Funk N Grooves Festival

Pop, rock, funk, dance, roots, soul and more in the fantastic natural setting of the Hunter Valley Wine Country. With the mountains and vineyards as a backdrop, some of the best live acts Australia has to offer and plenty of room to groove, this is the perfect way to kick into spring.

	Spiderbait Spiderbait's garrulous drummer, Kram, remembers well what he was like at the age of 15, "I was very pimply and a complete jock with a huge mullet," he admits without pause. Thankfully having arrived at the same age, Spiderbait itself is in somewhat better shape. The band still remains as a blistering live proposition: Kram flailing at his drums, Janet resolutely slamming her bass and Whitt coaxing out waves of noise from his guitar.			Gyroscope Gyroscope is bringing something new to the table this time - and it's not what you would expect. Coming off the back of the No.1 album Breed Obsession in 2008, you would think that they would stick with what seems like a formula for success. But for something to succeed, you don't need a formula - you need a solid foundation on which everything can be built. A few in music have set a foundation as strong as Gyroscope.

	British India Get ready Australia. The new album from indie champions British India is coming like an Avalanche. Featuring the smash hit single Beneath The Satellites and the tasty Vanilla, Avalanche is the third studio album from thses four high school friends. Jam packed with brilliant pop melodies, high-octane rock & roll, and the lyrical genius of singer Declan Melia, Avalanche takes the garage pop which has characterised British India's initial success to new heights.			Bertie Blackman In a pop world filled with fashion followers, Bertie Blackman is forging her own path, delivering pop music with depth. Her debut album Headway was a folk-inspired adventure and her second offering, Black, was driven with electric guitar and grittier sounds. Secrets and Lies is Bertie's newest LP and sees her trade guitars for keyboards and exploring the electronic world. Her voice is seductive, her lyrics are inventive and honest and she is a mesmerizing live performer. "When I'm playing music, I just disappear into what's going on," she says. "It all just kind of channels through."

	Urthboy Urthboy's first solo album Distant Sense of Random Menace was released in 2004 ("Aussie Hip Hop needs this album" The Brag) and featured singles No Rider and Come Around. But it was 2007's The Signal that kicked things up a notch. His latest album Spitshine, with hit single Shruggin ft. Jane Tyrrell, has generated a huge buzz and launched Urthboy's biggest national tour to date.			Washington This Brisbane singer/songwriter is something of a rarity - a trained and talented musician inclined towards exploring something deeper. Megan Washington is not interested in being pigeon-holed in one genre, and her work crosses a number of styles, from country and folk to more complex song structures reminiscent of Kate Bush. Her influences range from Paul Simon to Billie Holiday; Leonard Cohen to Radiohead.