The Drunken Poet

Katie May & The Mystics
2025-06-18 20:00 - 23:30 (Australia/Melbourne)
Prominent vocalist in Melbourne’s alt-country scene, Katie May; will be joined by her band The Mystics, at the Drunken Poet on June 18th, bringing you two sets of both her original music and country covers.

Katie is known for her rich and warm tonalities, her confessional lyrics and captivating melodies, which have been heard blending with some of the finest artists in Melbourne. She has sung alongside and opened up for artists such as Ella Hooper, Joe Camilleri, Freya Josephine Hollick, Alma Zygier and many more. Join Katie May & The Mystics at The Drunken Poet on the 18th of June from 8-10pm.

Pete Cornelius plays the songs of Tom Waits
2025-06-17 20:00 - 23:30
Pete Cornelius plays the songs of Tom Waits!

The Jump Cats
2025-06-15 16:00 - 23:30
The Jump Cats are a swingin’ jump blues band that plays an uptempo style of blues that you can dance to. Their music harks back to the 40’s and 50’s when rhythm and blues was big on the scene with music from the likes of Louis Jordan, Tiny Bradshaw and later from artists such as Hollywood Fats.

The Jump Cats are a four piece band with Mark (Harpo) Greenway on guitar, Alf Mott on the skins, Jeff Walters on Bass and Chris (Stibbo) Hanger on Vocals and blues harp.

Henri Herbert & Jumpin' Whittaker
2025-06-12 20:00 - 23:30
Henri Herbert is an international boogie-woogie sensation and one of the most technically dazzling pianists of his generation. Born in France and raised in the UK, Henri has taken the world by storm with his blistering speed, impeccable timing, and deep, soulful groove.
Whether playing sold-out shows in iconic venues or racking up millions of views online, Henri’s passion for boogie-woogie and blues is infectious. With a background steeped in musical tradition and a modern edge that keeps audiences on their toes, Henri is the ultimate piano powerhouse.

Bill Barber plays the songs of Chess Records
2025-06-10 20:00 - 23:30
Tonight, we pay tribute to the gritty, ground-breaking sounds of Chess Records. Join us as bluesman Bill Barber takes the stage to honour the legends—Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Etta James and more.

Archer
2025-06-08 16:00 - 23:30
Archer is a folk musician. A country blues crooner poet. Singing by the Rivers, singing in the nursing homes, singing for the children. He is an author, has written hundreds of songs and spends most days Planting Trees and feeding delicacies to a giant Cow.
Archer recently featured in the cult classic documentary “I’m Wanita” and is busy recording an album with producer Michael hohnen (Gurrumul) and composer Erkki Veltheim. A unique and captivating voice.

Now he’s back on the pub circuit singin the blues and finally returning to one of his favorite all time venues The Drunken Poet

Duncan Phillips plays the songs of Steve Earl
2025-06-03 20:00 - 23:30
Duncan Phillips plays the songs of Steve Earl
Duncan picked up his first guitar at the tender age of eight. By fourteen he was a mainstay of the local gig and festival circuit. With a sound and sensibility that leans heavily into the likes of Tom Petty, Steve Earle and Bruce Springsteen, Duncan’s take on Americana rock genre has won hearts and minds on Melbourne’s live music scene and at national radio stations like PBS and 3RRR.
Multi-talented Steve Earle was born on a military base in Hampton, Virginia in 1955. He dropped out of school in the 9th grade to pursue a career in music, then moved to Nashville in 1975 and worked as a staff writer for RCA Records. His own debut album, Guitar Town, was not released until 1986, earning Grammy nominations for Best Country Male Vocalist and Best Country Song for the title track. Earle followed that up with two Grammy nominations for the album Exit 0 in 1988.

Earle documented his long struggle with drug addiction in his biography, Hardcore Troubadour: The Life and Near Death of Steve Earle. He began using heroin when he was 13 and spent the 1990s, as he has famously referred to it, “vacationing in the ghetto.” He was regularly seen drunk or high on cocaine around Nashville. His money spent on drugs or alcohol and no longer fit to perform, Earle borrowed money from friends or pawned his guitars to feed his habit. Finally, in 1994, he was sentenced to prison and a stay in rehab after failing to appear for a court date. By January 1995, Earle was sober and released his comeback album, Train A Comin’, which was nominated for a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album in 1996.

His first Grammy came in 2005 for Best Contemporary Folk Album for The Revolution Starts…Now. Earle is well known for his liberal political views and this album stirred up some controversy for its anti-Iraq War leanings. The title track was used as the theme song to Earle’s radio show on Air America, which was on the air from August 2004 through June 2007. He said in 2007 that part of the reason he moved to Greenwich Village in New York was he was “tired of being behind enemy lines” in Nashville, where he had lived for over 30 years.

