It may come as a surprise to some that Thredbo has a well-established and pumping year round music scene. When people think of Thredbo they think snow, and may instantly dismiss the village and region if skiing or snowboarding is not their ?thing?.
However, many others come to Thredbo wearing nothing but a t-shirt and boots (well hopefully more than that, so as not to scare away children) fully intending on staying at Thredbo and frequenting the bars and music venues, having a few drinks and getting into the groove. Nothing to do with the ski scene at all.
Thredbo hosts three major festivals each year, each a completely different genre:
Ms Murphy[/caption]
Chukale will Samba their way into Thredbo 2015[/caption]
This year?s headliner was Russell Morris, who was massive in the rock scene in the late 1960s and had the hit ?The Real Thing?. He has been inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame. His current album is a very different kind of music, and focuses on Australia's convict era, well worth a listen, really quite striking and emotive.
Performers Jeff Lang , Rick Price, Bondi Cigars (Sydney blues band) all have popular followings as well. Mel Eastick, Charlie A?Court, Ray Beadle Band, Harry Bruce (bass player) all play a great show and young emerging artists Brody Young and Sean Kirk are fantastic talents and ones to watch, and that?s not all the talent on offer, there is much more. Find out more details on the Thredbo Blues Festival.
1. Thredbo Jazz Festival 2015
It may be news to you to discover Thredbo?s Jazz Festival is in its 27th year of operation this year. It runs over three days from the 1st to 3 May with 18 different artists taking to the stages. Headlining is Katie Noonan, a well known artist formerly of the band George who has played with Paul Kelly and Vince Jones and has won the National Jazz award in 2000. Also headlining is Ms Murphy the popular artist and finalist from the 2nd season of the TV show The Voice. She has a phenomenal voice that just belts out the tunes. Hearing really is believing. George Washingmachine is another extremely popular artist due to his multi instrumentalist talents ?(plays piano, bass guitar and sings). Then there?s the West African band Keyim Ba, rated by some as the best in the West African music genre, and that?s just to name just a few. [caption id="attachment_8114" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Ms Murphy[/caption]
Why Jazz in Thredbo Over Larger Festivals or Single Artist Concerts?
The point of difference between the Thredbo Jazz Festival and other jazz listening venues are the locations where the action takes place. Performances are not on one central large stage but rather on five different stages in small intimate settings, utilising the existing bars and locations all around the village. These are the Kosciusko Room (downstairs in the Kosciusko Alpine Hotel), The Keller Bar (top of the stairs in the plaza), around the pool at the Kosciusko Alpine Hotel and in some of the restaurants such as The Black Bear, Knickerbocker and at the top of the chairlift in the Eagles Nest. Pack a jacket and get ready to WOW at the fresh air and the view from high on the chairlift. Hold on tight. Festival Director, Stewart Wauchope says ?This music festival ?feels like a party, and the intimate setting gives fans an opportunity to talk to the artists about their songs and their work after they perform, which fans love? . Even though this is the 27th year of the Thredbo Jazz Festival, it is a new-ish style, adapting to the times to attract a younger demographic. Stewart informs that prior to 2012, the demographic looked consistently more like mid-fifties to eighty year olds. Due to the inclusion of some younger emerging talent, and music reflecting the roots of African jazz, European cafe culture, contemporary jazz and Gypsy and Dixie sounds, now the festival attracts more of a 25 year old and over demographic, and is steadily growing. Hop online to buy tickets for the Thredbo Jazz Festival 2015.2. Thredbo Blues Festival
If a Blues and Roots Festival is more your style, plan to take in the Thredbo Blues Festival in January. This year saw its 22nd year, and was held over 6-18 January. Performance venues are the same as the jazz festival, and also gave fans the opportunity to get up and close with the artists. [caption id="attachment_8056" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Chukale will Samba their way into Thredbo 2015[/caption]
This year?s headliner was Russell Morris, who was massive in the rock scene in the late 1960s and had the hit ?The Real Thing?. He has been inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame. His current album is a very different kind of music, and focuses on Australia's convict era, well worth a listen, really quite striking and emotive.
Performers Jeff Lang , Rick Price, Bondi Cigars (Sydney blues band) all have popular followings as well. Mel Eastick, Charlie A?Court, Ray Beadle Band, Harry Bruce (bass player) all play a great show and young emerging artists Brody Young and Sean Kirk are fantastic talents and ones to watch, and that?s not all the talent on offer, there is much more. Find out more details on the Thredbo Blues Festival.