2015 Bands
Ken Field - Honk! Oz Workshop presentor
Ken Field is a composer, saxophonist, flautist, and percussionist. His solo work, and his work with Bridgman/Packer Dance and groups such as Birdsongs of the Mesozoic, Willie Loco Alexander's Persistence of Memory Orchestra, the Revolutionary Snake Ensemble, and the Armenian/American jazz project Musaner have received international public and critical acclaim. Field has composed a number of pieces for the children's television program Sesame Street.
Field is on the organizing committee for the original HONK! Festival, an annual gathering of activist brass bands from around the world, which generally takes place over Columbus Day weekend in and around Davis Square, Somerville, MA.
He is also a member of the 25 piece New Orleans style Second Line Social Aid and Pleasure Society Brass Band who are the founders of HONK!. They combine music with social action, slamming out the sounds of the legendary Crescent City for peace rallies, street festivals, parades, funerals and benefits.
Field is on the organizing committee for the original HONK! Festival, an annual gathering of activist brass bands from around the world, which generally takes place over Columbus Day weekend in and around Davis Square, Somerville, MA.
He is also a member of the 25 piece New Orleans style Second Line Social Aid and Pleasure Society Brass Band who are the founders of HONK!. They combine music with social action, slamming out the sounds of the legendary Crescent City for peace rallies, street festivals, parades, funerals and benefits.
Ken Field, a member of HONK! Festival's organizing committee, said it has been amazing to see the festival grow throughout the years. He said that in HONK's first year, only 12 bands participated. Now, with over 500 musicians participating from around the world simply for the sake of honking horns and pounding drums, the festival has become an exciting part of Somerville and Cambridge's musical and activist identity.
A lot of the people who witness the festival may not know it, but these bands are coming because they love playing and community involvement. They're not coming because we're paying them to come, Field said. That's the pureness of it, in a way. It's not tainted by commercial considerations. That's what makes this festival unique. [Samantha Laing, Boston.com]
Kens full bio: kenfield.org
Revolutionary Snake Ensemble : www.revolutionarysnakeensemble.org
Second Line Social Aid and Pleasure Society Brass Band: secondlinebrassband.org
Revolutionary Snake Ensemble : www.revolutionarysnakeensemble.org
Second Line Social Aid and Pleasure Society Brass Band: secondlinebrassband.org
Beatmeisters
The rhythmic knock on your front door can only be... the Beat Meisters! They'll have your circadian biology in a spinning whirl, they will count the sum of your pulse and mirror it in sonic waves, skew that wayward walk into a dance like prance and take you to a place where you can't your feet must wiggle and your booty must jiggle. Drawing heavily on the traditions of African drumming interspersed with Latin and Arabic influences and utilising melodic percussive instruments from all corners of the globe the Beat Meisters never fail to get the punters jumping and the good vibes pumping.
http://www.facebook.com/beat.meisters
http://www.facebook.com/beat.meisters
The Bottlers
The Bottlers are a hard playing, nine piece, all acoustic folk punk band hailing from Sydney, Australia. Drawing life breath from not only the traditionally folk fuelled rural reaches of the nation but also it's city scapes and suburban streets with a solid tip of the hat to the folk, punk and folk punk pioneers that have traipsed and trekked the trails well before them. The Bottlers believe folk based music should progressively speak of the times it exists in whilst hearkening back to it's past, to the true heart of folk music, people. Because you truly can't get where you're going till you know where you've been.
Brassholes
“Bump into them during an impromptu busking session, and you’re instantly teleported to a raucous New Orleans street party. The vibe they generate is electric, and before you can say ‘Kid Creole And The Coconuts’ things have escalated into a full scale beebopping, Jazz-tastic street rave!
Building the bridge between old and new; The Brassholes blend traditional New Orleans second line rhythms with modern day dance floor fillers and sing-a-long songs. What started as a spontaneous succession of busking sessions has lead to a string of highly successful live shows. With their infectious exuberance and legendary party vibes, I get the feeling these guys are on the cusp of some serious attention.
Natural born, street walking, jive talking entertainers; this collective could be described as peddlers of pure happiness and good times; it’s music for your mind, body and soul. Stumble upon them yourselves, seek them out if you dare and immerse yourself in scenes of wild abandon, bar top Saxophonising and Trombone grinding goodness.”
