a bona-fide foolproof floor-packing band. For over a decade they have branded their sound around the world; a highly energetic act that is at home singing on the festival stage, busking unplugged on the city streets, or anything inbetween!

“Every door is a story. Every story is a door.”

Mr Fibby is:

The noted card shark and duck smuggler ZAVI (aka Sam King) on guitar;

Renowned drag king and Rusalka SERAPHINA (aka Emma Jasmine Kelly) on violin;

Perpetual ladies man and carnival refugee BORRACIO (aka Spike Thompson), ..o;

And the highly preposterous, rambling biscuit barrel NO IMPORANT (aka Adam Hadley) their story teller.

“Exquisite singers, musicians and comedians whose specialty is incredibly
sophisticated, hilarious, acoustic parodies of pop standards—as if Frank Zappa
had done the musical arrangements and the guys from Spinal Tap had done the
staging”—David Essig.

Former Australian Idol top-five finalist Chanel Cole returns to the Candelo Village Festival with a collection of original songs she calls “Vaudevillian Pop”, a style of music that mixes pop-song forms with diminished chords and discords.

She will be joined onstage by Canberra performance artist Min Mae, and they’ll weave together snippets of fairytales with shadow puppetry and movement.

A unique, energetic vibration that encaptures and dazzles all crowd members. Think of an original mixture encompassing flamenco, latin, gypsy, classical and jazz and add some humorous, well known covers into the mix.. Stir clockwise for a few minutes then, let it rest and enjoy!

Lovers of great singer songwriters will be delighted with the discovery of Kim Dellavedova's unique sound. With a dry and haunting voice, Kim draws the listener deeper into her intention, plunging them into a lilting musical world where fragments of her stories and characters unfold.

When Mr Tim steps into a room full of children, he takes them on a high energy adventure full of spontaenous creativity, crazy drama acts and exciting original songs that have them performing in no time! Candelo Village Festival will be Mr Tim's last performance before he leaves the country on a global odyssey.

All the way from Toronto, Canada...

 

Recently married to an Australian she has begun to divide her time between Toronto and Melbourne. Crow’s Nest/ Nid de Pie is Claire Jenkins Avec Band’s first album. During the summer of 2008 they toured across Canada playing many major folk festivals. She likes books, listening to Radio National or CBC Radio One. It looks like she’ll be studying political science next term. She’s excited about writing papers but when she thinks of writing an exam her stomach drops out. Claire is now getting her thoughts around composing the next album. She would like to thank Canada Council for the Arts and Ontario Arts Council for their continued support.

 

...Claire Jenkins used everything and the basement sink to make her album.

Present: “It's Not Circus, It's Science”

Welcome Ladies, Gentlemen and esteemed guests, to the inaugural Candelo Village Symposium of Distinguished Scientists. Your Keynote speakers this afternoon are the honored Professors Wild and Barnard, Co-chairs of Cognition Transmission Studies at the Australian Centre of Research into Oracle Physics (ACROphysics). They are here to demonstrate their recent breakthrough in transferative cognition. It's not circus, it's science. Please give them a warm Bega Valley welcome.

Wild and Barnard are a shmick acrobatic duo of geek girls from geek land who think that infinity is cool and grammar infinitely cooler. Come for the physical feats, stay and get educated. Circus for the elite minds of the 21st century.

 

Candelo based singer, songwriter, and guitarist Heath Cullen writes tales of small town tragedy and dark-end-of-the-street love affairs that serve as a haunting reminder of our own inescapable mortality.

His performances with his band The 45 are reckless, commanding and seemingly effortless. The 45 comprises Robyn Martin on bass, Peter Wild on keys, Jay McMahon on drums, and Jason Coman and David Hibbert on guitars. Some of them have been playing together since they were in the crib, and it shows.

 

From folk roots to western swing, The Wild Martins combines the effervescent Pete Wild on keys, ho-downin' Sam Martin on  guitar, groovy Robyn Martin on bass, and the energetic Anna Martin on drums and trumpet (sometimes at the same time!). With Robyn, Sam and Pete all contributing original songs to the performance, The Wild Martins present an original show that is both intimate and lively.

Jodi spent her formative years in the remote desert region of Australia’s Nullarbor Plain. With the recording of ‘Why’, and the Chambers family encouraging her to move to the more populated East Coast, Jodi left her small coastal desert hometown of Ceduna to begin her own career as a singer/songwriter.

Four critically acclaimed albums later, the sparse landscape of her childhood still resonates in Jodi’s music and the legacy of a small town remains in her honest lyrics. Her songs are not afraid to tackle controversial issues, like her own childhood spent growing up in an area with a large indigenous population. Her story comes through in songs like ‘Riddles’ (Water and Wood) where racism is witnessed through a child’s eyes. Jodi writes frankly and incisively about everything from relationships with lovers, parents, to social justice and personal issues like abuse. Jodi strong feelings of connection to place ensure that Australian imagery weaves itself into her work.

