Australian Bands
August 20th, 2010
Have we got your band listed? Send details to editor@australianbluegrass.com.
Donal Baylor
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Donal has played on the Australian music scene for many years as a sideman and as a bandleader. He has always loved the ‘classic’ sound of traditional music and his influences include the great players of the genres. He also considers himself fortunate to have played with many talented Australian singers and musicians, who have all helped in shaping his musical style. Donal is please to keep you posted about gigs and news – feel free to contact him. |
Bluegrass Junction
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This Adelaide-based band comprises musicians who share a lifetime’s passion for the music. They combine instrumental skills with strong, three-part harmonies driven by the foot-tapping rhythm of an acoustic bass.
The band offers a tightly crafted repertoire of traditional songs arranged with reference to the original master versions. The band comprises Trevor Warner, Nick Cawthorne and brothers Geoff and John Bridgland, with guest bassist, James Sked. Trevor (Trev) is three times Australian bluegrass banjo champion and a superb bluegrass fiddler, with more than 40 years’ stage experience. Nick, one of South Australia’s best bluegrass guitarists, drives the rhythm on guitar, complemented by Geoff on banjo and John on mandolin. |
Bluegrass Parkway
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Bluegrass Parkway is currently celebrating the band’s 21th anniversary. They are the longest continuously performing bluegrass band in Australia. This milestone in Australian bluegrass history has seen the band play at many folk and country music festivals throughout Australia, New Zealand and the have also performed at festivals in the United States.What sets the band apart from others is the importance they have placed on presenting Bluegrass music in its most authentic form. Since early 1994, Bluegrass Parkway have performed around a single on stage microphone, as was the norm for the pioneers of the genre during the 1940s.
The Band features Paul Duff – mandolin, Maria Duff – bass, Guy Paris – guitar, Mick O’Neill – banjo and Donal Baylor – fiddle. |
Bluestone Junction
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Bluestone Junction’s sound is traditional bluegrass, but their repertoire includes original compositions, tunes by modern bluegrass ‘traditionalists’ such as the Johnson Mountain Boys, and of course classic compositions from bluegrass pioneers such as Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs, Lester Flatt, the Stanley Brothers and more.Bluestone Junction is Chris Jacobs on guitar, Mick Harrison on banjo, Mike St. Clair-Miller on double bass, Adam Gare on fiddle and mandolin and Pete Fidler on Dobro and mandolin. They perform as the music’s originators did, around a single valve powered large plate condenser microphone that accurately captures the complete performance without resorting to electronic trickery. |
Bushfire Band
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Bushfire is a trio featuring the distinctive banjo style of Rob Davis delivering traditional bluegrass to Beatle’s classics, Aussie bush dances to Paul Kelly, unaccompanied harmonies to whip cracking, country classics to Irish jigs – this is the versatility and uniqueness of Bushfire.Blend all of that with a “down to earth” Aussie style, mix in some of Dave Luxmoore’s fiddle, mandolin and guitar, some catchy originals by Tracey Davis and you start to get the feel of Bushfire. Bushfire features Rob Davis on banjo, Dave Luxmore on fiddle and Tracey Davis on bass. |
Coolgrass
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Coolgrass, is one of our more irreverent and colourful bluegrass bands.The line up has taken many many shapes and forms over the past 10 years or so. Originally a five piece band, it dwindled almost overnight to a three piece band including Jim Golding on banjo, Doug Wallace on guitar and Peter Hisco on double bass and started playing gigs as a semi-serious outfit under the banner Coolgrass, Rhythm and Bluegrass.
One of the most hilaroius bands in the land, Coolgrass’s line includes Jim Golding on banjo, Doug Wallace on guitar, Bruce Packard on mandolin and Angus Golding on double bass. |
The Cowtippers
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The Cowtippers, – sometimes called Cowtripers, Cowpushers and Travelling Cowhides, have been playing together since 2007.The Cowtippers – a mighty fine and fearsome foursome of musicians who are proud to call South Australia Home.
The group consists of Henk ‘Happy’ Groot on fiddle, guitar and mandolin, John ‘The Ripper’ Hyland on dobro, guitar and banjo, Diana ‘Ouchies’ Fusco on double bass and Rick ‘Popeye’ Hunt on banjo guitar and mandolin. |
The Davidson Brothers
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Hamish and Lachlan Davidson do many recording sessions and regulary perform live on national television. Highlights include Hey, Hey Its Saturday, The Panel, Good Morning Australia and playing on The Man From Snowy River soundtrack. The pair have toured with Troy Cassar-Daley, Lee Kernaghan and shared the stage with superstars such as Tommy Emmanuel, Kasey Chambers and Jimmy Barnes.After a total of six nominations in the Australian Country Music Awards since 2004 (aka the Golden Guitars), the Davidson Brothers finally won their first Golden Guitar in 2009 for Best Instrumental (Left Hand Drive). At this point in their career Hamish was 25 years old and Lachlan was 24. They also won Best Instrumental in the Independent Australian Country Music Awards in 2004, 2005, 2007 & 2009. |
Fat Chance & the Bluegrass Playboys
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Fat Chance and the Bluegrass Playboys formed in November 2008 and have appeared at Harrietville, Girgarre Moosic Muster, The Basin Music Festival and Newport Folk Festival, Beechworth Kelly Country Pick, Whittlesea Country Music Festival, Apollo Bay Music Festival and National Music Festival. They play an assortment of songs, but all with a bluegrass twist to them. You’ll hear some trad bluegrass, but also some pop songs done in the bluegrass idiom, some cowboy and C&W songs, some blues and a few novelty songs. The lineup is Andrew Barcham on banjo, Don Gula on bass and harmonica, David Aumann on mandolin and Jim Golding on guitar. |
Hardrive Bluegrass Band
