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ARTISTS 2023
We are very excited to announce our Artists that will be performing
Shane Howard
The Blues Preachers
Linda Mizzi Trio
Skarett & Watts
Sean Cooper
Josh Maynard
Stringline
Mountain Dew
Honey Sippers
Nick Wall
The Duffy’s
Jenny Rae
Sugarfoot
Jimmy and the Gapfillers
Merri & Ray
Nerida Cuddy
Dashani
Sullie
Dan Hull
The Full Irish
Des Kelly
Cal Makin
Phylistein
Old Folk Band
The Duffy’s
Merri & Ray
Binks Burns & Kenny
Anton
Tayvin
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The Blues Preachers: Brother John (John Morris) and Captain Bluetongue (Craig Lyons) will take you to another place and time, somewhere between 1920 and 1940. The Blues Preachers perform a fusion of good old blues, rags, gospel and hillbilly folk. Driving finger-style and slide-guitar combined with tasteful harmonica and old-school vocal harmonies create a traditional sound that will have you on the edge of your seats. The Blues Preachers will make you want to get up & dance with their joyful country & ragtime blues & send a shiver down your spine with their atmospheric feels.
The Blues Preachers have secured a reputation as one of the best acoustic blues & roots acts in Australia.
"The Blues Preachers record, Dry Long So, is one of the best blues records of the decade"
Samuel Fell / Rhythms Magazine.
Josh Maynard will paint vivid pictures in your mind, with his uplifting original songs. Writing about his own real-life experiences, inspired by Australian music icons, Missy Higgins and John Butler, Josh will entertain you away with his down-to-earth personality, and home-grown music. Don’t miss the raw honest sound that is taking him into an exciting new phase in his career. Josh's original performance at the Gulgong Folk Festival five years ago winning the guitar playing competition and won a Gillet Guitar. Going on to perform extensively making a name for himself in the music industry.
Binks Burns and Kenny
Robert Burns, Robb Binks and Brett Kenny have been performing their unique blend of original & cover music for the past 10 years to appreciative audiences in the Mudgee district. Mudgee locals offering a unique blend of original and cover music. As well as guitar Robert plays bass and mandolin. Robb plays guitar and is a singer songwriter although enjoy performing covers of greats such as Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Neil Finn and Robb adds in some of her own compositions.
THE DUFFY’S – Two Brothers from Dublin arriving from Australia in the 70’s. Seamus and John perform an eclectic mix of Irish Traditional, English folk, sea shanties, bush poetry and original songs and tunes, with humour and a tale thrown in you will be served with a robust and very enjoyable session. Seamus plays a traditional bodhran, tin whistles, guitar and the ephemeral Appalachian Dulcimer that he crafts by his own hand. John is an very accomplished Fiddler who also plays a mandolin, Irish whistle, uillienn pipes and sings. Having performed from Woodford to Melbourne from Sydney to Bourke to always appreciative audiences with Gulgong being a favourite. Don’t miss out on the Duffy’s.
Blue Mountains fiddler extraordinaire Simon Watts teamed up with guitarist and producer, Glenn Skarratt to record a CD in 2008 and musical magic started to happen in the studio.
Simon Watts, as well as being a local Blue Mountains identity, is possibly best known as the slightly eccentric but loveable fiddler from country and bush band, Handpicked and has won awards in Tamworth for his performance and great fiddle playing.
Glenn Skarratt, also from the Blue Mountains, is a fingerstyle and flatpicking guitarist and mandolinist with an eclectic batch of songs and tunes collected over many years of playing in bands around the country
As a songwriter, Linda Mizzi, based in Katoomba in the NSW Blue Mountains, covers a lot of territory, and she does it with considerable and occasionally quirky charm. “Of course, music is far more porous than genre-definers would have us believe, and such is the case with her music” – Predominantly a folk singer songwriter, Linda does let her muse wander where it may. Her influences are as diverse as Patty Griffin, Lucinda Williams, Sheryl Crow, Rickie Lee Jones and even the late Doris Day. Lindy Mizzi Trio will be entertaining at the Gulgong Folk festival.
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Stringline Folk Band would like to considered as a performer at the 2023 Gulgong Folk Festival.
