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SYDNEY BLUES SOCIETY

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Sydney Blues Society Events, that is events we organise, will all be listed here. Note you can switch between list and calendar view.

SBS Events

    • 1 Jun 2023
    • 6:30 PM - 10:30 PM
    • Brass Monkey, Cronulla


    Book your ticket now

    More details coming soon





    • 9 Jul 2023
    • 7:00 PM
    • Lazybones Lounge
    Register

    Solo / Duo Category Prize

    • Solo Prize $1000   

    • Duo Prize $2000 

    Prize to be used towards a return airfare to Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.A or if official health guidelines are in place $1000 per person to be paid towards studio recording time.    

    Band Category Prize

    • $1000 per person maximum $4000 

    Prize to be used towards a return airfare to Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.A. or if official health guidelines are in place $1000 per person towards studio recording time to a maximum of $4000.

    Other Costs

    All other associated costs must be met by The Act.    

    Objective 

    The aim of the Sydney Blues Challenge is to find the best possible blues band /artist/s to represent the Sydney Blues Society at the International Blues Challenge held in January 2024 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, January 16th - 20th 2024.

    Logistics

    Dates

    The Band Contest will be held on the evening of Sunday July 9

    The Solo / Duo Contest will be held on the evening of Sunday July 16 

    Location

    Lazybones Lounge Level 2, 294 Marrickville Rd, Marrickville.

    Applications

    All entries are to be submitted online by Friday June 24 

    No application will be accepted after this date. 

    For any enquiries regarding the Sydney Blues Challenge, 

    call Di Ford on 0428 608 119 or email president@sydneyblues.org

    Challenge Guidelines

    The Blues Challenge is open to any Blues act meeting the criteria below:

    • All members of the act must be at least 18 years old or older

    • All members of the Act must be SBS members 

    • At least one act member must reside in NSW

    • A musician cannot compete in the Band Division and the Solo/Duo Division in the same year.

    • A musician cannot compete in more than one band in the Band Division.

    The SBS reserve the right to accept or refuse The Act by review of their music. 

    The Act will be notified of their eligibility to compete in the Challenge after the closing date.

    All members of The Act must stay at the Sydney Blues Challenge for the whole evening.

    The members of The Act who perform on the night of the Challenge are the performers who will go to Memphis. You cannot substitute players or take different players to Memphis if you win. Disqualification will apply in these circumstances and The Act awarded second place will be appointed as the SBS representative to Memphis.

    In extreme circumstances of sickness or duress, the SBS committee will review changes of membership to The Act going to Memphis. The decision of the committee on the matter will be final.

    The performance time for each band will be determined by a draw made by the SBS committee prior to the Challenge, no performance times shall be changed after this draw.

    Independent judges will judge the Challenge based on the International Blues Challenge Criteria and scores on the night are final.

    The Act will have 25 minutes playing time and will lose points if they play over or under this time.

    Points will be awarded in five categories: blues content, originality, stage presence, talent, and vocals. 

    The Sydney Blues Society Committee has the right to dismiss acts for not complying with the guidelines of the Challenge and for any behaviour before, during or after this contest that brings The SBS into disrepute. 

    The Rules are subject to change if the International Blues Challenge rules change.

    The winning act must show evidence of acceptance to enter the USA by September, or the prize will default to The Act placed second.

    The winning act may only represent the SBS at the International Blues Challenge three times. 

    If for any unforeseen reason The Act is unable to attend the IBC in the USA all monies including the prize, any additional SBS fundraising, and donations will be returned to the SBS.

    What You Have to Do 

    Fill out the online form attaching any photos, digital music, and a bio to be used by SBS for publicity purposes. 

    On the night 

    The Act needs to supply the judges with a set list (3 copies, one for each judge), stating the name of songs performed and the composer of each song. Please highlight any songs written by present or previous band members. 

    Publicity

    The SBS reserves the right to use any contestant's name, voices, pictures, visages, and other likeness for the purpose of advertising, publishing, and promoting the Sydney Blues Challenge.

    Entry Fees 

    To be eligible to enter the Challenge, Acts are required to be members of the SBS this includes Kings Membership.

    Scoring Criteria directly from the IBC website. 

    Blues Content: The sound and feel of the music should be true to any of blues sub-categories: traditional blues, country blues, soul blues, blues rock and/or contemporary blues. Judges will be listening for inspired and original song selections or new takes on blues standards. Creative reach is encouraged.

    Originality: Original work is encouraged. Cover tunes are allowed but playing the recorded rendition lick by lick is discouraged, will not be looked upon favourably by the judges and will be reflected in scoring.

