3's A Crowd is an Acoustic Duo who blends the cool sounds of the present with a different take on some of the classics. Trent, on guitar and vocals, has been a local to Cairns for over 24 years and has entertained residents and visitors alike for many of those. Bree, moving up from the Coast 7 years ago, has been singing and stylin' the whole time and keeps the crowd bewildered with her beautiful tones.  

Formed on Melbourne Cup Day in 1988, based in Cairns, Barbary Coasters have become a very popular and well-respected duo in the Far North of Queensland. They brought out the first C D to be fully produced here in Cairns. They have performed at diverse venues from Concert stages, resorts, clubs, pubs, functions, carnivals, mining camps, festivals and rodeos. Their music is just as varied with backgrounds of folk & country, pop & rock, plus a tropical influence from their location. They attempt the impossible - to please everyone - but their audiences have consisted of many age groups and nationalities, and they have succeeded in entertaining them with music and Vance’s quirky sense of humour and Nikki’s patience with him! Nikki features lead vocals, Adamas 12 string guitar, Midi & Drum programming. Vance features Fender bass, vocals & harmony, Levinson Electric & Ovation acoustic/electric guitars.

Check them out at: www.barbarycoasters.com

Barrier Reef Rockers perform regularly at City Place and around Tropical North Queensland.

Their toe-tappin' rock n' roll dance displays are great to watch!

Claire & de Loons

12.00pm - 3.00pm

Dixie Jazz is a 4 to 5 piece roving band that has been together for several years.  You can spot them in their attractive stripe shirts and matching boating hats. 

 This group will get their toes tapping with banjos, trumpets, clarinets, trombones, and tubas.

Drum Up Big is a local organization committed to drumming as a cultural and educational resource, and as a means of personal expression, while celebrating cultural diversity and the shared experience of making music with others.  Drum Up Big, proudly working in association with Cairns Regional Council.

For more information about drumming events and classes in Cairns: www.drumupbig.com

Eagle whose name was given to him by Indigenous Elders in Far North Queensland released his debut album in 2007 through MGM. For years he played in Melbourne hard rock bands but in 2000 moved to the Far North to find himself going in a new direction with no choice but to go solo to make a living in the tropics. Performing live on National TV (Australia ands New Zealand) on the Channel 9 Today Show in May 2006, Eagle plays to crowds at festivals around Australia. Eagle has supported Dallas Crane at Bombay Rock in Townsville and worked with Coloured Stone at the Laura Dance Festival writing the 2005 theme song.

He has recently been the pick for sports events including the centre stage for the NBL at the Cairns convention Centre, the Oxford Tavern for the Bathurst 1000, the private function for the Holden national team, and the grand final after parties for the AFL Cairns Saints to the Port Douglas NRL.

His dynamic band has been the headline act for the Port Douglas Carnivale longest four years in a row. He has also performed at the Yungaburra Folk Festival. Radio stations 4CA FM Cairns, B –Rock Bathurst and SEA FM Rock in Townsville have picked up the song “Everything is okay”.

Eagle often performs live during radio breakfast shows and was the resident entertainer for 4CA FM Tropical Feast Firday’s September 2007. The track is on high rotation on B-Rock and 2BS in Bathurst. He is also getting regular radio airplay on a number of other radio stations including, ABC Far North, ABC Radio Australia, and Port FM. He was also singer songwriter in the bands Engine Room and Freakshow who had an extensive live following in Melbourne. They supported acts such as Colin Hayes, Mark Seymour, Weddings Parties Anything, Goanna and Grin Spoon.

Eagle whose name was given to him by Indigenous Elders in Far North Queensland released his debut album in 2007 through MGM. For years he played in Melbourne hard rock bands but in 2000 moved to the Far North to find himself going in a new direction with no choice but to go solo to make a living in the tropics. Performing live on National TV (Australia ands New Zealand) on the Channel 9 Today Show in May 2006, Eagle plays to crowds at festivals around Australia. Eagle has supported Dallas Crane at Bombay Rock in Townsville and worked with Coloured Stone at the Laura Dance Festival writing the 2005 theme song.

He has recently been the pick for sports events including the centre stage for the NBL at the Cairns convention Centre, the Oxford Tavern for the Bathurst 1000, the private function for the Holden national team, and the grand final after parties for the AFL Cairns Saints to the Port Douglas NRL.

