Artists

Ally is without a doubt one of Sydney’s top female vocalists having launched her professional singing career at age 14 and never looking back. Having fronted several bands and mastering a diverse range of musical styles, in 2012 Ally found her true passion for singing rock music and has gone from strength to strength carving a successful career in the Australian music industry. All the while steeping herself in charity events and raising money for families in the grip of Cancer.

In 2021, Ally captured the attention of many with her stellar and vocally outstanding performance in The Australian Shania Twain Show which has sold-out venues across Australia. Always primed to rise to the occasion, Ally caught the eye of premiere Australian guitarist Peter Northcote who invited her to perform with him on his Iso Gigs which streamed nationally and internationally to great acclaim.

All of her experience and achievements have primed her for this… Classic Rock Live.

The passionate, raw and insatiable Virginia Lillye is a professional vocalist based in Sydney, Australia.

Virginia has wooed audiences across Australia and internationally, having shared the stage with Gene Simmons (KISS), Richie Kotzen (Poison), Gilby Clarke (Guns N’ Roses), Dave Gleeson (The Screaming Jets), Angry Anderson (Rose Tattoo), Mark Gable (The Choirboys), Steve Balbi (Noiseworks), Alex Smith (Moving Pictures), John Butler, Dan Sultan, Irwin Thomas (Southern Sons), John Paul Young, Paul Gray (Wa Wa Nee), Jon English, Wendy Matthews, Grace Knight, Phil Emmanuel, Peter Northcote, Brett Garsed (John Farnham), Bob Spencer (The Angels), Dave Leslie (Baby Animals), Dario Bortolin (Baby Animals) and Ciaran Gribbin (INXS) to name but a few…. she is a force to be reckoned with.

Having lived in Europe for 11 years, Virginia appeared in productions of the musicals ‘Cats’, ‘Grease’, ‘Hair’, ‘Fame’, ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ and ‘The Life’. She rocked her way to top 20 on ‘The Voice Australia’, was one of 9 Australian female singers chosen to be the face of Chrissy Amphlett’s (The Divinyls) ‘I Touch Myself’ campaign for breast cancer awareness and has been the voice for many companies such as Mercedes Benz. Volkswagen, Christian Dior and Telstra.

Virginia’s original rock band, ‘Lillye’ have won several awards internationally and were nominated for ‘Best Rock Artist’ and ‘Best Hardcore/Metal Artist’ at the Australian Independent Music Awards.

‘Virginia is one of the greatest female vocalists that this planet has ever produced!‘ – Heavy Magazine

Susannah Mirana is an Australian singer, original artist and international performer. Known for her incredible voice, great versatility and stage presence, her shows are compelling, dynamic and inspired.

Constantly experimenting and evolving, Susannah has spent the past twenty years working with the best in the industry. She has mastered an impressive range of musical styles to thrilling effect. It’s the combination of an incredible voice, all-round ability and a natural charm that make her such a commanding artist. A consummate performer, comfortable with audiences of any size, from small rooms to magnificent theatres to stadiums, Susannah has performed for Prime Ministers, Royalty, and at major sporting events, and has been the support act for iconic Australian artists including Daryl Braithwaite.

A multi-faceted ‘chameleon-like’ artist, her classical-trained voice provides for a diverse body of work ranging from cabaret to rock, alt pop/rock and jazz and has performed in tribute shows across the country to major acts including, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Elton John and Fleetwood Mac.

Brydon Stace is widely recognised as one of Australia’s most accomplished vocalists, performers and composers. Upon leaving school he was offered a Vocal Scholarship to Tewkesbury Abbey in England and later returned to Australia to study at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music majoring in Voice.

Brydon performed in the Berlioz Requiem at the Sydney Opera House and was the Baritone Soloist in Faure’s Requiem for the Sydney Chamber Choir. From there Brydon went on to musicals playing the role of Doody in “Grease the Arena Spectacular” and sang with INXS in “Tim Rice’s Concert Spectacular”. In May of 2011 he received critical acclaim as the lead singer recreating one of the greatest albums of all time, Meat Loaf’s “Bat Out of Hell” for Classic Albums Live.

