Northern Territory punks ready to rock nation’s core

Northern Territory punks ready to rock nation’s core

Regional Arts WA

Fresh off the stage from supporting US rockers, Queens of the Stone Age, Lonely Boys bring their six piece guitar-inspired, punk rock music to the central desert.

Lonely Boys is gearing up to headline the Sand Tracks tour through Australia’s central desert (kicking off 10 September), with red-hot up-and-comers Irrunytju Band in support. Lonely Boys have been playing in local and surrounding communities for over ten years, touring extensively across Arnhem Land and headlining at the 2015 Barunga Festival. This year, they will travel from their home community of Ngukurr in the Northern Territory’s Arnhem Land to headline Sand Tracks.

With their decade of songwriting and performing experience, Lonely Boys will mentor talented young artists Irrunytju Band across the tour.

Irrunytju Band is a young desert reggae band from Wingellina (Irrunytju) community, located 10kms from the tri-state border. Their songs convey messages of country, people, social issues and tales from the road sung in Pitjantjatjara language. Irrunytju Band was a popular act in the 2016 Bush Bands Bash and has since performed gigs at Nannup Music Festival and Fremantle Arts Centre. Irrunytju Band will support Midnight Oil in Darwin after Sand Tracks.

Irrunytju Band. Photo courtesy of NG Media

Country Arts WA’s Executive Director, Paul MacPhail, says, “The Sand Tracks tour continues to resonate with remote Indigenous communities, connecting successful musicians with remote communities and celebrating culture and creative expression. Sand Tracks, now in its eighth year, has gained national exposure. The 2017 bands have developed significant profiles and are certain to be a huge hit in the communities they are about to tour.”

Sand Tracks is presented by Country Arts WA and Healthway promoting the Mentally Healthy WA campaign message, Act-Belong-Commit.

Healthway’s Acting Executive Director, Maree De Lacey, said “Healthway is delighted to support the Sand Tracks tour for 2017. It demonstrates the Act-Belong-Commit message by providing an opportunity for people living in remote communities to share in and enjoy exciting live music performances. Through this year’s tour, Healthway and Country Arts WA are working together to promote healthy living in remote communities throughout Western Australia.”

Through its partnership with MusicNT, the Sand Tracks tour kicks off at the annual Bush Bands Bash in Alice Springs.

Lonely Boys. Photo courtesy of Skinnyfish Media

MusicNT’s Executive Director, Mark Smith, said “Regional touring is a vital development ground for musicians and MusicNT is proud to again partner with Sand Tracks to tour Bush Bands across the central desert region. Lonely Boys are a highly respected band with an established following and we can’t wait to welcome them to Bush Bands. We are proud of this partnership with Country Arts WA and look forward to another year of amazing music.”

Sand Tracks starts on 10 September at the Bush Bands Bash in Alice Springs and will then travel to five remote Indigenous communities across three states; Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory, with the final performance on the 23rd September in Kiwirrkurra.

More information about Act-Belong-Commit can be found at www.actbelongcommit.org.au

Read the full press release here.

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