The above text is an extract of a review written by Amy Kyriacou
Band Members
Greg Chilcott: Sousaphone
Luke J Stephens: Trumpet
Chris O’Dea: Baritone Saxophone
Jimmy Garden: Tenor Saxophone
Brendan Champion: Trombone
Oliver Nelson: Drums
www.brassholes.com
Building the bridge between old and new; The Brassholes blend traditional New Orleans second line rhythms with modern day dance floor fillers and sing-a-long songs. What started as a spontaneous succession of busking sessions has lead to a string of highly successful live shows. With their infectious exuberance and legendary party vibes, I get the feeling these guys are on the cusp of some serious attention.
Natural born, street walking, jive talking entertainers; this collective could be described as peddlers of pure happiness and good times; it’s music for your mind, body and soul. Stumble upon them yourselves, seek them out if you dare and immerse yourself in scenes of wild abandon, bar top Saxophonising and Trombone grinding goodness.”
The above text is an extract of a review written by Amy Kyriacou
Band Members
Greg Chilcott: Sousaphone
Luke J Stephens: Trumpet
Chris O’Dea: Baritone Saxophone
Jimmy Garden: Tenor Saxophone
Brendan Champion: Trombone
Oliver Nelson: Drums
www.brassholes.com
The Con Artists
A gastronomic feast! Spicy, toe-tapping, finger-snapping, hip shaking, caramelized music. Fun and irreverent, the Con Artists are a carnival of percussion, wind, brass, accordions and fiddles.
Conceived in September 2010, The Wollongong Conservatorium of Music’s all ages community band combines young up and coming Con students, adult community musicians, and some of the region’s most prominent folk musicians, playing music from around the world including; Italian, Celtic, African, Klezmer, Gypsy and new Orleans.
The Con Artists are the host band for Honk! Oz 2015
www.conartists.com.au
Conceived in September 2010, The Wollongong Conservatorium of Music’s all ages community band combines young up and coming Con students, adult community musicians, and some of the region’s most prominent folk musicians, playing music from around the world including; Italian, Celtic, African, Klezmer, Gypsy and new Orleans.
The Con Artists are the host band for Honk! Oz 2015
www.conartists.com.au
Curious Rendition orchestra
The Con Artists "eccentric cousin" is a new adults only ensemble formed in 2014 at The Wollongong Conservatorium of Music. With a world/folk bias and designed particularly for less experienced adult musicians, or comeback players, CROW welcomes absolutely anyone. Part of The Con community music ensemble program, rehearsing Tuesday evenings.
Environmental Encroachment Band
Chicago performance art group Environmental Encroachment (EE) uses a marching band, costumes, and antics to create unique entertainment environments. EE's mission is to create playgrounds for the body and mind through dance, music and art.
A truncated version of EE led by Mike Smith is visiting Honk! Oz in 2015.
www.encroach.net
A truncated version of EE led by Mike Smith is visiting Honk! Oz in 2015.
www.encroach.net
Folkaphonic Punk Orchestra
Featuring a rum barrel full of local and special musical guests, expect lots of energy, sea shanties and rollicking choruses for the newly formed Folkaphonic Punk Orchestra!!
Good Tunes Session
Giving new life to good folk tunes is the aim of the Good Tunes Sessions. Led by David De Santi, accordionista from the Wongawilli Band / I Viaggiatori and The Con Artists, it will be a musical journey over various continents visiting Italy, the Balkans, France, Ireland, Quebec, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, USA and of course Australia.
David de Santi is the artistic director of the Illawarra Folk Festival. He has led Good Tunes Sessions at numerous events including the Woodford Folk Festival in 2013.
David de Santi is the artistic director of the Illawarra Folk Festival. He has led Good Tunes Sessions at numerous events including the Woodford Folk Festival in 2013.
Havana palava
attended HONK! Oz in 2015,
Havana Palava is a street band that plays around Melbourne and regional Victoria at festivals and community events. Our music is a lively, eclectic mix of African-Caribbean-Gypsy-Klezmer-Blues.
