Bobby Valentine, one of Australia’s most respected bandleaders and vocal stylists, will bring his acclaimed Riding With The King album back to Memo Music Hall, in St Kilda in an exclusive new date just announced for 20 September 2025.
Valentine’s record takes its name from Riding With The King, the John Hiatt song made famous when Eric Clapton and B.B. King recorded it for their 2000 Grammy-winning album. For Valentine, the track became the anchor for a project that celebrates the legacy of blues classics and the way they are reinterpreted through time.
Speaking with Noise11’s Paul Cashmere, Valentine explained why the title track became central to his vision. “It’s one of those songs that has always stayed with me,” he said. “John Hiatt wrote it back in the early ’80s, but most people really know it from the Eric Clapton and B.B. King version in 2000. That track gave the song a whole new life. When I was thinking about a record that ties together different aspects of blues and roots music, Riding With The King just felt like the perfect centrepiece.”
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The Memo Music Hall show promises to extend that spirit. With his full band behind him, Valentine will present not only the Hiatt-penned classic but a suite of songs chosen for their timeless quality. “I wanted the songs to have that same sense of story and strength,” he explained. “Tracks that have travelled through time, been reinvented by different people, and still feel alive. That’s the essence of Riding With The King — it’s not just a great song, it’s a tradition in motion.”
The history of Riding With The King is as layered as the blues itself. First appearing on John Hiatt’s 1983 album, it was Clapton and King’s 2000 collaboration that cemented it in global consciousness. The song became the title track for their record, which went on to win the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album.
Valentine acknowledges the weight of that legacy. “Absolutely it was intimidating,” he admitted when asked if he hesitated to record his own version. “But that’s also what makes it exciting. You’re not trying to outdo Clapton or King — you can’t. What you can do is bring your own history, your own sound, and reinterpret it in a way that’s honest. For me, it was about capturing the spirit rather than replicating the performance.”
That philosophy has defined Valentine’s career. Across decades, he has moved seamlessly through jazz, swing, soul, and blues. His live shows are known for a mix of impeccable musicianship and unpretentious storytelling, qualities that will be on display at the upcoming Memo Music Hall concert.
Valentine also reflected on what made the Clapton/King collaboration resonate so strongly. “It’s the chemistry,” he said. “You had Eric at a point in his career where he wanted to reconnect with the blues in a pure way, and you had B.B., who is basically the embodiment of the blues. When they came together, it was magic — effortless, really. You can hear the respect they had for each other, and that gave the track this authority.”
By weaving his own version into a larger album narrative, Valentine pays tribute not only to the songwriters but to the spirit of collaboration that made the Clapton/King version so enduring.
Riding Into Memo Music Hall
For fans, the newly announced Memo Music Hall show offers the rare chance to experience Valentine’s Riding With The King live, complete with the depth of storytelling that has made him a fixture on the Australian music scene.
With his band, Valentine promises a setlist that honours the tradition while adding his own imprint. “It’s not about replication, it’s about respect,” he said. “Respect for the song, respect for the players who came before, and respect for the audience who keep the blues alive by coming to shows like this.”
Valentine’s Memo Music Hall date places him firmly in the lineage of artists who refuse to let classic songs gather dust. Instead, like Clapton and King before him, he continues to breathe new life into music that matters.
Tickets for Bobby Valentine’s Riding With The King at Memo Music Hall are on sale now.
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