Program
Australia’s Biggest Little Blues Festival
More details will be added as we announce the fabulous acts and workshops on offer – watch this space!
Friday 18th February
Seniors Lunch with Jan Wositzky
12 midday to 2pm
Jan is not only a founding member of Australia’s famous Bushwhackers Band but is also a skilled storyteller who will be sure to delight us with his tales.
Where: TBA
Entry: Free for Bruthen Senior Citizen’s group and $2 for non-members.
Blues Jam
8pm to 12.30pm
A great opportunity for all ages to get up and jam in front of an appreciative audience. The renowned Blues Jam encapsulates the grassroots, inclusive spirit of our festival. Get into the festival mood and listen to the ‘jamming’ of upcoming and seasoned performers. Prior applications are essential to play.
Host Band: South Bound Snake Charmers
Where: Bruthen Inn Hotel
Entry: $25
Jammers free.
Blues at the Bullant
6-7pm
Featuring Todd Cook
Where: Bullant Brewery
Saturday 19th February
Festival Market
9am to 3pm
A large market with a huge variety of stalls including food trucks and a NEW East Gippsland Showcase area. No second-hand goods.
Where: Main street Gardens
Entry: $2 entry.
Blues in the Paddock
11am to 5pm
BYO your chairs or picnic blanket and settle into the magical, relaxed atmosphere, while enjoying fabulous music. Plenty of gazebos and umbrellas for shade.
10.50am Olivia Lay
11.40am Official opening
11.50am Welcome to Country
12pm Bill Barber
1pm Charlie Bedford
2pm Raven and the Dove
3pm Black Satin
4pm The South Bound Snake Charmers
Where: Police Paddock
$2 entry to market/paddock area.
Saturday Workshops
Storytelling and Yarning – Sharing stories – Sharing hope
11am
With Jan ‘Yarn’ Wositzky
Where: Neighbourhood House
$20
Guitar Workshop with Jimi Hocking
3pm
Where: Neighbourhood House
Afternoon Blues at the pub
2pm
George McFloyd band. Where: Bruthen Hotel. FREE entry.
Blues at the Bullant
2pm
2pm to 4pm Dan Dinnen
6pm to 7.30pm Jay Wagstaff
Where: Bullant Brewery
Blues in the Paddock including the “Taste of Gippsland” Sunset Dinner
6.30pm to 11pm
The Blues Café has moved outside! You have the choice of enjoying the music with a BYO chair or rug OR partaking in the delicious Sunset Dinner, where you sit at a table with nibbles, a glass of wine and a gourmet picnic box for 2 or 4 people.
Brewery and winery trucks will be on site.
Headline Act: Smoke Stack Rhino
6.30pm Blues Jam winner
7.15pm Kane Vincent
8.15pm Todd Cook Band
9.15pm Barren Spinsters
10.10pm Smoke Stack Rhino
Where: Police Paddock
Tickets: Sunset Dinner seats
2 people entry and Sunset Dinner $150
4 people entry and Sunset Dinner $280
BYO Chair or Picnic rug Adults $25
Children 17 years and under $10
NB: A limited number of places are available for the Sunset Dinner – so get in early!
The Big Blues Bash
7pm to 12.30pm
This popular event is the jewel of our music line-up. The best of the best big-name acts will have you up and dancing. The atmosphere is electric – it’s THE blues party!
Headline Act: The Badloves
7.30pm Julian James
8.30pm Electric Blues Collective
9.55pm Brooke Taylor and the Poison Spitting Gin Queens
11.30pm The Badloves.
Where: Bruthen Hotel.
Tickets: $70
Sunday 20th February – Oh No! It’s the last day.
Bruthen’s Blues Big Family Breakfast
8am to 1pm
Enjoy a delicious breakfast ‘cheffed up’ by the Bruthen and Tambo Upper Primary Schools. Good family fun including kids activities, art workshops and the famous Great Gizmo’s junk percussion workshop.
Where: Police paddock (Community hosted event & duck race)
$2 entry to market/paddock area.
Festival Market Continues
9am to 2pm
A large market with a huge variety of stalls including food trucks and a NEW East Gippsland Showcase area. No second-hand goods.
Where: Main street Gardens
Entry: $2 entry.
Blues in the Paddock
10am to 1.30pm
BYO your chairs or picnic blanket and settle into the magical, relaxed atmosphere, while enjoying fabulous music. Plenty of gazebos and umbrellas for shade.
10am Barren Spinsters
11.05 am Kane Vincent
12pm Duck Race Introduction
12.15 Duck Race parade and Race
12.30pm Acapella Hackett and the Drug Store Wives.
Where: Police Paddock
$2 entry to market/paddock area.
Sunday Workshops
Kids Craft workshop
8.30am
With artist Tracey Johnson and her helpers
Keeping the Beat junk percussion workshop
10am
Learn a percussion instrument routine to lead the Duck Parade.
With Mr Beat and Tricky Rythym
Harmonica workshop
Time TBC
With Dan Dinnen
$20
Where: Neighbourhood House
Blues at the Bullant
1.30pm
Charlie Bedford
Where: Bullant Brewery
The BIG Blues Recovery Gig
2pm to 7pm
It’s nearly over, but don’t get the blues! ….. come and join us for the last hoorah. The Blues Recovery afternoon is a time to wind down (if you haven’t already!) with your new friends while being delighted for the last time this festival by some of the best blues music this country has to offer.
Headline Act: Jimi Hocking
1pm Julian James
2pm Dan Dinnen and Shorty
3.20pm Smoke Stack Rhino
4.50pm Jimi Hocking.
Where: Bruthen Inn Hotel
Tickets: Adults $50
Kids 17 years and under $15
NB A weekend ticket for the Blues Jam, Big Blues Bash and the Blues Recovery is $130.