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Hardrive Bluegrass Band is one of Australia’s favourite bluegrass bands featuring high-lonesome vocals and great instrumentals from a traditional line-up of Peter Scholtz on banjo,Nick Dear fiddle/mandolin, Lachlan Dear on guitar and Matt Ryan on double bass Hardrive plays original Australian songs and tunes in a traditional bluegrass style. The band has recently won the Victorian and National Country Music Awards Bluegrass and Traditional Country Music Award for their fourth album ‘Lightning’. |
Heather Robin
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I love Bluegrass Music, and am dedicated to promoting Australasian (Australian and New Zealand) Bluegrass. I write it, perform it, broadcast it and support it. Within my website you will find links and information about my background, music and my online radio program The Bluegrass Downunder Show. You will also find information about my involvement in bluegrass music in Australia New Zealand and The USA. Please take your time to browse through my gallery, videos, blogs and interview archives. I hope you will enjoy finding out a bit more about me and the music I love please feel free to contact me and let me know what you think of my website or if you have any enquiries about my music or radio show. |
High Lonesome
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Lying somewhere between Folk, Country and Bluegrass, High & Lonesome have a distinct rootsy feel which pays homage to some of the influences the band members have come under over the years, with echoes of many country and bluegrass heroes.High & Lonesome features Chris Ellis on guitar and Mark Wardle on banjo. |
John Flanagan and the Begin Agains
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John Flanagan and the Begin Agains blend traditional Americana style with deeply honest Australian storytelling to create a simple yet expressive style of bluegrass/folk music. Influenced by Alison Krauss and Nickel Creek, this four-piece Melbourne band has a unique sound with warm, crystal clear harmonies and delicate acoustic textures.John has been performing as a singer/songwriter since 2004 and was a 2010 Toyota Star Maker finalist. In 2008 he joined with members of The Melbourne Bluegrass Project to form The Begin Agains, recording his debut solo album Meet Me In Between. The band features, Jane Patterson, Andy Zito and Mark Zito. |
The O’Donnells
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The O’Donnells are part of the new generation of Australian Bluegrass, exciting audiences with their unique family harmonies and high energy traditional acoustic music. The band features parents John and Wendy with John Jnr, Jacqui and Katelyn. The band are Overall Group and Senior Winners of the 2009 QLD Country Music Festivals Champion of Champions. |
The Original Snakeskins.
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Combining elements of country,folk and bluegrass , the Original Snakeskins play toe tapping tunes with soaring three part harmonies. Hailing from Melbourne , this band was formed in 2000 and has released three CDs. They compose and perform in the true spirit of the greats of the forties and fifties . The band comprises of Anne Unger vocals, Steve Raw Hyde on double bass, Drew Fingers Gallus on guitar and dobro, Alan Prickles Rose on harmonica, and Andrew Dr. Feelgood Langton on banjo and mandolin. |
The Redlands Bluegrass Boys
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The Redlands Bluegrass Boys was formed in 1998 by a group of enthusiastic acoustic musicians based at the Redlands Modern Country Music Club.The group features Allen McMonagle on guitar and fiddle, Neil Wills on mandolin and guitar, Fred Hudson banjo, Bill Turner on guitar and Tom Stekinga on double bass. The band specialises in great vocal harmonies and they play a wide range of bluegrass influenced music and between them have been involved in many different forms of music including country, country rock and Australian bush bands. |
Seagrass
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Seagrass is an all original Tasmanian bluegrass band that have been together since 2006. Their goal is to develop a sound that is uniquely Seagrass. Their style of music is best described as a merge of acoustic blues and traditional bluegrass. The songs are original pieces that combine vocal harmonies with melodic guitar/mandolin styles.The band consists of : Mark Phillips on bass, Tim Saunders on banjo, guitar and bottleneck guitar and Rowlie Walker on mandolin. Tim Saunders and Rowlie Walker are both avid song writers, constantly expanding their writing and arrangement styles. |
The Sheepdogs
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The sheepdogs are a trio of musicians playing music that is fun, energetic and acoustic.The members of the sheepdogs are: Stephen Treloar – Mandolin, Lee Wilson – Resonator Guitar, Colin Thorne – Guitar. The sheepdogs play regular gigs on the Sunshine Coast with more occasional appearances in Brisbane and other locations in south-east Queensland. Formed several years ago to pursue a mutual enjoyment of string band music from the 1930’s through to the present day, the sheepdogs, drawing on inspiration from bluegrass, western swing, early jazz and honky tonk artist, have evolved a sound that is all their own. |
The Stringbeans
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The Stringbeans from Melbourne area a contemporary bluegrass band and also play some blues, swing and some country music.The band features Wendy Jackson on rhythm guitar and harmonica, Leo Kahans on fiddle and mandolin, Don Gula on double bass, and Geoff Wright on banjo, mandolin and dobro. Other musicians are often invited to join our performances, varying our line up to always be adaptable and innovative. |
Tom Cat and The Bluegrass Kittens
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Tom Cat and the Bluegrass Kittens are a dynamic band who play an exciting and eclectic mix of bluegrass favourites and bluegrass-inspired tunes. The Kittens have developed a wide following around Brisbane and nationally with appearances at the Woodford, Redlands, Dorrigo and Harrietville Folk & Bluegrass Festivals. The band features three vibrant young women: Amy Coles on banjo, Dominique Costello on mandolin and Emma McMonagle on guitar. They are admirably supported by the suitably eccentric double-bass player Tom Steginga a well-known Brisbane muso with over 3 decades of experience. With strong vocals, beautiful harmonies and snappy arrangements the Bluegrass Kittens are a treat for all musical tastebuds. |
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