Brydon has had numerous TV and concert appearances including The Midday Show, Good Morning Australia with Bert Newton, Mornings with Kerry-Anne and Carols in the Domain. He performed at the Helpmann Awards on Fox 8 and was a soloist at the Premier’s Gala Christmas Concert at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.

In 1998 Brydon set up Hyperactive Music and became one of Sydney’s leading session singers and composers. He can regularly be seen live in Sydney at The Basement, The Vanguard, Notes, The Brass Monkey and on Sunday afternoons with DRIVE. Brydon also branched out into event entertainment and is Co-owner and Director of one of the UK’s most successful corporate entertainment companies SMA Productions.

At the age of 16, Miranda Carey (then Murphy) came runner up on Channel 7’s Popstars Live. Developing an international fan base led to a recording contract with Universal Music, releasing a single that debuted at number 19 on the ARIA charts, and writing and recording with songwriters from Sweden & LA.

After nearly a decade of circling the Sydney music scene, and touring across Australia promoting her own music, Miranda’s relaxed into the role of a professional vocalist expressing her love for pop, soul and R&B music from artists we all love, as well as developing her own original music.

Miranda has shared the stage with some incredible local and international artists, has sung at numerous festivals and charity events, performed into the wee hours of the morning in various bars and clubs, and graced the small screen on many occasions. However, her main focus is her own music which has made waves in the in the 80’s revival/synthwave scene. The release of her EP ‘Fast Forward’ led to artist collaborations in Sweden, Germany and England and features on internationally released compilations.

Robyn Loau’s exotic voice has made its way into homes across Australia, Asia and Europe, through her solo releases, as the face and voice of world music project Siva Pacifica and as lead singer of pop group ‘Girlfriend’. Her critically acclaimed solo debut ‘Malaria: The Lost Album’ (featuring the hit single ‘Sick With Love’) received a 4 star review from Rolling Stone Magazine who proclaimed Robyn ‘a serious diva in waiting’.

As an arranger, Robyn co-ordinated and arranged the vocals of the indigenous South Pacific tribes featured on world music project Siva Pacifica (commissioned by Virgin Records in France and released by National Geographic in the UK). Robyn’s acting career includes star turns in the top 10 film Idiot Box (opposite Ben Mendelsohn and Jeremy Sims), feature film ‘Somewhere In The Darkness’ and popular TV shows including Wildside, Neighbours and All Saints.

In 2014 Robyn wrote and starred in the stage show ‘No Ordinary Girlfriend’ at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival. Her latest album ‘Only Human’ featured input from popular international artists Skin from Skunk Anansie, Adamski and Josh ‘Addicted to Bass’ Abrahams. Robyn is an ambassador for charity Nordoff Robbins (music therapy). She has won 2 AMA Awards for Best Selling Single & Most Popular Artist.

Andy Byrnes has been performing, touring, recording and composing music for over 35 years working with countless award-winning acts around the globe, as well as touring internationally with The Moffs, The Clouds, Tribal Drify and Loonaloop. Andy has developed a unique and multifaceted style of interpreting and performing music and is primarily self-taught alongside studies at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. His range of knowledge across many styles means that he brings a unique versatility and authenticity to his performance.

Starting out on the drums at the age of 14, Andy continues to diversify in a variety of hand percussion instruments including Indian tabla, darbuka, and Latin percussion. Alongside performing Andy has also taught percussion for over 30 years.

Andy has worked in studio production with Vanda & Young (ACDC, The Easybeats), Bob Malone (John Fogerty), Kirk Pengilly (INXS), Mark McEntee (Divinyls) to name only a few and continues to tour with his own act Loonaloop which he created in collaboration with past band members.

Luke played his first gig in a bar at 17 years old and never stopped. As a touring session guitarist, he has played all over Australia with a long list of artists including Shannon Noll, Mi-Sex, Jon Stevens, Steve Balbi (Noiseworks), Dave Faulkner (Hoodoo Gurus), Doug Parkinson, Glenn Shorrock, Angry Anderson (Rose Tattoo), Sarah McLeod (Superjesus), Simon Meli (The Voice), Chris Ninni (The Voice) and Iota to name only a few.

