Music Festival fit for Queen

This year’s Queenscliff Music Festival (QMF) starts tomorrow with a jam-packed line-up of local, interstate and international artists taking to the stage at the iconic homegrown annual event. The official program was released last week outlining artist bios, playing times, food stalls, maps and more.

Further to a killer line-up of music acts, the festival is bursting with kid’s entertainers and buskers creating back-to-back activity for all ages.

This year, festivalgoers can vote for their favourite official QMF busker to help them win a spot on next year’s QMF artist line-up.

Audiences are encouraged to walk around the festival grounds and take the time to listen to homegrown talent and vote via the QMF website.

This year’s line-up is as eclectic as it is exciting. Friday night’s closer will be artist and activist Xavier Rudd.

Bernard Fanning will be headlining Saturday night playing hits from his 10-year solo career, and The Temper Trap will be wrapping up the festival on Sunday afternoon. Other artists to look out for will be Beccy Cole (winner of nine Golden Guitars), Melbourne’s answer to Motown The Teskey Brothers, Jedediah frontman and solo star Bob Evans, funnyman Sammy J and Sydney’s Hot Potato Band (pictured on the Times Living cover).

Highlights are sure to include powerhouse vocalist Nai Palm (Haitus Kaiyote) playing solo on the back of the release of her brand-new album Needle Paw, and Yothu Yindi & The Treaty Project reuniting with Gavin Campbell of Filthy Lucre, featuring original Yothu Yindi members and special guests.

The Beautiful Girls are back with an exclusive set, playing their first two albums Morning Sun and Learn Yourself in their entirety. On the international front, the likes of Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen, Gabriel Garzon-Montano, Lindi Ortega, Too Many Zooz, Canada’s The East Pointers and Ireland’s Irish Mythen will grace the QMF main stages.

With the festival sold out for the second year running, QMF will once again operate a ticket swap via the festival website. To buy and sell authentic tickets for re-sale, head to qmf.net.au/tickets/ticket-swap.

Beyond the festival gates, in celebration of Ausmusic Month, ABC Radio Melbourne & Victoria are hosting a live broadcast of ‘The Friday Revue’ from the Uniting Church on tomorrow as part of the QMF program.

The show will be broadcast nationally on ABC digital, and is a non-ticketed event that offers a perfect chance for those who missed out on festival tickets to get a glimpse of some of the festival acts in an intimate live setting.

Hosted by Brian Nankervis (Rockwiz) and Richelle Hunt, ‘The Friday Revue’ will present QMF acts Bob Evans, Mia Dyson, The Teskey Brothers and Allysha Joy in a two-hour show of live performance, conversation and the much-loved Friday Revue music quiz.

“It’s really exciting to be able to bring ‘The Friday Revue’ live to the Queenscliff Music Festival,” Brian said.

“We’ve had three fantastic shows throughout November already for Ausmusic Month in the studio, with each quiz focusing on a different era in Australian music. This weekend audience members will be able to join in on the 2000’s era quiz.

“I love doing these shows live because it provides direct feedback to us as hosts and they often have a bigger energy and vibe. We understand our show airs on Friday afternoons, so our energy has to reflect this going into the weekend.

“Queenscliff is such a beautiful part of the world and I can’t wait to get down there and talk to our special guest artists and maybe even go for a swim!”

For more information on the line-up and activities, head to qmf.net.au or the festival’s Facebook page.