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The Leisure Bandits are a soul band known for their high-energy live performances and super catchy original tunes. With rich harmonies and raw grooves, they have found the perfect balance between mass-appeal and musical credibility. They play music that everyone can relate to while maintaining a strong individual identity.

The Leisure Bandits have a consistent dedication to writing and performing new songs, the boys have developed a sound that is deeply rooted in the tradition of old school Soul and Funk, while also having elements of contemporary R'n'B, Reggae and Hip Hop. Lead singer Joey Gat lives a life that is a story in itself. This gives him endless writing material, often arriving to a session with a new track inspired by the previous evening's events written on a beer coaster.

With a performance style likened to such legends as Prince or a modern day James Brown, Joey is a natural performer with boundless energy and a captivating onstage presence.

Joey's twin brother, back up vocalist and lead guitarist Pukz, offers the other voice of this outfit. With a sound that's smooth and soulful he creates beautiful harmonies that complement his brother's lead perfectly. Being twins with a lifetime of jamming together these brothers have something we like to call "Twintuition" or "Twinstinct", each can musically read the others mind.

The backbone of this outfit is bass player Hal Strewe, who lays the foundation with his solid grooves and melodic bass lines that get everybody moving as one.

They're playing unplugged on the nght.

www.theleisurebandits.com.au

Review : "Tully has merged his varied influences into a unique style of groove-laden acoustic mystery. His melodic delivery and driving guitar create a show that draws the audience into his journey."

Tully is one of the most eclectic artists around the Sydney music scene, popping up in ever varying guises: as singer, guitarist, bassist, percussionist and drummer with acts such as; 'Selalu', 'the shady band', 'Dave Calandra', and 'Aminah Hughes', as well as session work with many more.

Tully is an inspired and prolific songwriter, as well as a varied and fascinating performer.  His guitar playing is as diverse as his musical life in general. Developing a range of percussive techniques, he has achieved a solo sound that for most takes a 3 piece band to accomplish.  He is a self confessed student of it all, and his songwriting is becoming more poignant and touching as his journey continues.

Tully strives in all areas of his creativity to connect.  He draws on his roots of Irish ancestral blood, a deep seeded love and respect for this land and its original caretakers, a fascination with the stories and characters of our young colonial history, and his musical influences from all corners of our world.

With a gift for song craft, Mark's lyrics echo the untold stories of so many.  Delivered with his unique, soulful voice these melodic songs captivate and resonate with the listener's emotional core.

Late 2006 saw Mark independently release his debut EP, Cellophane Life, to a packed house in Sydney.  This unpolished 6 track collection provides an introduction to Mark’s lyrical hand and emotive sound.  The effect on listeners was instantaneous as the title track Cellophane Life and crowd favourite Baptism By Fire elevated Mark as a finalist in Commercial Radio Australia’s coveted New Artist To Radio competition.

Following on in 2007, Mark hit the road with then current Australian Idol winner Damien Leith, performing to thousands across the country.  Shortly after, Mark came to the attention of Peer Music, the world’s largest independent music publisher, and subsequently signed a global deal.

Kicking off 2008, Mark set out on the road again, in what turned out to be a huge year of touring.  First it was headlining the east coast of Australia, filling such renowned venues as The Basement in Sydney, Melbourne’s Manchester Lane, and Lizotte’s on the Central Coast.  Then it was off to Europe for 2 months, performing 25 shows across Ireland, England, France, and Germany; teaming up with acclaimed songwriter Adam Argyle (Mel C, Newton Faulkner, Wes Carr); and working with David Gray’s team in his London studio.  The success of the European tour saw Mark invited to return as part of the PopKomm conference, where he showcased in Berlin to a full house of industry members from around the globe.

Mark returned to Australia to finish his follow-up EP, Counting Down The Hours.  The title track along with fan favourite Keep Fighting once again placed Mark as a finalist in the New Artist To Radio competition, with Mark going on to receive airplay on Nova, Triple J and countless community stations across the country.

In early 2009 Mark was invited to perform for deployed Australian troops in the Solomon Islands, in what proved to be a truly unique and fulfilling experience.  With Mark’s live reputation continuing to grow he signed on with the Harbour Agency, Australia’s largest booking agency, joining the ranks of many of the nation’s finest performers.  This relationship was solidified when Mark went on a national tour supporting multi-ARIA award winner Diesel.

