Hobart & Southern Tasmania

The Dead Maggies have ‘created their own genre”¦ Tasmanian Convict Punk’ (ABC Radio). A combination of folk-punk, cow-punk and storytelling, The Dead Maggies burst onto the Tasmanian music scene in April 2013, and have been rocking venues ever since. After touring Europe in 2014, they returned and conquered the Tasmanian summer festival circuit with a few trips up and down the east coast of the big island thrown in for fun. Tragic tales of Tasmania’s dark and oppressive history are set to upbeat toe-tapping, thigh-slapping, foot-stomping music that makes you folk till you punk. It’s a juxtaposition of deep and sad lyrics set to energetic and exciting music, an unexpected pairing that captivates people from all walks of life. The audience can be completely absorbed in a dark story, whilst dancing like a maniac to rip-roaring music at the same time. Consisting of seasoned performers from rock, punk, folk, classical, metal and thrash, they mix their backgrounds and styles to drive out fast and furious tales of Tasmania’s dark history and folklore on traditional instruments, in a rather less traditional way. On stage expect a mix of double bass, banjo, clarinet, fiddle, guitar, accordion, drums, voices, flannies, mohawks and stories of dead convicts. The Dead Maggies formed in April 2013 swigging home-brewed beer and munching wood-fired pizza in the garden of the local organic food co-op. One and half years later and they have played with The Real McKenzies (Canada), The Go Set (twice), The Crooked Fiddle Band (thrice), Paddy McHugh and the Goldminers (ex-Sydney City Trash), The Barons of Tang, The Graveyard Train (twice), Handsome Young Strangers, Twin Beasts and many more. Then after touring Europe, they returned and played at all the biggest festivals in Tasmania, such as Falls Festival, Dark Mofo, Fractangular Gathering, The Famous Spiegeltent, Taste of Tasmania, Jackey’s Marsh Forest Festival, and more. Following highly successful interstate gigs, in August 2014 The Dead Maggies regrouped in Edinburgh to busk the Fringe Festival before stuffing themselves into a van and performing 15 shows in 17 nights across Scotland, Wales, England, France, Germany, Belgium and the Czech Republic. Performing in squats, pubs and clubs to big crowds, hectic dancing and beer swilling the tour was an all-out success”¦ even one of the Pogues came to a show! Back in November 2013 they released their debut mini-album “˜Sing About Dead People’. Quickly selling out it was remixed and remastered for a second pressing in April 2014. “˜Sing About Dead People’ includes two songs being aired on Triple J (national), was “˜Tasmanian album of the week’ on ABC Local Radio and played at high rotation on Edge Radio as “˜Edge Radio Recommended’. The Dead Maggies are heading into the studio for winter 2015 to record their second album, which should be released in October 2015. They said folk was dead”¦ but death is just the beginning.