Luke is also a member of the French-Australian hard rock band Koritni with whom he did several European tours, supported two studio albums, a live DVD and a collection of B-sides. Highlight gigs included Hellfest – France’s biggest rock festival with the likes of Mötley Crüe, Black Sabbath and Buckcherry. Other festival dates included shows with Motorhead and Glen Hughes of Deep Purple. Luke played and co-wrote on three albums for the band in total.

Luke fronts his own band Red Dragon Blues and has an album coming out soon which he wrote, produced and engineered himself.

While rock is his spiritual home, Luke’s tastes and capabilities vary widely and include blues, soul, funk, pop, country, rockabilly, alternative, Japanese artists like Sheena Ringo and anything in between. Luke is known for his groove, melodic parts, right hand, bluesy, soulful feel and playing whatever suits the song and the artist.

Joel McDonald is one of Australia’s most exciting and gifted hard rock guitarists. Known for a ferocious command of a Les Paul, he marries an effortless technicality with uncensored and instinctive playing.

On the home front, he is one of the founding members of Frankie’s World Famous House band which has become one of Australia’s longest running hard rock residencies. He has also featured in many publications including Australian Guitar Magazine.

Internationally, Joel has played and toured with members of Guns ‘n’ Roses, Judas Priest, ACDC, Whitesnake, Rose Tattoo and many more. He has also performed on some of the largest European rock festivals including Bang Your Head in Germany.

Most recently in 2021, Joel fronted the Legends and Icons tour celebrating Eddie Van Halen. This show included a guest roster of Australia’s most well-known guitarists and was met with great success.

Dave Molland has performed professionally as a musician for over 20 years. Relocating to Germany in 2009, he toured all over Europe and the globe with his ARIA nominated band Expatriate. They released two studio albums, and toured with such artists as Placebo, Simple Minds, Silverchair, Powderfinger and Something for Kate.

Dave currently resides in Australia, working as an in demand freelance bassist across the Sydney music scene.

Paul Najar is an Australian composer, producer, performer, audio engineer and educator. Equally at home writing music scores for musicians to perform live or in the studio, performing on stages across the globe, recording music productions with live musicians or creating the illusion of the same using his considerable skills as a piano/keyboard player (and a healthy dose of cutting-edge music production technology) – or a combination of all the above!

As a composer with more than 30 years’ experience and over 300 major projects under his belt, Paul has gained immense expertise in creating great music in a broad range of styles and genres. His work spans the fields of film, television, radio, theatre and dance. Selected composition credits include the Baz Luhrmann film “Moulin Rouge”, TV shows “Neighbours”, “Fat Pizza”, “Fit Kidz” and “Aria and Pasta”, TV station themes for Channel 9 and cable networks Teleitalia and Adults Only, as well as compositions for brands such as Apple, The Australian National Maritime Museum and Telstra.

Paul has been a sort after record producer for over two decades calling on all his skills in composition, song writing, audio engineering and musician to achieve international top ten hits in Europe with the artist Amba and other chart success with his work for Engine Room Music with artists Holly Valance, The Vines, Carla Werner and Lash.

Michael is a multi-instrumentalist, Producer and Musical Director, who composes, produces and performs numerous styles of popular music, including theatre, rock, jazz and orchestral.

Michael has had a diverse career in television, film, live and recorded music, working alongside well-known Australian artists including Dami Im, Shannon Noll, and Samantha Jade. Several of Michael’s productions have achieved ARIA Gold and Platinum status.

In 2018, Michael composed the soundtrack to the Opening Ceremony of the XXI Commonwealth Games, including an orchestral piece performed by Queensland Symphony Orchestra composed for the arrival of the Queen’s Baton received by Prince Charles. The following year, Michael co-produced the soundtrack to the feature film “I Am Woman” which won Best Original Soundtrack at the 2020 ARIA awards.

In 2021 Michael composed music for DreamWorks, and his music has been featured on Stan, Netflix, as well as for the World Expo in Dubai, UAE.

Jamie Messenger is a composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist based in Melbourne, Australia. Jamie has composed music for every major Australian symphony orchestra, collaborated with many of the country’s most successful artists including Sia and the Hilltop Hoods and composed soundtracks to award winning Film and TV projects.