Pete Wild started playing ukulele aged 5 when he lived in central Australia and was really into his BMX. He learned keys on a piano rescued from the bucket of a bulldozer at a demolition site. Pete writes the best songs in the whole world...according to his mum and sister. They’re lovely, honest, dorky, funny, real, clever & ridiculous.

Pete lives in Candelo which is the centre of the universe.

Lucie Thorne has earned her place as one of the most striking lyricists and voices of the recent indie rock and roots scenes. And she’s about to embark on an extensive national tour to celebrate the release of her extraordinary now album, Black Across The Field. But before she does, our local treasure will perform a pre-launch special at The Candelo Village Festival, together with band-mates Heath Cullen (guitar) and Jay McMahon (drums).

Creating “an oasis of musical beauty which is completely entrancing and stunningly beautiful” (The Canberra Times), Black Across The Field  traverses spacious, gritty rock n roll, and startlingly original dark-folk, with that signature warmth and intimacy for which Thorne’s live shows have become so renowned.

The Receptionists are Alice and Jazz Williams, a Newcastle based sister act who have been writing and performing together around the South Coast of NSW and Hunter Region since they learned to be civil to each other in their late teens. Their carefully crafted songs draw on styles such as modern folk, rock and alt country, with a focus on dynamic vocal harmony.

Damien Neil and Damon Davies Betwixt darkness and light stand the brother knights of AHhh. Damon and Damien, fighting the prevailing darkness of modern living. From East to West, Blues to Grass, Monk to Funk, Irish to Gibberish, these young men are a match for noone - except each other. From the sublime to the rediculas, Damon and Damien offer an exciting blend of Acoustic Roots music

(Nee. The Andi & George Band.)

The Andrea Kirwin Band spread good vibes, happy beats and great energy to all. The crew consists of 15 or so Canberra based musicians that make all kinds of music. Soul, funk, hip-hop, reggae, samba, folk, jazz, blues and rock.

Playing guitar, fiddle and mandolin, with warm passionate vocals and original songs, Chris has supported the likes of Maddy Prior, Christy Moore, Lunasa, Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick. He has appeared at festivals in the UK and Australia. 

Damian is a modern-day blues poet. For more than 20 years, he tipped his hat to the bluesmen of yesteryear, and earned his reputation as Australia's foremost exponent of the country-blues harmonica. Yet, it is now Coen's captivating songwriting, giving voice to insightful personal and political narratives, which shines through as his defining strength.

A 19 year old Folk/Blues-based singer/songwriter/guitarist from the far south coast of NSW and on the rise! Daniel Champagne has a one-of-a-kind guitar style combining 2 hand tapping, fiery blues runs and extensive percussive use of the body that weaves it's way around his smooth vocal work to each of his carefully crafted original songs.

This, along with his ability to whip up a storm on the lap slide and create infectious foot-stomping rhythms, make Daniel's live show a must see!

The word 'Mandala' has come to mean a picture pattern that is symbolically representative of the greater Universe. To focus on it is to be induced into an inner space, in order to achieve ONENESS WITH THE ALL.

That is what Mandala seeks to induce in its audiences. It plays dance music from all over the world, our ‘one world’. They groove to the beats of Africa with Alpha Blondy and Habib Koite; Islander’s O-Shen, Matato’a, and Te Vaka; the Arabic rhythms of Hisham Abbas and Amr Diab; Indian; Pakistani; Latin; Hungarian gypsy; French; Irish; Israeli and Klesmer.

Listening to them is a cultural tour of the world, and a challenge to bring your dance body in with the different styles of each culture. It is FUN FUN FUN to be global!!

They’re not bluegrass, blues or jazz, but they’ve taken inspiration from all of these genres to create a unique blend of old time, good time, get down, down home acoustic music. The Front Porch Pickers formed about 15 years ago, oddly enough on Ray’s front porch, with Bob & Ray watching the sun set over the Towamba Valley, drinking home-brew & pickin’ out their favourite songs. The Front Porch Pickers 2008 feature: Brother Ray Gardaya on mandolin, guitar & human voice, Uncle Bob McGowan on flatpickin’ & fingerpickin’ guitar & vocals, Cousin Jan Musson on acoustic & amplified harp, fingerpickin’ guitar & vocals, and last, but by no means least, Great-Uncle Artie Boucher on seriously HOT fiddle. Their repertoire is peppered with bluegrass, jazz, country blues and ‘old timey’ standards as well as many originals. Local legends on the Far South Coast of New South Wales, Australia, the Front Porch Pickers have played many memorable gigs at local clubs, pubs, restaurants and community events including the Narooma Blues Festival, Merimbula Jazz Festival, Cobargo Folk Festival and the Bombala Motorcycle Show, to name but a few…

Heartsong is a community choir based in the Bega Valley dedicated to singing beautiful sacred choral music. They have performed in churches and at music events around the area and currently have over forty members.