Sean Frayne and Shayne Cook
2025-06-01 18:30 - 23:30
Hailed by Beat Magazine for his “soulful folk-pop sound,” Sean Frayne’s impressive musical resume features standout tracks like “Seven Kisses” and “Vermilion Hue,” and a debut album that’s surpassed half a million streams. A three-time semi-finalist in the International Songwriting Competition, Sean has received airplay on Triple J and RRR, collaborated locally and internationally, and featured on Spotify’s Fresh Finds playlist.

Naarm/Melbourne-based artist Shayne Cook fuses emotional depth with timeless songwriting. His 2020 debut LP earned airplay on Triple J, local radio, and a live set on FOX Austin (USA). In 2023, he released “Better Things,” co-written with Sean Frayne and has a second album arriving in 2025. Shayne continues to craft music shaped by cross-generational influences that leave a lasting emotional impact.

PIPES
2025-05-31 21:00 - 23:30
Get ready to stomp, strut, shake and shimmy, as Pipes play old jazz with a fresh energy. Made up of some of Naarm’s best young jazz musicians, they’ll bring New Orleans to you and make the 20’s roar again!

Ricki Wood
2025-05-30 20:30 - 23:30
Ricki Wood is a singer and guitarist with a live performance career that has seen him perform a countless number of shows in the last 30+ years. Born and raised in Gippsland Victoria, Ricki moved to New Zealand at age 13, where he discovered his love for playing the guitar. Starting out as a self-taught musician (to be honest he’s still never had a lesson, lol), Ricki mostly played rock and heavy metal in his younger years, but expanded his repertoire to include a wide range of styles as he matured.

Girl Friday plays the songs of Barbara Dane
2025-05-27 20:00 - 23:30
Girl Friday plays the songs of Barbara Dane!
Join us for a soul-stirring evening as Girl Friday brings the powerful protest songs and bluesy ballads of Barbara Dane to life. With heartfelt vocals and vintage charm, this tribute celebrates the voice of a true folk legend. Don’t miss this moving homage to a musical trailblazer!

The Groovetones
2025-05-25 16:00 - 23:30
Still brandishing the same uptempo energetic and often frenetic Jumpin’ Blues and Jazz, Lindsay Davies (Double Bass and Vocals), Adrian Sims (Tenor Saxophone) and Alexander W Sims (4-string Guitar) combine with Gerry Nelson (Piano) to create a vibe that the punters can’t help but get involved with.This quartet will certainly immerse you in the Groovetones spirit.

The Stetson Family
2025-05-24 21:00 - 23:30
“They blend like one of the legendary bluegrass or country families…their best material yet.” Rick Moore, American Songwriter, Los Angeles

The Stetson Family walk the line between alt-country and bluegrass with their free-wheeling, spirited songs, awash with soaring harmonies. Described in American Songwriter Magazine as “champions of fresh bluegrass but with a bedraggled soul of rock and roots,” the band takes their audience on a journey down life’s crooked highway.
They are regulars on the Melbourne music scene, the national festival circuit and everything in between, and their festival harmony workshops are inspiring and often culminate with participants joining them onstage.

This show is proudly supported by the Victorian Government through the Community Support Fund and Creative Victoria delivered by Music Victoria.

Fidel Monk
2025-05-23 20:30 - 23:30
Critically-acclaimed entertainer Fidel Monk has been touring, performing, and writing music since 1994. His booming voice and hard-driving rhythms have mesmerised audiences around the world.
He has recorded and shared the stage with countless renowned musicians including Bobby McFerrin, Fat Mike (NOFX), Ross Hannaford (Daddy Cool), Mick Thomas (Weddings, Parties, Anything), Clare Bowditch, Rory McLeod, The Go Set, Jordie Lane, The Real Mckenzies, Bill Chambers, Shane Howard, and Blue Grassy Knoll. Fidel has written, produced and contributed to over 20 full-length studio albums and received extensive airplay on ABC, PBS and RRR radio. Founding member of 90s Folk bands “Mongolian Fishmongers”, “Not The Wolf” and “McAlpine’s Fusiliers”.
Well-crafted songs and high energy showmanship led him to appear at major festivals including mainstage performances at Port Fairy Folk Festival, Queenscliff Music Festival, Apollo Bay Music Festival, Portland Music Festival (USA), and Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival (UK).
Fidel’s powerful delivery defies expectation for a one-man show, blending floor-stomping blues, smooth swing and story-telling country songs garnished with dark ale and witty banter. He grew up in a rural town in Wathaurong country, Victoria, and now resides in the remote Kangaroo Island community where he writes and records songs imbued with saltwater and solitude.

