Tom Oliver is an actor, singer, producer & creative director from Wynnum in 
Brisbane. He is one of Australia’s brightest talents with a broad portfolio that includes music, theatre, film, television & cabaret. 

Most recently, Tom was the Founder and Artistic Director of Wynnum Fringe Festival & Rock The Bay in Brisbane. Since November 2020, events created and managed by Tom have welcomed approximately 40,000 patrons, employed over 500 creative workers, collaborated with all levels of Government, and injected half a million dollars into local economies. In March 2020, Tom became a core cast member and content producer for The IsoLate Late Show which was broadcast online to three hundred thousand viewers and raised over $110,000 for The Actors & Entertainers Benevolent Fund during the first 10 weeks of COVID19.  

Career highlights include starring as the lead role in the original touring production of Rolling Thunder Vietnam under the direction of David Berthold & Chong Lim, becoming the lead role in the global disco phenomenon Velvet opposite Marcia Hines AM and then joining her band on vocals to tour Australia and New Zealand with KC & The Sunshine Band, Sister Sledge, The Village People, John Paul Young and many more legendary artists. 
@tomoliver_au

Joe has been writing music with Tom and produced a version of “If You Could Read My Mind” from Velvet.

In 1994, Joe began touring with multi Aria award winning artist Wendy Matthews and the legendary Joe Cocker throughout Australia. Tours continued with Sarah MacLaughlan with Joe performing on several albums and single releases. In 2001 Joe Remixed the Lead Single Beautiful View off the album with the same name.

The High Tides of Wendy Matthews

By Morbid Molly

An unwavering, unexplainable urge to create, to muse, to convey…the musician, true musician, that is holds these values to the core placing fan and show at top priority when they share their talents with the world.  This is why we are privy to such a vast, rich culture within the music industry and why we are able to connect with incredibly talented musicians, like Wendy Matthews.

With an extraordinary wanderlust and spirited, gypsy vibe to her life Wendy seemingly has done it all, and then some.  Jingles, voice overs, firsts, lasts and everything imaginable in between and yet she is down to earth, real and one Hell of a talent!  It is hard to believe with a friends list of the who’s who of a vast array of genres, like Cher, The Little River Band, Sarah McLachlan, Rod Stewart and more.  But Wendy knew as an old-soul of four years old that music was her calling, a simple, divine truth that resonates in her life and music today.
“…It’s taken time to push through some personal barriers, I’m not a natural exhibitionist; I just loved music and singing.”

Heading into decades (with a plural) within the industry, a magnificent feat in itself, Wendy has progressed with the grace, humility and passion to grow as an individual and artist.  With more than humble roots, drawing from her passion for the Beatles in her toddler-hood, Wendy was almost pulled into the music industry from first step into the world and spurned on by her adventures of busking and travelling.

“Music is my form of expression so I don’t have much choice…” Wendy’s globe-trotting, musical mission led her straight into the arms of the industry, even if the path was slightly twisted and detoured along the way, or if you ask Wendy, “They were great adventures.”  Even so, she was torn by her love for the freedom and experience and her desire to find the path that would result in a pure, unadulterated happiness from within.

“I left Canada at 16 and a music ‘career’ was not on my mind at all. After busking for a year, I ended up in Los Angeles where I lived for 7 years and although I had some weird and wonderful adventures and worked with some amazing people, much of that was not what I wanted either.”

