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Mainland and international performers for 2009 |
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Andrew McKenna Andrew McKenna's Irish roots draw him to the great Celtic tradition, but he has been shaped by Australia with its local legends and its millions of stories from all over the world.
His performances are for everyone. He draws on the world's traditions, and performs stories with masks and music that are contemporary and as old as the spoken word. They are hilarious, inspired and astounding, food for thought and for the soul. |
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Andrew Winton Award winning and internationally recognised, Andrew is an independent solo artist based in Western Australia. Combining a range of lap slide instruments, including the 7-string Wintonbeast, with hollers, stomps & melodic vocals, Andrew delivers an engaging and authentic performance. He plays original music with blues, roots, folk, gospel & jazz influences, and has a reputation for stunning slide, infectious rhythms, quirky lyrics & storytelling. Andrew has released three solo albums and is currently touring nationally to launch his latest album ‘Surface Tension’. |
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Ange Takats Ange Takats' voice has been described as Joan Baez meets Gillian Welch. Her songs tell stories of knitting, longing and lovely Irishmen. Born in Sydney but now based on the Sunny Coast, Ange began her musical journey in Bangkok where she joined a folk rock band, teaming up with some of Thailand's top musicians. Singing songs from the early 70s, drinking sweet Thai whiskey and learning from Buddhist musicians with big hearts, Ange's songwriting has been greatly influenced by her time overseas. |
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Ballpoint Penguins |
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Braemar |
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Bruce Watson Bruce is a major songwriter and performer in the folk tradition, an icon of the Australian folk scene, regularly playing at festivals and
venues throughout Australia. Bruce was adored by everyone when he was last on the Cygnet program in 2004. His humour can be sharp - or at times just plain silly. Victims of Bruce's satirical pen range from Leonard
Cohen to Kevin Rudd. Don't miss songs like Save the Hippy, I Shared a Urinal with Martin Ferguson, The
Rules of English and Toddler with Attitude!
His act is one to be seen as well as heard, with plenty of audience involvement. Scourge of politicians and
the pompous, weaver of fine and moving tales, and winner of numerous songwriting awards, Bruce will
make you laugh, cry - and think. |
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Danny Spooner Born into a working-class family in the East End of London prior to World War II, Danny Spooner grew up with the traditions, music and folklore of a typical Cockney family, working on tugs and Thames barges until emigrating to Australia in 1962. Danny's passion is the expression of British and Australian culture through folk music. With his prodidgeous memory and an engaging performance style he is a living store-house of the songs of English working life, the sea and the Australian folk tradition. We're proud and delighted that he is a regular on Cygnet's stages. |
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Dave Calandra Acoustic or Electric, Daves’ songs are refreshing and contemporary, yet layered with subtle folk and blues undertones. A gifted songwriter with a knack for contagious melodies, he has a rare ability to render the nuances and modulations of spoken language in music. Dave draws from his wealth of life experience to express in song what most of us can only feel. On-stage he is a formidable talent with an almost tangible presence: his musicianship is outstanding, and he is also a generous storyteller. From the deserts of Central Australia to the streets of Calcutta and New York, Daves’ travel stories are dispensed with eloquence and charm, and a healthy dose of humour. |
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David Barnes David Barnes, a New Zealander originally from England, is a regular singer at festivals and clubs and stalwart of many a singing (and home-brew) session around New Zealand. He brings traditional unaccompanied singing to be sung with, not to, you, with a range of familiar songs with choruses you’ll know, and a few less familiar; some with a story, some humorous. David sees much of the essence of the traditional singer lying in the ability to draw people in - singing songs that have proven themselves over the years, along with a few newer ones that meet the grade. |
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Doug Ashdown Few Australian recording careers can compare with that of singer/songwriter/guitarist Doug Ashdown. A familiar name on the recording scene since the 1970s, recognised for his sweeping, sumptuous hit ballad 'Winter In America', Ashdown began cutting albums in 1965, worked for 3 years in Nashville and can now claim a tally approaching 20 releases. Over almost 40 years of performing, writing and recording, Doug has covered myriad bases - always with absolute credibility and distinction - sometimes with a touch of comedy.www.dougashdown.com |
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Dougie Ma cLean Dougie McLean is one of Scotland's most successful, respected and popular musicians: singer/songwriter/ composer and magical performer, he is also a fine fiddle and guitar player. From his home base in Perthshire he is a regular at the Edinburgh Fringe and he tours the world with his unique blend of lyrical roots based songwriting and instrumental composition. MacLean’s standing within the UK music industry was recognised at a special reception in Buckingham Palace during March ‘05!..(along with Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, George Martin, Oasis, Kate Bush and Robert Plant. His moving song Caledonia and melody the Gael have been recorded by hundreds of artists. |
