FROM the moment the five members of Newcastle indie-funk band Viragos began performing together they could sense chemistry in the room.
In turns out that chemistry was clearly visible to judges at the University Of Newcastle as well. Last Thursday Viragos were crowned the 2020 UoN Band Comp winners at the drive-in grand final held at the Callaghan campus, beating Berlyn, Cooks & Bakers, Maeve Grant, Georgie Winchester and runners-up Hey Jan.
It was just the fourth gig India Seddon-Callaghan (vocals), Rana Ellway (guitar), Duncan Brown (drums), Bree Young (keys, vocals) and Alex McWhirter (bass) have performed together after they emerged from the ashes of folk-rock act India & The Journey To The East during the winter.
"When Rana and I first started jamming we had a really hard think about who we wanted to collaborate with, because that's such an important thing to have in a band," Seddon-Callaghan said.
"To be comfortable and to be friends like a little family. We definitely have all bonded so much and we're such a tight unit together."
The UoN victory gifted Viragos a recording opportunity later this year at the Newcastle Conservatorium's new studio to cut their debut single Mother. The single will be released early next year through the uni's Baraya Records label.
Viragos also plan to record another of their seven originals, RCG, meaning "real cruel girl".
BRITT'S TRUTH TOUR
NEWCASTLE country queen Catherine Britt is giving fans a sneak peak of her forthcoming album Home Truths when she hits the road next month.
The tour begins at Lizotte's on November 11, which is part of the Great Southern Nights initiative, before she heads to Gunnedah, Bourke, Tamworth, Newtown, Canberra, Cronulla, Bulli and Pokolbin's Goldfish on December 12.
Home Truths is out on January 15 and is Britt's first independently-released album of her 20-year career. The record was crowd-funded and self-produced in Britt's backyard studio in Mayfield before being mixed and mastered by Ted Howard and Jim DeMain in the US.
The album's first single I Am A Country Song was released in August.
SOUTHERN NIGHTS SPREADS LOVE
THE announcement at the weekend that the likes of Tones & I, Lime Cordiale, Middle Kids, Shannon Noll and Sneaky Sound System were playing gigs in the Hunter in November was understandably welcome news for starved live music fans.
The NSW Government's Great Southern Nights initiative is bringing more than 60 gigs to the Hunter, but local artists are also set to benefit from shows scheduled in other parts of the state.
Bellbird's William Crighton is performing gigs in Tamworth, Old Bar and Lismore and Cessnock's Travis Collins has shows in Tamworth and Grafton.
Newcastle electro-indie duo Boo Seeka will perform six shows in three days at Mary's Underground in Sydney from November 12 to 14 and dance-rockers Raave Tapes will perform their first gig since COVID-19 began at the Crowbar in Leichhardt on November 26.
Other Hunter acts performing for Great Southern Nights include Trophy Eyes, Jones The Cat, Eat Your Heart Out, Ben Leece, James Bennett, Brad Cox and Hurricane Fall.
Visit Great Southern Nights' website for full details.
WELL DRESSED GENT
WE'VE known for some time that Maitland DJ Jacob Grant, aka Just A Gent, was a fashionable fellow in his trademark tuxedo. But now it's official.
Just A Gent has been signed with R'n'B songstress Thandi Phoenix, triple j's Kristy Lee Peters (KLP) and hip-hop artist Ziggy Ramo as an ambassador for international fashion label Superdry's SS20 "Be Iconic" campaign.
MORE BLUES ADDED
TRIPLE j Hottest 100 winners Ocean Alley, bush balladeer John Williamson and soul sisters Vika and Linda Bull headline the latest addition of talent for next year's Bluesfest.
The three acts were added to the Byron Bay music festival on Wednesday, alongside Tex Perkins, Jon Stevens, Josh Teskey & Ash Grunwald, Garrett Kato and Mia Dyson.
Bluesfest was cancelled last Easter due to the pandemic and organisers remain hopeful of proceeding with a predominately Australian line-up on April 1 to 5 next year, despite music festivals being banned in NSW under current COVID-safe regulations.
Uncertainty around the event is not concerning punters. Bluesfest reports that 60 per cent of tickets have already been sold.
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