Music

Each year Ironfest dishes up an eclectic feast of musical talent
from around the Region and beyond.

In 2011 we will be 'spreading the music around' with our usual program of roving musicians, a repeat showing of the very talented musical line-up at the Sounds like Café (this year relocated to the big yellow & white tent on the Common) and a new innovation for 2011: a number of 'Sound Spot stages' dispersed around the festival site 'bringing music to the people'. (A map pin-pointing the locations will be available soon.) 

Medieval music group Wayward performing at Ironfest in 2010

Sounds Like Café Stage (Details click here)

Roving (Details click here)

Sound Spots (Details click here)

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The Sounds Like Café Stage

Bianca Meier walks the earth with the sunshine, strumming and singing her own original folk-pop tunes along the way. Her powerful voice and sharp songwriting style can even make the devil smile.
Drawing on Swiss and Serbian heritage, Meier now resides in Sydney where she is carving her name in the live music and recording scene. When she's not at home in Sydney she can be found on the road touring in her '74 pop-top kombi van, bringing sunshine to the nation's ears.
At the age of twenty one, Meier has been performing live since mid 2009 and has already found a comfortable place in her craft, playing next to artists such as Diesel, Matt Corby, Ian Moss and Dave Graney. She has also travelled and played in many music venues and funky cafes in NSW, QLD, ACT, and VIC.
Keep your ears out for Meier’s debut Ep, arriving in October '10, followed by a National Tour in November '10. The EP will be recorded with a full band and will give a well rounded view of the free spirited Meier as a songwriter, performer and person.

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“Daxton Monaghan lives to write” His familiarity with blues and country has shown punters there is more to him than just a song. Daxton can be best described as a prolific writer and stage performer his character bellows confidence and shines in personality. Most of all he’s gravel voice and guitar playing will leave you mesmerized with wanting more. Daxton’s albums show his influences such as Charlie Parr, Neil Young, gram parsons, Bob Dylan, and Buck Owens. His voice shines, particularly in the ballads, giving the listener the impression that he's living the blues with a soulful vocal style reminiscent of Memphis in the 70’s. On stage Daxton comes across like he was born to play, his unique guitar style blending perfectly with heartworm vocals. Refreshingly original songs combined with both humor and heartache. For more of Daxton go to I Tunes and down load some great tracks. .

Check out Daxton's new video clip Two Roads

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WHO are you and where are you from?

I’m Lana De Angelis and I’m a 22-year-old singer/songwriter who divides her time between Rosemeadow and Newtown. I grew up in Campbelltown and went to John Therry High.

Describe the process you go through to write a song

I always carry around a notebook and pen, because inspiration can pounce at any time! I just kind of hum melodies and sing the phrases I’ve been writing until something sticks.

What have you been doing recently with your music?

I’ve released my second EP called Stay Indoors, so I’ve been busy for some time now.

What or who do you sound like?

I pretty much learned to play guitar by copying singer Ani Difranco, whose playing style I adore. My style is very lyrical, all about the words, really thumping acoustic guitar-playing interspersed with finger picking lines. I’ve also had a bit of classical voice training, so I like to throw some operatics in occasionally to keep you on your toes.

What’s next?

I’m hoping to play a bunch of shows in Melbourne next year, as well as getting back up to Brisbane. I really want to focus on playing some killer shows. I would also like to do more gigs here in Campbelltown.

Dead or alive, what three bands would you have at your dream gig?

One of my fantasies is to get up on stage with The Indigo Girls and Pink and sing Dear Mr President. So maybe my dream gig involves me, Pink and the Indigo Girls, with a big ol’ singalong at the end.

Best and worst musical moments?

My worst moments on stage involve me forgetting the chords or lyrics to songs I’ve rehearsed a million times. Sometimes I just go blank up there. My best musical moment was at Fisher’s Gig a few weeks back. There were a couple of kids in the audience who were singing along to my songs. I was so shocked they knew the words, I felt like a rock star!

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Brett O'Malley writes and plays the music that comes from the wide range of material he has soaked up over the years.
Emotive lyrics and a passionate, soulful vocal delivery on top of catchy and driving melodies is what Brett's songs are based on.
"I have always been drawn to artists not afraid to mix it up with regards to the style of music they play! I really enjoy playing a set that changes throughout in terms of mood, intensity, and tempo, so as to move the audience to different places".

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Sydney based gypsy roots band. A mix of folk, rock reggae and blues. A collision of styles, schizophrenic through song & eclectic by nature. The brainchild of Sydney songwriter, Jesse Morris, in collaboration with ‘the 3 Beans’ - Lucille Wilson, Andrew Hutchings & Shane Kellahan. With over 10 years experience actively touring with various acts across Australia, New Zealand and Asia their latest project is purely about getting back to their roots - making infectious music that will make your soles and your soul move.....

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The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same. Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination. - Don Williams jnr.

Listening to classical guitarist Alex Chudnovsky you cannot help being moved by his evocative, lyrical playing. But it is his compelling personal journey that led this Russian born musician all the way to Melbourne, Australia that informs the songs and leaves the listener with an insight to the extraordinary events that led to the making of Alex Chudnovsky as a Classical Guitarist.

