Queenscliff Music Festival releases an ALL TIME lineup for 2011
The first round of artists for this year’s Queenscliff Music Festival has been revealed as well as a number of exciting, new announcements at a launch event held today at Federation Squares Transit Lounge. Media, industry, festival and musician types rubbed shoulders whilst enjoying an intimate performance by those ‘just back from Glastonbury’ rockers Stonefield, as well as being treated to a unique merging of Dub Reggae band The Red Eyes with the Bamboos very own Kylie Auldist performing a stripped back, cool groove version of “Can You Hear it”. Launch attendees were then treated to an acoustic sneak peak of this year’s Headline act with the Triffids “Evil Graham Lee” and Oh Mercy vocalist Alex Gow performing a few Triffids fave’s.
The Queenscliff Music Festival takes place over the weekend of 25-26-27 November and the organisers are clearly revving up the heat this summer with the critical first round of artists revealing some significant names on the cards with old school meeting modernity meeting new wave… showcasing the best in past, present and future Australian and world music.
Treasured Australiana folk rockers The Triffids and seminal Indigenous reggae collective No Fixed Address are two of the acts performing exclusively for Queenscliff Music Festival in one-off Victorian concerts, with The Triffids pulling out their superlative work, Born Sandy Devotional from go to whoa. This will be The Triffids’ first festival performance since the passing of its esteemed singer/songwriter David McComb. The band will be joined by special friends and will play a 2 hour plus set.
Joining them will be Eskimo Joe showcasing material from the lads’ fifth record, Gypsy & The Cat who are fresh from their Kylie Minogue support, The Cruel Sea, Oz hip-hop doyens The Herd, Kimbra, The Beautiful Girls, The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker, Oh Mercy, The Bamboos with Kylie Auldist, Vince Jones, Oz roots poster boy Shane Nicholson, country punk gathering Wagons, Christine Anu, Glastonbury success story and Festival Launch house band, Stonefield.
Classic Australian bands the likes of Pseudo Echo, Richard Clapton, and My Friend The Chocolate Cake will mix it with the brightest young Oz talent such as Lanie Lane, Amaya Laucirica and the effervescent sounds of Gossling, while Matt McHugh, The Bondi Cigars, Leah Flannigan, The Red Eyes, Blackeyed Susans, Puta Madre Brothers, Nat Cole & The Kings, The Snowdroppers, The Wayne Jury Three, Sweethearts, John-Luke Shelly & High Speed Steel add to the very unique Queenscliff festival bill. Good, huh? Check the website for the full line-up!
Great new developments for Queenscliff Music Festival in 2011 include for the very first time the introduction of camping spots. Up to 1000 of them in fact! Add to this an inspired change of festival location back to Queenscliff’s original 1996 point overlooking Port Phillip Bay on the pristine green of Princess Park, and the long-awaited return of the celebrated Pelican Bar, and we’re in business.
THE ARTISTS:
The Triffids and Friends
The songs of David McComb (17/02/62 – 02/02/99). The Triffids regularly hit the top ten Australian group of all time in the lists of critics and music fans alike. This rare performance with the five remaining members of The Triffids and friends will celebrate the music and the memory of one of Australia’s best-loved bands – their first festival performance since reforming in ‘09.
Eskimo Joe
Eskimo Joe has come a long way since their humble beginnings as much-loved indie rock kids in Fremantle, Western Australia. On the eve of releasing their 3rd album they continue to endear themselves to audiences country-wide, winning ARIAS and impressing the public and critics alike along the way.
Gypsy & The Cat
The sounds of Gypsy & The Cat cruised into our consciousness last year with their sophisticated brand of synth and falsetto laden alternate pop music. It all started in a small room above a garage workshop in South Melbourne. What followed included Triple J high rotation, relocation to London, signing with Sony RCS in the UK and working with a list of industry elite from around the globe.
The Cruel Sea
There’s a rumbling in the deep as the Cruel Sea shake off the barnacles. People who have seen this band know that as live performers they’re one of the country’s finest. They have won numerous ARIA awards and their chart topping albums include The Honeymoon Is Over (which ranked 57th in the Triple Hottest 100 Australian Albums of All Time.) Ensconced in the extraordinary Australian underground scene of the 1980s this 5-piece is one of the few to bands to hold onto success without losing the integrity of their craft.
