Joe Camilleri and the Black Sorrows

Joe Camilleri is an icon of Australian music and without doubt one of Melbourne’s finest musical exports. He has paved the way for four generations of singers and songwriters, writing and recording an enormous catalogue of incredible music over an astonishing 46 years. From 1964 to 2011, Camilleri has gigged, written, toured, wailed and shaken it. From Altona to Cooktown, from Oslo to Cannes and all over his beloved hometown of Melbourne, The Pope of Elwood has shown fans and critics alike, a performer with an undeniable energy and love of it all. It is this love, this sense of adventure that keeps Camilleri going and the punters coming back for more. The Black Sorrows have always had a very elastic line-up and have been home to 40 talented Australian musicians at different times. The band has acted as a launch pad for the careers of some of our most successful musicians including Vika & Linda Bull and Jen Anderson. Today The Black Sorrows is Joe Creighton on bass, Tony Floyd on drums, Claude Carranza on guitar and Atlanta Coogan on Vocals.‘The Black Sorrows has always been a family, and I hear that from record to record. You can tell me any track and I’ll remember the conversations and the food’, says Joe. ‘It’s a joyous thing making music with your friends’. www.joecamilleri.com.au

Mick Thomas and The Roving Commission

Mick Thomas has some secret magic to his writing… he surely can write great songs that make you say “Why didn’t I think of that?” but of course we never do. He writes about mates, ratbags, races, places, weddings, parties, funny stuff – anything – but they are really good stories and great songs.
Mick is truly a legend around the best of fair dinkum roots venues and festivals around the country. He is a character! He is funny!  He will talk the leg off an old chair and play the arse off a guitar, sweat the shirt of his back and lay you in the aisles. Mick is joined on stage this year @ Healesville by Squeeze Box Wally (WPA legend) and John Bedgegood on keys and fiddle and playing as Mick and The Royal Commission.                    >> Visit Mick Thomas

Shane Howard and Band

Shane Howard is one of Australia’s most important and respected songwriters. In a career that has spanned over 30 years, he has released 10 solo albums, including a double CD anthology and three albums with the band he formed, Goanna. ” ..a wonderful, carefully crafted       mixture of  songs about love and politics. He sounds as though he has drunk deeply from the same fountain that gave the world Henry Lawson, Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan..saturated in Australian imagery.. ” Bruce Elder, Sydney Morning Herald    >> Visit Shane Howard

John Schumann And The Vagabond Crew

If  you liked Redgum then you will love John Schumann and The Vagabond Crew. Reunited with his old mate Hugh McDonald (Also Ex-Redgum) after 24 years, this is the closest thing to a Redgum reunion, fans will ever see. John is one of the very few songwriters who has changed the way a nation thinks. Accordingly, he holds a distinguished place in theAustralian music industry. Best known, perhaps, for his leadership of the legendary folk-rock band Redgum, and his Vietnam veterans’ anthem, “I was only 19”, John Schumann first came to national attention in 1980 as Redgum’s lead singer-songwriter. In the ensuing years John Schumann recorded nine albums and, with Redgum, toured the UK, Europe and Ireland where his songs are still played.  In 27 years in Australian music, as a member of Redgum and as a solo artist, John Schumann has received almost every award the industry has to offer – some twice over. Described  by rock historian Glenn A. Baker as “one of the finest songwriters this country has produced”, John’s songs have been paid the ultimate compliment by becoming the property of the people and the country they were written about. His lyrics are on reading lists in schools, colleges and universities throughout Australia.  The Vagabond Crew also features Kat Kraus (Ex- Colcannon) Denis Simon on Bass, Enrico Morena on drums, Alexander Stuart Black on fiddle/mandolin and Mal Logan on keys.(Ex- LRB, Dingoes, Jimmy Barnes, Aust Crawl)    >> http://www.schumann.com.au/john/redgum/redgum_history

The Damian Howard Band

Damian Howard’s latest CD release ‘Out of My Hands’ showcases a new sound and new line up.
The new original material has a country roots-rock infused flavour and the first single release All I Ever Wanted has been featured on ABC’s Rage earlier this year and on high rotation on CMC. This has been followed by two other songs off the album,  Out Of My Hands and One Step forward also being featured on CMC and Rage. The Out of My Hands album has been warmly received by audiences throughout Australia and Europe with performances at festivals and venues around Australia and two successful European Tours in 2008 and 2009 culminating with a performance at the famous Hebridean Celtic Festival on The Isle of Lewis, Scotland in front of 6000 people and filmed by the BBC. This performance has been regularly featured on the BBC over the past 12 months.    >> Visit Damian Howard