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The Stoics have reached their current 5-piece line up through a snowballing effect that has collected musicians like a majestic… snowball, rolling down the side of Tassie’s picturesque Mt Wellington. Resulting in a brilliant smash of indie rock harmonies, cascading piano and glassy sheets of trumpet heralding a bright new morning boasting bleary eyes and tingling ears. The band has come a long way since winning a spot as a Triple J Next Crop artist.

Recent highlights for the band have included slots at Falls Festival, numerous supports for the likes of The New Pornographers (Can), Cloud Control, Yves Klein Blue and Bluejuice.

We play what could be called indie rock, with extra bits . Our songs grow from harmony driven orchestrations and havoc driven deviations. We sound something like… “DING”, with a hint of nutmeg. Please listen, you might like it.

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Matt Heath is a Sydney based singer songwriter. His emotive and lyrical compositions leave the listener thoughtful and inspired to live their own life and write their own stories just as Matt has.

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Brought up by music-loving parents, Luke Koteras was fed a steady diet of Jeff St John, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Beatles, Nirvana, John Farnham, Renee Gayer and Red Hot Chilli Peppers. As a lad, Luke won many trophies and awards as an outstanding guitar-playing talent before going on to complete his music studies at the Australian Institute of Music. Learning his licks from intently listening to Tommy Emmanuel through to Jimmy Page and then by personally swapping licks with Joseph Calderazzo, Dai Pritchard, Steve Flack, Bill Chambers and many other great Aussie guitar players. Now as his own man, 22-year-old Luke plays a blend of new age acoustic music with a modern flavour, occasionally mixing it up with a bit of electric guitar.

Luke toured China in 2004 with jazz funk outfit 'dlivr' before touring as a solo artist across UK, Europe, Africa and Thailand. LK has guested on John Brownrigg's LP 'Crossroads' with jazz Hammond playing legend Col Nolan. Luke has opened for awe-inspiring Aussie acts such Normie Rowe, Jon Stevens, The Androids, Operator Please, Dead Letter Circus, Dragon and soul legend Renee Gayer. Luke seriously slayed ‘em in mid 2005 with shows at The Basement, The Vanguard and The FUSE Festival, Adelaide. Luke featured as the Young Gun in Steve Flack's "Tribute to Pete Wells" Guitar Heroes show alongside Bill Chambers, Steve Flack and Dai Pritchard of Rose Tattoo. The life of Luke Koteras has been one seriously evolved trip. He seems to revel in doing things to perfection and he has the ability to pull live performances off. Whispers about Luke Koteras started to spread when he scored recording time with ‘Foghorn Records’ whilst still 17 years old.

Don't let anyone try to convince you that Luke’s youth lessens his competence as a true musician and songwriter nor lessens the knockout blow of his albums ‘Acoustically Speaking’, ‘FATE and the NEW!! 100% instrumental ‘Acoustically Yours’. All albums are now available to download through iTunes and live gigs.

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Pave Leclair is a rare artist indeed! He is a modern-day musical poet, whose lyrics inspire you and keep inspiring you upon further listens. He also has a wonderful unique guitar playing/picking style that you can listen to for ages. It was these two qualities that drew me to him at the outset. Recently I saw him play at The Basement and witnessed the charisma and visual charm that he naturally exudes, while being hypnotised by his songs. The world needs artists like Pave Leclair to bring the kind of musical poetry back to the forefront again. After listening to Pave Leclair, your soul feels nurtured.

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Luke Escombe spent years trying to be a polite, family-friendly acoustic roots artiste. The charade nearly killed him. The result was Chronic Illness - a show full of sharp, funny and sublimely infectious songs about the profane inner life of the modern urban male. 

Performed with the aid of an acoustic guitar and a Casio keyboard bought for $5 from a little girl in Bondi, Chronic Illness reveals a style of music that combines jazz, blues and folk with trashy electro, gangsta rap, stadium rock and Jamaican dancehall. Luke calls it “Flip Flop” – a mix of funky, literate pop and flippant hip-hop. Imagine Ice Cube doing Wordsworth and – no wait, that came out wrong, please don’t imagine that. 

With titles like "Damn Girl [poppa cap in that ass]", "Hot Bitches", “Hard 2 B a Pimp” and the impossibly catchy "Jerk ya Coq” Chronic Illness is a new strain of music comedy that needs to be watched closely before it turns into an epidemic. Typical reactions include hysterical laughter, uncontrollable hip gyration and blown minds. Be warned: your inner emo may never recover.

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Roving Musicians

Presenting: The Wandering Minstrels

Photo by J. Williams 

Click here to visit Minstrels member Bob Sutor's webpage

Presenting: Wayward

Photo by Julie Williams

Presenting: The Lithgow Pipe Band

Photo by m.graham

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Sound Spots

Presenting: The Lithgow City Brass Band

Photo by Julie Williams

Presenting: Natalya Aarts

NATALYA AARTS had her first solo performance when she was in Year 1 as part of her school's annual concert. Since then she has sung in choirs at the Sydney Town Hall, Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre and a variety of Blue Mts venues. As soloist, Natalya has performed at the Blue Mts Primary School Festival, the arts expo at the Carrington Hotel, with Lithgow Musical Society and with Lithgow High School's  production of The Wizard of Oz. In 2010 Natalya was successful with her audition for The Academy Singers and sang as lead soprano soloist in their Australian premiere of The Great Fire of London. In addition to studying singing, 14 year old Natalya recently completed her 6th grade piano exam with Honours and has also participated in NIDA acting courses.

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