigs with both of them and seen them perform with various outfits over the years, including Penny playing with Louis Tillett & the Aspersion Caste in the Gershwin Room (1990s?) & Clare with Dave Graney in all of their bands together."

The Dames Bandcamp

Rosie Westbrook, 2012, BRIGHTSPACE gallery, Photo by Debra Mineely, Source: Facebook

"I played as a rhythm section with the amazing Tanya Cavanagh in the Goddess band (early 1990s) & then together in Spencer P. Jones & the Holy Spirits and also with Red Dress. In 1994 we toured with Spencer and The Cruel Sea and I remember all the other musicians and crew would be just transfixed watching Tanya play the drums. The same thing happened when Red Dress toured with The Divinyls and Joan Jett (same period).

Between 2010 and 2013 I played in The Dames with Clare Moore & Kaye-Louise Patterson, amongst other gigs, we played St Kilda rooms including: the Gershwin Room supporting Models (2010); the Greyhound Hotel (2011); the Flying Saucer Club (Elsternwick) supporting Models (2012)."

Rosie Westbrook, c.2021  Photo by Sean Kelly - Source: Rosie Westbrook
Rosie Westbrook Website Rosie Westbrook Bandcamp
Rebecca Barnard Sherry Rich