Sat 6th April 2013
THE CROOKED FIDDLE BAND
+ Special Guests THE WONDERFUL LIVES

KATOOMBA RSL CLUB
86 Lurline St, Katoomba, Blue Mountains, Australia

Hot from Falls Festival and the main stage at Peats Ridge, and having just returned from recording their new album in Chicago with Steve Albini (Nirvana, The Pixies, Joanna Newsom), The Crooked Fiddle Band are set to again storm the Katoomba RSL.
This mesmerising and fiery acoustic 4-piece delivers high-energy future-folk. Celtic energy. Swamp-stomping hoedown. Dance-inciting mayhem. Hardcore gypsy passion!
Following a mammoth tour of European festivals and UK Olympics mayhem, The Crooked Fiddle Band return to our shores with new tunes written besides fjords and lakes in Finland and Norway. The wild setting gives the band’s already ecstatic and twisted high-energy tunes an expansive cinematic edge. From whirling dances to intense battle-scene climaxes, this Sydney-based acoustic four-piece (violin, double-bass, drums and guitar/bouzouki) spurs the dance floor into a post-apocalyptic hoe down.

Driven by the beautiful and furious fiddling of Jess Randall, and underpinned by a rhythm section featuring Gordon Wallace (bouzouki, guitar, banjo, mandolin), Mark Stevens (double bass, Appalachian dulcimer, charango) and Joe Gould (drum kit, hand percussion, garbage bin, vocals) the Crooked Fiddle Band sound blasts, rocks and grooves to the point of dementia, compelling listeners into a joyous frenzy.

Their music has been described by Brian Eno as “…completely surprising: the music is original and quixotic. I can’t say I’ve ever heard anything else like it!”
“This band really is a national treasure and testament to the infinite talent that keeps manifesting in our backyard… this group have re-invented folk music as it is known… The Crooked Fiddle Band charmed the audience into submission.” – Vanessa Lahey, Australian Stage
“When The Crooked Fiddle Band took to the stage, it was as though someone had put 10,000 volts through the dance floor.” : BEAT magazine.

Supported by The Wonderful Lives

“Piano, cello, pedal steel guitar, bass and drums collide in an epic storm of folk-shanties, grimy rock dirges and bittersweet dark country tales.”

The Wonderful Lives were born in Sydney mid 2008 and are a mix of Blue Mountains locals and city dwelling folk.
Their debut album, ‘The Human Heart Will Take Your Life’ perfectly captures their alternative folk rock sound and unusual instrument combination. A collection of unique compositions, varying in style, emotion and intensity, take the listener on a ride from love to hate, life to death and heaven to hell.
The band has previously enjoyed a great response from Blue Mountains crowds following a successful support slot with Tex Perkins & The Band of Gold and a set at the 2012 Winter Magic Festival. They have performed their blistering brand of alternative folk across metropolitan Sydney and regional areas, taking in iconic live music venues such as The Gaelic Club in Surry Hills, the Annandale Hotel, and the Sandringham Hotel in Newtown.
Songs from the band’s catalogue have been selected for rotation on the playlists of Sydney’s FBi radio (94.5FM), 2SER’s ‘Sideways through Sound’ show (107.3FM), Blu FM (89.1 FM) and have also featured in Triple J’s Unearthed showcase.

Doors Open 8:00pm
Support starts 8:30pm

$15 pre-sale OR $20 on the day
Or Purchase online through Moshtix + booking fee.