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Andrew and Karen Winton, Steve and Ros Barnes and Bob Thomson bring you a stimulating selection of superlative songs of generally bluesy, bluegrassy and gospelly persuasion delivered the old-time string-band way, with seriously splendid vocal harmonies, featuring accomplished accompaniment on dobro, mandolin, guitzouki, wintonbeast and double bass. Guaranteed retro-contemporary delight for “Oh Brother Where Art Thou?” aficionados and fans of great songs and gorgeous harmony singing. |
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Graham Moore from Dorset, England, is a superb singer/ songwriter, with a focus on social history. Accompanying himself on guitar or English concertina, he has earned a strong reputation for quality performance at festivals and folk venues throughout the UK, singing his own songs, together with a wide range of traditional and contemporary material. From the anthemic 'Tolpuddle Man' to the percussive 'Tom Paine's Bones', his songs have been enthusiastically adopted by the folk community around the world and have been recorded by the likes of Dick Gaughan and Roy Bailey. |
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Gurdy Girl Gurdy Girl will open your eyes and ears to hurdy-gurdy and myckelharpa as you have not experienced them before. In combination with other rarely seen instruments from Africa, South America and Europe you will be taken to musical places you didn’t know existed. In typical folk attire, atypical combinations of instruments and electronic equipment to educate, Jane Ruckert will entrance and entertain. The aim of the performance is to show what is possible with the instruments that are regarded as non-mainstream. |
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Kate Burke & Ruth Hazleton are no strangers to Cygnet - Ruth was here last festival with Devlish Mary and Kate with Trouble in the Kitchen. Dubbed the 'ideal female trad duo' , Ruth was named as embodying the reason that 'folk music is cool again' by the Australian last November. Performing traditional songs from Australia, the UK and the USA, some covers and some originals accompanied by guitars, clawhammer banjo, concertina and stunning vocal harmonies. |
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Emotionally intelligent, organic and rootsy, this is acoustic music
with mettle. Kate voice sustains fragile tenderness, gut-punching
power and effervescent warmth throughout these songs of
yearning, hope, trust and challenge, evoking a freshness of
sincerity and authenticity. |
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Leon Arundel Leon Arundell is Australia's leading taborer. He is a multi-instrumentalist who plays mediaeval, morris, Australian and modern music on pipe and tabor. He also plays a range of other instruments and combinations, including ukelele, pipe and psaltery, spoons, bones and lagerphone. |
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Luke, originally from Hobart and now international mandolin celebrity with Scottish 'croft rock' band Shooglenifty, is a fine tunesmith and astonishing instrumentalist and considered by many in Cygnet to be an honorary local. Peter Daffy, is almost local, having attended every Cygnet festival since the Jurrasic, touring with bands and collaborating with internationally renowned performers. Last year in Cygnet Pete performed with mandolin doyen and luthier Steve Gilchrist, he is also a full time guitar and mandolin maker. Peter and Luke are 66.6% of the Funky String Band - this time around playing without the hirsute Angus Grant. |
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Mic Conway, you will remember nostaligcally from Captain Matchbox, is a stunning children’s performer whose shows are very popular and always fun. Entertaining and
educational, Mic introduces young people to the world of music and theatre, magic and circus, and encourages
children to use their imaginations. His differently themed shows inspire children to engage with music, caring
for our environment, art and more. Each regularly combine music, magic, juggling, tap-dance, comedy, circus
and silliness. His children’s album 'Whoopee' (ABC Music) was awarded an ARIA for “Best Children’s Album”. |
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Mic Conway's National Junk Band Expect the Unexpected! These 'virtuosos of the bizarre' create a live stage experience like no other. Wielding National guitars, ukeleles, a sousaphone, a phono-fiddle, garbage cans and metal sinks, these rhythmagicians make venues rock. Is this post-millenium cabaret or new vaudeville? Who cares?! Using fire, illusion, passion, irreverent satire, singing saws, flying chooks and musical mayhem, the Junk Band have had toes tapping and jaws dropping. |
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Milk is the band for you if you're after music that will give you shivers, pull on your heart strings, and have you up and dancing wildly. This talented, four piece includes double bass, guitar, percussion, accordion, kazoo, ukulele, and divine vocal harmonies. Their show explores historical and modern Australia, through a rollicking journey or folk and Australian roots. With stories about life on the goldfields, lovesick murderers, pillaging pirates, forest laments and ukulele serenades, the band will take a hold of you and keep you enthralled from their opening chords to their final ukulele rests. |
