Monthly Archives: April 2014

ROCKIN’ YOUR COUNTRY AT KATOOMBA RSL

Sat 26th April 2014
ROCKIN’ YOUR COUNTRY
Nicki Gillis
Bryen Willems +
Baylou
KATOOMBA RSL CLUB
86 Lurline St, Katoomba, Blue Mountains, Australia

A Showcase of some of the finest country and rock music in Australia from artists who have come from afar but now live close by.

Hear some magnificent voices, original songs and classic hits from the Country and Rock genres.

A night not to be missed!

Award winning Nicki Gillis and band will be bringing their own brand Country Rock and quality interpretations of classic hits to the Club.

Born in Western Australia Nicki Gillis was destined for stardom. Nicki spent her youth in school choirs and performing at local events. At the age of 12 she won a scholarship to Australia’s pre-eminent talent school and by 16 was a professional backing vocalist for national touring acts visiting Western Australia.
After years of performing in various theatre productions and song and dance troupes Nicki joined a number of different professional rock and blues bands and was performing three to four times a week. This went on for four years and included 12 months with Western Australia’s premier party band.
In 1992 Nicki co-founded the award winning six-piece Country Rock band “Buckshot Dolly” which toured extensively throughout Australia. In 1997 her self-titled EP was released in Australia and included the song “Hittin’ That Highway”, Nicki’s first international release. The following few years saw Nicki developing her song writing skills, producing live musical theatre and performing at corporate events. This included the opening ceremony of the Women’s World Hockey Championships in front of an international television audience over 16 countries. After moving away from Western Australia to concentrate on relaunching her national presence from Sydney, Nicki recorded her second EP, which included the European #2 hit “On The Mountain”. 2006 saw Nicki’s first international tour to the Middle East where she performed to thousands of coalition troops assisting in the rebuilding of Iraq. The 2007 release of her debut album “Lucy’s Daughter” was much appreciated by her increasing number of fans. Three Australian top ten singles came from the album; the first Australian single, “Leavin’ You for Myself” reached number 7 in the Australian charts and number 6 in the UK Country charts. The single “Honey I Don’t Have Time” reached number 6 in Australia while the “Be a Star” gained significant radio airplay across the globe entering the UK radio charts at #2 for one week before going to #1 where it stayed for four weeks.

Nicki exudes class and has a star quality that engages audiences from many different demographics and musical genres. Her awards, including the 2006 Blue Mountains Blues/Jazz Music Award, the 2007 Horsham Independent Female Artist of the Year, Open Album of the Year and the prestigious 2007 Coopers Golden Saddle Award, all demonstrate the industry acceptance of Nicki’s talent. In May 2011, Nicki was named by the Australian Entertainment Industry as the Best Country Music Performer or Band in Australia. The winning of this prestigious “Mo” Award, ahead of some of Australia’s higher profile country superstars clearly shows what industry experts think of Nicki and her live performances.

“Nicki is a towering talent who has an abundance of charisma both on and off the stage.” Frank Ifield OAM
“A mixture of Rock, Blues, Country and Jazz- you can’t get that anywhere apart from Nicki Gillis” Carolyn Carr: Big Country Radio
“She has certainly made her mark in Australia and beyond.” Ian Anderson BBC Radio Scotland

www.nickigillis.com.au

Bryen Willems (a.k.a. “the Swamp Duck”) will be playing a mix of originals and drawing from a virtual treasure trove of the best country, blues, swamp and southern rock from the last 50 years.

