Dirt Floor Alliance

All Around This World

Mark — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:59:25 +0000

Kookaburra Folk Club in Brisbane is at the café of the same name in Paddington and a popular little outfit it proved to be too with standing room only for last nights intimate gathering. Dirt Floor Alliance ate pizza (kangaroo!!), had a wine or two and did an enjoyable thirty minute set of five songs and a couple of poems.

Next gig is Friday at the Cooran Hall, 7.30 pm. This will be our first full concert of the tour.

A clip of Jim Doak, Ainsley and Steve Apirana playing “All Around This World”

Mark shares the poem “Pastures of Forgiveness”

Dirt Floor Alliance at the Music Kafe in Brisbane

Mark — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 02:01:18 +0000

Well the Music Kafe in Brisbane got the Dirt Floor Sunshine Coast tour off to a pretty good start last night. Wouldn’t say they were hanging out the doors and windows numbers-wise but would say what a super place to play and what a nice bunch of people to play for.

And we are going back again on Tuesday 26 July for a 6.00 pm slot so it you missed last night then you’ve another opportunity to come and have a listen.

Next gig is Wednesday 20 July 2011 Kookaburra Folk Club, Kookaburra Cafe, 280 Given Terrace, Paddington, Brisbane, 7.00 pm.

Sparks will fly

Mark — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 22:16:41 +0000

The Dirt Floor Alliance will be playing a few gigs from Brisbane to the Sunshine coast.

It’s not all about the dust of the outback although one could be forgiven for thinking so when the words ‘dirt floor’ get bandied about.

But if not dust, then sparks will certainly fly when the bluegrass & blues-based Dirt Floor Alliance play their first Australian gigs in July.

“The dirt floor bit has to do with the music and poems we perform,” says Steve Apirana from his home in Cooran on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.
“It’s a sort of bluegrass, country blues and folk mix based loosely on what gets called American roots music. My mate Jim Doak is a bluegrass player of some renown while Ainsley my wife sings heavenly, Carter Family harmonies. Add Mark Raffills’ performance poetry and my gospel blues background to the mix and you’ve got the dirt floor sound – an alliance of friends whose hearts beat to the same rhythm, you could say.”

The Dirt Floor Alliance is playing venues in Brisbane and on the Sunshine Coast during the latter half of July this year – the first time the group will have performed together in Australia.

“We’ve played four separate tours throughout New Zealand over the last three years or so,” Steve explains.

“Jim and Mark live in Nelson and have organised the NZ gigs for the group with Ainsley and myself hopping on a plane to join them. This time the travelling roles will be reversed and it is Ainsley who has arranged this low key tour for us.”
Steve and Ainsley have performed solo and as a duo throughout Australia, New Zealand, North America and Europe. Between them they have released four albums.

The Venues

Monday 18 July: Music Kafe, West End, Brisbane 8.30 pm
Wednesday 20 July: Kookaburra Folk Club, Paddington, Brisbane 7.30 pm
Friday 22 July: Cooran Memorial Hall 7.30 pm
Saturday 23 July: China Town Mall, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane 11.30 am
Saturday 23 July: Community Hall, Tambourine Mountain 7.30 pm
Sunday 24 July: Point Lookout Bowls Club, Stradbroke Island 3.00 pm
Saturday 30 July: Turners Farm, Eudlo, Sunshine Coast 5.00 pm
Sunday 31 July: The Vine Community Church, Springwood, Brisbane 6.00 pm