Kim Churchill is an up an coming blues and roots performer who creates a completely unique sound from his chosen instrument, the guitar. With around 12 years experience including 8 years of classical training, Kim underlines his fiery passionate style of playing with a level of technique and intricacy “has to be seen to be believed” (Merimbula News Weekly). His style includes the use of body percussion, tapping and experimental techniques of his own, and has been likened to guitarists like Michael Hedges, Andy Mckee and Thomas Leeb. Former Australian Ambassador of Blues and premier endorsee for Cole Clarke Guitars, Lloyd Spiegel, believes that “it is Kim’s ability to create new sounds and techniques on the guitar which will lead to make a stamp on the Australian Guitar scene”. This style is then masterfully woven together with his inclusion of stomp box, tambourine, Harmonica and purely heartfelt vocals, creating the blues/roots sound that his major influences (The John Butler Trio, Xavier Rudd, Jeff Lang, Juzzie Smith and the Beautiful Girls) encouraged. This promising 18 year old’s song writing reflects his coastal lifestyle- growing up with the surf minutes from his front door, and the beauty of its untouched nature to inspire and nurture him. Finally, with the inclusion of fiery lap steel slide guitar, and beats that demand foot tappin’ attention, you will left gob smacked! 

Malumba are an energetic, creative and original world music outfit. The music Malumba plays weaves together the sounds of many cultures, creating a unique and extremely danceable music. Drawing from influences as diverse as Celtic, Flamencan, African, Middle Eastern, Caribbean, and Latin, Malumba's music is as varied as the Australian multiculture. Underlying all is the love of improvisation that all four band members developed during their jazz studies.

With a disarming voice that entangles it’s melodies into those of his guitar, Tobias tells intimate tales of loss, longing, drunkenness and wonder set against all-too-familiar backdrops. Lean in people and listen!

The Bega Chamber Orchestra is based in Bega, NSW and is directed by Geoffrey Badger.

The BCO developed out of the Bega Valley String Orchestra and includes players of stringed, brass, woodwind and percussion instruments.

The Leap are a band comprised of David Hibbert, Jay McMahon, Marty Hibbert and Robyn Martin.

The songs of Dave and Jay are sometimes dark, sometimes uplifting, and always genuine.

The band members are all multi-instrumentalists and there tends to be a lot of instrument-swapping at shows, just to keep the audience on their toes.

Dave and Jay have been playing together in various bands since the age of 13, but prior to this, Marty and Dave used to mime Beatles songs on handmade wooden-plank guitars.

Joshua grew up on the south coast all the while playing his guitar, honing his skills surrounded by the beaches, camping grounds and other delights offered by the area. Lessons were undertaken with local legend, Dave Crowden and then with a little known wailer and inspired improv player, Jimmy Hunt. Under Dave he learnt the discipline required to practice for hours and play clean, with Jimmy he learnt how to let that go and just play guitar. Fifteen years on from picking up his first guitar, and eight years on from his first song writing attempts, Joshua has accumulated a considerable array of songs. Revolving around a story about life in a small country town, to life travelling from Brighton to Berlin, his right hand rhythm style creates a unique percussion accompaniment that creates a warm full sound for this solo player.

Annie Thompson will captivate you with her honest, sincere lyrics & enchant your senses with her folk/country rock influences & pure melodic vocals. Annie was born in Bega & still resides on the South Coast, which continues to be one of her most passionate inspirations for her original music. A writer of poetry at a young age formed the foundations for her future in music with her open & candid song writing. Picking up her guitar later in life at the ripe age of 27, Annie was performing with well-known local musicians within 12 months. Dave Sparks (Lime Spiders), Russell Cook (Bachelors From Prague) & Local Bass Guitarst Dave Crowden. With 2 CDs under her belt, with the latest CD recorded at Pirate Studios, Bournda. Annie's musical career is continuing to flourish with experience & maturity.

Eclectic Kitchen brings to the audience an ever changing cache of traditional and original tunes and songs primarily in the Celtic realm, but we are inspired by exciting rhythms and evocative themes from wherever in our world musical sentiments are fashioned.

Primi Venti was formed over the last two years by Graeme Gerrard, as an outlet to celebrate the unique sound of medieval and renaissance music. From moving motets to burlesque folk tunes, their repertoire is fresh and easy to listen to.

