The Drunken Poet is one of Melbourne's best live music venues, providing a unique community atmosphere between musicians and punters. If you are an artist looking to perform at The Drunken Poet, get in contact with us here.
All gigs are FREE ENTRY
A country-soul songwriter with a talent for finding the extraordinary in the everyday, Roz Girvan has been part of Melbourne's roots music community for many years.
The Simpson Three are a high energy Celtic trio from Melbourne. They are award-winning musicians who play predominantly Irish music, with a few interesting flavours! These cheeky siblings sure know how to have fun whilst pumping out tight arrangements of crankin’ tunes and songs.
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James Cisco plays the songs of Willie Nelson![/caption]
Jessie is an Avant-Folk Artist, recently returned to Naarm after several years living in Germany's iconic capital -- Berlin -- and touring Europe, supporting acts like Ocie Elliot, Mathew and The Atlas and The Ocelots.
Jessie has played big festivals (BeKind Festival, Women in (e)Motion) as well as headline tours around Europe and beyond.
She has been featured in 'Rolling Stone Magazine', and on high-rotation and feature slots on Europe and Australia's leading radio stations (DFK, Triple J, Double J, BBC and ABC).
Every Friday Night at The Poet!
Nestled halfway between the blues rock bombast of Ash Grunwald and the genre-mixing folk-roots wizardry of Jeff Lang, Australian steel guitarist KIER STEVENS knits together a raucous weave of hurtful hollering and gutsy guitar work that can take you from old-timey acoustic blues sounds, screaming steel solos, bung ballads, haunting ambient improvisation, and the odd choice Australian cover.
Sometimes sober listeners have variously described his original compositions as bung blues, dirty swamp rock, and even psychedelic bluegrass. KIER STEVENS is a regular fixture on the Melbourne music scene writing and performing with blues band DOGGEREL, acoustic folk-noir duo COME HEAVY SLEEP, nasty spacejazz improvisors THICKEN, and more!
Pat is a favourite at The Poet and brings his legendary tunes to our Saturday afternoon. Pat has toured extensively as guitarist for Irish folk legend Finbar Furey and has had his song "Geraldine's thinking of Galway" recorded by the Furey brothers.
Waz E James returns to the Poet!
Join us on Friday eve for Waz E James, often referred to as ‘Australia’s best kept secret’.
Waz E James will be playing with Scott Wilson at The Drunken Poet, the perfect Saturday night!
A musical storyteller, deeply grounded in the folk traditions Clare Cowley is playing at The Drunken Poet and paying tribute to the legend herself - Patti Smith!
Ingrid achieves a rare balance of vigorous raw emotion and humble greatness, piloting the band down pathways of expansive creative energy with her songwriting, guitar and singing. A craftful songwriter, her potent and melodic vocals are a vehicle for lyrical brilliance.
Suzie So Blue is a singer-songwriter whose music delves deep into the heart of human emotions with just four strings and the truth. Blending the soulful essence of blues with the storytelling charm of country, Suzie's hypnotic tenor guitar style and evocative vocals create a mesmerising sonic tapestry.
Influenced by luminaries like Yola, Amythyst Kiah, Tracy Chapman, Gillian Welch and Sierra Ferrell, she weaves tales of love and life that resonate with Americana and dark folk enthusiasts.
Suzie So Blue's music is a captivating journey through the landscapes of the human experience, where raw emotions and authentic storytelling come together to create a truly soul-stirring musical experience.
Start your weekend off right, every Friday night we have Trad Irish Music at The Poet!
The Westernairs deliver authentic Country/Honky Tonk and Western Swing music in the traditional 1950s/60s style, covering songs from famous Country artists such as Hank Williams, George Jones, Faron Young, and Marty Robbins, plus other lesser known Country/Hillbilly stars of the 1950s/60s. Their repertoire also includes an ever increasing list of self penned tunes by Kieron himself. The music is guaranteed to have your feet a tappin’ and your body movin’.
Nick Charles is known internationally as “Australia’s virtuoso of acoustic roots and blues”. His 35+ year career has seen him accumulate every conceivable accolade including Port Fairy Artist of the Year and The AGE Blues album of the year.
He’s toured with artists including John Hammond, Guy Clarke, Ralph McTell, Robyn Ford and BB King touring the US 13 times in recent years and releasing over 20 albums worldwide.