Whole picture, Wendy is a fairly open book but one that could take on a life of its own, requiring volumes instead of simple chapters.  From busking to LA and beyond, Wendy has done massive touring dates with some of the hottest in the industry, had many an accolade, headed some major bands (Models & Absent Friends), hit the ARIA charts and become a nationally treasured artist, met and worked alongside Japan’s treasure, Hiroshi Sato, as well as Aussie legend Glenn Shorrock (The Little River Band), been inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame, toured with Sarah, Rod and Cher…and this was still not even close to being within the prime of her career with her career still in full stride!
Wendy has also never been a slave to the genre machine, choosing to utilize the incredible diversity of the encompassing music community to enhance and transcend, bringing to light amazing collaborations in all niches, and creating under a different umbrella of sound and soul with her acoustic album and works since.  With the whispers of the song origins, Wendy says, “”To keep creative you have to break down your own personal barriers. With this record that meant moving away from pop and crafting something instrument-driven, something that feels like me playing live.”  With the likes of U2 and Massive Attack as inspiration, and Wendy’s phenomenal voice you simply couldn’t get any better!

Wendy’s mentality is that she will continue to grow and evolve with the industry and within the vast scope of her music. She has never firmly held to stylistic confines, with her career spanning a multi-faceted range of genres, but she truly holds value to her own vision of true music and the dynamic of her band…and the curtain hasn’t fallen yet.  Amazingly Wendy also spearheads an important facet of the industry and fosters new talent and makes music her own way with her independent label and brain-child, Barking Bear…there truly is no limit!
If depth of character comes from experience, then I do believe that Wendy Matthews is a textbook definition if I have ever seen one.  Make no mistake that Wendy has worked her ass off in her career and in her life, but she has seen and experienced what others can only dream.  The 80’s were fantastic, heading up what has become decades worth of memories, the 90’s collaborations, change and growth, and the opportunity to form her own solo career… and now the evolution and culmination of everything that she has worked so hard to achieve.
“One can always think of a purely utopian life and feel you’re missing out but I don’t feel that… Of course it changes over time, but I feel I tell stories and we’re all in this together so I just have to hope there are people who can relate. For me, music heals and helps and moves the maker and the listener.”

With a close-knit relationship with her friends, bandmates, peers and fans, there is a rather utopian vibe to her life and career, and the melodic expression that is her voice.  “Extraordinary, crystal-clear vocals […] a soulfulness that was the mark of a truly gifted singer” says rock historian Ian McFarlane, and I cannot agree more! As for the future?  Wendy has lead a charmed life of sorts, living the dream of doing what she loves, on her own terms so whatever the future holds, there is a magic on the horizon and she is “Super Excited!”.  The Sydney Opera House, collaborations, touring and a passion that Wendy has chosen to share with the world, “I’ve had a love of silver, mostly Navajo jewelry, all my life so I’ll be putting out a WM collection.”

Could it get any better from this lovely example of passion, strength, talent and …well kick ass women?  Sure, and we are lucky enough to be able to support her every step of the way. After all, what are fans for?

iOTA: composer, singer, feature film and stage actor, writer, dancer, voice-over artist, visual artist, rock star and iconoclast.  His unique and extraordinary talents have been recognised with no less than six ARIA Award nominations, four Helpmann Awards, plus Green Room and Sydney Theatre Critics’ Awards.

Most recently, iOTA has written, composed and starred in Average Joe (2016), and Slap and Tickle (2018) for Perth Fringe festival. iOTA was the co-creator of Sydney Festival-commissioned Smoke and Mirrors which twice sold out Sydney Festival Spiegeltent seasons and toured to Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Melbourne Arts Centre and Auckland Festival. The show was then brought back to the Seymour Centre in Sydney by popular demand, and collected three Helpmann Awards: Best Cabaret Artist, Best Original Score and Best New Work. For the 2012 Sydney Festival iOTA’s show Young, Hard and Solo sold out within hours and was one of its highlights. In 2015 his new showB-Girl was staged at the Sydney Opera House.

Baz Lurhmann calls him a “modern day Mick Jagger” and The Age calls him a “rare and true artist.”

Brendan Maclean is a performer on a grand scale: Be it his time behind the microphone at triple j, his work in film or his infamous pop songs Brendan has already begun to carve himself an undeniable mark in the entertainment world. The ARIA award nominated songwriter from Sydney has been riding a wave of success since the release of his 5th E.P. the chart topping funbang1. Brendan’s release of “House of Air” scored 700,000 views in one week being reported on at Billboard, “the most controversial and surprising work in years”. The varied strings to his bow make him one extraordinarily unique individual.