His dynamic band has been the headline act for the Port Douglas Carnivale longest four years in a row. He has also performed at the Yungaburra Folk Festival. Radio stations 4CA FM Cairns, B –Rock Bathurst and SEA FM Rock in Townsville have picked up the song “Everything is okay”. Eagle often performs live during radio breakfast shows and was the resident entertainer for 4CA FM Tropical Feast Firday’s September 2007. The track is on high rotation on B-Rock and 2BS in Bathurst. He is also getting regular radio airplay on a number of other radio stations including, ABC Far North, ABC Radio Australia, and Port FM.

He was also singer songwriter in the bands Engine Room and Freakshow who had an extensive live following in Melbourne. They supported acts such as Colin Hayes, Mark Seymour, Weddings Parties Anything, Goanna and Grin Spoon.

He enhanced his song writing skills working with Greg Macainsh from the Skyhooks and Beeb Burtle from LRB. He went to the Melba Conservatorium of Music and to Jaanz for singing classes and sang in the Victorian Swing Choir supporting Jon English live on TV.

Eric Von & Andy Smith together entertain with their smooth flute and guitar play.

Type of music: Jazz / Easy Listening

Esplanade Markets Re-launch

8.00am - 5.00pm

Foreshore Friday - Marks Aussie Animal Show

7.30pm - 9.30pm

FREQUENCY

2.00pm - 4.00pm

This funky group brings together five talents that have been together since the 90's.  Mic Porter, Sam Gillespie, Maurice Cernigoi, Gabrielle O'Shannessy and Scott Hills make up Hudibrastic Funk.

They describe their music as "original funk/rock/pop with jazz undertones."  You can really tell this band enjoys their time together through their energetic performances and shakin' grooves.

Quote and picture taken from Hudibrastic Funk's myspace page

'John (JT) and Benjamin (Migo) Tuala have been making music together since before they can remember. As i & i Tuala and they describe their music as ‘Roots, Funk and African Reggae’

i & i Tuala have performed at many festivals and supported the likes of UB40 in the South Island OF New Zealand and Toots & the Maytals in Sydney Australia.

At the Childers Festival of Cultures. I & I Tuala and  their reggae band were the crowd favourite in 2005 and 2006 and will be preforming again this year.

The Little Rascal promoter of the Dub In The Pub says “last time I & I Tuala really got the whole pub dancing so (this year) they’re going on at prime time!"' - information and picture taken from their website: http://iandituala.com

And to make them even better, they are hometown boys with Samoan roots.

In With Pando are currently putting together their debut CD recorded between Pegasus Studio in Cairns and Basin Studio in Melbourne. The band expect their debut album ‘Cold Feet’ released by September 2008.

Eddie Skiba the main writer, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist fronts the band. Warren Smith switches between electric guitar, acoustic guitar, mandolin, banjo and even tickled the ivories on the CD. Warren also brings his own compositions and vocals to the stage. Colin Livingstone on bass makes up part of a solid rhythm section as well adding his vocal harmonies. Paul Field on drums gives the band a driving energetic beat but can also chill it out on the brushes. Recently the band has been joined by vocalist / guitarist / songwriter Paul Lacey (a soloist in his own right) for some shows, where his powerful singing raises the bands vocal bar.

In With Pando originally formed as a duo with Eddie Skiba and Warren Smith playing gigs around Cairns and Melbourne and traveling overseas playing shows in Ireland around Kilkenny and Austria in the beautiful Tirol area. During this time the pair were gradually building up their stocks of original material and it soon became obvious that these songs would be best served with a full band sound. Drummer Paul Field and bassist Col Livingstone were added to the line up and since then In With Pando have done a mini tour each year either in Victoria or North Queensland and the band is now set to continue regular recording and live performances."

Information and picture taken from their myspace page

"James Braithwaite is a singer/songwriter originally from greater Manchester U.K, and moved to Australia in 2003 for a change of lifestyle. His music is mainly acoustic based, easy listening, alternative, folk/pop. His influences stem from the early nineties music scene from Manchester and continues to be influenced by the wealth of talented musicians around Australia. James is playing at various venues around Cairns, Queensland and is currently putting together his dubut E.P."