We are a trio of musicians from Camden and The Southern Highlands. Paul Mallia - mandolin, guitar, vocals. Paula Holstein - fiddle, guitar, banjo, accordion and vocals. Kristina Took (née Michalowicz) - mandolin, Irish bouzouki, tenor banjo, vocals. Stringline Folk Band is a unique folk band playing catchy, powerful originals, as well as some traditional folk songs and tunes in their own infectious style. They blend their music with an
authentic sound that comes from their rich kaleidoscope backgrounds of Polish, German, Maltese and Irish heritage. They weave their intricate instrumentation of mandolin, Irish bouzouki, fiddle, accordion, banjo and guitar plus tuneful harmonies to give you stories from Australian and European history as well as heartfelt personal experiences. They have inspiring songs that will have you
listening intently.
Ceol agus Craic.
The Full Irish bring the Irish pub session to the stage. Their performance ranges from powerful up-tempo songs to haunting ballads steeped with the earthy sound of their Irish roots.
Storytellers, protesters, and performers, The Full Irish possess a catalogue of traditional Irish folk songs and tunes, as well a large selection of contemporary Irish music and original songs. Our repertoire comprises music from Ireland, Australia, the UK, Canada, America, and all points in between.
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“These guys can deliver an up-tempo lively sound and then drop it down to a haunting melody, steeped with their earthly Celtic roots! They perform music with a seamless blending of influences as diverse as The Dubliners, The Pogue’s, Christy Moore, Eric Bogle, Thin Lizzy, Snow Patrol, U2 and not forgetting The Rubber bandits!"
The band was formed as a duo in 2019 when Sullie and Quinner joined forces. They had been playing together is the Irish Session in the Fiddler in Rouse Hill regularly. In late 2020 Owen Watson joined the band on vocals, accordion, and whistle.
The Honey Sippers, an acoustic duo, have performed over a number of years in a
range of events and venues including music festivals, community and corporate
functions, wineries, markets etc. They blend music genre and pick and polish gems
from an extensive range with a generous flavour of folk. Key influences include the
likes of Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, Bessie Smith, Eric Clapton, John Prine ,
Amy Winehouse, Joni Mitchell, Ed Sheeran, Paul Kelly and others offering a fresh
variety of rhythms and melodies with a broad appeal. Mark's finger picking guitar
work and Trish's soulful vocals form the perfect meld, offering an easy authenticity
and versatility. Their original songs reflect their interest in social issues, human
stories and the intimacy of family love.
SHANE HOWARD - LIVE AT THE GULGONG OPERA HOUSE
with special guest Richard Tankard
Shane Howard has established himself as one of Australia's most influential writers and
singers. For more than 40 years Howard's songs have created a new map of Australia. From the
red heart, where he penned his anthemic ‘Solid Rock’, to the wilds of Tasmania that gave
birth to ‘Let the Franklin Flow’ and the spark of Eureka at Ballarat, captured in his ‘Rebel
Song’, he’s created a uniquely Australian voice.
His songs continue to plumb the depths and dig down into what it means to be a modern
Australian. They reach across the globe and champion the cause of the common people, the
environment and the curse of injustice. Shane will be joined by acclaimed accompanist, Richard Tankard, for a unique evening of story and song at the unique Prince of Wales Opera House in Gulgong, the oldest still operating Opera house in the Southern Hemisphere.
Sugarfoot
Sheridan Simmons and Mark Roth have been playing together as Sugarfoot since 2007, when Mark began teaching himself drum and harmonica and Sheridan first began singing in public.
The couple said they made a good songwriting team, with Sheridan providing their raw ideas and emotions and Mark finding a way of putting it into words.
Sean Cooper – FolkFedNSW’s 2022 Under 21yrs Young Folk Artist of the Year.
Sean’s focus is on solo acoustic guitar arrangements with a repertoire of traditional songs and instrumentals in the Celtic folk style, as well as occasional originals.
Over the past 3 years Sean has performed at various open mic nights, markets, and the occasional gig, both as a solo performer, and a duo.
“Receiving this award is a great opportunity to meet likeminded artists who share my passion for folk music and, to immerse myself in the culture and get to know the Sydney folk scene. It is also be an excellent chance to build my performance experience.”
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