The line up of artists coming for the 2024 Gathering features acoustic music with emphasis on original songs
Fred Smith / Gallie / Andrew Clermont / Cenris / Bluegrass Junction / Jasmine Beth / Anne Fraser / Sue Baker and the Sourdoughs / Kelly Menhennett / Chris Cavill / The Phoenix Club / The Thomsons / East of Sunshine / Pat Tierney / Duplicity / Marcus Cassells and the BAHA Collective / Mietta / Music by RBT
Fred Smith
Fred Smith is the 2022 Australian Folk Music Awards Solo Artist of the Year, “Fred Smith is simply the best folk/country musician working in this country…beyond writing some of the finest songs about Australians at war, he has created a repertoire that is wry, literate, witty, powerfully emotional and insightful.” (Bruce Elder, SMH).
Whip-smart lyrics, wry humour, some lovely melodies, a big brain and a bigger heart, he consistently offers performances rich in thought and feeling.
Gallie
The critically acclaimed singer-songwriter was born in Dublin city, Ireland, in the seventies. Picking up guitar in his early teens, helped him navigate ‘the streets’, something he now reflects on as having provided him with a wealth of material for songs and stories that he continues to draw from.
Gallie’s music is captivating from the get-go; his performance can move from a lonesome whistling entrance sounding like a miner in the Klondike, through to a wild folk guitar crescendo, and gorgeous baritone voice giving the grittiest performance of his life.
Having played this years (2023), Port Fairy festival to standing ovations, showcasing the new songs, Gallie and the band are raring to get on the road to share this new body of work. Gallie’s latest album was recorded in Nashville Tennessee with grammy award winning producer Erick Jaskowiak. The first single is called ‘All My Devils’, a driving up-tempo groove that showcases not only Gallie’s writing skills but also the musicianship of the best session musicians that Nashville Music City has to offer. Indeed, after recording the song and listening back in the control booth, Fats Kaplin (Jack White, John Prine, Nanci Griffith), turned and said in a deep New York accent, “We got ourselves a hit there boys”
Andrew Clermont
Andrew Clermont has been a much-admired fixture in the national folk scene for over 40 years. He plays Didgeridoo, Dulcimer, Fiddle, Viola, Guitars, Mandolin, Bass, Double Bass, and Tenor Banjo and Voice with equal fervour, style and technique.
His calm, low key approach underlies his incredible competency at live sound mixing/band engineering, where he extracts “real” tones from the instruments and voices.
Andrew teaches workshops, tutors one on one and develops DVDs to help people move beyond their musical plateau wherever they may be. He has also produced or played on 45 CDs, produced, and played on over a hundred albums and created 11 videos/DVDs.
Cenris
Cenris is a solo multi-instrumentalist from Bristol, UK, creating progressive folk music. Cenris brings in influences from across northern Europe including Celtic ballads, extinct languages, and regional instruments. Cenris has been noted for the variation of sound created both on recording and live. Atmospheric, Celtic, and Viking rituals on one hand and modern folk on the other, this is an artist who is always exploring new directions to mix the old and the new.
Hauntingly beautiful, uplifting. Gorgeous vocals - these melodies will soothe your soul!
Bluegrass Junction
Bluegrass Junction is Adelaide's most traditional bluegrass band, playing a big repertoire of bluegrass classics as well as their own original music. Bluegrass Junction came into being around 1997, however each band member began their music careers years before that, frequently playing bluegrass together in other bands since the early 1970's.
The result is an intuitive understanding of each other's approach to playing and singing, and a song and instrumental list ‘longer than your arm’. And audiences love them.
Jasmine Beth
Jasmine Beth plays original songs about problem people of all kinds–from problem politicians to problem gamblers. Her main influences are folk and country singer-songwriters of the 1960s and 1970s, including Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, John Prine, Tom Waits, Johnny Cash, and Roger Miller. She spends a lot of time on the road, touring Australia, and the UK regularly. Her single 'The Gambling Man' (2021) was a Finalist in the Great American Song Contest 2021, shortlisted in the Australian Song Contest 2021, and Commended in the UK Songwriting Contest 2021. Her unreleased single 'We Go Together' (2023) was Commended in the UK Songwriting Contest 2023.
Anne Fraser
I’m what you call a late bloomer… It wasn’t until 2019, after some challenging life events, that I began writing poetry, song writing and playing guitar.”
“I didn’t know at first what was happening, the words seemed to come from somewhere and I just had to write them down, now I fully understand. I am very grateful that this gift came to me and for the mentoring I have received along the way. I have a love and affinity for country, bush balladeering and writing honest lyrics. This has been a life changing journey and I intend to make it my life.” I like to think I am telling a story rather than singing a song, I like to think I’m writing a poem where all the words just belong, I write from the heart and sing from the soul – Anne Fraser.
