Sat 25th July 8pm
King Maxwell is bringing his Vintage Blues Machine back to Major Tom’s this winter.
Designed for the purpose of helping people feel good. Fuelled by the blue and bluesy jazz of 20’s, 30’s & 40’s. Played by two cats from the country
Sat 18th July 8:30pm
After honing their chops in every dive bar, saloon and honky tonk in Naarm, sorcerers of twang, Acid Arrow are set to launch their new single “Drop Your Shoulders Down”, a slow-burn crooner that aches as much as it soothes. Riding the knife’s edge between struggle and surrender, the track leans into life’s trials and the quiet strength we all need at times.
A follow up to their psyche drenched debut single "Then it Rains" that received national community radio support from RRR/PBS/4ZZZ/2SER and beyond, Acid Arrow are rollicking around Victoria and the East Coast, with rag-tag band with members borrowed from Cash Savage & the Last Drinks, Eaten By Dogs, The Baudelaires and Orville Brody.
Joining them on the night will be tragedelic troubadour from Lockwood, Gus Wilde
Sat 11th July 8:30pm
The Moosejaw Rifle Club was formed in 2008 at a friend’s party when a disgruntled neighbour pulled the circuit breaker out of the power board to kill the music. Acoustic instruments were found and played and the band was formed. Arriving at their name following a rigorous process involving names in a hat and the voting say so of many interested and not so interested friends, the band began writing songs that initially largely told the history of the 33,000 person strong Saskatchewan town in Canada, Moose Jaw. The question has, understandably be posed a number of times as to why? A satisfactory answer has never been proffered. Playing acoustic instruments, guitar, mandolin, banjo, double bass and percussion, the Moosejaw Rifle Club create lively, foot tappy, thigh slappy, head bobby sounds that bring smiles to people’s faces. If they’re known for anything at all, it’s their harmonies. The lads lock in to create layered, melodic and harmonic loveliness. Their sets are mostly comprised of originals with the occasional traditional track thrown in for good measure. A strength of the band has always been multiple song writers, singers and to some extent, styles, ranging from folk, country, rock elements and bluegrass. This gig at Major Tom marks the return of original bass player Aaron Robins who has returned, albeit briefly from his home land of Canada bringing 'the Jaw' out of self imposed isolation to play some music together again. Twill be grand.
Sat July 4th 8pm
Gothic country rock group Badlanders are Van Walker (guitar and vocals) Nick O'Mara (Raised by Eagles, lead guitar, lap steal), mick Stylianou (Saint Jude/Double Agents, Bass), Camilla Hodgkins (Perch Creek/Boof! Keys) and Dave Rose (Joni Lightening/Zebras Drums/Accordion). Mixing brooding murder ballads with joyous singalong rock music is a salve for dark times.
Hard Sometimes at Lulie Tavern
Fountain Lakes are Jac Tonks and Emma Heeney. With playful songwriting and lush harmonies, the pair create the romance and foreboding of girl groups of the 1960s, their songs are both sweet and dark cautionary tales.
Fountain Lakes - Castaway
Sat 27th June 8pm
Before Sweet Talk head to the United States for a national run with The Red Clay Strays, the band are making one last run at home for a handful of Victorian headline shows.
The Duty Free Tour feels a little like the end of one chapter and the start of another — the last chance to catch the band in sweaty rooms, up close, before things get a whole lot bigger and a whole lot louder.
Maybe they come back cultured and sophisticated.
Maybe they come back banned from several airports.
Too early to tell.
What is certain is these will be the band’s final local headline shows for a while. Loud amps. Cheap beers. New songs. Old mates. Bad decisions.
Fresh off the release of “Ride Out On Me” and deep into recording their next chapter, Sweet Talk are heading into these shows with the kind of energy that only exists when a band feels like it’s standing on the edge of something bigger.
Sat 6th June 8pm
The Late Entrants joined by The Presbyterians.
What do you get when you cross Malmsbury’s best folk/indie/rock band with Castlemaine's best and most popular party band? You get Sat June 6th at Major Toms!