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Mr. Sister is the meeting place of two like-minded musicians. One half of the West Australian duo is singer/songwriter/cellist Mel Robinson, whose music has been described by the West Australian as "fresh and engaging, down-to-earth and bubbling with creative brilliance". The other half is percussionist-extraordinare Steve Richter, whom the West Australian describes as " a young virtuoso" with an ability to "tap, seemingly intuitively, into a limitless reservoir of expressiveness." Together these two captivating musicians create a melting pot of beautiful melodies, haunting lyrics and earthy percussion. |
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Solo multi-instrumentalist, comedian and children’s entertainer, Nick, originally from Hobart and now a radio identity for Illawarra ABC, captivated Cygnet audiencies in 2006 and now he's back. Possibly the most versatile performer on the Australian folk festival circuit, Nick is able to play solo, with his band, in front of kids, or keeping audiences laughing for hours as an MC. Nick has a new instrument – a tricone resonator, made of galvanised iron instead of nickel plated brass. The iron is from an old shearing shed and the maker, Don Morrison, flattened it in a panel beating machine and made it into a guitar. Nicks brand new kid's show will take you through the process of creating a tricone resonator. |
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When a guitar virtuoso and one of Australia's most creative composers and blues guitarists team up, the result is unforgettable. Pete Hawkes is a composer with the ability to transcend several musical genres and he is certainly one of Australia's most creative and interesting composers for acoustic music to emerge in the last decade. The last couple of years have been an amazing time for guitarist Phil Emmanuel: not only did he perform to an estimated worldwide audience of 4.5 billion at the closing ceremony of the Sydney Olympics with brother Tommy, but it was the beginning of the ‘forgotten’ son’s return to the limelight and recognition that he so undeniably deserves. |
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Rose Turtle Ertler Rose Turtle Ertler, from Melbourne, is Australia's one and only 'electrik ukulele lady', wielding a 1940s Gretsch ukulele plugged into an effects pedal. Nothing like Tiny Tim, Rose aims to change the image of the ukulele, commonly thought as an untunable toy. She calls the music on her latest album, Lady Birds of Crick Creek, ‘wonky folk’, but Radio National’s Daily Planet reckons it’s the rest of the world that’s wonky and this a straight-up uke-pop gem. |
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Rosie Burgess Rosie Burgess is the girl you grew up with next door, who always had skinned knees, dirty toes, a tune in her head, her hands on your piano/guitar, and a penchant for disasterous adventures. Hailing from Melbourne, Rosie is quickly making a name for herself all over Australia with her quirky tunes and intricate performance style. With her home made stomp box and sense of humour in tow, Rosie’s unique brand of folk roots is original and engaging. She blends her songs with her own distinctive style of rootsy guitar, harmonica and mandolin playing, singing up a storm every time she takes the stage. Her energy is apparent, captivating acoustic roots and folk lovers where ever she goes. |
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Russell Johnsen Russell was involved in the upsurge of hurdy gurdy playing in UK in 1985
and was a member of the UK Hurdy Gurdy Society. A founding member of the band Bourdon and more recently the Last Five Coins at the National Folk Festival in Canberra. He also plays with Musica del Mondo in Perth W.A. He will be wielding his hurdy-gurdy solo this time in Cygnet. |
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Ronan Martin and Sandy Brechin |
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Sajiva de silva Sanjiva de Silva is a singer/songwriter from Canberra who performs regularly in the ACT and has also played in Sydney, Melbourne and London. Previously fronting the funky folk/hip-hop band 'Malvern Star' he now plays solo or with anyone who he can convince to get up on stage with him. Sanjiva is a ‘born entertainer and his music is challenging and "although political it is not protest music, damn it!" An extraordinary young man: musician, poet/rapper, lawyer, father, and passionate advocate of self-expression and universal justice. |
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Southern Cross Trawlers Margaret Walters and Don Brian use their fine clear unaccompanied voices to tell in song the stories of Australian history. They are drawn to little-known Australian material about whalers, convicts, bushrangers and the like."Outlaws or Sons of Freedom?" is their themed presentation featuring broadside ballads, convict laments, epic tales of escape (the Catalpa, the Cyprus Brig), enterprising sons of freedom (John Boyle O'Reilly, Frances McNamara), bushrangers and fighters for liberty and justice. Margaret and Don gravitate to all gatherings of singers – contributing sea shanties, womens songs, work songs, Australian bush songs, empowering chorus songs, they are more or less regulars on our program. |
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Steve and Ros Barnes Australian folk/acoustic duo Steve and Ros Barnes combine powerhouse vocals with imaginative, distinctive songwriting and deft guitar accompaniment. They have recently completed a recording project in collaboration with English acoustic duo Chris While and Julie Matthews.
