The Allman Brothers Band, Johnny Cash, J.J Cale, Bob Dylan, Hound Dog Taylor, Elmore James, Magic Sam, Skip James, Son House, Albert King, Freddie King, B.B King, The Grateful Dead, Steve Earle, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, John Fogerty, Tony Joe White, Seasick Steve, R.L Burnside, Bachman Turner Overdrive, Neil Young, Daddy Cool, Buddy Miller.
Australia’s best-loved banana picker (turned full‐time guitar picker) 8 Ball Aitken is touring with his award winning third album, ‘REBEL WITH A CAUSE’.
8 Ball Aitken is authentic ‐‐ a real‐deal character who rattles the roof, stomps the planks, and gets his audiences whooping and hollering along in a frenzy of pure exuberance. He plays a sizzling hot blend of original blues, roots & country music. Coming from a farming community in Far North Queensland, 8 Ball Aitken is the oldest son of an impoverished family of twelve children. 8 Ball spent his adolescence on a banana plantation, living in a rough tobacco shed with resident rats, bats, snakes, and spiders as his sleeping companions.
He started work as a farm labourer aged fifteen, doing back‐breakingly hard work on the mango and banana plantations of the Atherton Tablelands, a man's work for a boy's pay. A life‐changing conversation with an Aboriginal elder, who told him he should pursue a career in music, convinced 8 Ball to pack his bags, grab his guitar, and leave the farm to meet his destiny.
8 Ball won a 2009 Q Song Award for his song ‘OUTBACK BOOTY CALL’. Another song, ‘YELLOW MOON’, has won the EMI Music Blues & Roots Song of the Year at the Q Song Awards. His singles ‘CYCLONE COUNTRY’ & ‘HANDS ON TOP OF THE WHEEL’ have both been top 10 country hits around Australia in 2008 / 2009.
‘CYCLONE COUNTRY’ earned 8 Ball a 2009 Golden Guitar award nomination. The first single ‘COWBOY MOVIE’(from album ‘REBEL WITH A CAUSE’) was nominated for the 2009 APRA Blues & Roots Song of The Year, and has received radio airplay around in twenty‐six countries, including charting in the European Country Music Top 40.
8 Ball has taken his unique blues & roots sound to festivals and clubs across the world, including Australia, Europe, Japan and Canada, including Canadian Music Week 2009 and the Stan Rogers Festival. He’s toured in Japan four times, where he headlined the popular Rokko Sun Music Festival. He has played a string of dates in Singapore, the UK (including a live appearance on the BBC), Poland, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway.
Some 8 Ball Aitken festival performances include:
Canadian Music Week (CANADA) - 2009
Stan Rogers Festival (CANADA) - 2009
Rocko Sun Music (JAPAN) - 2008
Inkandsbanan Festival (SWEDEN) - 2009
Country Truckstop Festival (DENMARK) - 2009
East Coast Blues & Roots Festival (Byron Bay) – 2007
Woodford Folk Festival - 2002, 2005
Gympie Muster – 2005, 2008
Tamworth Country Music Festival - 2007, 2008, 2009
Undara Outback Country Rock & Blues Festival 2009
Mud Bulls & Music 2008
Brisbane Festival 2008
Blues At Bridgetown 2008
Australian National Blues Festival (Goulburn) – 2007
Grass Roots Music Festival, Brisbane - 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
Big Sound 2008
Q-Song Awards 2008
Greenfest 2008
Thuringowa River Festival (Townsville) - 2007
Suma Beach Festival (JAPAN) – 2007
Yagubi World Music Festival (Hervey Bay) – 2007
Beenleigh Jamboree – 2007
Roots By The River – 2005, 2006, 2007
Peats Ridge Festival (Sydney) - 2006
Brisbane Blues Festival – 2003, 2004, 2006
Sunshine Coast Blues Festival - 2005, 2006
Earthbeat Festival (Mildura) - 2006
Coastfest (Sydney) – 2006
Groove and Grape Festival (Brisbane) - 2006
Adelaide Fringe Festival – 2006
Melbourne Fringe Festival – 2006
Blues on Broadbeach - 2006
Mackay Festival of the Arts - 2005, 2006
Valley Fiesta (Brisbane) - 2005
Thank you very much for the Link Up & Sharing Your Music Nice to meet you through cyberlink! Keep up the Great Work! Wishes you All the Best in 2009! Enjoy your Week!
Hey Eightball! Glad to see the touring is going well! I've posted some new tunes on my page and would love for you to stop by and have a listen. Have a splendid week!
It was my pleasure to add "Hands on top of the Wheel" to my radio playlist. It was also featured on my weekly podcast introducing new music. The direct link to the show is: http://indiemusicsampler.com/2009/08/28/ims-147/
Blessings, Paul the music lover Indie Music Sampler
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