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Sue Baker and the Sourdoughs
The Sourdoughs are a SA band, lightly kneaded into a delicious chewy loaf led by baker, Sue. Sue Baker is a long-standing SA songwriter with 2 solo albums under her belt. She loves her little Maton acoustic guitar & leads on vocals. The other Sourdough slices are Ron Vanderzwan on drums, Nigel Sweeting on bass, Ashley Turner on fiddle, and Adam Threapleton on harmonica. Fresh or toasted, The Sourdoughs are a tasty treat!
Kelly Menhennett
Kelly Menhennett’s distinctive voice quiets the most crowded of bars, honky tonks and street corners in music-loving destinations all around the world. Armed with a shy charm and wry wit, she is a consummate storyteller. With her spellbinding mix of alt-country, blues, and ballads, Kelly will leave every audience craving more.
Chris Cavill
Chris Cavill writes honest, strong and beautiful songs that tell stories of love, loss and deep gratitude. His last 12 months have been enormous. He’s collaborated with renowned Australian musician Kim Churchill, recorded with folk and roots artist Tay Oskee, performed standout shows at Yackandandah Folk Festival and Bitter & Twisted Beer Festival in Maitland, all whilst releasing 3 new singles. He’s also begun recording and performing songs with his 8-year old son Jesse, captivating audiences around the world with a live studio version of Neil Young’s ‘Old Man’, racking up over 250,000 views on YouTube. His recent rise follows the success of his acclaimed 2021 album Lionheart; a tribute to Chris’ father who passed away after a lengthy battle with Multiple Sclerosis.
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The Phoenix Club
Award-winning tunes and meaningful lyrics are all part of The Phoenix Club magic. This feel-good trio has a wealth of experience from performing at festivals around Australia and overseas. Jan, Bas and Neil can’t wait to share their music with you!
The Thomsons
The Thomsons are a contemporary folk / roots acoustic based duo that specialise in original music that tells a story. Their music is based on a personal, oblique perspective of the beautiful world in which we live. Through the music of ‘The Thomsons’ be prepared to dust off your passport, add a few obscure visas, and meet a cast of characters, including a Texan diner waitress masquerading as the Statue of Liberty, a Central Asian small time drug mule, an aspirational Bougainvillean boy in a maelstrom of anarchy, and reflect on the rhetoric of a post-apocalyptic world. Be there as Singapore falls, hang out in a trendy Malaccan café with fellow life travellers, and take the road trip of a lifetime through West Bengal armed only with a Monkey God keychain.
East of Sunshine
With their electrifying blend of Celtic, American, and Australian folklore, East of Sunshine tell stories from the heart. Songwriters, tune collectors and multi-instrumentalists, Helena and Kate have burst out of the Melbourne folk scene ready to share their songs of grief, hope and home.
Pat Tierney
Lap slide guitarist and roots troubadour Pat Tierney brings an eclectic and captivating musical experience to everything he touches. Taking influence from the likes of Bob Dylan, Ben Harper and JJ Cale, Pat's music dances between folk, blues, roots, and soul. A true songwriter and poet, Pat brings an old-school approach with modern tales of love, loss, hope, and social justice.
Duplicity
Sue Kidd and Brendan Canty are seasoned entertainers performing a mix of originals and their own take on your favourite covers. You can expect to get rocking with knockout vocals, percussion and a dynamic fusion of guitar and ukulele. Duplicity performs regularly at restaurants and pubs locally and also enjoy travelling, playing and running workshops at many festivals across Australia and New Zealand. In 2022-23 Duplicity was a headliner at the Girgarre Moosic Muster, Blue Mountains Ukulele Festival, Melbourne Ukulele Festival, Hills Ukulele Festival and Launceston Ukulele Jamboree.
Marcus Cassells and the BAHA Collective
Marcus Cassells and the BAHA Collective combine deep raspy vocals and earthy country folk tones to tell stories with grit and resonance. The prolific and intricate song writing of rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist Marcus Cassells resound with a depth drawn from a wild collection of experiences , delving into everything from the day to day through to some of the more confronting elements of life. With his collaborators and partners in crime The Collective is made up of a myriad of musical eclectic heart and soul through Matt Cartledge (backup vocals, acoustic guitar and bass) and Azlan Harris (lead guitar and yidaki). The Collective can be found stealing hearts and resonating throughout Australia’s local cafe, bar and festival scenes.
Mietta
Mietta is an acoustic indie-folk singer-songwriter based on Mornington Peninsula. Her music captures the essence of her coastal region and the community that calls it home. As a talented songstress in the making, Mietta's unique sound and authentic approach to music and storytelling are not to be missed. Mietta is making steps in the Australian music scene including supporting Paul Kelly among Australian band, Brolga, at the 2022 Rockin' the Rainforest festival in Mt Tambourine and opening for Australian blues-folk musician, Kim Churchill, and the esteemed, Charlie Owen.
Music by RBT
Rob and Jacki are Music by RBT and have been entertaining Adelaide audiences with fun-filled songs from the heart that connect with the crowd. Some you may know and others you will want to know. High energy, beautiful harmonies, and lots of fun.