Start the night on the dance floor with The Presbyterians:
“Dear party parishioners, for your viewing pleasure, The Presbyterians (Castlemaine) now bring you a story as old as time. It’s all about the Dance. The first Dance. The Bau B’ Bau! That which caused all of reality to burst into existence. That which keeps us spinning and swirling inwardly towards each other inexorably for an eternity. Only this time, it’s got growling vocals, sweeping guitars, the baying of wild animals and the pounding heartbeat of the universe itself. The Dance is within all of us….will you join in?”
Then kick back and relax with The Late Entrants:
The Late Entrants continue to fearlessly explore indie folk, rock, and electro sounds, creating a genre-bending style that is famously difficult for the band to describe, but memorable to those who bears witness.
You’ll laugh, you’ll dance and you’ll cry due to the peerless beauty of lyrics and music inspired by tragic personal events, perfect moments, and life’s daily grind. Creating catchy memorable hooks that stay with you.
Sat 23rd May 8pm
Melbourne-based, 7-piece soul-funk outfit Steppers are proud to present a body of work truly representative of their unspoken dialect; a sonic language communicated in groove, translated through dance.
Unhindered by any one mode or method of creation, their 6-track debut album launches Saturday 23 May at Major Tom's, Kyneton, with the full weight of their combined experience and musicality.
Led by the beats and vocals of the esteemed Reginald AK, Steppers boldly anchors their ties to the Australian music scene (The Bamboos, Melbourne Ska Orchestra, Ausecuma Beats, Bumpy, Kylie Auldist) using Rhodes, Telecaster and a unique strand of bass-driven & horn-laden cadence to solidify their distinctive take on soul, funk & RnB.
Truly the product of their Fitzroyal upbringing, Steppers speak their own language, creating an experience greater than the sum of its parts.
The groove is deep.
Comparison is unfair.
Steppers have arrived.
Sat 9th May 8pm
MATTHEW COLIN brings with him the philosophy of history’s great songwriters “a song and a friend for every mile behind”. It’ll only take listening to one or two lines to find a writer of considered craft, values nested in a time of country folk music when all that mattered was the song itself.
Based out of Castlemaine, on Djarra Country, Matthew is cycling into a phase of reconnection to his long and varied musical life. As one new fan remarked upon hearing his story “some folks get dealt a hand, you’ve been dealt a whole fucking deck”. It’s with this world-worn philosophy that Matthew seeks to offer an alternative beyond the panopticon of an arts space so often lacking in depth, realism, nuance, and most valuably, genuine caretaking for the hearts and minds of the community that can be drawn together around an idea. It is a firmly held belief that the game is broken, that as a result we are broken people, that it is time now to heal, to reconnect, and to come back and sit by the fire.
Felicity Cripps is a singer-songwriter based on Dja Dja Wurrung Country, crafting music that feels both intimate and otherworldly. Her songs carry a mystical, hypnotic quality, weaving together rich lyrical storytelling with a distinctly psychedelic folk sensibility.
Often collaborating with other musicians, she expands her sound into ethereal sonic landscapes that contrast beautifully with the raw honesty at the core of her work. These layered arrangements highlight her focus on atmosphere as much as narrative, creating immersive listening experiences.
As a solo performer, Felicity returns her songs to their original form—stripped back to acoustic guitar and voice—where their emotional depth and lyrical strength take centre stage. A true storyteller of our times, her music invites listeners into a space that is both deeply personal and quietly transcendent.
Fri May 1st 8pm
Genre-bending slide guitarist Dan Musil plays like no-one else, weaving otherworldly musical journeys and with incisive songwriting. Dan returns to old stomping ground - to the town he played his first paid teenage gig, for a show to help launch his long-awaited EP.
Melding masterful lap steel guitar and dobro with songwriting both honest and astute, Dan’s new EP journeys to where Irish tunes emerge from stomping blues, where eucalyptus-infused musical meditations meet driving groove & flowing phrase - the provocative and the calming.
Award-winning songwriter, Lucy Wise creates music that gently opens a door you didn’t realise was closed. Blending contemporary folk and pop sounds, she combines poetic lyricism and intricate guitar with emotional insight. With over 15 years’ experience, she has toured internationally and earned major accolades, including Solo Artist of the Year at the 2024 Australian Folk Music Awards.