It’s been four long years since the Newy hosted a Bendigo Blues & Roots Music Festival Showcase. But the re-vamped and re-opened Newmarket Hotel & Bakery in Charleston Road will be home for a day to a talented array of blues, folk, roots and alt-country acts this Sunday, September, 18.
Punters will be treated to a contrasting mix of acts from the gentle, exquisite sound of Sherri Parry to the harder, rockier, dirtier sound of Cameron Holmes & The Blues Dudes.
It’s an exciting line-up.
Sherri Parry, from Bendigo, has a traditional take on the creative process. “Everything I write gets hand-written into a small book. It makes the song feel more authentic to me.” Music has been with her since a tender age. “My mother was a performer and singer when she was younger, so I was brought up around constant singing. I first picked up at guitar when I was 9, and started singing lessons at 12.”
Parry has been fine-tuning her set-list with Iris, Sublime and 12 Degrees becoming audience favourites. She is looking to record her debut EP in the next few months.
Cameron Holmes & The Blues Dudes are a quite different proposition. The Kyneton-based five piece original blues outfit put on a driving, energetic live show. Singer-songwriter-guitarist Holmes is joined by drummer Cale Burke, bassist Sam Hudson, John Hunter Combo on harmonica and Ian Maddick on saxophone to make up the band. They describe themselves as “blues with a Melbourne twist” and have a growing Victoria-wide fan base. They are a pulsating live act.
Luke Watt, from Castlemaine, will be playing songs from his recently released third album Wild Graces – a collection of songs inspired by tales of failed gold diggers, small town murder and grumpy old men. Luke Watt gets rave reviews, ABC National described him as “raw and mercurial, the real deal”. None other than Lloyd Spiegel called him “one of my favourite artists”.
This Way North’s visit to Bendigo is part of a VIC and NSW tour that also sees them take in Sydney, Canberra and Beechworth. The duo comprises Leisha Jungalwalla and Cat Leahy (of Sal Kimber & the Rollin’ Wheel). After meeting on the Canadian festival circuit a few years ago they started jamming together back in Australia and quickly worked out they had the proverbial “something”. Cat Leahy provides left-of-centre drumming, while Leisha’s swampy slide guitar sound and soulful vocals round-off their punchy alt-pop melodies.
Sunday’s weighty line-up also includes Andrew Watt’s & Seed off the back of their triumphant debut album launch at a packed-to-the-rafters Goldmines courtyard a few weeks ago. Four Lions are putting on a mellower duo set while Midweek Blues once again play at the weekend.
The tunes start flowing from noon on Sunday, September, 18.
