5 minute read
Icon - Angie Bell, MP
Angie Bell, MP
Member for Moncrieff | Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education | Shadow Minister for Youth.
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A familiar face around the Gold Coast, particularly in her electorate in the heart of the Gold Coast and Mermaid Beach Surf Club where she is a member, Angie Bell shares what motivates her and how music has shaped her life.
Music was a major part of your life - do you still play and perform? Music is what provided me, as a young person from very humble beginnings, with a life-changing opportunity to make something of myself. My attraction to it started in primary school on the recorder (parents beware!) and later in high school, I moved to the tenor saxophone and voice. Music is something I have always done, sometimes full-time and at other times, part-time. I also taught myself the piano in high school and performed in piano bars in Sydney for a time.
Where did your career take you as a musician? I enjoyed incredible opportunities and experiences during my career as a professional musician. I started out playing local pubs and clubs. I was fortunate in my very early career to perform at large events such as the Manly Jazz Carnival and the Adelaide Grand Prix, and to perform with jazz legends Don Burrows and James Morrison. I also played at the Sydney Opera House and supported Robert Cray in Adelaide in the late 80s. In 1996, I released an original EP called “See You In Heaven” as a tribute to my late mother who died from stomach cancer. More recently, I travelled for many years with Gold Coast corporate band OzGroove to South East Asian countries and New Zealand, Fiji and the America’s with the standout memory from Las Vegas at Planet Hollywood, where we had Elvis Presley’s best man, Joe Esposito as the guest of honour and Human Nature as our guest performers.
Are there any aspects that you miss? I miss the thrill of a big stage performance and the interaction with a live audience, also the feeling of international touring, but I am forever grateful for the chance to experience the musicianship, the rich life of an artist and the lifelong friendships along the way.
What motivated you to pursue a career in politics? I never dreamed of becoming a politician, I still prefer the title of parliamentarian! It really was a chance conversation with a close friend who was working for a senior Liberal who asked me if I wanted to meet Joe Hockey and I said ‘yes, of course’ and so we met at a function and we hit it off. I then went to Canberra for Joe’s Budget speech in 2014 and met a number of Liberal Cabinet Ministers and the Prime Minister at that time. Their speeches all inspired me to want to contribute to the cause and country. I joined the LNP and after working with the Party for many years including serving as LNP Women’s President, I was elected as the Member for Moncrieff in 2019. I had a lot of support along the way for which I am extremely grateful. No one does it alone.
source: Mermaid Beach A.E.M.E Surf Club - angiebell.com.au
Politics is notoriously brutal - how do you unwind? I did my surf bronze at Mermaid Beach Surf Club many years ago and through that process developed a love of the ocean and the beach. When I am home, I take a swim and I enjoy paddle boarding, bike riding and running. I love to practise the saxophone on a Sunday after the neighbours are awake, and I also have one in my office in Canberra, along with a piano. Sometimes my colleagues come to my office and we have a sing song of 80s hits to wind down after sitting.
What do you love about living on the GC? Absolutely everything! Living in our regional city is having the best of both worlds. The lifestyle pace is slower than in the major cities and living close to the ocean has a very special feeling when you come home to it. I love my community and the generosity of spirit that Gold Coasters extend to one another, especially to those who need a hand up. I’m so proud to be a Gold Coaster, especially when we fundraise for charities like St John’s, Gold Coast Community Fund, Muscular Dystrophy and The Salvos. There are so many good and gracious people on the Coast, I couldn’t possibly name them all, but if they read this little article, I’d like to say thanks for all you do for our community and see you at the next fundraising event. AngieSPRING • 2022 15
