2024 EVENT
2022 EVENT
Trail Blazin', Star Gazin', Hell Raisin' Countrified Music Festival Concept.
Limited Edition. First Time, Every Time. Instant Classic. Handpicked. Homegrown. Down Home. Sonic Sojourn. Ramble On. Like A Hurricane. Meta By Nature. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.
Buy The Ticket, Take The Ride.
From inception Stars & Bars Festival was designed as a Music Festival Concept. Harnessing & Embracing Constant Evolution. Meta By Nature. It can be like water, taking on a multitude of forms; it can become whatever it wants to be, A true shape shifter. Not locked into any one dimensional plain, time, place, space, genre or pre-conceived notion. We're Eclectic. From Alt Country to Stoner Rock, Hip Hop to Classic Rock, Funk’n’Soul, Oceanic Cumbia & Afrobeat to the Deepest of Jungle House. Be Like Water My Friend.
After plans for the maiden Geelong voyage were scuttled, attention quickly turned to what came next. From Pivot City to the Central Goldfields. There was only one logical choice for the inaugural Stars & Bars Festival outing... Heathcote
Going Up The Country ... Stars & Bars Festival Heathcote brings together a combination of amazingly talented artists, an exploration of the finest wine, beer, food & hospitality the Heathcote region is quickly becoming known for & some truly unique locales as the backdrop for the event.
Our locales are much more than just pubs and wineries; they are immersive spaces with stories to tell, ideally suited for musical performances boasting outdoor stages with stunningly serene vistas.
From a 150 year old pub Tooborac Hotel & Brewery, to two of the first wineries of the modern day Heathcote wine renaissance Munari Wines & Flynn’s Wines, to a Brewery of yesteryear reborn like a fiery phoenix Palling Bros Brewery.
What better way could you spend the Anzac Day Long weekend than to Leave The City behind & get On The Road Again with an extended Stay-Cation? Relax with friends old & new, take some time to tune in, drop out & breathe in some of that rarefied country air.
Alright Ramblers, Let's Get Rambling...
2 Types of Event Tickets
BUS TOUR
&
EVENING SESSION
BUS TOUR
12 hrs of Power
10:30am - 10:30pm
Pick Up - 10:30am from Visitor Info Centre Main Street
Drop Off - 5:30pm at Palling Bros Brewery For The Evening Session
Heathcote Express Tour Itinerary
With 4 stops including
Pete Daly
Joshua Seymour
Mariah McCarthy
Alister Turrill
J.D. Delves & Harvest Moon
Nathan Seeckts
The Seven Ups
Tickets Strictly Limited
Includes wine tasting at Munari Wines & Flynns Wines
plus complimentary afternoon tea at Flynns Wines.
All other food & drink at bar prices.
EVENING SESSION
For those who can't commit to a full days adventure by road, get your Night Moves on at Palling Bros Brewery in the main street of Heathcote for the
Evening Session...
1 venue, 3 bands in Palling Bros Brewery Beer Garden
The Seven Ups
Nathan Seeckts
J.D. Delves & Harvest Moon
BUS TOUR
ITINERARY
Forging a following in Melbourne live scene in the late 90’s with his band Blueriver, Pete Daly has returned to the stage as solo performer having intricately crafted a back catalogue of songs while a touring member of some of Melbourne's finest Alt Country outfits. Daly's new music demonstrating his natural, kinetic feel for the acoustic guitar & gentle, earthy vocals combined with sparse introspective instrumentals.
Joshua Seymour is a troubadour, an interpreter and a storyteller. Joshua's distinctive vocal style & unique take on finger picking are unmistakeable. After a move to the big city, Joshua made a name for himself with country-punk-bluegrass band Cherrywood.
A traditionalist who has immersed himself in the old-timey standards of dust-bowl era American folk & blues recordings, Seymour is a songwriter that is truly of the earth. One that is of the Australian dirt & is uniquely his own.
Next up Join a masterclass style wine tasting from a hand picked selection of wines from Munari Wines’ award winning Cellar Door. Enjoy a glass or bottle of wine matched with an antipasto sharing platter or grazing plate while overlooking the stunning autumnal Vineyard vista. You’ll be joined by Bendigo folk singer-songwriter Mariah McCarthy whose enchanting & honest brand of story-telling will captivate you while her serene voice sets the mood to Afternoon Delight.
Just a stones throw away is Flynn's Wines renowned for it's big bold Heathcote style reds. It would be a generalisation to group Alister Turrill with other young roots players. His playing style blends a true form of blues with complex song writing seldom seen. Honest, Flawed, Gravel-Throated, Folk Music awaits. Witness for yourself the future of Australian Blues at Flynn’s Winery while enjoying a built in wine tasting flight & complimentary gourmet Afternoon Tea.
Before the Evening Session entertainment Kicks Off in the Palling Bros Brewery Beer Garden, Grab a Sumptuous Meal & a tasting paddle ( or 2 ) of Palling Bros finest handcrafted beer.. mmm...beer…Heathcote's original brewer is in the heartland of Goldfields Territory, Located just over halfway along the Southern Hemisphere's longest main street. They handcraft artisan beer for beer lovers. The team brews, kegs, bottles, sells & drinks the beer - They love their job! No doubt you will too!
J.D. Delves has dedicated his musical life to Neil Young and there is no better representation to pay homage to Young’s catalogue of truly inspiring music.
This dedication has resulted in J.D. recreating the ‘sound’ of Neil Young’s playing style to the point that if you closed your eyes you would think it was the man himself up on stage. J.D. has expanded his show adding Adam ‘Kool’ Phillips on Bass Guitar & Paul Fiddes on Drum bringing all the songs you know & love from Neil’s expansive catalogue from Heart of Gold to Rockin’ in the Free World. Rust Never Sleeps...
Nathan Seeckts is a powerful singer songwriter who effortlessly fuses the sounds of Americana, folk, country and blues delivered with a commanding voice that is equal parts gravel and passion. His songs feature intricate, heartfelt storytelling that echo loudly and honestly from personal experience.
Taking inspiration from the songbooks of artists including Bruce Springsteen, Jason Isbell, Lucero and Steve Earle, his songs could find him comfortably at home in any bar from Melbourne to Memphis.
Headliners The Seven Ups are the original 7 piece Lo-Fi Heavy Groove party band out of the northern suburbs of Melbourne. Blending influences from 1970s underground Funk with Jazz, Psych and Fuzz Rock. Expect blistering solos by unkempt horns over an unpretentious rhythm section that's “as tight as they need to be & as loose as you want them to be.
Concocting an inimitable blend of influences from 1970s Nigerian Afrobeat to the deepest of street funk, the band’s energetic stage performances have been them opening for the likes of Charles Bradley, The Budos Band, Babylon Circus, and The Bamboos, as well as embarking on a series of much talked-about residencies across numerous Melbourne venues.
