THURSDAY NIGHTS

5th April
12th April
19th April
26th April

FRIDAY 27th APRIL

SUNDAY SESSIONS

1st April
8th April
15th April
22nd April
29th April  


BOOK EARLY FOR

     Gusto
     8 Ball Aitken
     Daniel Champagne
     Catherine Britt 

6.30pm - 9.30pm Dinner Available

Sugarfoot
Gusto
Mick Vawdon
Rob Binks 

Lara Brett  

4.30pm - 7.30pm Dinner Available

Mick Fetch
TBC
8 Ball Aitken
Rachel Hannan
Annie McKinnon  




Thursday 12th April 2012 (6.30pm - 9.30pm Dinner available)
Sunday 15th April 2012 (4.30pm - 7.30pm Dinner available)
Sunday 6th May 2012 (4.30pm - 7.30pm Dinner available)
Friday 8th June  2012 (Dinner & Show $60)

Reaching to musical depth’s far beyond his years and a way with the guitar that can only be seen to be believed. Daniel Champagne often sounds closer to a three-piece band than the young singer songwriter guitarist that has established himself as a renowned performer in his homeland Australia and now around the world.

With a reputation on his instrument of choice firmly established, recent descriptions of the live show state ‘A prodigy playing like no-one could possibly play unless they spent at least two lifetimes studying the art’ (BW Review, NZ) and ‘The best young guitarist in Australia’ (IFC President). Daniel’s guitar playing runs from the instruments soul to way outside of its box. His Signature explosion of 2-hand tapping, body percussion and fiery runs in a swag of different tunings can be expected. As can the jazzy finger picking and tasteful improvisation of someone that first picked up the instrument at seven years old and as it would seem … hasn’t put it down since.

The same versatility can be said for his writing and choice of material. Pulling off setts from intense foot-stomping crowd pleasers, experimental compositions, bags of originals to century old Folk and Blues Songs delivered with an exciting youthful flair. As for the voice … “He sings with a wonderfully pronounced and proud Aussie twang, howling here, hushed there, always confident, fearless and knowing” – Jamie Forbes

In all, a live show to mark as an absolute must see!

Having cut his teeth on the Australian scene with two independent EPs and two full years on the road. 2011 has marked the release of the debut album Pint of Mystery and has seen Daniel take his explosive live show to all corners of his homeland as well as Europe and Canada. He has won over crowds at world renowned Festivals including Woodford, Byron Bay Bluesfest and National Folk Festival in Australia. Vancouver Folk, Mariposa Folk and Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival in Canada and Labadoux Festival in Belgium … just to name a few.

After Sharing stages with some of the leaders in acoustic music today and being marked as a true light in its future Daniel Champagne now holds a firm reputation for dropping jaws, breaking guitars and making festivals buzz wherever he goes!

 Quotes:

“Watching Daniel Champagne perform is a once in a lifetime experience. He is a true prodigy that plays like no one else could possibly play unless they spent at least two lifetimes studying the art”
- BW Review, New Zealand

“The best young guitarist in Australia”
- IFC President

“His on-stage presence radiates a musical maturity well beyond his years and a phenomenal method of playing the guitar leaves audiences thrilled”
- TE Herald, Newcastle

“It’s his guitar work that really steals the show. Champagne has not only mastered his instrument, he’s conquered it! Reaching into Folk, Blues, Classical, Jazz, Rock and other stylings, with nods to virtuosos too numerous to mention. Champagne has created a pastiche all of his own… I cannot recommend this cd highly enough. Buy it, spread the word, something wonderful is happening down here”
- BDN

“An amazing rising talent in the guitar world!”
- Rhythms Magazine

Performance Review

“Today I saw the future of Folk! – Festival goers flocking in their thousands towards main stage to witness the young musical phenomenon from Australia dish out an absolute show-stopper at the evening’s end.
It’s not often that what we are told in this industry is reality, but I can tell you…the hype surrounding this kid is!

Daniel Champagne’s guitar skills are indeed unparalleled, I’ve seen all the great players but have never heard such a sound come out of one instrument. Prowling the stage with it swinging around his shoulders and through the air, his hands are a blur as he taps notes with both hands, beats out rhythms on the body and toys with our emotion in a musical rollercoaster running from all out attach to complete silence with a mere slide of hand. Each song is a polished gem delivered in the vein of a old Folk troubadour, yet with an exiting youthful flair. But it’s the manner in which he holds his audience…his commanding stage presence, cheeky road stories of a 21yr old on the international circuit and his old school dancing-in-the-crowd, guitar behind the head showmanship that had the audience in hysterics and had me convinced that we’ve really struck gold here.
In the modern age of Hip Hop and processed rock music where our folk players are getting pushed to the festival side stages in place of the more ‘popular’ acts. It’s a true joy to see a young performer steeped in our rich folk tradition who is able to hold a festival crowd both young and old with just a guitar, a voice and an old thing called talent!”