    Acts must indicate if their songs are their own original material (this can be done at the start of the set or before each song as appropriate) and /or identify the covers that they are playing and acknowledge the originator.

    Vocals: The act’s vocal skills to include concepts of tone, musicality, meaning and expression.

    Instrumental Talent: Ability level on all instruments featured within the act.

    Stage Presence: The ability to command the attention of the audience by the impressiveness of one’s manner and appearance on stage. Judges will consider how an act connects with and engages the audience in the music. Proper use of microphones and amplification will be considered.

    Score Weighting: To reflect the relative importance of each category, a band's score is weighted. 

    Raw scores for Blues Content x 4, Originality x 3, and Stage Presence, Instrumental Talent and Vocals x 2. The total in each category represents the Weighted Score for that category.                                              Total possible weighted score is 130. 

    Penalty Points                                                                                                                                                                 

    An Act is penalized one point from its Total Weighted Score for each of the following:

    • Each ten seconds that it runs overtime during the performance.

    • Failing to acknowledge that a song is a cover and/or not giving credit to its originator.

    • Finishing 3 or more minutes before its allotted performance time expires.

    • Excessive time loading-in before and/or loading out after performing.


    • 16 Jul 2023
    • 7:00 PM
    • Lazybones Lounge
    Register

    Solo / Duo Category Prize

    • Solo Prize $1000   

    • Duo Prize $2000 

    Prize to be used towards a return airfare to Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.A or if official health guidelines are in place $1000 per person to be paid towards studio recording time.    

    Band Category Prize

    • $1000 per person maximum $4000 

    Prize to be used towards a return airfare to Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.A. or if official health guidelines are in place $1000 per person towards studio recording time to a maximum of $4000.

    Other Costs

    All other associated costs must be met by The Act.    

    Objective 

    The aim of the Sydney Blues Challenge is to find the best possible blues band /artist/s to represent the Sydney Blues Society at the International Blues Challenge held in January 2024 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, January 16th - 20th 2024.

    Logistics

    Dates

    The Band Contest will be held on the evening of Sunday July 9

    The Solo / Duo Contest will be held on the evening of Sunday July 16 

    Location

    Lazybones Lounge Level 2, 294 Marrickville Rd, Marrickville.

    Applications

    All entries are to be submitted online by Friday June 24 

    No application will be accepted after this date. 

    For any enquiries regarding the Sydney Blues Challenge, 

    call Di Ford on 0428 608 119 or email president@sydneyblues.org

    Challenge Guidelines

    The Blues Challenge is open to any Blues act meeting the criteria below:

    • All members of the act must be at least 18 years old or older

    • All members of the Act must be SBS members 

    • At least one act member must reside in NSW

    • A musician cannot compete in the Band Division and the Solo/Duo Division in the same year.

    • A musician cannot compete in more than one band in the Band Division.

    The SBS reserve the right to accept or refuse The Act by review of their music. 

    The Act will be notified of their eligibility to compete in the Challenge after the closing date.

    All members of The Act must stay at the Sydney Blues Challenge for the whole evening.

    The members of The Act who perform on the night of the Challenge are the performers who will go to Memphis. You cannot substitute players or take different players to Memphis if you win. Disqualification will apply in these circumstances and The Act awarded second place will be appointed as the SBS representative to Memphis.

    In extreme circumstances of sickness or duress, the SBS committee will review changes of membership to The Act going to Memphis. The decision of the committee on the matter will be final.

    The performance time for each band will be determined by a draw made by the SBS committee prior to the Challenge, no performance times shall be changed after this draw.

    Independent judges will judge the Challenge based on the International Blues Challenge Criteria and scores on the night are final.

    The Act will have 25 minutes playing time and will lose points if they play over or under this time.

    Points will be awarded in five categories: blues content, originality, stage presence, talent, and vocals. 

    The Sydney Blues Society Committee has the right to dismiss acts for not complying with the guidelines of the Challenge and for any behaviour before, during or after this contest that brings The SBS into disrepute. 

    The Rules are subject to change if the International Blues Challenge rules change.

    The winning act must show evidence of acceptance to enter the USA by September, or the prize will default to The Act placed second.

    The winning act may only represent the SBS at the International Blues Challenge three times. 

    If for any unforeseen reason The Act is unable to attend the IBC in the USA all monies including the prize, any additional SBS fundraising, and donations will be returned to the SBS.

    What You Have to Do 

    Fill out the online form attaching any photos, digital music, and a bio to be used by SBS for publicity purposes. 

    On the night 

    The Act needs to supply the judges with a set list (3 copies, one for each judge), stating the name of songs performed and the composer of each song. Please highlight any songs written by present or previous band members. 

