Friday main:
Justin Fermino and the Handle Bars
The Handle Bars really know how to handle bars. Their music echoes back to the glory days on Bourbon St, New Orleans when jazz was hot and the beers were cold. Whilst encapsulating the diversity and liveliness of Melbourne’s music scene this band is a collaborative between some of this towns finest swingers.
Expect stomping Kansas City blues, red hot dixieland and shuffling jump jive and no doubt, a good time, in a bar near you.
Friday late AND Saturday main:
Andrew Dickeson’s
Blue Rhythm Band
Drawing upon the tradition of Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Jimmy Lunceford and others – this band is the real deal for swing music.
The Blue Rhythm Band has impressed dancers at SLX, the Little Big Weekend, Jazz with Ramona, the Small Ball, Canberrang, Jumptown Jam, and Jazz BANG just to name a few! They are without a doubt, Australia’s most popular and in-demand band for swing dancers.
Saturday late:
the Georgia Brooks Band
After having a blast at last year’s MLX Friday Late Night, The Georgia Brooks Band is back with a fine band of musicians for your late night dancing needs.
She’ll be joined by the same swinging rhythm section as 2023 – Sean Loughran (drums), Robbie Finch (double bass) and Steve Grant (keys), as well as the amazing Jon Hunt (saxophone) who is just back from playing with Gordon Webster at Jeju Swing Camp (South Korea).
Sunday main: Eamon McNelis’s The Skellingtons
Led by award-winning trumpeter and singer Eamon McNelis, The Skellingtons have become a regular fixture on Australia’s swing dancing scene: featuring at Canberräng, at Jumptown Jam (collaborating with pianist Gordon Webster), at The Wangaratta Jazz Festival and *very nearly* (until Eamon came down with an ill-timed case of the ‘rona last year) at the 2023 Melbourne Lindy Exchange.
We’re going to set things right in 2024 though: playing tunes from the catalogues of Billie Holiday, Lil Hardin, Duke Ellington, Jelly Roll Morton, and Hoagy Carmicheal and more, The Skellingtons will have you moving to their own energetic, swinging take on the jazz music of the 1930’s and 1940’s.
Eamon McNelis was the 2010 winner of the National Jazz Award for Brass and is known for his work with Chris Tanner’s Virus, Flap!, The Big Idiot Club, JAZZPARTY, The Meltdown, Chonk!, and many others.
Featuring Justin Fermino on saxophone (Cope Street Parade, The Handle Bars), Jono Brown on double bass (The Railway Gang, The Roadhouse Romeos), Ryan Griffith on guitar (Ryan Griffith Trio, Shamdoogie) and a rare Melbourne appearance from the incredible Sydney drummer Abby Constable.
Our awesome DJs
What's a party without DJs? Definitely not MLX's 21st birthday party! Here are the DJs that know exactly how to get you dancing.
Andrew McLelland
Finishing School
Sunday late:
Iconic Melbourne DJs
SPECIAL EVENT
Andrew McLelland
Finishing School
vs
Richie1250
Slow Grind Fever
DJ Andrew McClelland is one of Australia’s most celebrated party DJs. From rock to pop, soul to indie, dance to R&B, and from the 40s to today, Andrew knows how to play party tunes to get any crowd moving. Since 2005 Andrew has brought his unique mixture of DJing and enthusiastic, inclusive dancing to festivals, clubs, events and weddings all over Australia and the world. Andrew has also played as support for Robbie Williams, Hot Dub Time Machine and Cher hand-picked him as her only support act for her 2018 16-date stadium tour.
His regular club night Mr McClelland’s Finishing School is in its 16th year and looks to be keeping the party going for many years to come. He also performs private, community, charity and special events wherever he is called upon.
Richie1250 has presented his strange and luxurious radio program STONE LOVE on PBS FM since 2006 and run his SLOW GRIND FEVER dances since 2013. Slow Grind Fever started when Richie hired a Russian Cultural Centre ballroom and threw a slow dance party for his 30th birthday. With a mountain of pickles and cheese on the table out the back, they turned out all the lights and played the slowest, spookiest, sweetest, swinginest records all night long.
A few months later Slow Grind Fever started as a regular monthly club night in a little room above The Tote Hotel in Collingwood, and the rest is history. An audience member was once heard to say “this guy, he always zigs when you think he’s gonna zag.”
Richie1250
Slow Grind Fever