On Saturday, September 4, Canberra based DJ Gosper (left) and the Hot Flush Blues band hit the Palmwoods stage for the first time. DJ - the award winning singer and harp player – released her debut album “Hot Flush Blues” in 2009 and is set to establish a new fan base in SE Qld.

Palmwooods Got The Blues is back on Saturday September 18 with another lineup of the most popular and successful acts to ever play the pub.

Kicking the evening off at 5.30pm, Mark Easton is a fearsome exponent of the most primal of foot stomping blues. Playing 150-200 gigs a year, Mark’s certainly not the type to rest on his laurels and this Palmwoods show is set to showcase the best of Marks new material ahead of a new album release later this year.

Sydney’s Swamphouse feature Gary Lothian, Nick Churkin and special guest Jimmy B. Swamphouse play lowdown gutbucket blues and boogie. A perfect appetizer for what will follow.

When Mason Rack plays Palmwoods, excitement levels are always peeking. Mason and his crack band deliver high energy rock blues with echoes of Tom Waits, Ben Harper and the boy from Sandgate Tex Perkins. Featuring a cranked to the max Weissonborn style guitar and Mason’s paint peeling, chainsaw vocals, you’d better get in early because the only room in the house is likely to be on the stage.

Conondale Range Committee President and local poet Ian Mackay (above) says he’s had people from as far afield as Victoria and Tasmania who tell him they make a point of timing their northern travels to include the Breakfast at Kenilworth.

“For some Kenilworth was their first introduction to a form of entertainment that is about as grass roots as you can get,” Ian explains.

Shirley Friend, who doubles as the Coordinator of Poetry for the Woodford festival, will again head the illustrious crew which will include resident ABC poet Harry Donnelly, past champion Mark Feldman and a host of others.

One new feature this year, is the introduction of a laidback “Follow the Leader” session at 1pm. Poets here have the unenviable task of choosing a poem to follow the previous one and the results are even less predictable than those of the Breakfast.

The Breakfast begins at 8am, in the woodchop area beside the Kenilworth Hall in the town’s showgrounds.

Entry price is $5. The Conondale Range Committee will be selling real coffee and cake and the Kenilworth Community College will be cooking up delicious breakfasts.

Camping is available in the showgrounds Phone (07) 5446 013. For enquiries about the breakfast phone Ian (07) 5446 0124 or www.kenilwortharts.org.au

Out of Brisbane’s West End, Kooii has nurtured a uniquely local sound that weaves musical influences from around the world. They successfully toured New Zealand earlier in the year where their uniquely Australian brand of reggae was a huge hit at venues and festivals across the country.

For In This LIfe, once again, the band have called upon the creative genius of engineer/producer Paulie B (Beautiful Girls, George), the same collaboration that produced their landmark debut album Beads on a String (2005).

www.myspace.com/kooii

Entry: $20 / $15 concession. Wood-fired pizza, chai and more available. Limited camping and bunkhouse accommodation. Phone: 5494 4550.

Crystal Waters (Kilcoy Lane, near Conondale), is a wildlife reserve – no dogs please.

Rob is now a local from Dayboro, and is a real “country boy” having grown up at Middlemount in Central Queensland, where he studied music.

Rob has been a backing musician for some of the biggest names in Australian country music, such as Lee Kernighan and Adam Brand.

His first solo album “Regular Guy” was a huge success.

Then he launched his second album “Hey Tomorrow” in May at the Urban Country Music Festival and it has since zoomed up the charts. Now with two successful solo albums under his belt, Rob Black is set to be “the next big thing” in country music.

Some say Rob Black is Australia’s best lead guitarist – his ability needs to be seen to be believed. He performs country music in great style, while his energy excites and engages his audience.

With his three piece band, the Rob Black Show is the best night you’ll have. Beerwah Hotel on Saturday 11 September from 8pm.

This will be a marvellous afternoon of Verdi, Puccini, Mozart, Operetta and much more. “It really is a magical venue in a stunning setting and the Sunshine Coast is very fortunate to have it,” said Stewart Cameron.

The performance will finish in daylight at around 5.30pm.

Tickets: $42 ($35 for groups). Bookings: 1300 308 385 or book online: www.operatif.com.au

Beat describes Scott as “Emotive ,Cheeky Irreverent andAwesome!!” Melbourne street magazine Inpress describedhim as haunting, and vocally reminiscent of Al Green.

Herald Sun music Writer Paul Stewart, “was immediatelystruck by his emotive,cheeky and downright sexy liveperformance ,an artist worth keeping an eye on!”

Which all ads up to a performer well worth catching at Maleny’s Upfront Club on Saturday September 11 at 7pm.
Gold coin entry. Bookings for fully licensed meal servicefrom 5.30pm. Ph: 54 94 2592.
Upfront Club music maestro, Danny Rose says that father Brent may do a spot on the night.

Murray Wall completes the evening. Murray is a fingerstyle guitarist whose repertoire will carry you through many different musical landscapes. Murray presents his own songs and instrumental pieces dosed with rhythm and open-tuned harmony as well as covering artists from Steely Dan to Bruce Cockburn and Joni Mitchell.

Each Utribe gig tries to feature both local and “outside” artists, and the calibre of musicianship and original music has been fantastic.

The music starts at 7pm and we’re asking guests for a $12 donation. Meals served from 5.30pm, available for bunyas. Limited seating – ring the Club on 5494 2592 to book a table. Please tell your friends and come and support your local festival.

On Saturday August 7 at 8pm, the hard charging Blind Lemon drop in for another of their regular Palmwoods gigs. It’s difficult in this modern world to write modern blues that doesn’t sound clichéd but on the latest album Drinkers Lament, this Gold Coast-based 4 piece have done just that.

When Palmwoods Got The Blues returns on Saturday August 21 from 5.30pm it is rising star Luke Wyatt who opens the show. Inspired by the rare poetic genius of Chris Whitley, Luke Watt’s music speaks honestly and unpretentiously to lovers of contemporary blues/folk. His song writing is personal and emotive, whilst still focused primarily on a solid groove, melody and the belief that there’s nothing wrong with the odd sustained 7th!

www.myspace.comwattluke

For the last few years Tom Richardson has been gracing the Palmwoods stage in solo acoustic mode. With Tom making the trip to Qld for a couple of gigs at the Gympie Muster, the opportunity arose for him to bring the band along. A rare treat indeed and one that will have Tom’s legion of fans shouting for more.

www.myspace.com/tomrichardsonmusic

Lil Fi is the closest thing that Qld has had to blues royalty. If you’re unsure of just how good Lil Fi is, then do not miss her appearance at Palmwoods. For surely you will leave in no doubt as to how good this girl from Bargara is. A magnificent entertainer, a writer of beautiful, touching and yet raunchy songs, and a soul stirring singer of the highest order, this could be the greatest night of blues at Palmwoods yet! www.lilfi.com

Palmwoods Hotel. Free entry to entertainment. www.palmwoodshotel.com.au

Tunji Beier (above left) & Linsey Pollak known as Dva feature Tunji on mridangam, kanjira (Sth Indian percussion) & morsing (jawharp) and Linsey on Turkish clarinet, Rosella, sax and self made wind instruments. Dva will play their own unique World Music style.

Linsey and Tunji first performed together at the Border Crossings Festival in Germany in 1996 and have played together ever since. They create improvisations and compositions that draw on the traditions of Macedonia and South India, their greatest musical influences.

Those wanting to have breakfast at Saffron Namaste are advised to book a table
Ph: 5485 0554. A donation of $10 would be appreciated for the performance.