Jamie began his musical life studying classical piano. Despite showing promise as a classical pianist, it was his love of orchestral music and in particular film music that turned him on to studying composition. During his time at Adelaide University Jamie learnt the art of orchestration, studying under leading Australian composer Graeme Koehne and achieving first class honours.

His instinct for orchestral composition and combined skills as both arranger and performer saw him working with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (ASO) before even completing his degree. Messenger soon became an integral part of the ASO’s Showtime series of concerts both performing and arranging. In this capacity he arranged the music of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Queen, Jeff Buckley, Muse and Radiohead to name just a few. His prodigious skill in orchestration and fast, flexible work ethic led to composing and arranging for every leading symphony orchestra in the country (SSO, MSO, ASO, WASO, TSO, QSO, DSO).

Jamie has worked as a session keyboardist performing alongside many of Australia’s rock royalty including Glenn Shorrock (Little River Band), Ross Wilson (Daddy Cool) and Doc Neeson (The Angels).

In 2005 Jamie collaborated with singer and songwriter Sia, performing on piano, singing backup vocals, arranging and conducting a cover of Radiohead’s Paranoid Android. The track appeared on the album Exit Music: Songs With Radio Heads, and also featured on an episode of the popular US TV show The O.C. (S04 E07)

In 2006 Jamie began working with Australia’s most successful hip hop group, Hilltop Hoods, composing the orchestral score for the album The Hard Road: Restrung. The album subsequently went on to win the “Best Urban” Aria Award and achieved gold record status. This spawned a ten year collaboration with the Hilltop Hoods with Messenger arranging, composing and performing on their subsequent four album releases.

Messenger’s strong interest in film music was the inspiration for his first major commission, Music For An Absent Film. The piece was written for a large symphony orchestra and choir and the live performance, recorded in the Adelaide Town Hall, has been actively requested on ABC classic FM. This led to a number of other commissions including a series of fanfares for the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.

Jamie has composed soundtracks for many short films, four of which have gone on to receive AFI/AACTA nominations (Spike Up, The Not-So-Great Eugene Green, The Orchestra and Reg Makes Contact). Jamie has also composed for television networks ABC, Nickelodeon and Sesame Street and a national advertising campaign for Choices Flooring.

2015 saw the release of a five-year collaboration with director/animator Mikey Hill. The 15-minute animated short film The Orchestra is set in a world where everyone has a team of musicians following them around playing a soundtrack to their lives. The complicated soundtrack won awards locally and internationally, winning the award for Best Original Score at St Kilda Film Festival and in Spain, the Jerry Goldsmith Award for Best Original Score in an Animated Short Film. The Orchestra won over 35 awards throughout its international festival run.

Messenger’s latest collaboration with the Hilltop Hoods Drinking From The Sun, Walking Under Stars Restrung was released in February 2016 and debuted at number one around Australia. Messenger composed the orchestral and choral scores for the entire album and in April was Musical Director for the national stadium tour, playing keyboards alongside the Hilltop Hoods and Australia’s leading Symphony Orchestras and Choirs. The Hilltop Hoods went on to win the ARIA award for the Best Australian Live Act for the Restrung Tour.

In 2018 Jamie began work on the long running television series Neighbours in the role of both composer and music supervisor. In this role Jamie composes and places music for over 250 half hour episodes of television every year.

In 2019 Jamie composed a soundtrack to a 7-part documentary series and feature film called The Bikes Of Wrath by Katering Show director Cameron Ford. He has also continued working with orchestras around the country, creating an arrangement for the MSO of selections from Disney, Pixar, Fox, Marvel and Star Wars films for Disney’s 2019 showcase.

Jamie is currently working as composer for Neighbours, as well as a couple of other projects to be announced in 2021.

“It was in Messenger’s impressive contributions as singer, keyboardist, arranger and composer that this concert broke new ground.” — The Australian

You may or may not know Pete Northcote – but you certainly have heard him!