    Publicity

    The SBS reserves the right to use any contestant's name, voices, pictures, visages, and other likeness for the purpose of advertising, publishing, and promoting the Sydney Blues Challenge.

    Entry Fees 

    To be eligible to enter the Challenge, Acts are required to be members of the SBS this includes Kings Membership.

    Scoring Criteria directly from the IBC website. 

    Blues Content: The sound and feel of the music should be true to any of blues sub-categories: traditional blues, country blues, soul blues, blues rock and/or contemporary blues. Judges will be listening for inspired and original song selections or new takes on blues standards. Creative reach is encouraged.

    Originality: Original work is encouraged. Cover tunes are allowed but playing the recorded rendition lick by lick is discouraged, will not be looked upon favourably by the judges and will be reflected in scoring.

    Acts must indicate if their songs are their own original material (this can be done at the start of the set or before each song as appropriate) and /or identify the covers that they are playing and acknowledge the originator.

    Vocals: The act’s vocal skills to include concepts of tone, musicality, meaning and expression.

    Instrumental Talent: Ability level on all instruments featured within the act.

    Stage Presence: The ability to command the attention of the audience by the impressiveness of one’s manner and appearance on stage. Judges will consider how an act connects with and engages the audience in the music. Proper use of microphones and amplification will be considered.

    Score Weighting: To reflect the relative importance of each category, a band's score is weighted. 

    Raw scores for Blues Content x 4, Originality x 3, and Stage Presence, Instrumental Talent and Vocals x 2. The total in each category represents the Weighted Score for that category.                                              Total possible weighted score is 130. 

    Penalty Points                                                                                                                                                                 

    An Act is penalized one point from its Total Weighted Score for each of the following:

    • Each ten seconds that it runs overtime during the performance.

    • Failing to acknowledge that a song is a cover and/or not giving credit to its originator.

    • Finishing 3 or more minutes before its allotted performance time expires.

    • Excessive time loading-in before and/or loading out after performing.


Past events

28 May 2023 May Jam - featuring Simon Kinny-Lewis Band
28 May 2023 SBS Master Class - Harmonica / Brass
20 May 2023 Live @ The Pratto - Jesse Redwing & James Southwell
30 Apr 2023 April Jam - featuring The Squeezers
30 Apr 2023 SBS Master Class - Songwriting
15 Apr 2023 Live @ The Pratto with Bridie King + The SunBears
26 Mar 2023 March Jam - featuring Django Blackheart
26 Mar 2023 SBS Master Class - Guitar
26 Mar 2023 SBS Master Class - Guitar / Song Writing / Harp & Brass
18 Mar 2023 Live @ The Pratto - Continental Robert + Nathan Beretta
26 Feb 2023 February Jam - featuring Christina Crofts Band
18 Feb 2023 Live @ The Pratto - Frank Sultana & Genevieve Chadwick
29 Jan 2023 January Jam - featuring The Bellhops
18 Dec 2022 Xmas Jam - featuring Continental Blues Party
13 Dec 2022 Sydney Blues Society Annual General Meeting
27 Nov 2022 November Jam - featuring Chris Harland Blues Band
30 Oct 2022 October Jam - featuring The Midnight Ramblers
25 Sep 2022 September Jam - No House Band
28 Aug 2022 August Jam - featuring Chris Turner and The Cave Men
6 Aug 2022 30th Birthday Bash and IBMD Celebration
31 Jul 2022 July Jam - featuring Big Mama & The Hanged Men
17 Jul 2022 International Blues Challenge - Solo / Duo
3 Jul 2022 International Blues Challenge - Bands
26 Jun 2022 June Jam - featuring The Sun Bears
29 May 2022 May Jam - featuring P.J. O'Brien Band
24 Apr 2022 April Jam - featuring Tomcat Playground
10 Apr 2022 Blues Society Harbour Cruise featuring Pacey, King and Doley
27 Mar 2022 March Jam - featuring Liza Ohlback and The Mercy Train
27 Feb 2022 February Jam - featuring Steve Edmonds Blues Quartet
23 Jan 2022 January Jam - featuring Matt Ross & Deadman's Blues
19 Dec 2021 SBS Christmas Jam
7 Dec 2021 Sydney Blues Society Annual General Meeting
4 Dec 2021 Sydney Blues Society Christmas Party
28 Nov 2021 SBS November Jam
31 Oct 2021 The October Jam
28 Aug 2021 SBS Birthday Party
28 Feb 2021 February Jam
2 Feb 2021 February Committee Meeting
31 Jan 2021 January Jam

Sydney Blues Society Inc.
ABN: 94 132 343 544


Address:
Sydney Blues Society
PO Box 197
Newtown, NSW 2042

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