Red Velvet Lounge – Slim Dime

It’s been an epic year of gigs and Festivals – thank you to everyone who came along to our shows, bought our music and gave us hugs! We’ve both hit the end of the year feeling very blessed, grateful for a wonderful year and looking forward to shows next year after a good rest.

We had a fantastic time in Tasmania in April, and with a little help from our friends some great shows.

Tasmania is astoundingly beautiful, everywhere we went was a pleasure, the food gorgeous and the folk were welcoming and kind.

Our first gig was to record a Live to air – with C.C. Thornley from the most splendid band The Black Swans of Trespass on Hobart’s Edge Radio 99.3 FM– on his weekly show, The Naked Folks. We are blessed to have good friends, Christina Chiavassa was kind enough to organise our mini-tour for us and we loved playing at Bright Eyes at The Brooke Street Pier – great venue and wonderful listening audience.

We played a great show in gorgeous Cygnet at The Red Velvet Lounge, a lovely cafe/bar/restaurant. We were so pleased to be received so warmly by the locals who hear some truly world class music at the annual Cygnet Folk Festival.

Everywhere we go I (Jen) takes photos, which began as a part of our last album, a photographic Travelogue – photos here on instagram. A incredible highlight this year was a 2500km round trip to White Cliffs in NSW for the White Cliffs Music Festival. For the first time we felt as if we were seeing Australia, the red dirt country. It was alive with wildlife. Big sky. Extraordinary.

We staying in an amazing house that was a retired opal mine, underground. We had the penthouse suite, above ground, an eyrie….. Thank you Anne Baker for your incredible Festival! Playing our Gospel songs in the tiny stone church in Whitecliffs was extraordinary, that it was a part of a service about Elvis’ deep love and appreciation for Gospel Music featuring an Elvis Impersonator in full Vegas white jumpsuit mode was…….. Royden Donohue has the most gorgeous voice and an audible love for the King.

Although we were only away for a week it felt like years had passed, it was a live changing experience.

A few local standout gigs, a support for our most excellent friend Teresa Dixon to launch her beautiful album “Bass Straight”, Rezza House Concerts invited us to support the amazing Western Australians Belle Harvey & Helen Townsend. We also discovered a nifty new bar in Castlemaine – The Taproom at Shedshaker Brewery, thank you to Steve Charman for his interview on his show “Open Tuning” on Main FM. It’s always a pleasure to play at our old local, Oscar’s Alehouse, with old friends The Burning Bridges and new friends Flying Home. Festival Season is always a blast and the Kelly Country Pick is a cracker – thanks Peter Hisco for another brilliant year.

Rezza House Concert with Belle Harvey & Helen Townsend

The Priory is a great place to stay & Beechworth is beautiful. We stayed up late and picked ’til it hurt! oh boy, did it hurt…….

The Guildford Banjo Jamboree is a crackerjack pick, we had a ball. Thank you Jeanette Gillespie for another fantastic year! Castlemaine is a favourite place of ours to visit.

We played at our first Uranquinty Folk Festival this year and really enjoyed this laid back little festival. Thanks to Peter Hood! Then we traveled to Kinglake for the Foggy Mountain Music Festival. We had a great time jamming all day and night, it’s a lovely festival and we always enjoy heading to Kinglake. Thank you Mark, Brad and Sarah for all your hard work! The best part of a good Festival is staying up all night and havin’ a pick with other musicians. It has been an amazing gift meeting so many awesome players to hang out with.

Mountaingrass is always a highlight of our year, we stayed in posher digs than we are accustomed! The weekend was a great success, a new venue for Mountaingrass meant that it had a lovely air of excitement and anticipation. The lovely gardens of May Day Hills were in full bloom, the air perfumed and honeyed. Although it did play havoc with the sinuses it looked glorious. We were extremely lucky to receive a great live review from Listening Through the Lens – thank you to Rob Dickens and Jim Jacob for the photograph. Thanks to the Mountaingrass crew for an amazing effort – special thanks to Evan, Helen & Susan.

“They also doff their hats to traditions and they clearly know and appreciate their musical antecedents………. Her voice is melodious and his playing very accomplished, making their work look effortless as do the best performers. The harmonies are sweet and nuanced, like the A.P. Carter vocal drift to and from the microphone that they use.” – Rob Dickens – Listening Through the Lens

so, another fantastic year and with a little help from our friends next year is lookin’ pretty awesome too… with plans to record again and some tasty gigs booked already!