SMALL HALL HILLBILLY BALL

Join us for an all-star lineup at the SMALL HALL HILLBILLY BALL in The Brewery at The Imperial Hotel Eumundi on Saturday 22 June. The five-band hootenanny will see THE LONG JOHNS, HAT FITZ & CARA, OPEN SEASON BAND, PALOMINO III and BEARDED BETTY take to the stage for what is sure to be one helluva great night.

THE LONG JOHNS

The Long Johns are the twang of the banjo, the rumble of the sousaphone and the ring of the spittoon, the creak of the door, the crow of the rooster, the stomping of floorboards and the hammering of the chain gang.

A four piece posse, The Long Johns come together to play spooky country with that old timey swing, peppered with the spiciest of flavours to deliver songs of hope, loss and hauntings.

Featuring a lineup of banjos, sousaphone, national guitar and the pots and pans, The Long Johns are Sian Evans, Steve Buchanan, Skritch and Paul Watson preparing a tincture of dark country and barnyard bangers.

Like the cure-all tonics of old, The Long Johns are good for what ails you.

HAT FITZ & CARA

High energy duo Hat Fitz and Cara are among Australia’s most talented roots music artists. The husband and wife team have clocked up 10 years of worldwide touring, festival performances and album releases and show no signs of slowing down.

They tour Australia, the UK, North America and Europe, where their modern blend of old-timey-influenced sounds is equally at home in a variety of settings - from folk or Americana main stages to blues and acoustic venues.

While the singer/songwriters are both multi-instrumentalists, it's Fitzy's weathered vocals and soaring blues-soaked guitar combined with Cara's pounding drums and soulful voice that show them at the peak of their creative power.

Winners of Blues Album Of The Year at the 2013 Australian Chain Awards and UK Spiral Earth, Hat Fitz & Cara also won Best Vocal Of The Year at the 2015 Chain Awards and were finalists in the 2015 Memphis International Blues Challenge in the USA.

OPEN SEASON BAND

Boot stompin' hootin' and hollerin' old-fashioned fun. Open Season is a mix of traditional and modern country paired best with a spilled beer.

Open Season might be a 25 hour flight from country music's Tennessee heartland, but they certainly don't sound it.

Marrying traditional folk and modern country, this Brisbane-based six-piece represent the exciting new wave of country folk music.

Comprising members whose previous projects have had them touring extensively both domestically and internationally – including with country music royalty Jett Williams – Open Season is a band whose forthcoming debut album is certainly one to look out for.

PALOMINO III

Palomino III cruise the gravel lanes of traditional genres and churn out a relentlessly great, stripped back sound.

With deep musical footprints set in the stones of the forties and fifties, their notorious slick riffin’-billy-‘roots’ meanderings and rockin’ live vibe have this three piece outfit stacked to the brim.

Delivering brand new tunes and tall tales from times best remembered in song, their shows are a testament to the extensive live work accumulated on Australian and international Rockabilly/Roots festival lineups.

BEARDED BETTY

She’s a little bit folkie, a whole lotta alt-country and a touch of dirty blues.

A high energy five-headed Americana music posse, Bearded Betty features the unique quirky sound of Sunshine Coast vocalist GG Fox, together with Roy Bentham pickin’ and a strummin’ on the gueeeeeitar and banjo like his hair’s on fire; Vashti Janna fiddlin’ a fiddle & mandolinin’ a mandolin till she can’t no more; Chris Davis slappin’ away at that big ole double bass and Simon Pfeiffer ...well that boy will hit ya head if you sit by his drum kit for too long.

The clan got their wagons in a circle and fixed themselves a bangin’ thumbs up EP launched appropriately at the 2018 Small Hall Hillbilly Ball. They were at it again in January this year with the release of their hilariously unforgettable music video Polly Brown.

Looks like this clan are on a mission to keep the shenanigans comin’ and serving up a heapin’ helpin’ of good times and bringing joy to folks at honky-tonks and festivals across the land.

Y’all can bet your britches this band will get the hillbilly part of your heart pumpin’ so hard that you will want to go build yourself a front porch.

TICKETS: Pre-sale $25 (+ booking fee) through Oztix or at the Imperial Hotel (Ph: 5442 8811). $30 at the door (unless sold out)

Doors open 5.30pm

Imperial Hotel Courtesy Bus