This is dazzling fingerpicking roots magic and a lifetime’s stories and songs from the world’s musical highways. In the words of Bruce Elder from the Sydney Morning Herald “he plays guitar like an angel!”
The Tipplers return to The Poet - bringing all sorts of goodness and greatness to our Sunday eve.
R.R Grenville and the Mooncats play the songs of Fats Waller
Rob Grenville is an veteran in the Melbourne Roots scene: Jazz, Swing, R&B and Country. As the guitar player for the Moonee Valley Drifters, he covers the Honky Tonk tunes.
Cathy Dobson is an award winning Melbourne based singer/songwriter/guitarist. She has been recognised by the Australian Songwriting Association for Songwriting Excellence.
Cathy has released 5 albums and has a new album-“Sundowner Drive”- due for release soon. It’s a concept album of co-writes with Angus Gill.
Her previous albums are “Prodigal Chile”, “Ball and chain”, “Tales of a suburban housewife”, “A farmer’s lullaby” and “Living in Mediocreville”.
Many of Cathy’s songs have regularly reached the country music charts of “The Australian radio”, OZ Music and the “Campfire publishing”.
Cathy has worked with Khristian Mizzi, Luke O”Shea, Allan Caswell, Angus Gill and Charles Jenkins.
Adelaide Based Americana artist, Paula Standing, has been working in the recording studio on
new material over the past year. Kicking off an interstate tour in Melbourne with a fresh gig at The
Drunken Poet, Standing is returning after a lengthy hiatus due to two C words. One, the pandemic
and also a short spell of breast cancer.
Now on the road to recovery, Paula Standing is keen to hit the real road and spread the word of
her new album to be released in 2025. This follows on from her past album “The More I Give”
which was extremely successful in the USA roots charts when it was released in 2021.
This new collection of telling songs will take you to places in your heart, that you may have
forgotten. In a world spinning out of control, come and be reacquainted with warmth and hope.
*** Sign up from 5pm / Music from 7pm ***
Every Friday night, to start your weekend right!
The Backyard Banjo Club is a four-piece trad-jazz/bluegrass bonanza. Think Tom Waits meets Django Reinhardt and plays a jazz cover of a Radiohead tune. High energy up-tempo jazz and the occasional sultry ballad, good times guaranteed.
Melbourne based Rockabilly band the ATOMIC HI-TONES packs every show with energy, great music and high octane entertainment.
20 years of Atomic gigging has been action packed for the guys with regular and constant appearances all round Australia and New Zealand in the Hot Rod, Festival and Rockabilly scenes, plus support for international acts such as Reverend Horton Heat & Lee Rocker from the Stray Cats.
Come along and check them out, they promise you a great night.
The Distant South weave tales from life’s rich tapestry, into melody and harmony-soaked songs, brought to life through a rich blend of guitar, banjo, double bass, lap steel, mandolin, and drums.
Led by Singer, songwriter and storyteller Nick Howells, The Distant South’ songs lean heavily on experiences from Nick’s unconventional upbringing - and his struggles as an adult dealing with the contrasting worlds of a career in the corporate world and being a musician at heart. From being born to an engineer and folk singer parents, to living in a series of share farms and communities, going to school in Nimbin in the late 70’s - moving to colonial Hong Kong complete with high rise living and a formal British education - Nick’s childhood was anything but traditional.
The seemingly constant juxtaposition in Nick’s childhood and adult life have provided fertile grounds for song writing content - and his lifelong love of acoustic singer/songwriters with a leaning to the alternative side of Country - led to the formation of The Distant South with long-time musical collaborator, Brad Partridge. The band incorporates some of Melbourne’s finest musicians including Renee Bufton, Pete Reno, John Otis and Tim Cav.
Daryl Roberts & Hey Gringo have performed across Oz and internationally for over 30 years with their fun tongue in cheek, catchy blues, funky soul and roots music with choice favourites to get the audience involved in the vibe.
Hey Gringo have just released their 8th album "Keep On Moving" of original songs together with previous albums have charted up to No 2 on The Oz Blues & Roots Airplay Charts. Daryl also plays keyboard with Oz legends Spectrum, performed and written songs with renown Oz legends Ross Wilson (Daddy Cool/Modo Rock), American Blues Legend Jimmy Witherspoon and performed internationally from Amsterdam to New Orleans and Tokyo to Clarkesdale Mississippi.
