SHOOGLENIFTY
When Shooglenifty first hit the trad scene with their first album Venus in Tweeds in 1994, they literally tore the place apart. Not since Edinburgh's marvelous Scottish-swing quartet the The Easy Club, had a band had such an effect. Shoogles cranked it up in a major way; the resulting sound marries original traditionally based tunes - primarily Scottish in style, but featuring a wealth of other world-music flavours - with rhythmic energy, inventiveness and sophistication. Most traditional music is dance music and the band's own unique take has bred many attempts at contemporary branding including include "hypno-folkedelic ambient trance" and "acid croft". However it is described, their music is adventurous, inventive, tight and fast; two outstanding melody players interlocking and playing off against each other, backed up by four hot rhythm players featuring electric as well as acoustic guitar, samples and programming as well as "real" percussion, regular banjo and their customised hi-tech "banjax".

The band return to Australia this year with thier fifth and latest recording, Troots, which in addition to the excellent music contains a recipe for Mary Shields Sea Troot (trout), a must for all fish lovers.
View Shooglenifty Website

CONUNDRUM
To open the show we welcome Conundrum one of Melbourne's excellent young traditional bands. A four piece lead by flute and fiddle melody combination, Conundrum endeavor to create depth and freshness in their rendition of traditional Celtic music. Playing music from places such as Ireland, Brittany and the Shetland Islands they also write and perform excellent original tunes adding to the rich cultural pool which is their inspiration.