Phil Smith
2025-05-22 20:00 - 23:30
Phil Smith is a singer-songwriter based in Castlemaine, Australia. Drawing inspiration from the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Van Morrison, his songwriting is rooted in storytelling—capturing his own version of events with honesty and heart. A dedicated craftsman of song, he continues to evolve with each release, always chasing a deeper connection through music.
He’s recently completed work on his sixth album, Vesper Hymns, which is currently being mixed and is expected for release towards the end of 2024.

Reuben Ishrahm plays the songs of Chris Stapleton
2025-05-20 20:00 - 23:30
Reuben Ishrahm dives deep into the soulful sounds of Chris Stapleton, delivering a heartfelt set of songs by one of country music’s modern greats. Grit, gravel, and golden tones – this one’s for fans of raw emotion and powerhouse vocals.

The Subliminals
2025-05-18 18:30 - 23:30
The Subliminals live at The Poet!

Grace King
2025-05-14 20:00 - 23:30
Grace King has an eclectic love of music, homemade and raw songwriting.

The Danny Walsh Banned
2025-05-10 21:00 - 23:30
The Danny Walsh Banned have been playing fever-pitched shows and jumping on tables for over a dozen years, serving up country-soul and rock’n’roll flavours infused with a touch of 70s Aussie boogie that will probably have you dancing on the tables, too.

“Walsh’s lyrics depict each landscape and emotional swirl with the caress of a bona fide bush poet…looking back and yearning ahead”’ – Forte Mag

Traditional Irish Music Session
2025-05-09 18:00 - 23:30
Every Friday, our traditional Irish music session will get you going just right for your Friday night!

The Burning Bridges
2025-05-04 16:00 - 23:30
The Burning Bridges are an old-school family string band with a repertoire that reaches back to the bedrock of American country music, including old-time Appalachian fiddle tunes, country/folk harmony duets (The Carter Family, The Louvin Brothers, Ralph Stanley, The Delmore Brothers), bluegrass, alt-country, and an expanding catalogue of classic-sounding original songs and tunes written by Fran,Tom and Peter.
The band appears regularly at national folk and bluegrass festivals and at venues of distinction across Victoria and beyond, and have released three albums to date, the most recent, Whipporwill, in August 2023.
Members include Peter Somerville (banjo/ guitar/ vocals), Fran Martin (guitar/ vocals), and rising fiddle maestro Tom Somerville (fiddle/ guitar), joined by special guest Maxine Sutcliffe on bull fiddle.

Reeves & Stevens
2025-05-03 21:00 - 23:30
Kier Stevens and T.K Reeves come to The Poet for this special duo show!
Don’t miss this!

Jess Parker
2025-04-30 21:00 - 23:30
Earth-wandering, guitar-slingin’ whiskey drinker from Campbells Creek, VIC.

Yolanda Ingley plays the songs of John Lennon
2025-04-29 20:00 - 23:30

Ingrid Saker plays the songs of Hendrix
2025-04-22 20:00 - 23:30

CLOSED FOR EASTER
2025-04-20 08:00 - 2025-04-30 23:30
The Drunken Poet will be closed on Easter Sunday.
We look forward to seeing you back soon!

Freya Josephine Hollick
2025-04-19 21:00 - 23:30
Born and raised in the historic gold boom center of Ballarat in Western Victoria, Australian Cosmic Country Queen Freya Josephine Hollick has mined a rich alluvial songwriting vein across 3 full-length albums including The Unceremonious Junking Of Me (2015), 2018’s Feral Fusion and most recently 2022’s The Real World.
This show is proudly supported by the Victorian Government through the Community Support Fund and Creative Victoria delivered by Music Victoria.

**CLOSED**GOOD FRIDAY**
2025-04-18 16:00 - 2026-04-17 23:30
The Drunken Poet is closed on Good Friday, 18 April.

Kathleen Halloran
2025-04-16 21:00 - 23:30
Electrifying guitarist/singer/songwriter Kathleen Halloran has well and truly established herself as one of the country’s most exciting rising stars. Educated on stage alongside some of Australia’s biggest names, this triple threat is widely known for her swaggering fretboard flare and irresistible spirit. The launch of her soaring debut single ‘Free with Me’ has seen her sweep through the country with headline shows and appearances on some of our favourite festival stages.

The Acrobats play the songs of The Cure
2025-04-15 20:00 - 23:30
Inspired by The Cure’s stunning new album, Chris Keogh and Tom Caley from The Acrobats bring ‘Two Re-imaginary Boys’ to The Drunken Poet. This show will delve into The Cure’s extensive and eclectic songbook in full acoustic mode. From the early post punk, through their dark and haunting moments, to the pristine pop and everything in between, expect to hear classics and deep cuts that cover the duration of The Cure’s full treasure chest.
