Public Bookings is a Melbourne-based artist booking and management service headed up by Justin Rudge.

Justin began booking and management at The Standard Hotel in Fitzroy, and from there has developed a small but significant roster of artists. Under the banner of Public Bookings, Justin offers a full service arrangement from local shows to festivals, recording, planning, tour logistics and management and everything in between.

Also a recording engineer and performer in his own right, Justin has completed two 35+ date tours of Europe with Dirty York in the last five years. He is also founding member of the team behind Leaps and Bounds Music Festival in the City of Yarra, and in November 2014 was elected to the board of Music Victoria.

Charles Jenkins

Charles Jenkins is a Melbourne songwriter/musician and performer with more than 25 years in the Australian Music Industry.

Charles has recorded and released 13 albums including his critically acclaimed solo albums Bungalow (2004), The City Gates (2005), Blue Atlas (2008), Walk This Ocean (2010) and Love Your Crooked Neighbour With Your Crooked Heart (2012).

His last solo album Too Much Water In The Boat is was released in 2013.

“He’s too good a writer not to be in your life.”
– Sydney Morning Herald

Cherrywood

Cherrywood’s music features tales of lightning strikes, broken hearts, bar stools and prisons; all brought to life through an array of battered acoustic instruments and a bunch of bar-room vocals. The quartet’s love of Trad. Country and Folk music sits harmoniously with their Punk and Rock n’ Roll lineage to give Cherrywood a sound of their own.

Chris Russell’s Chicken Walk

Chris Russell’s Chicken Walk play low down, down home, juke joint blues.

Barely seven months after the release of the debut (self-titled) album, Chris Russell’s Chicken Walk return with Shakedown, their second swinging expedition deep into the hypnotic boogie of Northern Mississippi juke joints.

Cementing their reputation as the hardest working blues combo in the country, 2013 has already seen Chicken Walk receive the famed golden boot at Golden Plains, tour the nation twice with Tony Joe White and Clairy Browne & the Bangin’ Rackettes, as well as share stages with everyone from Jimmy Cliff to Santana to Gary Clark Jr.

“If these guys were from South Chicago instead of St. Kilda, they would probably be signed to Alligator Records and hailed as the next Black Keys”
– Jeff Glorfeld, The Age EG

Dallas Crane

After forging a reputation as one of the country’s finest rock acts, the much loved Dallas Crane returned to the live scene in 2015 before the release for their fifth guitar-emblazoned long player, Scoundrels.

With their awesome live show boasting a swagger of widely touted ‘Australian classics’, Dallas Crane have been a welcome return to a national scene that waited far too long for their gutsy leather-on-denim delivery!

Dear Plastic

Dear Plastic’s music is revels in extremes. Alien electronic textures rub up against raw, emotional vocals. Experimental soundscapes moulded by pop sensibilities. Something familiar and something brand new.

In 2014, the group launched their huge debut album The Thieves Are Babes, accompanied by three otherworldly videos. Their live show is peppered with the twinkling lights of home made modular synths.

Eaten by Dogs

Melbourne is full of the world’s best alt-country songwriters and bands. Eaten By Dogs is one of our favourites. Their songs are honest, rich and spacious – they’ve managed to make a record that sounds great in the sun with a beer as well as late at night with a whiskey. Chris Lichti’s baritone drawl steadily leads us down some dark and melancholy paths, and then with a lyrical wink he can lift you up out again. He’s the kind of guy who likes to write songs that make depression seem recreational and make relationships seem desolate.

The Grapes

The Grapes is the musical merging of singer/songwriters Sherry Rich and Ashley Naylor. A partnership born out of a one-off recording session in 1997, The Grapes released their debut self-titled album in ’99 and became a favourite of among critics and the discerning musical public.

Fast forward over a decade and The Grapes have reconvened to again unleash their songwriting magic with their much anticipated second album, Western Sun.

“Here’s the sentence I’ve always wanted to write: The Grapes are back!” – Noel Mengel, The Courier Mail

The Hired Guns

The Hired Guns formed in 1996, initially as a side project from the members’ other musical concerns, and evolved from their mutual love of late 60s/early 70s psychedelic country rock, and an interest in the burgeoning alt.country movement.

The Hired Guns are Adam Spellicy (Vocals, Guitar), Chris Willard (Vocals, Guitar), Anthony Paine (Vocals, Bass), Timothy Deane (Vocals, Guitar, Keys, Accordion, Harmonica, Mandolin) and Kjirsten Robb (Drums).

Jack Howard

Jack Howard was recently described as “one of the great quiet achievers of Australian music”. He was an integral member of Hunters and Collectors; and for the last twelve years, he’s been independently releasing fine CDs of his own. His latest, The Story So Far, was a comprehensive “best of” compilation plus a Live DVD.

In 2013, he played at the AFL Grand Final with H & C, toured the country with Rodriguez, put together a fantastic “Songs Of Bacharach and David” show; and recorded his outstanding upcoming CD, “Day Of The Dog”, with his own band, the mighty Long Lost Brothers.

Most weekends in Melbourne, you’ll find Jack out there playing somewhere somehow.

Icecream Hands

Formed in Melbourne in 1992, the band downed tools in in 2007 having notched up 6 albums, 2 ARIA nominations, countless miles and many memorable shows.