Monique Brumby

With 5 studio albums, 2 Arias and 3 additional Aria nominations for Song of the year, Tasmanian born Monique Brumby is an accomplished guitarist, singer, prolific songwriter and diverse music collaborator. (And record producer.) Her trademark though is her live performance skills, honed over many years, whether playing solo or, as she will be playing at Healesville this year, with her 5 piece band and she always makes it her mission to connect with her audiences and never leaves the stage without giving her heart and soul to all her performances. A testament to these skills was being handpicked to open for Don Mclean earlier this year on his 2011 tour. (Twice over the last 5 years as well the iconic US band the Bangles has also chosen Monique to tour with them.) As well as playing her own headline shows Monique has also toured, with many other well-known artists, including Paul Kelly, The Stranglers, Luka Bloom, Shawn Colvin and the late Jeff Buckley, to name just a few.    “Monique Brumby is a performer comfortable with the stage, with her supremely confident voice, easy between song banter and more than capable song writing. Her spirited individuality, part Mary Margaret O’Hara vocal weirdness, part fearless story teller Patti Smith is a unique offering. Her prolific output is matched is matched by the rigour with which she hones her song writing skills” Andy Hazel  Impress Mag see: www.moniquebrumby.com

Rebecca Barnard

From a 13 year old singing with her fathers band, Rebecca has spent many years in various bands refining her live performance and vocal skills. Starting her mainstream career with 10 years as a backing singer for Stephen Cummins, and after getting a bit more serious about her own song writing, one of Australia’s most loved bands, Rebeccas Empire was born. They went on to record 3  EPs and 2 albums and appeared on JJJ’s Hottest 100 albums, 3 years in a row. Rebecca has also recorded 2 solo albums, appeared on several radio and TV shows and sung backing vocals for various including Paul Kelly, Rene Geyer, Den Conway and Tim Rogers, to name just a few. www.rebeccabarnard.com

Greg Champion

Born in Benalla Victoria and raised in South Australia, Champs is Australia’s leading writer of AFL and cricket songs, with several AussieRules hitsongs since the 1980s.
His musical diversity however, extends beyond the sports fields to include more moving and descriptive pieces capturing the emotion of Australian life in the way John Williamson, Eric Bogle and Ted Egan are renowned for.
Forging his own distinctive path through the Australian musical landscape, it’s been said of Champs that he has contributed to the fabric of Australian culture.
>> Visit Greg Champion

The KV Band

This country rock band has its roots firmly in the hills to Melbourne’s East and is at the vanguard of the thriving music scene emerging from the area. They have have been winning over audiences all over the country since they first started performing in 2007.
Their acclaimed album ‘Diamonds on the Road’, was nominated for five Victorian and National Country Music Awards and leaves the listener in no doubt as to the musical and creative bona fides of this rockin’ alt-country outfit.
Shows at The Gympie Muster and The Apollo Bay Music Festival capped off a great 2009 for the band and 2010 and 2011 have continued in a similar vein with a swag of shows booked and a new live album in the pipeline.    www.myspace.com/caveyandbeers

The Hill Villains

Individually, the members of the Hills Villains have played festivals from Tamworth to Glastonbury and have influences ranging from Redgum to the red Hot Chilli Peppers. Lead singer, guitarist and front man Ewan Cloonan is essentially a story teller, who writes about what he hears and sees. Joined by Tom Kelly (TK and the Rose, The Hannfords) on bass guitar and Steve Cubela on drums, the trio takes the bones of Ewan’s songs and gives them musical depth and colour. Having just finished recording their debut album with the technical skills of Hugh McDonald, The Hills Villains are embarking on a journey to find a long lost genre somewhere between folk and funk                                                                                                  >> Visit Ewan Cloonan


Mick Thomas has some secret magic to his writing… he surely can write great songs
that make you say “Why didn’t I think of that?” but of course we never do. He writes
about mates, ratbags, races, places, weddings, parties, funny stuff – anything – but they
are really good stories and great songs.