The Herd
The Herd’s reputation as a fiery and electrifying live group is well earned. In an unconventional set-up, The Herd will perform at QMF with two MCs, two singers, an acoustic and an electric guitar, bass, piano accordion, clarinet, laptops and MPC 1000s. It’s going to be big!
Kimbra
Kimbra, NZ born songstress, brings a modern edge to the worn sounds of soul with a voice that belies her age. Her jazz-influenced theatrical pop has received rave reviews from around the world claiming her as the ‘one to watch for 2011′. Make no mistake – Kimbra is picking up steam even as she arrives. It’s going to be a wonderful trip.
The Beautiful Girls
The Beautiful Girls return to QMF. From humble beginnings in 2002 the band has graced stages all over the world, receiving ARIA nominations and topping many a chart along the way. QMF will offer the first show to feature the full lineup (including the much loved brass section) for the Aussie summer.
The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker
The Dynamites Featuring Charles Walker is an explosive, “rawthentic” super soul outfit fronted by a dynamic, tried and true soul veteran. If the first attention-grabbing horn lines of album Kaboom! evoke a dramatic curtain call from a late ‘60’s, it’s no accident. After all, that’s exactly where Charles Walker first cut his teeth as a performer.
Oh Mercy
“Queenscliff 2011 will be awesome for many reasons. Three of which are 1. The Triffids are playing. 2. Oh Mercy are playing with The Triffids. 3. Oh Mercy are playing.”- Alexander Gow (Oh Mercy)
The Bamboos
Australia’s greatest modern Funk & Soul band? Pretty much everyone agrees that’s the title The Bamboos deserve. They emerged from the ‘Deep Funk’ scene of the early 2000’s and have since forged a unique sound of their own, combining elements of Old-School Funk, Hip Hop, Mod Rock, Psychedelic & Northern Soul.
No Fixed Address
No Fixed Address achieved cult status following their inception in 1978, The first Indigenous Australian group to tour internationally and to record their music, they paved the way for other iconic Indigenous bands of the era with their unique style of reggae. Led by Bart Willoughby, No Fixed Address make a rare appearance at QMF following their reformation in 2008.
Vince Jones
Australia’s leading jazz vocalist, Vince Jones sings and plays the trumpet like there’s nothing to prove. His refreshing approach, distinctive reserve and subtlety, gives us, the audience, the chance to be really moved.
Shane Nicholson
A native of Brisbane, Shane Nicholson first gained public attention as the lead-singer/guitarist for the rock band Pretty Violet Stain in the late 1990’s. 4 solo albums later, including highly acclaimed collaborations with wife Kasey Chambers, ARIA Awards and 5 Golden Guitar Awards, many cite the depth of his songs and the extent of his honest and emotional vocal delivery as Shane Nicholson’s hallmark.
Wagons
Wagons are unanimously lauded as one of Australia’s great acts. They offer heavy doses of stomping outlaw country, irresistible crooning and classic pop. This road-hardened, formidable live band won best group and best album in the Age EG Awards alongside string of accolades.
Christine Anu
Christine Anu is arguably Australia’s most successful indigenous performers and one of Australia’s most popular recording artists. Backed by an award-winning repertoire spanning music, theatre, dance, film, television and more, her illustrious career boasts 5 solo albums, platinum releases, ARIA awards, sell-out musicals, Hollywood blockbusters, and high-profiled collaborations with showbiz and musical luminaries including Baz Luhrman (Moulin Rouge).
Stonefield
If you haven’t heard Stonefield yet, now is the time to take notice. The four sisters from the Victorian hills have been turning heads with their stellar song writing and soulful 70’s rock n roll sound. Having taken out Triple J’s Unearthed High competition and appearing at Glastonbury in the UK, 2011 is shaping up to be another big year for the Findlay sisters.
Pseudo Echo
Pseudo Echo pioneered the 1980s electro sound in Australia and were quickly established as one of the most successful and influential bands in the country. From their early days on legendary music show, Countdown, to their long string of chart topping hits, gold and platinum albums and sold out tours, they never fail to pack out dance floors 25 years later.
Richard Clapton
Richard Clapton is one of Australia’s iconic singer/songwriters. Paving the way since the early ‘70’s for generations of songwriters to write about the experience of being Australian. Always willing to reinvent himself, Clapton’s songs are still on the radio and his records chart the political landscape of the nation.