In 2008 his first release Airport People won Song of The Year and in 2010 his EP White Canvas would win him Writer of The Year in the Australian Youth Awards. In 2011 Brendan was invited to host B430, a travel show on the music network Channel [V], and found himself popping up on multiple ABC TV shows including The Chaser, Laid and The New Inventors.

2012 would be a breakthrough year for Brendan’s song writing; supporting Kate Miller-Heidke, Darren Hayes and Amanda Palmer on major national tours. In 2013 he launched a crowd- funding campaign which would raise $22,000 for his record with acclaimed producer Paul Mac, and also caught the eye of Universal Publishing who would go on to sign him for a two album contract. This was also the year Brendan played the role of Klipspringer in Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby – a role that has taken him to Italy, Paris, London and New York to perform and play as part of Fashion Shows, grand balls and the kind of parties most people would dream of. Other feature film credits include Peter in John Curran’s Tracks.

Brendan can also be found online at all times – whether being crowned King of Twitter by Pedestrian Daily or wowing fans on the front page of BuzzFeed with his video clips, there are few working performers in Australia as in touch with their audience as Brendan. This has been proven with successful campaigns with The Voice, Coca-Cola and MTV all calling on Brendan as a spokesperson.

In 2014 Brendan was awarded Young Achiever of The Year at The Honour Awards for his charitable work in the GLBTI community. 2015 saw Brendan star in the award winning Velvet, a show inspired by Studio 54 featuring wall to wall disco classics which toured nationally and internationally, heading to Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Edinburgh.

Brendan has cemented his place with a debut performance at the Opera House Concert Hall stage with media darling Amanda Palmer. He also starred in F*cking Adelaide, a six-part comedy/drama series on ABC iView, which won Best Ensemble Performance at the International Academy of Web Television Awards.

Human Nature are Australia’s leading pop vocal group, having released nine albums (many containing their own, self-penned original material), five of which went to #1 in their native continent, selling millions of records world-wide and garnering 24 platinum awards, 18 Top 40 hits and five Top 10 hits. The group has opened for Celine Dion and Michael Jackson in Europe and Australia. Their chart-topping Motown tribute, Reach Out, went five-times-platinum, attracting the attention of famed songwriter Smokey Robinson, who recorded “Get Ready” with them and presented them in an exclusive booking at Las Vegas’ Imperial Palace, where they have played five and six nights a week to sold-out crowds for the past two and a half years. Joe has been their musical director in Australia since 2005 and Las Vegas for 2009.

Here & Now Tour – 2002-2003
The Motown Show – 2006-2008
The Ultimate Celebration of the Motown Sound – Las Vegas 2009
Jukebox & Christmas – 2013 & 2015.

Produced & Arranged by Joe Accaria for Repercussions Productions
Recorded & Mixed by Adrian Breakspear @ Sony Sydney
Additional mixing @ Bear and Paris Avenue Studios

Mastered by Ben Feggans @ Studios 301 Sydney

Guitars/Vocals – Kara Grainger
Bass – James Haselwood
Keys – Clayton Doley
Drums – Joe Accaria

Album Notes

The first time I met DC was 2002 in a dingy rehearsal room in Ultimo, Sydney I thought, who is this guy and what is this voice that inhabits him? An instrument of mass detection, of singers spanning the history of modern music. And a brain that knows that history. Almost 20 years later my first recollections have been reforged into new musings. Now after countless tours and albums we are here recording another historical memoir of DC’s vast tapestry of knowledge and musical wisdom. A dedicated fan that respects their origin.

When DC shared with me the playlist that was to become this album, I took it in my stride all along knowing we both should try something a little new (for us) and texturally challenging, using fewer instruments than usual and highlighting that voice as one of those instruments. A story telling mechanism that is entrenched in his daily life as a father, presenter, performer, actor, writer and musician.