We bring a great carnival vibe to the festivals we play at, sporting fabulous hot pink outfits, processing in anarchic formation, busting out choreographed numbers, luring a crowd, and generally making people get loosey goosey!
http://havanapalava.com
We bring a great carnival vibe to the festivals we play at, sporting fabulous hot pink outfits, processing in anarchic formation, busting out choreographed numbers, luring a crowd, and generally making people get loosey goosey!
http://havanapalava.com
Hot Potato Band
Anything could happen! The Hot Potato Band is an environmentally friendly roving outfit with interactive properties that have been known to cause a severe case of happy fever. Known widely for their on street antics they are sure to put a smile on your face. This energetic band is filled with life, fun and laughs as they make you the centre of their performance... literally!
www.hotpotatoband.com
www.hotpotatoband.com
Illawarra Flame Three
An ex-pat Ulsterman and a Scot plus a NSW Southern Borderer, long-time of the Illawarra playing rarely heard vintage music, from ragtime, music hall, twenties jazz and dance to sixties popular novelty tunes.. The band's name is based on an Illawarra icon growing in Tony's backyard, as it might be pronounced by a drunken Irishman.
All three had played in trad jazz bands. Craig is the group's bona fide musician; playing all the reeds, (flute and whistles as well), reading, transposing and arranging many of the tunes we dig up, whilst also doing the vocals. John reads the chords for his tenor banjo and guitar playing and has hand-made one of his banjos. When young in Albury, he played the ukelele until he broke it (playing table tennis!).
Tony started it all, having played in bands with both the others separately, at different times over the previous twenty years. He hides behind the recording tuba and relies on listening, a good ear, memory and a fair bit of fudging to get the beat and harmonic sounds well below everyone else.
May well be the oldest trio in the Festival, having over 200 years between us; suits our music.
All three had played in trad jazz bands. Craig is the group's bona fide musician; playing all the reeds, (flute and whistles as well), reading, transposing and arranging many of the tunes we dig up, whilst also doing the vocals. John reads the chords for his tenor banjo and guitar playing and has hand-made one of his banjos. When young in Albury, he played the ukelele until he broke it (playing table tennis!).
Tony started it all, having played in bands with both the others separately, at different times over the previous twenty years. He hides behind the recording tuba and relies on listening, a good ear, memory and a fair bit of fudging to get the beat and harmonic sounds well below everyone else.
May well be the oldest trio in the Festival, having over 200 years between us; suits our music.
InspeKtor Gadje
They wear cool hats and make good musik that drives people to distraction!
When this band plays, they are accompanied by a hoard of left wing woolly Charlies who seem to have nothing better to do than to dance about and enjoy themselves drinking alcohol while encouraging others to do the same. One is not in full control of the respectable self when this sort of drivel is playing.
-Pip de Pulford
InspeKtor Gadje on Facebook
When this band plays, they are accompanied by a hoard of left wing woolly Charlies who seem to have nothing better to do than to dance about and enjoy themselves drinking alcohol while encouraging others to do the same. One is not in full control of the respectable self when this sort of drivel is playing.
-Pip de Pulford
InspeKtor Gadje on Facebook
Joe Correia
Joe Correia is a Sousaphone/Tuba player form Somerville Boston, now relocated to Seattle.
Joe has appeared at numerous Honk festivals. In 2013/14 he toured Australia with The Underskore Orchestra, appearing at The Illawarra Folk Festival. He works as a freelance musicians and performs regularly with a number of bands including:
Environmental Encroachment (also known as "EE") a Chicago-based marching band and performance art troupe. Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band combines the rich musical history of the circus and the vagabond peoples of Europe with the raw energy of avant-garde jazz, the burning heat of funk and the irreverence and fun of today’s Vaudeville for a sound that is somehow familiar yet like no other. Harmoos - a ghost pop + rock band from around Boston, MA. Motivational songs about freaking out and feeling ok. Hungry March Band, a brass, percussion, and performance ensemble, bringing live musical spectacle to the people of New York City and beyond.
