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Fig Night 30th January


Erica Lee with Mitchell Shadlow
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The Steptones
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The Dave Tice band
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Following the successful reception of her 4th album, Erica spent the last six years playing shows and writing songs across the US, Australia, and New Zealand. Erica recently toured with Australian Rock Band, “Turk Tresize” & “The Graysmiths”, recording the background vocals on his latest album "SOUL CASINO" which also featured the singer Brittany Howard from The Alabama Shakes.

This Nashville recording artist has earned the reputation of "Hardest Working Woman in Country Music” due to her uncompromising work ethic, established during her upbringing in rural Georgia. With her captivating songs and a truly engaging personality, Erica is traveling the world, gaining new fans in every city, state and country she plays in.

She draws crowds in with her unfiltered tunes such as ‘I’m Just Your Woman, ‘Ho in Rio,’ 'The Walk Of Shame' and 'Put Some South In Your Mouth'. "What It Takes To Be A Country Man" released worldwide and hit #6 on the country charts throughout Europe and Oz. “This is the kind of authentic music country DJ’s have been asking for,” says Nashville’s Al Brock.

Musically, Erica is taking each album to new heights. "The South will Rise Again" is no exception. DJ's all across Europe are raving about Sunshine’s music and bragging about the “infectious and catchy hooks of this prolific songwriter, who holds nothing back, and brings a gallop of energy with her true country roots shining. She also puts her heart and soul in each ballad.”

Whether she's driving across the US, touring internationally with her band, or writing songs in her living room, you can rest assured there's a bright future for SUNSHINE. New Years Day 2014 won't come fast enough when ‘The South Will Rise Again.’

She will be supported musically & vocally onstage by Mitchell Shadlow.

www.EricaSunshineLee.com

Well-mannered, precocious, and charming, THE STEPTONES are comprised of four young men with whom even the most hyper-conservative of fathers might be happy for his virginal daughters to associate. They are Patrick Ryan on vocals, Tim Douglass on guitar, Jack Schwenke on bass, and Jono Warren on drums.

Unsurprisingly, no reference to Deftones was intended in the band’s name. Instead, it is just two words which Warren thought would combine nicely. 'We’ve got a bit of a retro-pop thing happening and we liked the whole “tone” concept, and so we just wanted to find a cool word to go with “tones”,' Douglass explains. From there, the band took to Facebook to determine which word would be most effective with ‘tones’.

As the frontman, Ryan navigates the band through a sound and presence on stage as protean as Bernard Tomic’s forehand. He explains that their sound is unique because 'there’s four of us who have come from relatively diverse musical backgrounds … we’re each able to bring our own influences into the collaboration.' Ryan and Douglass compile an eclectic list of influences including Jimi Hendrix, John Mayer, Jack Johnson and Dire Straits. Meanwhile, Schwenke is apparently more into the 'epic rock' of the likes of Dream Theatre. With Schwenke and Warren also jazz students at the ANU, it is easy to see where this heterogeneity comes from.

On most occasions, Ryan writes the lyrics and brings an outline to the others, who then rearrange his chords and input their own styles, leaving a completely different finished product. 'It’s very democratic, which is what Hunters & Collectors were before they broke up.. '

The Steptones are yet to experience playing with many other bands in Canberra, explained Ryan, before cheekily suggesting that this is because the four-piece are 'mavericks'. What they have tasted, however, are the humbling experiences inevitably faced by bands intent on hauling themselves out of the woodworks – like the time they outnumbered their audience at a gig in Tuggeranong. Nevertheless, Ryan spoke glowingly of gigs played at The Phoenix and Smith’s, in which the solid crowds reacted well. 'I’d like to think that our music is really crowd-involved, “dancey” kind of stuff.' 

www.thesteptones.com
www.facebook.com/thesteptones

A forty five year career  as a professional musician/singer songwriter has seen Dave wrack up a total of 15 albums, from the early days fronting Heavy Rock pioneers "Buffalo" recording 5 albums of original music; "Dead Forever", "Volcanic Rock", Only Want You For Your Body", "Mother's Choice" and "Average Rock 'N' Roller". Still considered classics and collected world wide by lovers of Hard and Heavy Rock, all five albums have been reissued on CD by Aztec records again recently. On the demise of Buffalo, Dave headed to England for 7 years, fronting British R & B band The Count Bishops for 3 years and 3 albums, making top 40 on the British charts and appearing on Top of the Pops before the tragic death of the band's pivotal guitarist. Dave subsequently spent 4 years playing around London with a floating crew of British R & B players, wrote 2 songs for "Dr Feelgood" before returning to Australia in 1984.

On return formed "The Headhunters" with Mick Cocks, Mark Evans and Greg Skehill, recorded album "Outlaw Boogie" contributing 3 original songs. Toured with Mal Eastick and co-wrote 2 songs with Mal. Toured with Phil Emanuel. Recorded vocals on the J. R. & the Bar Kings award winning Blues album "Sippin' and a Slidin'. Recorded original solo album "Lay Down With Dogs" for Fullmoon records. Formed acoustic Blues/Rock duo "Tice & Evans" with cohort Mark Evans, perfoming all over Australia and recording the live album "at the Bridge" (only released in Europe) and recently "Brothers In Arms" locally. Dave co- produced, played guitar, harmonica and sang on the Violent Loves CD "Willie's Blues", a tribute to the songs of Willie Dixon.

The Dave Tice band has been in evolving existence for almost 10 years in a variety of great line-ups, performing a mix of Tice originals and Blues/Rock favourites at pubs, clubs and festivals.

Current line up is Dave Tice (vocals, guitar,harmonica), Peter Waker ex Bakery (lead guitar), Vharlie ex Blues Pirates, Ward 13 (bass, vocal), Chris Tagg ex Radiators (drums).

 

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