2012

BETWEEN THE WARS

In 2009, two old friends got together in a room in a house. One played guitar and sang. The other played ukulele and sang. Taking influences from traditional Irish artists such as Christy Moore, the Wolfe Tones and the Dubliners, blending in the punk ethic and edge of Flogging Molly and the Dropkick Murphys, and bringing in the folk storytelling of singer/songwriters such as Frank Turner, Billy Bragg and Shane MacGowan, the two old friends forged forward to create a celtic folk punk juggernaut, unlike anything they'd ever done before. They named it after one of their favourite Billy Bragg songs. From the humble beginnings of these two friends in a room came the seven-piece onslaught of Between The Wars. In the same way that the Pogues and the Dropkick Murphys stayed true to their own genre while blending in a strong Irish influence, Between The Wars are setting Melbourne stages on fire with their clever and unique fusion of Irish folk music with punk rock. This makes it mainstream enough for everyone to find elements they can enjoy, without losing their edge and unique flavour. The label of Irish folk music gives connotations of fifty-something year old men on stage, playing songs they learnt as children from relatives of eras long ago. However, Between The Wars take this image and rip it to pieces, cementing their place in the live music scene and showcasing the amazing live talents of all the band members’ vocal and musical abilities. The sum of their parts is so great that their music is taken to a whole new level which allows their audience to be a perfect blend of young and old, never alienating one in favour of the other. In the time they have spent together so far as a group, they have garnered much acclaim all over Victoria for their energetic and entertaining sets, intelligent lyrics and fresh pop hooks. In 2010, Between The Wars released their debut album "Carried Away" through Melbourne independent label Slippery Slope Recordings. With 11 mixed-up tracks ranging from traditional Irish folk to their more established celtic folk punk songs and even branching into some John Mayer style acoustic funk, the band catered for ears from yesteryear, today and tomorrow. This record sold out of its first pressing within 12 months and will be reissued at the end of 2011.  In September 2011, the band released "The Rats", a seven-track EP showcasing their new cohesion as a group and the continuing maturity of songwriters Jaymz Stevens and Jason Hatcher. More edgy and faster than the previous record, Between The Wars set out to try and capture the energy and fun of their live show. This EP broke into the world top 10 "celtic punk" EPs of 2011, coming 8th in the list over at the Spanish blog, "Celtic Folk Punk and more". In October 2011, Between The Wars released a double A-side single "The Aces Are Coming/I Forget What I'm Doing Here". The first single has been written as a theme song for the Melbourne Aces baseball club, with the second single changing the pace of the band, sung by ukulele player Jason Hatcher and detailing a convict's life in Tasmania. 
2012 is shaping up to be a massive year for the Between The Wars boys. With a new drummer announced in January, the band kicks off a final "We Forget What We're Doing Here" tour, taking in Victoria, Queensland and South Australia before settling down to record a new album in May. Between The Wars have performed at Federation Square, the Hi-Fi Bar & Ballroom, the Esplanade Hotel and the Celtic Club just to name a few of their hometown's iconic venues. On top of this, they performed at the Echuca/Moama and Kilmore Celtic Festivals in 2010 and 2011, as well as the 2011 National Celtic Festival in Portarlington. The band have also supported Irish artists the Wolfe Tones and Eleanor McEvoy and US artists Solas on their Australian tours, as well as Australian artists such as the Ramshackle Army, Blue King Brown, the Rumjacks, Bobby Flynn, Highlander and Claymore. 

http://www.betweenthewars.net

ThTHTHe BordererS

The BordererS

Back by public demand:

Multi-Award winning Scottish / Irish / Australian band The BordererS formed in 1994.
The Borderers became a band by accident when Jim was backpacking in Australia in 1993 as part of a Round the World trip.  He says: “I was just passing through Adelaide to meet a friend when I got invited to a recording studio to hear this band called the BordererS.  I loved their sound so much that I eventually co-produced the album, married the lead singer and bought a house in Adelaide”.
Lead singer, Alex, was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland and came to Australia in 1987, whilst Jim was born in Glasgow, Scotland and arrived in Australia on Christmas Eve 1993.The BordererS run their own indie record label – Celtic Records – which to date has combined sales of 70,000 CD's & DVD's.  This indie approach paid off recently when the band won the Independent Music Award in the USA.
The BordererS are well known performers at many of the world’s top music festivals having played Byron Bay Blues & Roots, Woodford, Edinburgh and Womad Festivals in Australia and the UK – as well as touring Canada and the USA.  They’ve also supported artists including Tom Jones, The Proclaimers, The Saw Doctors and Shane McGowan from The Pogues.
What sets the BordererS apart from other bands is their ability to get the whole audience involved.
........."You must be dead if you're not seen dancing at a BordererS gig".........Jamie McKew - Port Fairy Festival Director ( The biggest Folk / Roots festival in Australia )
Here's what others have to say:
........"You've got a great band there"........... Phillip Noyce - Aussie / Hollywood Film Director.
........."The rhythm guitarist is so handsome".........  Jim's Mum
Voted Best World Music Act At the Musicoz Awards!www.theborderers.com.a