Willems has Louisiana roots but currently makes his home in Australia. His bass voice projects with a down under swagger and shows plenty of strength, power and muscle in his country music.
Bryen’s second album was released in January 2012, titled NO BAND HERE TILL FRIDAY. Recorded at Unit 4 Studios, with producer Gary Brown – the album is a honky-tonkin’ collection of originals, obscure covers and well known classics. The album features self- penned tracks HELLO BEER and co-write LET’S BE IN LOVE. It also includes two co-writes with multi-award winning writer Allan Caswell including his first single TWO FOR ONE COCKTAILS and SHE LET HERSELF GO.

www.bryenwillems.com

Baylou are sister duo Barb and Victoria Baillie.
Victoria Baillie has been working as a solo artist for many years in Australia. Highly regarded in her own right, having won a Golden Guitar for Best New Talent at the 2010 Country Music Awards of Australia in 2011. Along side major festival appearances including the Gympie Music Muster, Deni Ute Muster & showcasing at Nashville’s CMA festival, Victoria has also toured extensively around Australia on and also has had four Top #10 music videos on the Country Music Channel (CMC).
Barb Baillie has been an integral part of Victoria’s solo career as a guitarist and and backing vocalist for most of her live shows and recordings. As a result of this and touring with artists such as Adam Havery, Beccy Cole and Troy Casser-Daly, Barb has carved out her own reputation as a player and singer, capitalising on touring with these acts and in effect creating her own fan base.

As a duo, Baylou will bring an exciting and fresh new mainstream country sound to the Australian Country Music market and with the backing of ABC Music and Universal Music Australia.

www.baylou.tv

FREE ENTRY!
Music from 8pm-late

BACK TO THE 80’s

Sat 19th April 2014
BACK TO THE 80’s
KATOOMBA RSL CLUB
86 Lurline St, Katoomba, Blue Mountains, Australia

Pull out your leg warmers, bubble skirts and break out the fluoro for a fun filled night of dancing and 80’s mayhem.

Let us take you back in time……….

Back when video was the latest craze and mtv was the coolest thing on tv.

Back to the days when music was original and the videos of the time were as amazing and creative as the songs you loved!

BACK TO THE 80’S takes you back to the 80’s with a totally NEW and ORIGINAL show, showcasing the BEST songs of the 80’s.

BACK TO THE 80’S is set to give you a night of great music you can dance to or just sit back and take in the awesome visual show with the LIVE soundtrack to your favourite bands of the 80’s.

The fun is back! With all that was the best about the 80’s.
So sit back, relax and let BACK TO THE 80’S
Entertain you!

FREE ENTRY!
Music from 8:30pm-late

LOLO LOVINA + BELLE JAR

Sat 12th April 2014 – FREE ENTRY!
LOLO LOVINA + Special Guests BELLE JAR
KATOOMBA RSL CLUB
86 Lurline St, Katoomba, Blue Mountains, Australia

2 fantastic bands in one night –
Tango, Swing, Multicultural Gypsy Rhythms with a touch of Balkan & French Flavouring!

Lolo Lovina The definitive Balkan Gypsy band… made in Australia!
With members from Hungary, Serbia, Macedonia and Australia, virtuosic Gypsy world fusion band Lolo Lovina draw influences from Balkan Gypsies, swing jazz and Tango.

The band is fronted by half Australian, half Hungarian Romani-Gypsy singer Sarah Bedak, Serbian Gypsy guitarist and drummer Nenad Radic, Leonid Beshlei on Saxophones (yes plural!) and Marjan Nedeski on Piano Accordion!

YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO THESE PEOPLE…THIS IS THE FUTURE OF MUSIC.’ BRIAN ENO

Musically and culturally Planet/MGM consider the group to be in the forefront of contemporary world music coming out of Australia. Their live performances are exciting, varied and professional with consummate performance skills from all members.” – Graeme Regan, MGM the Planet Company, 2009

“Lolo Lovina deserves attention for its spirited and deservedly popular opening performance, in which Romanian Gypsy music, bluegrass and Irish folk were blended with great warmth, sometimes at hair-raising speed. …saxophone player Leonid Beshlei (was) impressive.” – Lynden Barber, The Australian, June 04, 2009 (Brian Eno’s Luminous Festival, The Sydney Opera House)

“With musicians from Ukrainian/Romanian, Hungarian and Brazillian backgrounds, this music is authentic to its roots and played with vigour and precision.” – Bradfield Dumpleton, 2009

