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*Saturday - Juliette's 1.15pm / 5pm - Little Joe's - kids workshop 'Are we there yet?' / Sunday - 11.30am - Juliettes' with the Festival Choir*
Joyful, thought provoking, totally engaging original songs from one of Australia's foremost songwriters and performers. Bruce's music reflects life, ordinary people, and social justice, often with a twist and a quirky sense of humour.
*Saturday 4pm - Monda Muse - 'Reveal your Muse' & 9pm Monda Muse / Sunday 3pm Monda Muse*
Damian and the Ploughboys have lifted the crowds and the canvas, united the kids and the oldies, kicked goals in the dust, in the sun and with the rain on the horizon. This is a band for all seasons, for all occasions, with a formula that has reaped success at home and abroad.
Daniel J Townsend
*Saturday midday - Monda Muse & 5.15pm - Juliettes*
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Daniel J Townsend was born on a tiny island on the edge of the world, the descendant of a convict girl and her employer. Poet, folk musician and dilettante historian, he has been singing stories ever since. His latest record, A Tale of Two Cities, was the first in the world to be released as a podcast.
Grim Fawkner
*Saturday 4pm - Reveal Your Muse - Monda Muse / Saturday 6.15pm - Juliette's / Sunday midday - Monda Muse*
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Grim Fawkner is one of Australia's more earnest songwriters, inspired by the lyrical honesty of artists like Sam Cooke, Patti Smith & Glen Hansard, paired with the live performance passion of artists such as Dan Sultan, Richie Havens & Charles Bradley. He has toured both nationally and internationally for the past 7 years, most recently on 25 Australian shows opening for ARIA hall of famer Kasey Chambers.
Front Porch
*Saturday 2pm Monda Muse & 8.15pm - Juliette's*
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Thigh slapping, toe-tapping, high-hollering goodtimes is Melbourne quintet, FRONT PORCH. Celebrating bluegrass, jazz, jugband and western swing favourites from the 1920s to now, this banjo, mandolin, double bass, flat-pickin' guitar and trombone combo will get your blood pumping and feet scootin!
Kerryn Fields
*Friday 8pm - Monda Muse / Saturday 2pm - Monda Muse / Saturday 4pm - Reveal Your Muse - Monda Muse / *
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Kerryn Fields poignant and powerful songs, baritone brilliance and unassuming string-plucking virtuosity leave audiences transfixed, crying, hysterically laughing and dipping their fingers into all the layers of the universe - after which they lick them in public, because this life is kind of delicious.
Great Aunt
*Saturday 11am - Monda Muse / Sunday 1.30pm - Juliette's*
Great Aunt is an Americana/folk duo rambling a musical line between joy and melancholy. Their music is full of stomping feet and clapping hands, chants and harmonies; set somewhere between a gospel church in Louisiana and a dimly-lit speakeasy in Melbourne. Great Aunt sing of happiness and grief, whiskey and wine, gratitude and purpose-seeking.
Lee "Sonny Boy" Morgan
*Saturday 3pm - Monda Muse / Sunday 1pm - Monda Muse*
Lee “Sonnyboy” Morgan, from the Gunditjmara Kirrae Whurrong clan from
the south west of Victoria, creates a sound that is truly a revolutionary blend
of soulful country rock. He has performed and appeared on many albums as a guitar-gun for hire with some of Australia’s legendary musical talents.
Lee shares his passion of music
to inspire indigenous and non-indigenous students in the art of song writing, song creation and the healing vibration of music.
Margaret Crichton & the Festival Choir
*Saturday 11.15am - Juliette's - workshop / Sunday 10am - Little Joe's workshop / Sunday 11.30 am - Juliette's - Performance with Bruce Watson*
Come and sing with us! No experience necessary just enthusiasm!
Join Margaret Crichton and perform with her in the 2019 Festival Choir!
Margaret will teach you the songs over 2 rehearsals before you hit the stage accompanied by Bruce Watson. Margaret is an experienced choir leader that lends her skills to many festivals across Australia.
Matt Joe Gow
*Saturday 10am - Monda Muse / Saturday 3.15pm - Juliette's *
From Queenscliff festival to boutique Americana festivals, from supporting The Jayhawks to Justin Townes Earle, Matt Joe Gow has built a simmering credibility to go along side the authentic Alt Country tones. Fresh off a full band tour of his acclaimed new album 'Break, Rattle And Roll' and a tour with Grant Lee Phillips, Melbourne troubadour Matt Joe Gow, brings a soulful Americana sound to any performance.
Michael the Balloonologist
*Catch Michael and his incredible balloon creations all around the festival site on Saturday and Sunday*
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Michael has been twisting around the music festival scene for 19 years and has a strong following. From single balloon animals to multi balloon creations Michael enthralls audiences of any age. Dogs, teddy bears, flowers, hats and Aliens are just some of his creations
Mick Thomas and the Roving Commission
*Friday 11pm - Monda Muse*
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Raconteur, troubadour, balladeer and poet, Mick Thomas is best known as the song master of pub-rock icons Weddings Parties Anything. His band The Roving Commission features Squeezebox Wally on Piano Accordion and a rotating schedule of talented performers to keep the party alive with Micks unique mix of folk, roots and country.
