The Carlisle Street Traders Association presents an exciting free event called Balaclava Boogie, set to bring the vibrant spirit of Balaclava, Carlisle Street and surrounds to the public this November.
Over the course of three days, you can enjoy an abundance of live music performed by some of Melbourne’s most gifted musicians. Furthermore, on Saturday, November 25, there will be a vinyl market featuring music enthusiasts spinning tunes and offering a selection of records for sale.
Local artists, many with strong connections to the area, are set to grace the stages of live music venues, bars, cafes, and restaurants from November 24 to 26, 2023.
Headlining the festival’s grand Sunday Service concert is the electrifying festival act, JAZZPARTY, promising an unforgettable performance. Additionally, talented artists like Delsinki, Little Wise, and the McNammar Project are slated to enchant audiences at various venues, including Pause Bar, the Local Taphouse, and the Voodoo Lovechild Speakeasy.
The lineup is exceptional, so we’ve broken it down day by day below.
Balaclava Boogie
- A new, free three-day music festival coming to Carlisle Street and surrounds
- From Friday November 24 to Sunday November 26
- Featuring JAZZPARTY, Amos Roach, Delsinki and more
Keep up with the latest music news, features, festivals, interviews and reviews here.
Friday November 24
Delsinki & Brooke Taylor
- Friday November 24
- The Balaclava Hotel
- 123 Carlisle St, Balaclava
- 7pm – 8pm
Hailing from Hobart, Tasmania, Delsinki has ingrained himself into the Victorian music scene, working with the likes of Kylie Auldist from the Bamboos, Jim Moginie from Midnight Oil, Brian Ritchie from the Violent Femmes, Mick Thomas from Weddings Parties Anything, up and coming Melbourne songstress Freya Josephine Hollick, Aussie rock icon Tim Rogers and astounding indigenous musician and Yamatji Man Mark Atkins.
A bower bird par excellence, Delsinki’s approach contains traces of author Tim Winton and painter John Brack alongside his musical influences, giving him a unique artistic vision of contemporary Australian life.
“Typically we’ll complement each other’s songs with harmonies and instrumentation, and then the ones we wrote together are straight down the middle,” the pair told us. “We do our best to bring a lot of energy to the stage, and also really bring the songs to life.”
The McNaMarr Project
- Friday November 24
- Pause Bar
- 268 Carlisle St, Balaclava
- 8pm – 10pm
Multi award winning blues and soul artists Andrea Marr & John McNamara deliver shows unlike any other. This year they tackled the sound of Sam Cooke and Tina Turner on their original chart topping releases with their acclaimed Tina Loves Sam project. In 2019 they released Holla & Moan – their debut collaborative work. The album won the Vic/Tas blues awards for Album of The Year and Song of The Year. Their second album Run with Me was nominated for Best Blues work in the prestige Music Victoria awards and in November 2022, Andrea Marr was inducted into the Blues Music Victoria Legends Hall of fame.
Little Wise
- Friday November 24
- The Local Taphouse
- 184 Carlisle St, Balaclava
- 8pm – 10pm
Indie-rocker Sophie Klein – known onstage as Little Wise – turned to crowdfunding to produce her first album, raising $8,000 for studio space, mixing, mastering, advertising, music videos, and album artwork. Her 2016 debut Silver Birch was a superb record and has catapulted Kline to an acclaimed place in the Melbourne music scene. Her upcoming third album, taken by a feeling was recorded at the aviary studios in Abbotsford VIC, the album fuses warm folk sounds with a modern pop-rock palette and is already receiving accolades prior to its release, with two songs selected as semi-finalists in the international songwriting competition.
Saturday November 25
Balaclava Boogie’s Vinyl Market
Saturday sees Balaclava Boogie’s Vinyl Market coming to the Coles Arcade at 232 Carlisle Street, running from 10am to 3pm. Vinyl is the main music format people are after these days for good reason – records are an investment in yourself. A tangible product you can play, cherish, and hold onto forever. You’ll find the best of Melbourne’s fantastic local market on Carlisle Street on Saturday for some good ol’ fashioned crate-digging.
Eugene Hamilton & The Money
- Friday November 24
- Ms Carlisle
- 137 Carlisle St, Balaclava
- 8pm – 10pm
Having become a regular favourite in the St Kilda live music scene, Eugene Hamilton went from a residency at Claypots, to the Dogs Bar, to sell out shows at Memo Music Hall.
Formed by six of Melbourne’s most experienced, hard-working, and talented musicians, Eugene Hamilton plays with genres and styles in a joyfully unpredictable and seriously challenging way. They can turn Kylie into klezmer, Beyonce into cocktail swing, Divinyls into Northern Soul, Bob Marley into Texas swing, Steely Dan into 60’s boogaloo and mash up Bob Dylan with Serge Gainsbourgh – smashing down musical boundaries, and doing it with skill, taste, and attention to detail all the way.