Joe has appeared at numerous Honk festivals. In 2013/14 he toured Australia with The Underskore Orchestra, appearing at The Illawarra Folk Festival. He works as a freelance musicians and performs regularly with a number of bands including:
Environmental Encroachment (also known as "EE") a Chicago-based marching band and performance art troupe. Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band combines the rich musical history of the circus and the vagabond peoples of Europe with the raw energy of avant-garde jazz, the burning heat of funk and the irreverence and fun of today’s Vaudeville for a sound that is somehow familiar yet like no other. Harmoos - a ghost pop + rock band from around Boston, MA. Motivational songs about freaking out and feeling ok. Hungry March Band, a brass, percussion, and performance ensemble, bringing live musical spectacle to the people of New York City and beyond.
The Junkadelic Brass Band is a band like nothing else in Perth.
Providing anything from a roving brass funk incursion – to a full blown stage show – to an interactive workshop performance – where the audience become the stars of the show. Blending Street rhythms with – New Orleans style jazz – Funk grooves - Latin flavours and hip-hop, the band is full of surprises – not the least of which is the awesome beats and rhythms from the recycled percussion section!
Providing anything from a roving brass funk incursion – to a full blown stage show – to an interactive workshop performance – where the audience become the stars of the show. Blending Street rhythms with – New Orleans style jazz – Funk grooves - Latin flavours and hip-hop, the band is full of surprises – not the least of which is the awesome beats and rhythms from the recycled percussion section!
An instant crowd pleaser, the Junkadelic‟s world influenced junk-funk big sound had young and old jumping to the beat
Review by Derek Tickner – Fairbridge Festival
Linsey Pollack
Linsey Pollak is well known all around Australia as a musician, instrument maker, composer, musical director and community music facilitator. He has toured his solo shows extensively in Europe, Nth America and Asia since 1996.
He established The Multicultural Arts Centre of WA and has co-ordinated five Cross-cultural Music Ensembles in three different States. He has also performed at most major Festivals around Australia and recorded 31 albums (solo & with various groups). He has devised many large Festival pieces such as “BimBamBoo!! (Woodford and Brisbane Festivals) and “Sound Forest” (Qld Music Festival) and also collaborated on many Music / Theatre projects around Australia (currently - “Falling Like a Bird” and “This Little Life”).
He has worked as a musical instrument maker for 40 years and has designed a number of new wind instruments as well as specialising in woodwind instruments from Eastern Europe (having studied Macedonian bagpipes in Macedonia).
Linsey has a reputation for making and playing instruments made from found objects such as rubber gloves, carrots, watering cans, chairs, brooms and bins. First developed in his solo show “Bang it with a Fork” and further in the acclaimed children’s show “Out of the Frying Pan”, this line of musical inventiveness has ultimately led him to spearhead Live Looping and develop his solo shows such as “Knocking on Kevin’s Door”, “Playpen”, “The Art of Food”, "Making Jam", “Cycology” and “Passing Wind”.
Linsey’s current musical projects include his new solo show “Live & Loopy”, World music duo “Dva” with Tunji Beier, and the Community Balkan Gypsy style street band "The Unusual Suspects".
He established The Multicultural Arts Centre of WA and has co-ordinated five Cross-cultural Music Ensembles in three different States. He has also performed at most major Festivals around Australia and recorded 31 albums (solo & with various groups). He has devised many large Festival pieces such as “BimBamBoo!! (Woodford and Brisbane Festivals) and “Sound Forest” (Qld Music Festival) and also collaborated on many Music / Theatre projects around Australia (currently - “Falling Like a Bird” and “This Little Life”).
He has worked as a musical instrument maker for 40 years and has designed a number of new wind instruments as well as specialising in woodwind instruments from Eastern Europe (having studied Macedonian bagpipes in Macedonia).
Linsey has a reputation for making and playing instruments made from found objects such as rubber gloves, carrots, watering cans, chairs, brooms and bins. First developed in his solo show “Bang it with a Fork” and further in the acclaimed children’s show “Out of the Frying Pan”, this line of musical inventiveness has ultimately led him to spearhead Live Looping and develop his solo shows such as “Knocking on Kevin’s Door”, “Playpen”, “The Art of Food”, "Making Jam", “Cycology” and “Passing Wind”.
Linsey’s current musical projects include his new solo show “Live & Loopy”, World music duo “Dva” with Tunji Beier, and the Community Balkan Gypsy style street band "The Unusual Suspects".