2010, launched in similar fashion, with Mark touring Australia supporting multi-Grammy winner Michael Bolton, where he endeared himself to thousands of new fans nationwide. Mark quickly followed up with more tours alongside Australian stalwarts Ian Moss (Cold Chisel), Jon Stevens (Noiseworks), and Shannon Noll, before heading to China to represent Australia and perform to tens of thousands each day at World Expo.  Mark then finished the year performing at arenas around the country alongside musical royalty Brian Wilson, Chicago, America, and Peter Frampton.

Meanwhile with sales of his EPs, available only at shows, exceeding 20,000 copies – an incredible number for any local Australian independent artist - Mark returned to the studio to record his debut album Truth Came Running with producer Sean Carey, acclaimed guitarist for multi-platinum band Thirsty Merc.  With its release in March 2011, Mark returned to the road performing to record crowds, while lead single All I Ever Wanted has been enjoying radio and television play on stations across the country.

www.markwilkinsonmusic.com

Luke Escombe is a singer, writer, poet, comedian and musician with a distinctive take on 21st century life. His songs will make you laugh, make you groove and make you think.

Born in the UK, Luke began his music career as a session guitarist in London before moving to Sydney to escape the cold. In his first few years in Oz he captained a 10-piece funk band, toured Tasmania with a comedy folk trio, became a spokesman for World Vision, wrote essays for the Sydney Morning Herald and waged a guitar duel at the Basement dressed as a giant fish. Whever he went, he won accolades and awards for his unique way with words.

In 2008 he released his first album as a solo artist, combining laidback grooves and exotic sounds with evocative stories of love, madness, time travel and foreign adventure. Hailed by critics as “a wonderful album”, “Golden Ages” showcased Luke’s warm, humorous lyrics and soulful guitar playing. The album was picked up for national radio play in 2009 and two of its tracks were featured on the Homegrown Roots series alongside new tracks from the likes of John Butler and Paul Kelly.

His second release, in early 2010, was a live DVD/ CD called “Chronic Illness”. Recorded in Sydney with his formidable band “The Corporation”, this riotous mix of music and comedy resulted in Luke being booked for a 4-night run at this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

Luke is a hard act to classify. His songs range from dirty blues rock, to electro, to hip hop to 19th century acoustic ballads. What unites them all is his infectious way of seeing the world. Listen to the words, feel the music, and fall under his spell.

“Luke blew me away man. He’s like a cross between Jimi Hendrix and Leonard Cohen. In the same body” - Jack Jones - Aussie rock icon

"Stellar musicianship...On the fast track to musical comedy's big league" [Herald Sun]

"There’s stringing a few funny rhymes together to a passable tune, and then there’s the rare performer like Luke Escombe who can keep jokes rolling while he rocks the proverbial casbah... Combine his musical panache with some dirty-minded humour and sharp pop culture satire and it makes for one hell of an act...Be warned: these are songs you’ll be singing to yourself for days afterwards." [The Pun]

"Brilliant. Luke blew my mind. He's going to be HUGE" [Catherine Deveny, ABC radio Melbourne]

www.lukeescombe.com

www.myspace.com/lukeescombe

MIMESIS performs as a 3 or 4 piece band, comprising violin, cello, guitar and voice that combines the best elements of traditionally classical instruments with the iconic hit songs of the last fifty years.

MIMESIS performs an upbeat, energetic and eclectic set-up that bridges the gap between classical music and pop culture by offering unique cover arrangements of popular classics from Led Zeppelin, Wolfmother, Crowded House, Coldplay and The Killers, to Grease, Queen, America and The Beatles.

MIMESIS was formed in 2007, arranging all its music in house and adapting a vast range of styles for our unique string set-up. Though all the members of MIMESIS were classically trained originally, our style has emerged from a range of influences, from jazz and pop to electro and rock genres. 

MIMESIS is available for gigs across Sydney and Interstate and has an extensive repertoire, available for Weddings, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Corporate functions and other events. 

See www.myspace.com/bandmimesis