Ruccis Circus School
*Saturday 10am & 1pm - Circus Skills workshop - Little Joe's / Sunday 11am - Circus Skills workshop - Little Joe's*
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Join the Ruccis Circus School as they take you through some of the skills and fun of circus activities! All ages are welcome to give it a go. The Ruciss acrobats will also be roving across the festival site to amaze us with their skills.
Rich Davies and the Low Road
*Friday 9pm - Monda Muse / Saturday 10pm - Monda Muse / Sunday 5pm - Monda Muse*
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With a poet's heart & rocker's soul, Rich Davies & The Low Road deliver a 'foot-stomping contemporary-folk attack' (Mick Thomas). The Golden Guitar 2018 nominee & his rousing band have been hailed as 'The Pogues meets Springsteen' as they peel back the skin of rock n' roll to expose bones of folk and roots.
Scott Cook and the She'll Be Rights
*Saturday 5pm - Monda Muse*
Canadian balladeer and veteran road warrior Scott Cook returns with a new intercontinental stringband, consisting of fellow prairie boy Bramwell Park on banjo and Aussie comrades Esther Henderson on fiddle and Liz Frencham on upright bass. Sturdy songs, equal parts introspection and insurrection.
Richard Perso
*Saturday 6pm - Monda Muse / Sunday 2.30pm - Juliette's *
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As a popular draw at many folk festivals around the world, including opening for BB King, Richard Perso is redefining traditional folk combining the 40000 year old didgeridoo with modern folk and contemporary music. Combining with rumbling vocals, guitar and kick drum richard delivers an unbelievable sonic experience.
Soulsville
*Sunday 10am - Monda Muse*
The Soulsville Gospel Band & Choir have been wowing the HMF audiences for a few years now. Their shows are powerhouses of brilliant musicianship combined with the awesome power of a 40 voice choir. This is a show not to be missed!
The Barren Spinsters
*Saturday 9.15pm - Juliette's*
They look like a two piece, sound like a five piece, and move like a hair piece. Frontman Brendon Houlahan plays guitar with his hands, bass with his feet, and sings with his face. Matt Tennant belts the drums really hard, sings a little bit, and wears really dumb shirts while doing it.
This Way North
*Friday 10pm - Monda Muse / Saturday 8pm - Monda Muse*
It's easy to forget that This Way North is a two-piece band. Drummer/vocalist Cat Leahy and guitarist/vocalist Leisha Jungalwalla create an expansive sound that translates effortlessly from the studio to the stage. They play with more passion and energy than a 10-piece band. Big, rhythmic, spacious and saturated with summer, they invite you to turn up the volume and let loose.
Bush Poets Breakfast & Competition
*Saturday & Sunday 9am - Juliette's*
Saturday and Sunday Morning's will see the Bush Poets rousing us all with their extraordinary tales.
Our resident award-winning bush poet Laurence Webb will be hosting the breakfasts.
There will be chalk board entry on Saturday. Sunday morning will be the Bush Poetry Competition which you can enter by filling in the application form on the 'get involved' page.
The Dukes of Despair
*Opening our Festival!
Friday 7pm - Monda Muse*
Reforming for an incredible one-off show exclusively for the HMF - The Dukes of Despair are a well loved local band that over a five year period played gigs in every winery, hotel and bar in the Yarra Valley and some sweet gigs in melbourne venues such as The Penny Black, The Rainbow Hotel, The Caravan music club, The Retreat Hotel and The Union Hotel.They play their own original music and have released three CDs.
Tim Woodz
*Saturday 11am - Little Joe's - kids concert / Saturday 2.15pm - Juliette's / Sunday 11am - Monda Muse*
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Winner of the Maldon Minstral award, touring with iconic musician Tex Perkins and Ruckman for the Rockdogs, Tim Woodz is all grins and silly anecdotes as he performs Jazzy folk tunes with a quirky narrative. Tim's songs provoke beautiful, nostalgic and charming imagery with energetic musical warmth. Tim returns this year with a brand new kids show too!
The HMF Community Stage
*FREE entry / Saturday 12-5pm Green Street Healesville as part of the Festa di Via Verde*
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The HMF Community Stage will again feature some of the wonderful children from our community, including from Healesville Primary and High Schools. A special feature will be the return from Canada of much loved local guitar virtuoso Kurt Gentle who will perform a set for the whole community to enjoy!
The Royal High Jinx
*Sunday 4pm - Monda Muse*
Australia's mesmerising contemporary world music band The Royal High Jinx return to Healesville Music Festival with their celebration of music! TRHJ have burst onto festival stages with originality virtuosity & theatricality. Their songs & tunes are inspired by European traditions peppered with Gypsy Jazz, Latin, Balkan & Electro-Swing grooves with a pinch of Folk. Sing along with & dance to Australia's most colourful band!
Tuck Shop Ladies
*Saturday 1pm - Monda Muse / Saturday 4pm - Rosie in 'Reveal your Muse' / Sunday 7.15pm Juliette's*
The triceps ain't what they used to be but the funny bone has only gotten sharper... The Tuck Shop Ladies are an amalgamation of Australian folk music royalty, featuring Sam Lohs (Fruit) and Rosie Burgess (Rosie Burgess Trio). Strapping on a pair of ukuleles, the pair pull back the curtain to share an intimate selection of the riotous, ridiculous songs that were birthed in the back of a tour van, to amuse only themselves.
Yoga
Join Janine Saturday & Sunday mornings at 9am at the Monda Muse for a yoga session suitable for all abilities. BYO mat and zen.