Since the last Icecream Hands shows in 2008, frontman and songwriter Charles Jenkins has continued to delight new and old fans alike with 6 acclaimed albums as a solo performer and with his band The Zhivagos.

15 years after the release of the critically acclaimed ARIA nominated “SWEETER THAN THE RADIO”, Charles reunites with Derek G Smiley and Douglas Lee Robertson for some very special shows.

Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen

Formed in 2000, Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen are an Australian-based five piece Euro-Roots collective featuring Rufino on Violin and Vocals, T.G. Muldavio on Clarinet and Vocals, Guido on Piano Accordion and Vocals, Little Ivan on Doublebass and Vocals, and Mikelangelo on Guitar and Vocals.

Their superbly crafted show has driven audiences and critics wild from the Sydney Opera House to the Sziget Festival in Budapest. They have appeared at numerous major arts and music festivals in Australia and New Zealand and have toured the UK five times.

The group will release their fourth album After The Flood (Rocket/Black Sea Spice, Tea and Music Trading Company) in 2016.

Raised By Eagles

Raised By Eagles released their debut LP in July 2013 to a packed house at the Bella Union (Trades Hall) in Melbourne. Their entrance onto Melbourne’s musical landscape immediately gained the attention of alt.country aficionados across the country, and scored the band a nomination at The Age Music Victoria Awards that year for ‘Best Country Album’.

Since that time, continually raw and captivating performances have cemented their reputation as one of Melbourne’s most sought after independent acts. Their much anticipated new LP – ‘<em>Diamonds In The Bloodstream</em>’ – is due for release in March 2015.

“Raised By Eagles’ songs are the kind you fall in love with at first listen and then endlessly trawl bars and venues across Melbourne to be near again. This is no crush. This is a great, enduring romance”  Liz Stringer, Singer/Songwriter

Ron S. Peno & The Superstitions

A new project for legendary Died Pretty front-man Ron S. Peno, featuring Cam Butler, Mark Dawson, Andy Papadopoulos, and Tim Deane.

“Songs such as Fall from Above, which begins like the Walker Brothers in smoky mode and builds inexorably until a crescendo
hits like a shipwrecked boat hitting the rocks.”

Sherry Rich & The New Folk Heroes

Australian singer songwriter Sherry Rich is based in Melbourne Australia after 10 years living and working in Nashville.

Her latest album ‘Dakota Avenue’ was recorded in a Chicago loft  with the late Jay Bennett, legendary steel player Al Perkins, Alex Moore and other members of  US alt-country super group Wilco.

“One of the Best Australian Albums this year” – Brian Wise Radio 3RRR on Dakota Avenue

Spoonful

2014 marked Spoonful’s 21st year together as a band and now they are celebrated regulars across the live music scene.

The number of people who have witnessed a Spoonful live show over the years is nothing short of amazing. That they come back again & again is testament to the songs, the sounds, the authenticity of the bands shtick and the flat out great performances. Music fans love them. Other musicians, their contemporaries, love them too. Significantly, Spoonful have consistently made live music venues and promoters very happy! Over their incredible 21 year journey, they have developed into a rusted on gem of the Melbourne music scene.

For Spoonful, the thrill hasn’t gone. In fact it just keeps getting better.

Three Kings

Heralded as both the “baddest band” in the land and a “Melbourne blues supergroup”, Three Kings sound like an old 45 found in the bottom of an abandoned shed. So real you can practically hear the record crackle and the needle pop when they are onstage.

Featuring Ian Collard (Collard Greens and Gravy/ Backsliders) on vocals, harmonica and guitar, Benny Peters (Benny and the flybyniters) on vocals and guitar and Jason Liu Soon (Chris Wilson, The Detonators) on drums.

“No one should have to follow these guys on, no one”– Justin Townes Earl

Leaps & Bounds Music Festival

The City of Yarra Live Music Festival has been named the ‘Leaps and Bounds Music Festival’ after the iconic Paul Kelly song that references much of the area.
Over 50 venues in the City Of Yarra, from The Corner Hotel (the largest venue in the area) to LongPlay (one of the smallest) will be involved, as well as events at non-traditional venues.

The Echuca-Moama Winter Blues Festival

The Winter Blues Festival and is billed as one of the major ticket items on the Echuca Moama event calendar and attracts more than 20,000 people annually. Visitors to this much-loved festival can soak up the blues and roots atmosphere from every street corner, in restaurants and bars and even on board one of the town’s famous paddle steamers. This year’s festival will be the largest to date with blues music filling 30 venues across the twin Murray River towns of Echuca and Moama. The fact that the vast majority of the blues and roots music is FREE is still a major drawcard of the festival.

The Echuca-Moama Winter Blues Festival serves up a great family-friendly event with kid’s entertainment and FREE live blues and roots music across the weekend to help you beat those winter blues!

The Standard Hotel

The Standard Hotel is steeped in Australian music history, and things haven’t changed much with live music still an important part of the pub’s fabric.

Free gigs are held every Sunday evening.

The Spotted Mallard

The Spotted Mallard is a 300 capacity live music venue and dining room, with fantastic sight lines from anywhere in the room. With live music 5 days a week, gigs covers all music genres with a mixture of ticketed and free entry shows.   Located in the heart of Sydney Road Brunswick, The Spotted Mallard can cater for a wide variety of events.

Member of the Arts Wellbeing Collective