Past Event
Friday Night Showcase
9th Mar 2012
Presenter: Lord Uke
Website:
Event Duration: 240 minutes
Join us for the opening night performances in the New Ballroom
7.00PM Doors Open
7.15PM Rob Clifford
Rob Clifford first started playing the ukulele 4 years ago because the guitar was too hard. Since then, he has found a passion for the instrument that has, along the way, exposed him to the brilliance of artists such as Jake Shimabukuro and James Hill, allowed him to meet true ukulele legends in the instruments birthplace of Hawai'i, and led him to become the first ever student to undertake ukulele as a VCE music subject. His exam performance on the ukulele caused him to be selected for the Top Acts performances highlighting the best of Victoria's young musicians, dancers and actors in concert at Hamer Hall, Melbourne.
He loves the fact that such a simple instrument can be so versatile, and can cover everything from 70's ballads to Lady Gaga, from Queen covers to traditional Hawaiian music.
7.50PM Maitake (Japan)
Maitake has been a very popular and respected ukulele player for over a decade in Japan. The music driven by his magical strumming is just amazing and full of fun. It makes Bosko & Honey call him the "Strum Master". MUF 2012 will be his first appearance outside of Japan and the audience will be very lucky to be blown away by his music!
8:35PM The Old Spice Boys featuring Azo Bell
The Old Spice Boys mix razor-sharp musicianship with accessible tunes and a dry sense of humour - resulting in one of the most charming and talented trios you'll ever experience. The music is a timeless blend of styles - from swing and jazz to blues and reggae via vaudeville and R&B. rhe Old Spice Boys play their own enchanting original tunes - such as Im Not An Alcoholic (I Just Enjoy a Drink), Who Gave You a Licence to Drive me Crazy?, inventive interpretations of songs like Little Egypt, Take Five and Choo Choo Ch-Boogie, and tunes by a huge range of writers including Louis Jordan, Miles Davis, Elvis Presley, Ian Dury, Bill Haley, Prince and The Seekers. Lead by the spellbinding virtuosity of Azo Bell, Ukulele Hall of Fame inductee and all round uke hero, The Old Spice Boys are Australian festival-circuit favourites.
9:30PM U.K.E. featuring Lionel K. Hubert (France)
With his roots in jazz and metal, Lionel is currently the assistant of cult minimalist composer Charlemagne Palestine and the creator of the prestigious Paris Uke Fest. On a quest to search for and explore ‘new ukulele sounds,’ U.K.E. - in which Lionel is joined by percussionist Josh - uses electronic real-time treatment to expand the instrument into new and uncharted experimental territories.
10:20PM AJ Leonard’s Tropical Lounge
A J Leonard’s Tropical Lounge is an innovative versatile group whose repertoire includes original music from master ukulele player A J Leonard and classic 60’s, swing and island music from the 20’s and 30’s. Their unique blend of ukuleles, strings, vocal harmonies and percussion has been popular with music events such as the Illawarra Folk Festival, Newstead Live Festival and the Melbourne & Cairns Ukulele Festivals. Featuring Jenny Rowlands- cello; David Billings- ukulele, guitar, vocals; Wendy Rowlands- accordion, percussion, violin, vocals.