So, we did just that, took some songs and broke them down to their bare bones, deciding early on a small ensemble of authentically talented and likeminded friends would help steer the songs toward their destination. All brilliant musical voices in their own right, Clayton Doley (Keys), Kara Grainger (Guitars) and James Haselwood (Bass) came together with DC & I and provided musical solutions. We set some rules – just the 5 of us, in a room together, live with no strings, no horns, no synths (this time) just our instruments. We’re especially fortunate to have Kara on this record all the way from Nashville in Covid times. Some timeless songs sung by an unparalleled modern interpreter of verse, paired with recording and mix engineer Adrian Breakspear’s connection with us both and you have a collective consciousness after the same feeling. We hope you can sit back and enjoy our work whilst having a cuppa or preparing dinner or even a nice Rosè, and hearing these important stories performed by passionate musicians and THAT voice.

Produced by Joe Giuseppe Accaria for Repercussions Productions
Additional Production by Stu Hunter for The Habitat Productions
Music Arrangements by Joe Giuseppe Accaria & Stu Hunter
Choir & Backing Vocal Arrangements by Juanita Tippins
Recorded by Stu Hunter @ The Habitat Studio
Additional Recording @ Paris Ave Studio
Mixed by Adrian Breakspear @ Bear Studios
Mastered by Ben Feggans @ Studios 301 Sydney

Joe began working with Marcia Hines on Velvet in 2014 and tours ensued for the next 3 years. During this time Joe and studio collaborator Nik Pringadi began work on music for a new show featuring Marcia – Disco Inferno touring throughout Australia for the remainder of 2016 featuring with a reworking of some of Marcia’s timeless classic songs. In 2021 marks work on a new album The Gospel According To Marcia produced by Joe Accaria and co-arranged with Stu Hunter & Juanita Tippins. Out in 2022!

Australia’s beloved musical treasure Marcia Hines, with a career spanning five decades, has released 22 albums, selling 2.6 million copies, and has garnered countless chart-topping singles and multi-platinum records globally.
Marcia is an inspiration to women and Australians everywhere, constantly reinventing herself and setting industry benchmarks; moving from Boston Massachusetts to Sydney at just 16 to star in the Australian production of Hair, being the first black woman to star in Jesus Christ Superstar and advocating ceaselessly for diabetes.

Marcia was Australian Idol’s favourite judge for the show’s seven consecutive years, and was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2007. She received the Order of Australia (AM) in 2009 for her services to the Australian Entertainment Industry as a performer, judge and mentor, and to the community through a range of charitable organisations.

In January 2019 a new Spiegeltent production, set in the streets of Paris and titled Pigalle was the sell-out hit of the Sydney Festival. 2019 also saw Marcia starring in Saturday Night Fever at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre, and in early 2020 she became ‘The Dragon’ in the long-awaited Australian premiere of Shrek The Musical. This was followed by a starring role in the Adelaide Fringe Festival season of Velvet Rewired that again had the public and critics alike referring to it as the “Best show at the Fringe”.
However the global pandemic arrived and curtailed live performances in Australia, and apart from a short season of Shrek The Musical in Brisbane in January 2020, Marcia has returned to the recording studio and added three new songs to the upcoming greatest hits package called ‘Still Shining – The 50th Anniversary Collection’, followed by ‘The Gospel According to Marcia’ – an album of gospel songs that Marcia grew up singing in the churches of Boston.

The impact of Covid-19 on the life and times of the performing arts industry has become a concern to Marcia and she is now a spokesperson for #vaxthenation, the Australia live events industry’s campaign for recognition of the impact Covid-19 has had on this industry and the need for Australians to get vaccinated as quickly as possible and allow the business of performance to return to the stage.
The amazing Miss Hines and her never ending career inventions are a wonder to behold and have kept her at the pinnacle of Australian entertainment.