 Gary Banks & Rudi Katterl

  A performance of moving original and traditional celtic        songs by Gary Banks - a highly regarded singer songwriter in Ireland and locally, and Rudi Katterl – the maestro guitarist /producer and owner of Mountain Music Studio in the Victorian Alps.

www.myspace.com/garybanksmusic

THE GUINNESS BROTHERS

-a lively, high energy audience engaging music, with harmony and are multi-instrumental. And a wee touch of humour thrown in.  With Geoff Perrie – Lead vocals, Guitars, Scottish small pipes, squeeze box & tin whistle, Martin Hungerford – vocals, squeeze box, whistles,Scottish small pipes, Spanish bag Pipes, Mandolin & Sax, Ado Osborne – Bass guitar, vocals, Steph Anderson – Drums & percussion and Dave Arblaster – Piano Accordian

HIGHLANDER “If the sound of Highland bagpipes stirs the blood and makes the hair on the back of your neck stand on end – then Highlander is a show not to be missed” Justin Body (Bagpipes, Whistles & Vocals), Scott Rankin (Fiddle & Vocals), Andrew Hoffman (Bass & Vocals) and David Hollis (Guitars & Vocals) make up Highlander and combine a unique blend of pipes, whistle, fiddle, guitars, drums and vocals together with a dynamic stage presence producing an unforgettable and exciting live performance which is enjoyed and respected by audiences of all ages. www.highlandercelticrockbandaustralia.com

.Lucy Wise spent her childhood singing with her family in the Wise Family Band and The Wise Girls, and from a young age has played at folk festivals in Australia and internationally. Her original songs are all about people, and the small things that illuminate everyday life, drawing influence from Appalachian and Irish Folk music

McALPINE'S FUSILIERS are a six piece band that combines traditional folk instruments of fiddle, accordion and banjo with a punk rhythm to produce high energy and passionate music that is committed to continuing the burning social relevance of folk music. Drawing on Irish, Scottish and Australian traditional music “the Fusiliers give all this material a special treatment- ‘swaggie punk’ – loud, proud and uncompromisingly Australian” (John Lamp The Pulse).

Since forming in 2004 their punk ethos of doing it yourself has won them a large and loyal fan base that sees them constantly hitting the road to play. This has included festival performances at: The Queenscliff Music Festival, The Yackandandah Folk Festival, Pako Festa, The Guildford Banjo Jamboree, Maldon Folk Festival, The Beechworth Celtic Festival, The Westbury Celtic Festival and The National Celtic Festival. Their debut album ‘Sons and Daughters of the Soil’ was released in 2007. “It captures the band’s sound, a musical place where rebellion, toil, tradition, romance and brute honesty connect” (Mark Coombes KLFM). The Fusiliers are currently recording their second album ‘The Edge of the World’ to be released in late 2010. It builds on the bands exploration of the social and musical sources of folk music. Exploring the themes and telling the stories of everyday Australia through our nation’s rich history of immigration, struggle, sacrifice, family and freedom.

McAlpines Fusiliers

RED CATperform a variety of favourite and original contemporary and traditional Folk/Country/Celtic inspired music. Luscious harmonies with powerful words and music make this trio a stand out act. The Band consists o f  Kerry Dawson – Vocals/Bodhran   Mike Daley – Vocals/Guitar/Mandolin/Harmonica and  Rob Carroll – Vocals/Guitar/Banjo/Bodhran

Kerry, Rob and Mike have an enviable performance history between them. Since forming in 2008 they have played at many festivals and venues around Australia to rave reviews, and are now considered a headline act at many festivals.

www.myspace.com/redcatoz

ZEPTEPI

Fiddle-tastic banjo-magic folk-rock from Melbourne

Zeptepi - folk rock band based in Melbourne, Australia. Currently comprises Phil Dean (vocals, guitar, songs), Bernie Dodd (drums), Frank Packer (bass), Hayley Anderson (violin) and CC Thornley (banjo). Zeptepi first appeared in 2001, initially started as a solo project by songwriter Phil Dean. It became a full band in 2004 with the addition of Bernie Dodd (drums) and Frank Packer (bass) and they have now released three albums on their own label – Travelling Through Time (2005), Universality (2007) and Stormclouds (2010).