Mr. Cuttlefish
Mr Cuttlefish play curiously beguiling street music, popping up when you least expect it. More likely to be lurking around hidden corners or following something that catches their fancy. Playing everything from ipad to ukulele, viola to whamola, Mr Cuttlefish will create eccentric soundscapes for you. From their own eclectic worldly compositions to improvised interactions with those lucky enough to stop as they pass by.
mrcuttlefish.com
mrcuttlefish.com
Purple Tusks
Purple Tusks is an 8 piece party rocking band, with a MASSIVE sound that will pull you off your seat and up to the front of the dance floor! With a distinct fun sound, Purple Tusks will get you jumping, head banging, butt shaking and having as much of an awesome time as we are!
If you like getting crazy to live, energetic party music, or even just feel like chilling out and listening to some cool tunes, then strap on your dancing shoes and boogie!
nothing but the good times and the best times guaranteed!
If you like getting crazy to live, energetic party music, or even just feel like chilling out and listening to some cool tunes, then strap on your dancing shoes and boogie!
nothing but the good times and the best times guaranteed!
The Red Brigade
Colourful, comic and charismatic, The Red Brigade is a thrilling and playfully subversive all-girl marching band. Fitted out in full marching band regalia, The Red Brigade takes it’s audience on one hell-of-a ride through dirty rock hits, balkan madness and big-bad-swingin' funk. Performing both striking marching sets and full cabaret-rock stage shows, the ladies captivate audiences young and old. If they look hot in action, they still might help your nanna cross the street.
http://www.facebook.com/theredbrigade.melbourne
http://www.facebook.com/theredbrigade.melbourne
Riff Raff Radical Marching Band
We are a bunch of friends who in 2010 were tired of boring protests and started a fabulous marching band, which has grown into a diverse community network with chapters in Sydney and Melbourne and members from areas including Newcastle, Blue Mountains and Canberra.
We play at community events, coal ports, solidarity demonstrations, artyhipsterthings, fundraisers, and on the streets!
https://www.facebook.com/riffraffmarchingband
We play at community events, coal ports, solidarity demonstrations, artyhipsterthings, fundraisers, and on the streets!
https://www.facebook.com/riffraffmarchingband
Ruido Flamenco Blues
Ruido - original contemporary flamenco with a very unique twist: These musicians dance, and the dancers play! There are no barriers in this amazing troupe. Their show is an explosion of colour and passion that fills your senses. Ruido flamenco create gypsy ballads and tapping tunes for their evocative performances.
Ruido offers a new view on an ancient and magical world.
ruidoflamencoblues.com
Ruido offers a new view on an ancient and magical world.
ruidoflamencoblues.com
SqueezeBox Trio
Consisting of piano accordion, violin and acoustic guitar; Thomas Hodson, Michael O’Donnell and Javen Sanchez (respectively) form The Squeezebox Trio, who are one of the newer bands on the Sydney Jazz scene. The young lads excel at live performance and give a strong energy to the gypsy swing genre popularised by Django Reinhardt in the ‘30’s. After bonding over a love of jazz in university, the group soon expanded their standards repertoire to include European folk music, bossa’s and even Disney/Pixar classics.
The trio can be seen playing in any given corner in Sydney, from jazz clubs to markets, fetes, weddings and even the Australian National Museum.
www.thesqueezeboxtrio.com
The trio can be seen playing in any given corner in Sydney, from jazz clubs to markets, fetes, weddings and even the Australian National Museum.
www.thesqueezeboxtrio.com
The Underscore Orkestra
The Underscore Orkestra are a Portland, OR based band playing a blend of Balkan, Klezmer, Gypsy Jazz and Swing with a repertoire consisting of both original and traditional material.
The Underscore Orkestra has been performing for the past 7+ years, touring all around the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Central America, and has been seen from intimate coffee shop settings all the way to huge outdoor festivals. Guaranteed to get you up and moving whether you like to swing dance, Balkan folk dance, or just go out and shake it!!!
www.theunderscoreorkestra.com
The Underscore Orkestra has been performing for the past 7+ years, touring all around the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Central America, and has been seen from intimate coffee shop settings all the way to huge outdoor festivals. Guaranteed to get you up and moving whether you like to swing dance, Balkan folk dance, or just go out and shake it!!!
www.theunderscoreorkestra.com
