A BAND born from a blues club will release its debut EP this weekend.
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The Flannos have become regulars on the Bendigo music scene since forming three years ago at the Union Street Blues Club.
Since then, the band has played at countless pubs in the region, appeared at the Bendigo Blues and Roots Music Festival and regulars at the Centre State Rodders Club at Bendigo Airport.
They have even played a gig at an Outlaws Motorcycle Club event.
“We did rehearse for a long time before playing gigs and looking for venues,” bass guitarist Martin Chambers said.
“A lot of pubs support live music now and the Lake View Hotel gave us our breakthrough in Bendigo because I knew the Fowlers who owned it (at the time). From then it has been word of mouth.”
“We also played at Shovel Fest for the Outlaws Motorcycle Club in Deniliquin.
“It was at a hotel 16km north of Deni and the bikers hired venue, displayed their motorbikes and we played. That has been our biggest gig so far.”
The opportunity to record a three-song EP was something The Flannos didn’t want to watch go by.
“We just thought we might as well take the plunge and do it,” Chambers said.
“Eric Ladd had just started his (recording) business in Golden Square and we had been playing our songs for at least a year.”
The Flannos will launch their EP with a celebration gig at the Golden Square Hotel on Saturday night.
“We will play for about a 90-minutes and this have a bit of a party and sell a few CDs,” Chambers said.
Being born from a blues club, The Flannos played a mix of blues and rock.
Chambers and drummer Greg Simpkins have played in bands around Bendigo since the 70s while singer Craig McDonald and guitarist Kyle French represent the more youthful side of the band.
“Greg and I played in a couple of bands together before. Craig has been involved in music for more than 20 years and Kyle is in his first band,” Chambers said.
“We are all members of the Union Street Blues Club and thought we should form a band. The club has spawned a few other bands over the years as well.”
The band’s flannelette theme came from the younger members of the band.
“They were keen on the diea and had ideas for stubby holders, posters and things with The Flannos theme,” Chambers said.
The Flannos play at the Golden Square Hotel from 5pm on Saturday, November 25.
Log on to www.facebook.com/theflannosband for more details on The Flannos.