Lyra
- Voodoo Lovechild Speakeasy
- 143 Chapel St, St Kilda
- 8pm – 10pm
Lyra, a gifted singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, will take you on a musical journey that’s both heartfelt and soul-stirring. Her emotive vocals, combined with a blend of psych-rock, indie, and jazz, create a truly unique live performance. Lyra’s lyrics dive deep into human emotions, connecting with audiences in a profound way.
Backed by a talented band, her live shows are a captivating fusion of artistry, passion and creative freedom. Don’t miss the chance to be moved by Lyra Caltabiano’s live performance—it’s a musical experience that speaks to the heart.”
Sunday November 26
Sunday Service
- Rear 202 Carlisle St Balaclava
- Monk Bodhi Dharma (Carpark)
- 2pm – 7pm
Amos Roach
- 2pm – 2.45pm
Ngarrindjeri and Gunditjmara musician and dancer Amos Roach’s music carries themes of healing, and is commonly performed alongside dance. Inspired by traditional First Nations culture, Roach performs a fusion of traditional and modern Indigenous music, in addition to reggae and rap.
Spawn
- 4pm – 4.45pm
Seven multicultural members come together to create a transcendental experience of psychedelic rock! What more could you want?
Spawn, hailing from Melbourne, is a band reborn in 2021, evolving from doom-metal roots into a mystical force. Their music draws from ’60s psychedelic, Eastern scales, and spirituality. With seven diverse members from across the globe, they craft an enchanting stage presence. United by their love for music and each other, Spawn invites you to join their captivating journey, promising not just music but a profound experience woven with sound and spirituality.
Synthotronica
- 3pm – 3.45pm
You might have seen Synthotronica, the artistic alter-ego of Ania Reynolds (a renowned composer and multi-instrumentalist) illuminate West Set Festival, Moomba, Prahran Square and Belgrave’s Micawber Tavern over the years with an eclectic sound blending Afrobeat, dub/reggae, glitch-hop, wonkstep, steampunk swing, and Ethio-jazz.
Delsinki
- 5pm – 5.45pm
We get an encore! Delsinki back for a solo Sunday Service session from 5pm. Like some sort of city-bound bush poet, Delsinki sings of his environment – from carbon monoxide and asphalt plains to lockdowns and the dream of escape – and he feels the ever-present lure of nature. He would seek to rewild the city, but sees the city’s impact on regional areas. Expect a heart-warming and electric live show.
JAZZPARTY
- 6pm – 6.45pm
One of the undisputed highlights of the Balaclava Boogie weekend, JAZZPARTY have been called a New Orleans processionals meets Twin Peaks. A bad decision, come good. A sweaty, dirty, feverish delirium that makes people who hate jazz do some soul searching and people who hate saxophone change their minds…they’ll be leading a Sunday Service at Monk Bodhi Dharma (carpark) from 2pm to 7pm.
DJ Mermaid
You might have seen her at the likes of Cherry Bar, Balaclava Boogie couldn’t have picked a better interstitial. DJ Mermaid is not only a fiery staple on Melbourne’s rock’n’roll scene, she is one of Melbourne’s and New Zealand’s premier rock DJs.
Sunday November 26: Venue Gigs
The Bornstein Ultimatum
- Pause Bar
- 268 Carlisle St, Balaclava
- 4pm – 7pm
The Bornstein Ultimatum is a dynamic band renowned for delivering unforgettable renditions of iconic 60s and 70s classics. This Melbourne-based ensemble boasts a lineup of top-tier musicians, featuring talents like Ross Hannaford, Wilbur Wilde, Michael Oliphant, Mitch Cairns, Tommy McKewan, David Bornstein, and frequent appearances by special guests such as Mick Pealing, John Dallimore, Bobby Bright, Paul Williamson, Chris Wilson, Alex Formosa, and more. Their performances offer a nostalgic journey through the golden era of rock and roll, making them a beloved fixture in the Melbourne music scene.
Ash Gaudion
- Portone Bar
- 246 Carlisle St, Balaclava
- 7pm – 9pm
Ash Gaudion is a jazz and roots musician, featured in Melbourne’s Shuffle Club Renowned Swing band for 20 plus years. Ash also performs with Simon Phillips in duos locally.
Ashley has been surrounded by local and international jazz and blues artists all his life. He honed his musical talents from a very young age and is now well-established as one of
Australia’s predominant jazz and blues vocalists and saxophonists. Son of the well-known jazz trumpet player Peter Gaudion, he has played and sung with many of Australia’s finest
musicians.
Julian Steel
- Voodoo Lovechild Speakeasy
- 143 Chapel St, St Kilda
- 8pm – 10pm
Julian Steel is a multi-instrumentalist, producer and visual artist from Melbourne, Australia. He has worked for over a decade honing his skills as a musician and composer and in recent years has begun exploring his capabilities within the realm of music production.
After many years busking throughout Port Phillip and playing shows across Melbourne’s vast network of live music venues, he has just debuted his original project and in 2021 we will see the first volume of his 24-track collaborative album with artists from Australia and abroad!
For more info, head here.