They have been performing as a duo and as part of the bands Toucan Tango, McCool and Dot Combo since 1986. They have performed at most of the major Australian folk-roots music festivals including the National Folk Festival, Port Fairy, Woodford/Maleny and WA’s Fairbridge. They have also made a number of festival and club appearances in England on three separate tours. Their music has been described as “folk/ acoustic/ jazz with Irish and country leanings”. They were acclaimed when last on the Cygnet program in 2006. |
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Sunas If you were lucky, you would have caught this Brisbane based 4 piece band, making a special appearance last year in the Celtic Concert at the RSL club on Saturday night. Sunas pump out fiery acoustic Celtic (Irish, Scottish, British, European, Breton etc) music on a variety of different instruments, performing both songs and tunes, a mixture of original material, traditionals and a few covers. |
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'Tabasco' Tom Rogerson and Chris White This acoustic blues duo have a spirited sense or melody in their arrangements of classic tunes and authentic sounding folk songs - they stick to the Road that starts with the Mississippi Delta, winds through New Orleans, the Appalanchians, to Chicago and ends up in Memphis. Tom, a native New Yorker, was introduced to jazz and swing when he was a child and developed his own style which he calls 'eclectic soup' and has graced US and Australian stages supporting internationally acclaimed artists such as Harry Manx and Chris Smithers. Chris is a renowned Melbourne based fingerpicking guitarist and it's the rhythm and ferocity of Piedmont blues that ignite his passion. |
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Thrillbilly Stomp Thrillbilly Stomp is a fun-filled four-piece band from the borderlands around Lismore and characterised by powerful vocal harmonies and plenty of audience participation. Their sound is described as warm and intoxicating: music you can't help smiling to. Drawing on Bluegrass, Celtic, Blues and Cajun influences, they perform original and traditional tunes on a wide array of instruments. We predict dancing.
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Vic Jeffries
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Wendy Ealy Chortling before she could walk, and still no sign of shutting her up, Wendy’s insightful lyrics have you ‘oh yeah-ing’ with recognition. Rousing, uplifting, poignant, enraging, funny, stark, and superbly sung, Wendy ‘maintains the rage’, and the sorrow, and the humour, of what happens when you are busy making other plans. She has an impish sense of humour, and a voice that sends shivers down your spine. |
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White Top Mountaineers The Whitetop Mountaineers is Martha Spencer and Jackson Cunningham from the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. They are both members of the Whitetop Mountain Band, and performing as a duet, Martha and Jackson have toured across the United States and abroad (Ireland, Wales, Scotland, England and Australia) playing concerts, festivals, workshops, and dances. Their shows consist of old timey country harmony singing, bluesy mandolin/guitar, old time fiddle/clawhammer banjo tunes, and flatfoot dancing. Martha also does Appalachian dancing. |
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Women in Docs Women in Docs are a popular, independent, folk-crossover-country alternative act based in Brisbane. They have been compared to the Indigo Girls and the Waifs and are critically acclaimed for their raw, exciting, upbeat sounds, well-considered lyrics, crisp, acoustic guitar and soaring harmonies. The girls will grab you with their honest and down to earth humour, dressed in stealthily addictive melodies.
With a reputation for stirring and humourous live performances and a vigorous touring schedule, Roz Pappalardo and Chanel Lucas spent seven years building a fiercely loyal following throughout Australia, as well as touring internationally to win over audiences throughout North America, Europe, New Zealand and China and major festivals throughout the world, including SXSW in Austin, Texas, Folk Alliance in San Diego and Canadian Music Week, Toronto. |
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Yggdrasil Yggdrasil were brought together by a love of traditional music from around the world and a desire to create a sense of connectedness through music.
Performing mainly original works, the group draws influences from Middle Eastern, Baltic, Indian and Celtic music traditions, and fuses them with jazz improvisation to create a sound full of depth and character.
The group draws from the diverse musical experiences of its members, having studied traditional music overseas in Turkey, Iran, India and Europe, as well as studying jazz improvisation here in Australia. The result is a collision of music cultures, resulting in a unique and complex sound. |
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Zigatango Consisting of five Perth-based instrumentalists all still in their twenties, Zigatango brings a youthful flair and wild intensity to the traditional styles of Gypsy and Tango music. Formed in early 2006, the band has accumulated a diverse repertoire which includes arrangements of fiery Gypsy melodies from Eastern Europe, together with the tangos of the Argentinian Astor Piazzolla – combining the irresistible energy of traditional dance music with a sense of melancholy, drama and passion. With occasional forays into folk and jazz (and even 70s rock), Zigatango is bound to appeal to anyone with a taste for the exciting and unusual. |
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