“…There is no doubting that ‘Baro Love’ is an impressive first album from a seriously talented local band” – Seth Jordon, ABC Limelight Magazine, 2009

Highlights:
• Sydney Opera House 40th Anniversary Concert; 2013
• Sarah Bedak awarded an Australia Arts Council Skills and Study Support Grant for travel to Serbia, Hungary and France; 2010.
• Various grants awarded for Gypsy Caravan shows; 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013
• Brian Eno’s Luminous Festival; The Opera House; 2009
• Spiegeltent; Brisbane Festival; 2009
• ABC Limelight Award Nomination; 2009
• Playing with Rachid Taha, Monsieur Camembert and Lulu Reinhardt & Antal Szalai and his Gypsy Orkestra. Other shows include; the Basement, the Factory, the Vanguard, Café Carnivale, Bellingen Global Carnival, the National Multicultural Festival.

www.lololovina.wordpress.com

“Born in the catacombs of Paris, Belle Jar brings you the madness and mayhem of infectious gypsy rhythms and manic fables.

Featuring French singer/songwriter Julien Castegnaro on rhythmic guitar and vocals, joined by Precious Cargo on piano accordion, guitar, melodica, snare drum and vocals. Lino Romeo on guitarrón, Trevor Brown on soprano sax, clarinet, spoons, snare drum, bouzouki, banjo, beat box and Mary Jones, vocals, sax, and clarinet.

These guys will fire up your old country longings as boom-chak boom-chak rhythm meets bent melody.

Brush off your French and get ready to dance, then take them home with their debut recording BELLE JAR.”

www.bellejar.com.au

FREE from 8:30pm

THE PAGANINI DUO GYPSY MUSIC

SUN 6th APRIL 2014 – The Paganini Duo
Gypsy Music with Georg Mertens & Gustaw Szelski.
Special Guests Greg Gibson & Jane Andino – duo performing a set of Latin-American music through the medium of Jazz.

DJANGO BAR
One level down from Camelot…. Through the big red door…
A wonderful intimate lounge-room ambiance with great music!
Cnr 103 Railway Pde & 19 Marrickville Rd, Camelot Lounge Marrickville
(Directly opposite Sydenham Train Station, a short 2 min stroll away!)

• Doors 6:30pm
• Show Starts 7:30pm

Join violinist Gustaw Szelski and guitarist Georg Mertens who together form the renowned Paganini Duo for a night of romantic & fiery music from Eastern Europe and South America that is bound to astound!

The “Paganini Duo”, formed in 1989, has been performing concerts at Jenolan Caves featuring Gypsy and South American music for the last 11 years.
Georg and Gustaw are professional performers with decades of experience. They have played more than 1,000 functions and entertainment at more than 150 hotels and resorts.

The Paganini Duo has performed at the Sydney Opera House, The Gulgong Opera House, The Stockman’s Hall of Fame (Longreach), The Seymour Centre, Hotel Intercontinental, Ritz Carlton Double Bay, Hilton, Ibis, Mercure, Fairmont, Hydro Majestic, and the Holiday Inn. Corporate bookings have included Ford, Holden, Mazda, Hyundai, Jaguar, wine releases, festivals and medical conferences.
They have also played for the weddings of the musicians: Roger Woodward, Stephen Fisher-King, actor Jason Donovan, broadcaster Natarsha Belling & events for Gough & Margaret Whitlam, Barry Jones, Bob Carr to the 50th birthday of singer Doug Parkinson.

Georg was the founder of the series “Concerts in the Cave” in the world’s oldest discovered open caves at Jenolan Caves and holds the title of performing the world’s longest series of cello concerts having performed 200 concerts in the caves over the last 16 years.
His repertoire stretches from the Bach Solo Suites to world music compositions and improvisations.

We are delighted to announce that as a special treat Blue Mountains based duo Greg Gibson and Jane Andino will be joining Georg and Gustaw on the night to perform a set of Latin-American music through the medium of Jazz.

