A Freo nexus
He rose to fame as the front man of pop rock outfit End of Fashion but, 10 years on, *Justin Burford *is powering forward as an artist in his own right.
Recent years have seen the *Perth *performer appear in the musical Rock of Ages over east and co-write and star in his first feature film, the indie thriller Foreshadow.
But after stepping out last year as a solo musician, Burford is now returning to where it all began by playing at revamped basement bar the Odd Fellow, which forms part of the same iconic *Fremantle * establishment that saw many memories formed for the star in his band days - the Norfolk Hotel.
"Everything that I have ever done musically has had some kind of connection to Fremantle," Burford told _AAA _.
As part of an as-yet-unnamed trio, Burford will tonight showcase a series of mash-ups that challenge the traditional acoustic format, sampling hip-hop and R&B tunes such as Gangsta's Paradise by Coolio and Ginuwine's Pony.
He is also debuting two brand-new original songs and said it was the first time in a while he had considered stepping back into the studio to record fresh material.
"I'm just kind of letting it happen organically," Burford said of his solo career.
"I never stopped writing songs from the band days onwards but I felt a bit silly playing original songs in a truly solo format - it feels a bit naked and exposed. But in the three-piece it feels right."
After Burford's set, *Cottesloe * DJ *Harrison Kennedy * will take to the decks for his own interpretation of the "classics, reworked" theme, putting a modern twist on well-known golden oldies.
A prominent member of Perth's social circuit along with his designer girlfriend *Poppy Lissiman *, Kennedy is renowned for his unique style and gives his seal of approval to the Odd Fellow's recent makeover.
"It's amazing," he said. "Exposed brick, Persian carpets, wooden chairs - it's ticking all the boxes of the small bar uprising in Perth."
Burford's performance kicks off at the Odd Fellow at 7.30pm, with Kennedy's set to follow.
JESSIE PAPAIN
'Everything that I have ever done musically has had some kind of connection to Fremantle.'
