WHALE SONG 2013 – from 4.30pm

On Saturday afternoon enjoy a swirling hurricane of unmitigated soul as Melbourne headliner Saskwatch arrives to headline this years Whale Song. This year’s afternoon  –  early evening gig will see Saskwatch supported by didgeribone artist Tjupurru and some of our best locals.

ABOUT SASKWATCH

Every band has a story to tell about how they started out and where playing their music has taken them. But few can say they have gone from busking on the streets to gracing the stage at Glastonbury in just four years. Yet for Melbourne band Saskwatch, this is just one of many remarkable feats in their short history. It was at notorious Melbourne bar Cherry that the 9-piece established their reputation as one of the city’s most electrifying live acts. With ecstatic horns, one of the tightest rhythm sections in town, and Nkechi Anele’s soaring vocals, capable of breaking hearts one minute and eliciting frenzied dancing the next, they refused to be ignored.

As more and more people stumbled upon their performance at the bar’s weekly soul night, word spread and soon their residencies had people lining AC/DC Lane for an opportunity to watch, listen to, dance to and sweat with Saskwatch. Their commitment to playing shows locally and then interstate led to a strong following in their home city, state and, eventually, country. Landing a spot at a major festival in late 2011 was a small sign of what was to come. 2012 was a big year for Saskwatch. They released their debut album, Leave It All Behind, to widespread acclaim. The lead single, “Your Love”, became a triple j favourite and exposed them to the nation in a big way. National touring ensued before the band headed to Europe to play an intensive series of shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, as well as gigs in London. Back home, they were given the ultimate local tick of approval by being invited to perform at two of Australia’s most coveted music festivals: Meredith and its sister festival, Golden Plains. They also took their music to entirely new audiences with support slots for international acts Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Maceo Parker and Earth, Wind and Fire. Things just keep coming for Saskwatch. So far, 2013 has seen the band share a stage with Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, return to Cherry for a record-breaking residency, perform to rapturous reception at Byron Bay’s Bluesfest, and receive invitations to BlackisBack festival in Spain as well as the world’s biggest music festival, Glastonbury. They recorded a new single, “I Get Lonely”, with Mikey Young (Eddy Current Suppression Ring/Total Control), which saw low-fi garage rock merge with their trademark horns and dynamic vocals. They’ve taken their unanimously adored live show around the country again, and as soon as they’re done with Europe, they’re heading into the studio to record their sophomore album. If you haven’t heard their music or experienced them in the flesh, chances are you will soon. This is one band that won’t be content until they’ve taken their infectious, powerful brand of music to all the corners of the world – and so far, the world is willing. “I want to go on record with my call on this year’s break-out sensation – Saskwatch.” – Christian Morrow,Northern Star newspaper, reporting on Byron Bay Bluesfest, 2013 “When I walked into Cherry Bar I was instantly fixated; Nkechi Anele has some monster pipes, there is some really great songwriting going on and they’re a super tight band. Brilliant.” – Daniel Merriweather.

ABOUT TJUPURRU

Brisbane-based Tjupurru is a proud descendant of the Djabera Djabera tribe of the West Australian Kimberleys. Born in Port Moresby Papua New Guinea and settling in Cairns, Tjupurru began playing Didjeridu through a vacuum cleaner pipe in boarding school. His real love affair with the instrument came when he discovered the music of iconic Australian act Gondwanaland, and didj player Charlie McMahon in particular. Tjupurru plays a unique slide Didjeridu invented by Charlie McMahon, named “The Didjeribone” because it can slide through different notes and tones – a cross between a didj and a trombone. He picks up his sound through a device called the “Face Bass”, a seismic sensor implanted inside his mouth. With the addition of sampling and electronic effects, Tjupurru has enabled himself to perform as a one man band creating live samples and looping them to create songs and soundscapes that criss-cross musical genre.