Greg and Jane will be performing pieces from their duo CD of Originals – ‘Esperanza meets Anouar’. The themes move from Cuban and Brazilian rhythms to Central American with a central moment of moonlit Modern Classical.

For three decades Greg Gibson (saxophones, clarinets, flutes) and Jane Andino (piano) have performed together in various Brazilian, Salsa and Latin-Jazz bands (Batuka, Austra-Latin and Cumana among others), as well as their duo Toucan.

Currently, they perform together and compose for the contemporary tango quintet, Alturas.

In 2013 they decided to record a duo CD of their original compositions, some old and well loved, others new and written especially for this project. The result is Esperanza meets Anouar, a weaving together of the various influences from those years. Greg Gibson brings great variety to this recording, performing on saxophones, clarinet, bass clarinet and flutes. Jane Andino plays piano and Adam Bodkin plays bass on 2 tracks.

TICKETS: $15 + bf pre-sale (available online)
OR $20 on the door (subject to availability)

For anyone considering attending this intimate concert we highly recommend pre purchasing tickets online:

https://www.stickytickets.com.au/15593

Table bookings for groups of 8 or more only – email for table reservations AFTER you have prebooked…

All ages welcome (but under 18′s must be accompanied by an adult)

Delicious food (including pizza!) available. Fully licensed – NO BYO

www.camelotlounge.wordpress.com/djangobar

www.georgcello.com/gypsy.htm

For further details please email Charity on

ALLAN CASWELL + DAVE SKINNER + PAT DRUMMOND

Sat 5th April 2014
3 Veterans of Country, Folk & Rock in 1 Big Night
Allan Caswell + Dave Skinner + Pat Drummond
KATOOMBA RSL CLUB
86 Lurline St, Katoomba, Blue Mountains, Australia

Allan Caswell, Pat Drummond and Dave Skinner have all enjoyed big on-going careers in music, are old friends and now all live in the Mountains.

Skinner and Caswell work regularly together and their special guest Pat Drummond has a history of touring with Caswell and even runs Shoestring Records who release all Caswell’s albums. Their concert together on Saturday April 5th at Katoomba RSL should be very special.

Allan Caswell
Allan is one of Australia’s most recorded songwriters with over 900 songs published and over 500 songs released worldwide. His biggest song “On The Inside “ from “Prisoner” reached Number 1 in Australia and New Zealand, Number 3 in the UK and made the US country charts. He is the winner of 6 Golden Guitars at Tamworth. He has played every state of Australia, New Zealand, New York, LA, Nashville, East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan.

2013 proved to be Caswell’s biggest year ever with at least one of his songs making the Country Music charts in all but 3 weeks of the year. At the recent
Australian Independent Country Music Awards (Southern Star Awards), Caswell won Album of the Year, Single of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year.

www.allancaswell.com

Dave Skinner
Dave had a very successful career in England working in the studio and playing live with artists of the calibre of Chris Rea and Brian Ferry, culminating in touring the world as a member of UK superstar band Roxy Music in the late seventies. When he came to Australia on a Roxy tour he decided to come back permanently.

Since his arrival Skinner has been in demand as a record producer, musician and successful composer of television and film themes. Caswell and Skinner have been friends for over 30 years and have done hundreds of shows together and worked on each other’s recording projects.

www.daveskinnermusic.com

Pat Drummond
Pat Drummond is an iconic, eccentric and much loved singer/songwriter who has made a huge impact on fans of country and folk music, all over Australia.
His loyal band of supporters have followed him from his hugely successful shows at the Rest Hotel in Milson’s Point in the seventies on a journey that has taken him to large and small towns all over the country. He is equally at home in folk music and country.

Drummond’s songs … witty, ironic, hilarious, thought provoking, angry and passionate are always beautifully crafted and are the fuel that drives his main career as a great entertainer.

www.patdrummond.net

These guys have spent their lives on the road and have played the biggest … and smallest venues imaginable and play music the way it was meant to be played … for the love of it … this is a show not to be missed.

FREE ENTRY!
Music from 8:30pm-late