Lanie Lane
Adding sass to the smoky, sultry sounds of a bygone era, Lanie Lane wraps the sounds of a golden age around a voice that is as rich and warm as it is sweet. Her delivery is earthy, with the elbow grease to get the job done, but tied up with a colourful ribbon and handed over with grace and charm.
My Friend The Chocolate Cake
My Friend the Chocolate Cake are an intensely colourful and ruthlessly honest musical mirror to Australia’s complex national character. The band with the strings, the piano and the big tunes continue to ride the wave of critical acclaim and latest 7th album release ‘Fiasco’ is no exception, as their recent sold out national tour will attest.
Mat McHugh
Mat McHugh comes to the QMF stage presenting a stripped back and intimate acoustic performance of songs spanning 10 years, five albums and a whole lot o’ miles. Both a retrospective of the man behind ‘The Beautiful Girls’ and a look to the future, this solo act is one to watch.
The Bondi Cigars
The Bondi Cigars are widely regarded as one of Australia’s greatest ever RnB bands. For over twenty years their distinctive music has successfully fused soul, funk, pop, blues, rock and roots, leading the way for the younger crop of Australian roots artists to blend genres and boundaries.
Gossling
With a tender, sweet style, Gossling’s song writing is both distinctive and alluring. She mixes heart-felt lyrics with graceful and memorable melodies, and QMF audiences are in for a real treat with Gossling playing with a full band and also in an intimate duo mode.
The Red Eyes
The Red Eyes, Melbourne’s very own Reggae Superstars, have firmly established their position as one of Australia’s leading Dub/Reggae acts. Their explosive dub rhythms, masterful beats and heartfelt lyrics unite audiences far and wide with their unique antipodean spin on the broad Reggae genre.
Leah Flanagan
A storyteller at heart with the voice of an angel, Leah Flanagan can also wield a mean ukulele. This darling of the Tropical North has been playing her original blend of folk, soul and country since she could swing a tune and she continues to win the hearts of audiences with her honesty, charm and musical prowess.
The Blackeyed Susans
The Blackeyed Susans are a band with style – both musically and sartorially. Formed in 1989 in Perth as a holiday band for members of The Triffids, Chad’s Tree and Martha’s Vineyard, they have existed for over 2 decades with a floating line-up featuring members of The Cruel Sea, The Dirty Three, The Jackson Code, Augie March, The Bad Seeds, Kim Salmon, The Drones and more.
Nat Col & The Kings
Nat Col & the Kings is the combination of guitarist Nathan Cavaleri, who has toured with BB King and jammed with everyone from Michael Jackson to Diesel, and former Screaming Jets Drummer Col Hatchman. Together as Nat Col & the Kings, Nathan & Col are making their own rules with their New-Generation Stomp Blues.
The Snowdroppers
The Snowdroppers delight in delivering toe tapping, foot stomping blues rock, all contained in a thrilling homage to nostalgia. They are hell-bent on promoting promiscuity and will deliver that message courtesy of their ribald songs of fornication and intoxication, so get ready to indulge the power-drinking, body-grinding, string-picking, nipple-licking, blues-lover in everyone!
Amaya Laucirica
Amaya Laucirica’s music is driven by an inimitably beautiful voice melded with widescreen musical arrangements. Live, Amaya and her four piece band create an emotive and engaging atmosphere making each show a uniquely captivating experience.
Puta Madre Brothers
Like nothing you’ve ever seen before; three dirt-faced gringo brothers from Melbourne, each strapped with a razor-edged guitar, a kick drum the size of a small car, and a donkey-load of foot percussion, summoning a drunken punch of mariachi rock n roll soul music.
The Wayne Jury Three
The Wayne Jury Three dig deeply into the funkier side of the blues and unearth some real gems. Their shows are intimate and personal, original and timeless.
Sweethearts
Sweethearts are Australia’s answer to neo soul-classic and Motown inspired, they have for 15 years been redefining the possibilities as the only practicing school based band in the world that plays exclusively in professional settings… and wherever they go the crowds fall in love.
John-Luke Shelley & High Speed Steel
John-Luke Shelley & High Speed Steel has thrilled their audiences for nearly 4 years. The combination of talented youth, substantial experience and musical craftsmanship makes the band both original and stunning in its modern blues style sound.