Bio and picture taken from James Braithwaite's myspace page

Type of music: indie / alternative / acoustic

Los Pistoleros have brough together four legendary talents to make up the group.  They love music so much they actually run their own music shop in town!

The band consists of:

Gordon Sheard - founder and lead guitarist of the Swinging Alley Cats

Ric Montgomery - band leader and lead guitarist of the original Johno's Blues Band for the last 20 years

David Alcon - leader and vocalist of the Alxon Zephyr band

Peter Smith - drummer extraordinaire from dozens of southern and well-known bands

Kid Ryo and the Reverend Benson (who were finalists in the 2008 Ergon Energy Busking Festival) also join the group on occasion, when they still aren't in school of course.

Lucky Phil ,Singer Songwriter ,He performs solo,vocals, guitar ,harmonica and foot percussion .

All of Phils song have rich lyrical content .Songs about the rain forest, poetic rymes about the reef and all the people in an around North Queensland.

The music is delivered with a rich roots feel .Come on down and judge for yourself .Is it blues? Is it country?Is it folk rock or soul?

To quote Phil ,"  I hope that the music  is honest and uplifting".    Lucky Phil has released two CD's : POSTCARD & BUSKINOUT.See you at the Esplanade.

Mark Burton is half of the popular duos "Swamp Dogs" and "Monsoon."

As he is keener to perform more than both of his partners in the duos, Mark has decided to strike out on his own and do some solo work.

He felt that he would his the harmonies that he was used to with the other musicians, so hit on the idea of recording his own harmonies to enhance the backing tracks he uses.

Mark has performed in bands and duos in Melbourne, Brisbane, Cairns and the Tableands for longer than he cares to remember and brings many years of experience to the stage and dance floor.

This experience is reflected in the large repertoire of popular songs he has at his fingertips.  From 50's through to current Top  40, including country and som jazz standards, plus novelty songs.

Taken directly from Mark Burton's CD

After finishing a college education, Mark Lane started exploring more and began his musical career.  He has busked and played concerts around Asia and all over Europe.  He enjoys educating people through music, focusing on Australian Folk and indigenous originated music.

In 2006, Mark began working with the Australian Embassy, representing his country in Austria and enlightening people about conservation and raising awareness of topics concerning Aboriginal people.

He plays a variety of instruments including: Yidaki, Guitar, mouth harp, jew's harp and various percussion.

After 7 years abroad, Mark Lane is now permanently residing in North Queensland and enjoying playing music throughout the area.

Type of music: folk/rock/world

Ray Elias and Damien Boicos joined musical talents over eight years ago, and formed the duo: Meridian. They combine the skills of songwriting, guitar, flute and melodic expressive harmonies in a synergistic way that is both reflective in songwriting content and upbeat in melody and rhythm.

Harmonies and flute instrumentation are at the core of creating the distinctive Meridian sound. Their great friendship is evident in their performances and at times shows up in playful improvisations that weave throughout their songs.

Meridian has played at the Yungaburra Folk Festival; as support act to Kristina Olsen' tour (from the USA) ; at a variety of local restaurants; at City Place and Lagoon concerts; and also the Woodford Folk Festival.

Patch Up is an original (mostly) indigenous reggae band with a social conscious.  This group brings the world together singing about respect, harmony, unity and oneness.

They have been patching up the peace for years now and are regulars around Cairns

Information and picture from Patch Up's myspace page

Kim Mullins and Celine Davies have seamlessly merged their considerable talents to craft the dynamic female vocal duo, Prodigal Sista.

Prodigal Sista focus on songs which have a positive influence; Kim and Celine’s varied musical background and cultural influences show through Prodigal Sista’s distinctive mix of rnb, jazz, folk, Latin, pop and funk. They aim to create a buoyant, up-beat ambiance whenever they perform.

Prodigal Sista spent two intensive years developing their own sound; a mélange of smooth vocal arrangements, viola and acoustic guitar with modern sounds and drum grooves. The duo is at once irresistibly enjoyable, unique and memorable.

Kim and Celine discovered a unique chemistry, naturally complementing each others’ talents. Two gifted women from opposite sides of the globe were pre-destined to meet in a small corner of North Queensland, Australia. They forged a friendship, and Prodigal Sista was born.