- Exert from ‘The Firefly Column’ San Francisco by Anthony James

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Catherine spent 6 years in Nashville and has toured, performed and recorded with some of music’s most respected names – Kasey Chambers, Paul Kelly, Sir Elton John, Shane Nicholson, Jerry Salley, Tim Rodgers & Kenny Chesney – and has worked with some of Australia’s and Americas finest producers.

Her recording career commenced in 2000 when at the age of 14 she released the EP In The Pines which produced the hit single ‘That Don’t Bother Me’ which featured and was co-written with Kasey Chambers. This release gained critical acclaim and was followed in 2001 by her debut album release Dusty Smiles And Heartbreak Cures which contained the hits singles ‘Hillbilly Pickin’ Ramblin’ Girl’ and ’46 Miles From Alice’ and produced her 1st ARIA Country Album of the Year Nomination.

In 2006 her second album Too Far Gone followed with ‘The Upside of Being Down’ being a top 40 hit in the USA and a #1 hit in Australia as was ‘Swingin’ Door’, ‘Poor Mans Pride’ & the title track. It also lead to her debut performance on the Grand Old Opry (then and still the youngest Australian to do so), a 2nd ARIA Country Album of the Year nomination and 3 CMAA nominations including Album of the Year, Single of the Year & Female Artist of the Year.

Her third album Little Wildflower was released in 2008 and contained the stunning and her 3rd Top 40 hit in the USA, ‘What I Did Last Night’. It was a #1 smash in Australia and earned her the 2009 CMAA Female Artist of the Year Award and nominations for CMAA Album of the Year, CMC Artist of the Year and ARIA Country Album of the Year. ‘Little Wildflower’ and ‘Not Your Cinderella’ also hit the #1 chart position in Australia.

Catherine Britt, released in 2010, has produced three #1 singles – ‘Can’t Change A Thing’, ‘Sweet Emmylou’ and ‘I Want You Back’ and brought her more CMAA and ARIA nominations for Country Album of the Year, her 4th consecutive, and Most Popular Australian Artist while also being awarded the 2010 CMA Global Artist of the Year.

In 2011 Catherine received her 1st APRA nomination for ‘Can’t Change A Thing’ and was again nominated for CMC Artist of the Year. Catherine was also named in the top 12 finalists for the 2011 Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition, Australia’s most prestigious, with ‘Sweet Emmylou’ and was placed second overall.

Country Music Channel (CMC) have announced that “the darling of Australian country music” will join the channel to present a new series of Alt Country and this sees her become the first person to ever host a video clip-based program on the channel and in October Catherine will appear at the 2011 Americana Festival in Nashville where she has been officially invited to perform.

Britt has accomplished the most essential job a singer \ songwriter can hope to do: make music that is at once fresh and invigorating enough to speak to a new generation of fans, and yet naturally and firmly rooted in country tradition and the essential truths it has always brought to light.

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8 Ball Aitken is the redneck preacher at the shotgun wedding between country and blues. It doesn’t matter which part of the family you’re from -- what does matter is the funky foot-stomping hullaballoo at the all-night party afterwards.

Hailing from Far North Queensland, he grew up as a teenager in a run-down tobacco shed, making a living picking tropical fruits by day and picking guitars by night. 8 Ball’s first break came when he was hired to play nightly at the infamous Johno’s Blues Bar in Cairns.

Since the release of his first album ‘Behind The 8 Ball’ in 2003, 8 Ball has toured to date across every state and territory of Australia. He has also built a strong international profile, having played festival and club shows throughout Europe, Canada & Japan. He’s toured in Japan four times, where he headlined the popular Rokko Sun Music Festival. He has also performed extensively in Germany, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway and the UK.

 
8 Ball Aitken is authentic -- a real-deal character who rattles the roof, stomps the planks, and gets his audiences whooping and hollering along in a frenzy of pure exuberance.

He started work as a farm labourer aged fifteen, doing back-breakingly hard work on the mango and banana plantations of the Atherton Tablelands, a man's work for a boy's pay.  A life-changing conversation with an Aboriginal elder, who told him he should pursue a career in music, convinced 8 Ball to pack his bags, grab his guitar, and leave the farm to meet his destiny.

8 Ball’s third album ‘Rebel With A Cause’ had several award wins including a Southern Star Award and two Q Song Awards (for ‘Outback Booty Call’ & ‘Yellow Moon’). His singles ‘Cyclone Country’ & ‘Hands On Top Of The Wheel’ have both been top 10 country hits around Australia. ‘Cyclone Country’ earned 8 Ball his first Golden Guitar award nomination while single ‘Cowboy Movie’ was a finalist in the APRA Blues & Roots Song of The Year Awards.

‘The Tamworth Tapes’ is out now through MGM Distribution Australia and 8 Ball has hit the road touring throughout Australia to promote the new album.

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