OUT ON THE WEEKEND 2024
 
 

LOVE POLICE PRESENTS

OUT ON THE WEEKEND


OCTOBER

12 - SEAWORKS, WILLIAMSTOWN, VIC

 

Come springtime, Melbourne’s favourite Americana, alt country, country and western lifestyle music festival Out On The Weekend, celebrates 10 years of good times at Seaworks, Williamstown on Saturday October 12.

 

Excellent music, mind-blowing artists and a fantastic voyage of songs, stories, BBQ and booze down by the water.

 

It’s a big hooray for HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF, returning to the land of Oz from the New York Bronx on the back of their latest and possibly greatest album The Past Is Still Alive. We toured Alynda and the band way back when, so we thought it was about time we brought them back as part of our celebrations.

 

What’s not to love about dazzling punk cowboy NICK SHOULDERS all the way from Arkansas, who brings his infectious and reckless tunes featuring those jangling Cajun rhythms and surf rock blues that we love from our friend. And he yodels!

 

We get to experience EMMA DONOVAN’s country gospel roots with the Gumbaynggirr star sharing songs and stories of her childhood, when she performed with her family band The Donovans. Update to now and experience the special moments that Emma and her outfit deliver.

 

Get set to lose your mind in the psychedelic cosmic cowboy sounds of first-time visitors ROSE CITY BAND, led by Portland, Oregon musical leader Ripley Johnson (see also Wooden Shjips, Moon Duo). Through their interplanetary mind-blowing Grateful Dead-owing cosmic saga that is Garden Party, expect to become a disciple by the end of the first jam. 

 

Bond over the beautiful six-piece musical feast of SWEET TALK, homegrown talent who are about to take on the world with their frenzied states of boogie and high-energetic and satisfying soul food. Nods to the past and the future all set long with these fellas.

 

This year we finally bring the magnificent MARGO CILKER to our shores, with the fine musician leaving the Columbia River near Washington to play in Australia for the very first time Down Under.  Encounter Cilker’s magical songs about moonlight, forests and cowboys in the wild west of Melbourne and enjoy her new album Valley of Heart’s Delight like you would a whiskey on a winter’s night. 

 

What’s an Out On The Weekend 10 year celebration without our favourite sons of heavy sonic country sound LOST RAGAS making an appearance? Expect good times and a little bit of mind-blowing cosmic energy when the boys from Melbourne take us into an ethereal place and space.

 

Our pals JONNY FRITZ from Montana and Nashville regular JOSHUA HEDLEY are back, running into our open arms with their joyful blends of country and western, fiddle playing and good ol’ fashioned Honky Tonk. It wouldn’t be an Out On The Weekend without them! Between them they have played at eight of our festivals.

 

Did you ever see Yellowstone? What was really excellent about this show was this one mind-bending aural odyssey called Keep The Wolves Away performed by Austin, Texas country rockers UNCLE LUCIUS. We dived a little deeper into their catalogue and our minds were expanded. It’s the band’s first time here, and they’re gonna put on a good show as they’ve just reunited to bring their great tunes to the live stage. 

 

It's been 20 or so years since BARB WATERS released Rosa Duet, so while we’re celebrating our 10 year anniversary… we may as well pop this kitchen-table-crusade of love songs that pay tribute to the greatest duos of all time: Gram & Emmylou, Nancy & Lee, George & Tammy. Loads of local legend duet partners to be announced. Epic.

 

Melbourne country favourites JAMES ELLIS & THE JEALOUS GUYS will be two stepping all the way to Williamstown, polishing their cowboy boots for a rioting good time with the Out On The Weekend regulars.

 

HANA & JESSIE-LEE’S BAD HABITS return to the stage with their electric vocals and jangly guitars. THE SMITH & WESTERN JURY will draw punters in with their songs of heartache and happiness, sad and sunny cowgirl songs and our favourite cattle camp crooner WILLIAM ALEXANDER will trade his saddle for guitar this spring for a great return to country and western in the great wild west of Melbourne. To separate the sawdust on the dancefloor come honky tonk dancin’ and experience the fun-loving tunes of NO SLEEP TILL TEXAS.

 

Stop searching and get your posse ready to have their hearts filled with golden musical delights of the very best in country, western, Americana and more at Out On The Weekend this October.

Brian Taranto