The Daily Telegraph, Sydney, 11 March 2002
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KASEY BOWS OUT TO WAIT FOR HER BABY COUNTRY singer Kasey Chambers has farewelled fans before the birth of her baby and revealed the health scares which led to an on-stage collapse. The 25-year-old singer, who is seven months pregnant, said goodbye to her Sydney fans with a final sold-out show on Friday night and isn't expected to perform again until the end of the year. ``At this stage of my pregnancy I'm starting to get a little tired,'' she said. Two weeks ago, Kasey -- who recently featured in magazines such as Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair -- made headlines when she collapsed on stage in San Francisco. The incident also stirred a debate here about how far into pregnancy women should continue working. While Kasey said the collapse ``wasn't quite as dramatic as everyone made out'', she has taken her doctor's advice and cancelled all but one engagement in the lead-up to the birth in May. ``There's been a whole lot of stuff said recently that I wasn't well,'' she said. ``But I've been well through the whole pregnancy. ``I've just had a few little dizzy spells, which they tell me is normal. People just notice when I fall over. But apparently lots of pregnant women do it. I've actually been very lucky. I haven't been sick and I'm loving it.'' On stage with Kasey that night in San Francisco to offer comfort and support were, as always, her father Bill and brother Nash. Left at home to worry about all the news reports filtering through was her partner Cori Hooper. ``Cori's been reading all the books,'' Kasey said. ``He rings up and says `Now this is what's happening right now with your body'. He knows more than I do.'' Cori said: ``Kase has been pretty text-book with the pregnancy up until now. Nothing's been difficult.'' The one interruption to Kasey's maternity leave will be her appearance at the annual Byron Bay Blues Festival over the Easter long-weekend. Following that appearance, she doesn't expect to perform again until at least September. ``Doing the blues festival is one of my favourite gigs of the year,'' she said. ``I couldn't pull out. I'll probably have to do it sitting down all night.'' Then it's home to the central coast for the birth. When not floating about in her backyard pool, Kasey is hoping to spend time writing the follow-up to her smash hit album, Barricades And Brickwalls. ``After the baby comes I probably won't have any time to write.'' Kasey's new single Not Pretty Enough and album Barricades And Brickwalls are both currently topping local record charts.
