THERE will be more on offer at this year’s Swan Hill Club Beer Garden Blues Festival, starting tonight.
Featuring four well-known blues singers and local band The Breakaways, the festival will span the weekend with further sessions tomorrow night and Sunday afternoon.
All sessions are free and, as the name suggests, will be held in the beer garden of the Swan Hill Club.
Kicking things off at 8pm tonight will be Brett Littlefair, winner of consecutive Adelaide Roots and Blues Association album-of-the-year awards.
Tomorrow’s sessions will start at 7pm with Littlefair leading the charge in a 45-minute set.
Brisbane musician 8 Ball Aitkin, who has a large following both in Australia and the US, will take the stage with his unique style of swamp-blues, swamp-rock, alternative country, and Americana music, from 8pm.
The Bill Barber Duo, fresh from the Chew and Brew Festival that afternoon, will perform at 9pm.
Hailing from Bendigo, Barber has been performing blues since he was 14 and was described by music legend James Blundell as the most exciting musician he had heard in a very long time.
John-Luke Shelley will also perform, backed up by The Breakaways until the club closes.
It was expected Barber will also join in this set, as he and Shelley are great friends and haven’t played together for a while.
Swan Hill Club marketing and promotions manager Shaun O’Bree said the festival would be the start of the club’s summer sessions.
“From now on there will be free live music on Friday, Saturday and Sunday through till February,” Mr O’Bree said.
“This festival will definitely be something you want to see.
“Last year it was more of a one-night event, and this year we have grown it and are looking to keep growing it.
“One feature of the Sunday program will be a guitar class with 8 Ball Aitkin, which will be a masterclass in slide guitar and some of his other specialties – although this event is free, bookings are recommended.”
