Doc Halibut’s rock ‘n’ roll, blues and pop exhibits an authentic heart and irrepressible energy that will carry any audience aloft and along for the ride.
Through raucous sections of interpretation and improvisation to precise craftsmanship, the ever-present quip, jibe and plaintive observation of Doc Halibut singer and guitarist Andy Ferguson’s lyricism stands central to the five-piece’s original sound.
“We are inspired by great rhythm and blues players, but equally by great songwriters like the Beatles and Crowded House,” Doc Halibut guitarist Luke O’Connor said.
“We like to think that while we are inspired by rhythm and blues music, we also bring a little bit of esoteric quirky pop sensibility to it as well.
“Andrew Ferguson, the lead singer, and James Ferguson, the piano player, are brothers.
“We all grew up together in central Queensland, playing music together in their shed as teenagers.
“We ended up in Melbourne, playing in various different bands until we settled upon this line-up with Sam Leskovec on drums and Owen Downie on bass.
“Andrew and his brother were in another band previously and they found the best way to secure festival and pub gigs was to pretend to be a manager named Doc Halibut.
“Doc was a very successful manager until that band fell apart and it felt right to call the next band in honour of the manager.”
Doc Halibut’s live shows recreate and reinterpret their songbook with energy, passion and, more often than not, a large dose of larrikin humour.
“We put good songwriting at the centre of what we do, which I think sets us apart,” Luke said.
“But while we give a nod to blues music, which is what the festival is about, we think there is also a place for great narrative songwriting.
“We also rock, with Andrew Ferguson being one of the country’s best lead guitarists.”
Luke shared a typical blues joke that Doc Halibut does have some songs “that have more than three chords in them often”.
“We do that, but sometimes go into it more complexly,” he said.
Doc Halibut is working on a new album, their third, which is due to be released around September with the new single, The Greatest, on the Winter Blues playlist.
When asked, Luke’s recommendations for this year’s Winter Blues include Jesse Redwing, Stefan Hawk from Adelaide and Iseula.
You can find out more about Doc Halibut, including signing up to be the first to know about the release of the third album, at https://www.dochalibut.com/
Doc Halibut plays Winter Blues:
The Star Hotel, Friday, July 26 at 8.15pm.
The American Hotel, Saturday, July 27 at 2pm.