The hometown group, Raconteurs consists of four regular players, David Breeze on guitra, Tim Wright on bass, Brad Foster on the drums and Jon Campion on the clarinet.  This amazing quartet has a variety of players that rotate for different gigs always adding more flair to the music.

 This group tells stories with their music that will take you on a symphonious journey!

Type of music: Nu Jazz / Bossa Nova

About Ray Elias...

"Ray Elias was born in Surabaja, Indonesia to Dutch mother and mixed-ethnic father in 1955.

Educated in Brisbane, Queensland : up to Yr 12 (Camp Hill State High School); BSc and DipEd (Uni of Qld)   later completed BEd (adult learning and cross-cultural learning)...

I started learning guitar with help from older brother's band members at age 10 in the era of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, America, Cat Stevens, Bob Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel.. Loves finger-picking combine with strumming style and expressive rhythm- playing patterns in string blocks, picked out melodies and damping down techniques which add colour to the sound. Currently performs in duo: Meridian 1998-present."

He will be performing at City Place with another partner in music soon!

Information taken from Ray Elias - Live!

Shari released her debut album, Sunny, on the 5th of May 2008.  Quickly, her first single "Out of Here" started getting airplay in Australia, Europe, and North America.

Since then, the James Cook University law student has been busy preforming with Adam Brand, James Blundell, and fellow country singer Kimber Sparks.

She has shown no fear of big crowds, Shari was a headlining act at the PBR Bullride 2008 and played to a crowd of 2,500.

This hometown girl is also an multi award winner, taking home the top prize at the Croydon Poddy Dodgers Songwriting Competition in 2006.  She was also a Heat Winnder at the Telsta Road to Tamworth and most recently took home the award for Best Country Song at the Q Song Awards for 'Dusty Boots.'

You can catch her at City Place and at other venues around Tropical North Queensland.

Type of music: Country





• Currently perfroming at Venues across the Far North.

Chris and Sheila Art are "Small Baggage  Duo [Cairns Based]. Featuring both on vocals and guitars their repertoire appeals to young and old, consisting of classic hits of the past 5 decades.

Small Baggage have Toured and recorded an EP CD of original songs in The U.S.A  and have also toured all major cities and rural towns in Australia.

Snake Gully plays a mixture of traditional Australian "bush" music, Celtic Tunes and original numbers that bring to life local history, coloured with splashes from other glocal acoustic music styles. Their songs are laced with humor and dazzling instrumental breaks executed by some of Queenslands finest players on mandolin, guitar, fiddle, harmonica and double bass.

Type of music: Anything from the 70's to today

Sugar & Spice is made up of two dynamic artists who have performed all over North Queensland.  There music varies from country, to rock and roll, and to tunes from the decades of the 50's on through to the 90's.

Sweet K arrived in Cairns in 2005 after several years performing in Brisbane, Gold and Sunshine Coasts. Since then, we have become one of the Far Norths premier acts performing with many of the country's top stars, including: Renee Geyer, Grace Knight and Nikki Webster.

Sweet K is supported fully through back up music and her beautiful voice will sing a variety of famous hit from the 50's to present day.

Over the past 3 years The Doyles are acknowledged as being one of the hardest working acts in the Australian music industry with up to 250 performances a year.

The Doyles are popular at the yearly Esplanade Australia Day celebrations when their entertaining includes Terry’s infamous Cane Toad Racing Comedy Show and also The Doyles Family Fun Show.

In February this year Terry and his racing Cane Toad Racing appeared world wide on the Discovery Channel, and then in October it was also screened primetime on the Seven Network Australia wide. On Friday 31st August Terry also conducted his comedy Toad races live for the Nine Networks Today Show. 

In 2006 The Doyles released their album ‘The Doyles live at Johno’s’ as well as performing locally along with doing a couple of shows in Vietnam.

Early 2007 The Doyles recorded and released their current album ‘4:A.M.’ and journeyed to Quam and America in May and June where they did a dozen shows and sold a heap of new CDs.

The Doyles continue to perform at the Esplanade Lagoon and at City Place and are scheduled to release a new album early 2008 as well as touring to New Zealand and also returning to the US for a few shows.

For more information on The Doyles, check out their website: www.doylee.com

Picture supplied from The Doyles website

Youth Singer Songwriter Showcase

3.00pm - 6.00pm