Arguably the most recorded guitarist in Australian history, and winner of the 2007 Musicoz Best Instrumentalist Award, turn on the TV and he plays on 90% of the ads you see and hear, pick your favourite show and there is a good chance he played guitar on the track or wrote the music. Peter can also be heard in the house band on channel 7’s Weekend Sunrise every week.

As for record dates, Pete has recorded with Australian Idol cast albums, Anthony Callea, Bob Downe, Daryl Braithwaite, Doc Neeson, Dragon, Grace Knight, Guy Sebastian, Hi5, Human Nature, Jenny Morris, Jimmy Barnes, Julie Anthony, Marcia Hines, Margaret Urlich, Marc Hunter, Neil Murray, Paul Kelly, Shannon Noll, Sharon O’Neill, Simon Philips and Yothu Yindi to name but a few! Pete has also performed and toured with international acts: Elton John, Cher, Shania Twain, Billy Joel, The Monkeys, Rod Stewart, Bo Diddly and Tom Jones.

Pete’s first solo album Conditions Apply won critical acclaim from virtuoso guitarist Steve Vai (David Lee Roth, Frank Zappa, Whitesnake) and after only one packed house performance at Sydney’s Basement, Conditions Apply is now in its second printing.

His second album Poindexter and The Genius Sex Act is a concept album with a difference. Borne out of the quagmire of Pete’s eclectic but focused imagination, this album is a major turning point in his already expansive career. “More like a pantomime than a gig”, Pete performs the entire album as it is on the disc complete with a running monologue and a few props and surprises thrown in for good measure.

His third album Chill Axe is as the title suggests… a chill out album. Written with café’s, nightclubs and long love making session in mind, Chill Axe was a return to his library/production music catalogue that now spans more than 300 works.

Album number four, Slow Love is a 6 track EP. You’ll like this.

Although somewhat virtuosic, Pete’s music is not your typical ‘widdly widdly’ guitar instrumental. Nor is it the same blues licks you’ve heard guitarists emulate since Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughn. Accessible, melodic, fun and fresh. exciting, assaulting and emotional. Peter’s music will have you tapping into some deep emotional, spiritual and sensual areas of your being whilst at times have you giggling inside at some more than familiar circumstances.

Pete is still happy to make other people famous, but his live shows will have you wondering why he hadn’t done this sooner.

Vanessa enjoys a diverse portfolio of work as a conductor of ballet, musical theatre, concert repertoire and opera.

In 2019, Vanessa conducted Sweeney Todd and Jekyll & Hyde (both starring Anthony Warlow) and an encore national tour of From Broadway to La Scala. In 2021, she conducts the Sydney, Melbourne, Queensland and West Australian Symphony Orchestras in programmes such as Vera Blue, The Bamboos and Birds of Tokyo. Vanessa also leads performances of Opera in the Outback for Opera Queensland and undertakes a major National Tour for the BBC.

Vanessa’s postgraduate study included a Masters in Conducting; she has been the recipient of the Brian Stacey Award and the Robert and Elizabeth Albert Conducting Fellowship for The Australian Ballet.

Conducting credits include:
– The Australian Ballet: The Dream, Body Torque and Nutcracker
– Opera Australia: The Merry Widow, My Fair Lady, South Pacific and La Traviata
– Musical Theatre: Funny Girl (Sydney Symphony Orchestra), Hello Dolly, The Light in the Piazza, The Producers, Damn Yankees, West Side Story, Chicago, The Phantom of the Opera, Titanic, CATS and Fiddler on the Roof.

Vanessa has regularly conducted the Sydney, Queensland, Melbourne, Christchurch, West Australian and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras.  Her concert credits include From Broadway to La Scala, Peter and Jack starring Barry Humphries, Idina Menzel LIVE – Barefoot at the Symphony, Eskimo Joe, and Lea Salonga in Concert.

She was Musical Director for The Divorce (an opera commissioned for television by Opera Australia, Princess Pictures and the ABC) and has been the Helpmann Award’s Music Director for the past 12 years.

In 2018, Vanessa conducted The Merry Widow for Opera Australia, West Australian Opera and Opera Queensland. She also led a symphonic tour of Planet Earth for the BBC and in 2019 she conducted the national tour of Blue Planet 2.