Players include Graeme Gerrard, Max Campbell, Jane Grose, Brenda Montgomery and Brigitte Le Roy, playing a range of recorders from sopranino down to bass. The group has played with the Bega Valley Chamber Orchestra in Bega, Candelo and the Cobargo Festival. At the Candelo Festival, we welcome collaboration with other musicians to add singers, percussion and even a virginal, to extend the palette of sounds.

The Sins combine the deft songwriting and singing skills of Swedish pianist Kari Pihl and english guitarist Steve Griffiths. Encapsulated in lush atmospheric soundscapes, the songs describe the joys and trials of dark secret loves, the gravitational pull of the moon and mixed blessings of seeing the sunrise. The sound of the band can summon raw junkyard blues and still return to soulful jazz inflected pop, embellished with delicious harmonies. The Sins have been a festival favourite over the last few years, wowing audiences at Peats Ridge, Cockatoo Island, Festival Of The Sun and The Great Escape. This is their first visit to Candelo and they very excited about playing songs from their album 'Mourning The Night' (Code One/MGM) to music lovers in the village!

She's toured Australia with USA's Jason Mraz and has shared the stage with Powderfinger's Bernard Fanning, Irish Supergroup The Frames, Josh Pyke and Lior to mention a few.

Catch her at Candelo Village Festival, bravely baring her tales of love lost and found, sung in sweet whispery melodies and plucked delicately on nylon strings.

With her independent spirit, her shy charm, an endless supply of catchy melodies (and an even deeper bag of bad jokes), Melanie Horsnell is undeniably one of Australia's most unique musical artists.

Steve likes to involve his audience.  He accompanies himself on concertina and button accordion and performs a mix of pop classics, traditional Australian music and self penned songs that celebrate our beautiful south east region.

The Tank Players formed in 2008 as an outlet for classical musicians in the Bega Valley to make the most of the Candelo Village Festival!  The group features:

Tim Willis - violin, Grace Hunt -viola, Vincent Hunt - cello, Georgina Osborne - oboe, Jane Grose - virginal

Between them they hold numerous music degrees and prizes but to find out what they will sound like together, you'll need to come along to the Candelo Church on Festival Day. The concert  will feature Bach, Boismortier, Telemann and Marais.

 

Irish born and Canberra-based singer Gerry Doyle - good straight forward folk singing.

 

Local Irish dancing group performing contemporary and traditional Irish Dance. Hard shoe and soft shoe dancing performed to the music of local musicians. An energetic, fun performance.

Kara is a singer/songwriter hailing from a little rural area near Eden on the south coast of NSW. She began singing and ploaying guitar at around age 15 when her friends would huddle around a then very shy Kara in the school yard and beg her to sing their favourite songs...it wasn't long before word got out and she began singing all over the place; school musicals, community events and eventually her own rock band!!

Kara's music is an honest reflection of her own life experiences and observations of the world as she sees it. It's down to earth, passionate and straight from the heart.

Lindsay is one of Australia's finest fiddle players and it's an absolute joy to have him here in Candelo. Be prepared for a more contemporary side of Mike in this unique performance of the domesticated and tame Martins.

The music of the Meandering Wastrels is the expression of a musical friendship of some 18 years. South Coast guitarist Garry Renton and guitarist/singer Michael Menager find common ground in diverse interests that span the genres of jazz, swing, blues and folk - and their performances resonate with this meeting of mind and spirit.

Mrs Smuu Smuu presents Hoopers against Stupors. After a rather unfortunate event in Mrs Smuu Smuu's laundry the Hoopers against Stupors campaign was born. Candelo will see the inargural launch of the campaign to the Bega Valley.

 The most polite band this side of the Brown, featuring the luscious vocals of Matt Kimber. Be prepared to have all senses indulged with smooth sounds and impeccable deportment. Jazz the way it should be.

Guitarama are a seven piece group of mainly young musicians who like to play Latin American Music. They formed about two years ago by guitar teacher Dave Crowden as a way of getting a group experience playing instrumental guitar music.

The group consists of five guitars, bass guitar and percussion.

Some of the styles guitarama perform are Samba, Salsa, Milonga, Bossa Nova, and Cha Cha.

They play some traditional songs as well as contemporary songs by The Cat Empire and Rodrigo Y Gabriela.

This year they have added quite a few of their own songs to their repertoire.

The other members are Daniel Champagne, Leo Bugden, Sam McMahon, Quillan Noble, Nell Cantrell, Aiden Bateman and Henry Britten.

The Pink Haired Girls formed in 2007 from a group of collaborating musicians working at Pirate Studios in Bournda on the far south coast of New South Wales.

Drawing inspiration from their diverse musical backgrounds, together they share their love of acoustic music.