Geraldton musician Anne Williams will keep going as long as she can amid battle with multiple sclerosis

It feels like Anne Williams has been a staple in the Mid West music scene for as long as there has been a scene.

The self-described “mum, wife and bogan extraordinaire” has appeared in all our local music venues, on our ferries and at our festivals. If it involves music, Williams will have been there, either on stage or behind the scenes.

She is so much more than a singing guitar player. When venues book her, they get a muso, comedian, quizmaster and bogan queen all rolled into one package.

Although she mostly plays covers, she does write her own material. Her original track Troll was described by fellow muso Darcy Hay as “one of the more delightfully unusual tracks I’ve recently heard! Grooving like a mad man on the offbeat, almost-flamenco tinged instrumentalism, and loving those sweet yet wry vocals.”

Williams’ online reviews feature some of the same phrases over and over. Engaging. Funny. Talented. Wacky. Strange. Quirky. Hilarious. There’s no secret why she gets booked out months in advance.

By day, she is a peripatetic music teacher teaching flute, clarinet and saxophone across our education institutions in the Mid West. Developing future musos and encouraging talent wherever she sees it.

Her musical style is varied. She often plays cover songs that she knows people will enjoy from many different genres. “It keeps me on my toes and makes my set nice and varied,” she said.

When asked what her influences are, her answer was far from ordinary. “Anything from Beethoven to Brahms, Portishead to Pearl Jam, Regina Spektor to Radiohead. I love being surprised when I listen to music and don’t particularly enjoy listening to anything that’s too predictable,” she said.

Williams clearly loves what she does, but does believe her talent is finite.

“My long-term plans are to play as long as I physically can. I have multiple sclerosis and will at some point be limited in what I can do. Until then, I will enjoy playing my pub gigs and weddings and hope I can give a spark of joy for anyone who is listening.”

Williams has never let her medical condition slow her down, either with her singing or her signature Bogan Bingo persona. “I have a whole heap of music gigs and Bogan Bingos booked for the rest of the year. It’s best to head to my Facebook page to see the gigs I will be doing for the month,” she said.

Williams can be seen at the original music night at the Irish club on Friday night 7-9pm and Old Man and the Sea with Ian Weggler on Saturday night 6-9pm.