Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society - MBAS

23/09/2026

MBAS 'HOUSE OF BLUES' @ FLEMINGTON BOWLS CLUB
Tuesday 29th SEPTEMBER 2026 • FREE ENTRY, all welcome!
8:00pm: Feature act: SIMON KINNY-LEWIS TRIO (NSW)
9:00pm – 11:00pm: Blues Jam (Jammers to register by 8:30pm)
6:30pm: Doors open + KITCHEN OPEN FOR MEALS (6:30pm – 8:30pm)
FREE entry and walkups are always welcome, but attendees are encouraged to pre-book via the MBAS website for guaranteed table seating. Please 'BOOK' a single or multiple (group) ticket here: https://www.mbas.org.au/house-of-blues-29-09-2026
🎶🎥NOTE: The Feature Act is LIVESTREAMED on the night from 8:00pm via the MBAS page.

SIMON KINNY-LEWIS is an internationally renown, Australian-based singer, guitarist and producer, who has performed and recorded with the cream of the blues crop – including Robben Ford, Chris Cain, Josh Smith, Kirk Fletcher, Ray Beadle and many more. Not only recognised as a virtuoso guitarist, but also as an impressive singer and songwriter, Simon’s approach has been described as a musical intersection in which tradition, modern tendencies and personal style are enriched by pure emotional release. The Simon Kinny-Lewis Trio are a hot act, not to be missed, at the MBAS House of Blues.

Simon has produced five #1 albums topping the The Australian Blues and Roots Airplay Charts. His most recent albums are "Pouring Water On A Drowning Man" (2025) signed under ZYX Music Germany, and "King Biscuit" (2022) mixed by Grammy award-winning engineer Casey Wasner with legendary Guitarist Robben Ford. Three tours to the U.S.A in 2018 to 2020 saw Simon's collaboration with members of the Ford Brothers Blues Band, Andy Just, Dewayne Pate and member of Herbie Hancock’s Monster Band, Nate Ginsberg, along with Australian drummer Tony Boyd and local slide Guitarist Walter Jebe – a group put together by West-coast blues master Chris Cain. They subsequently released two albums" A Day In San Jose " and " Another Day In San Jose “ both filmed live at Reeds Recording, San Jose CA.

"Simon Kinny-Lewis (SKL) is the full package. His guitar playing is up there with the best guitarists of today.“ Blues Rock Review USA
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ABOUT THE MBAS: Formed in 1990, the Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society (MBAS) is a not-for-profit organisation run by a volunteer team of blues music lovers. MBAS hosts free Tuesday night live music events and jams at its clubhouse at Flemington Bowls Club, alongside producing special ticketed events and a free "Blues Weekly" e-newsletter. All MBAS initiatives – including the annual International Blues Challenge, Women 'N' Blues and Youth in Blues Programs – are funded by weekly raffle drives, Membership fees and donations. Thank you to President & Committee of the Flemington & Kensington Bowling Club for hosting all our live blues music events.

22/09/2026

Tonight's Feature Act - The Jump Cats.

22/09/2026

TONIGHT at MBAS – THE JUMP CATS + BLUES JAM!🔥🎤🎸🥁🎸🔥 FREE ENTRY. Book by 2:30pm today for guaranteed table seating – walkups are welcome and doors open at 6:30pm for meals. The Jump Cats are on at 8pm + Blues Jam at 9pm. 🎶💙🎥NOTE: We LIVESTREAM the Feature Act from 8pm every Tuesday! Go to the Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society - MBAS page to view.

MBAS 'HOUSE OF BLUES' @ FLEMINGTON BOWLS CLUB
Tuesday 22nd SEPTEMBER 2026 • FREE ENTRY, all welcome!
8:00pm: Feature act: THE JUMP CATS
9:00pm – 11:00pm: Blues Jam (Jammers to register by 8:30pm)
6:30pm: Doors open + KITCHEN OPEN FOR MEALS (6:30pm – 8:30pm)
FREE entry and walkups are always welcome, but attendees are encouraged to pre-book via the MBAS website for guaranteed table seating. Please 'BOOK' a single or multiple (group) ticket here: https://www.mbas.org.au/house-of-blues-22-09-2026
🎶🎥NOTE: The Feature Act is LIVESTREAMED on the night from 8:00pm via the MBAS page.

THE JUMP CATS are a swingin’ jump-blues band playing an uptempo style of blues which has audiences up and dancing. The group are a four piece band fronted by CHRIS (STIBBO) HANGER on vocals and harp, MARK (HARPO) GREENWAY on guitar, JEFF WALTERS on bass, and ALF MOTT on drums. Their music harks back to the 40's and 50’s, referencing the sounds of early rhythm and blues, popularised by the likes of original R’n’B stars Louis Jordan, Tiny Bradshaw, and later artists such as Hollywood Fats.
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ABOUT THE MBAS: Formed in 1990, the Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society (MBAS) is a not-for-profit organisation run by a volunteer team of blues music lovers. MBAS hosts free Tuesday night live music events and jams at its clubhouse at Flemington Bowls Club, alongside producing special ticketed events and a free "Blues Weekly" e-newsletter. All MBAS initiatives – including the annual International Blues Challenge, Women 'N' Blues and Youth in Blues Programs – are funded by weekly raffle drives, Membership fees and donations. Thank you to President & Committee of the Flemington & Kensington Bowling Club for hosting all our live blues music events.

21/09/2026

🎉⭐️🎶💙2026 MBAS BLUES CHALLENGE FINAL 2 WINNERS – ALL GRINNERS!!!! Huge Congratulations to:
🥇⭐️👑KIER STEVENS (Solo/Duo Winner) &
🥇⭐️👑PAULIE BIGNELL & THE THORNBURY TWO (Band Winner)

These top-scoring winning acts in 2 separate categories, have now won an all-expenses paid blues trip of a lifetime to the USA! Both acts will be heading to Memphis in January 2027, with air travel and accommodation costs funded by the MBAS. There they will represent the MBAS and compete with other blues champs from around the globe, at the world’s biggest and most prestigious Blues competition – The International Blues Challenge (IBC).

The MBAS Blues Challenge combined SOLO/DUO & BAND division FINAL, held yesterday, Sunday 20th September at Flemington Bowls Club, saw an enthusiastic packed to the rafters crowd of cheering blues music fans witness the best of our home-grown blues!

This year’s Blues Challenge FINALISTS in order of performance appearance and category represented:
Tim Stout & The Hoodoo Men (Band) • Gypsy King Jones (Solo/Duo) • Ozone Street (Band) • Paulie Bignell and the Thornbury Two (Band) • Kier Stevens (Solo/Duo) • Elly Poletti Band (Band)

Congratulations and thanks to all our 6 Blues Challenge Final entrants for their fantastic participation and camaraderie – we would have been proud to send all of them to Memphis! Thanks to the 5 independent judges for the difficult job of scoring such evenly ranked talent across two categories; our host venue The Flemington & Kensington Bowling Club(Bar & Kitchen) for keeping up the pace; Josh Guy and the film crew from Present Live Productions for the 5-camera live shoot across all the Blues Challenge series; Dan Pedersen from Sunbury 99.3FM for recording a radio special of the Final; our valued Blues Challenge sponsors – PBS 106.7FM Melbourne($1,500 broadcast campaign for the Band winner), The Elwood Blues Club Club ($600 cash for Band winner) and The Hume Blues Club Inc ($600 cash for Solo/Duo winner); the MBAS Committee/volunteers for their hard work organizing, setting up and running the show, and last but not least, to the huge support shown by enthusiastic live blues music audiences who attended across this year’s Blues Challenge series – all without whom, this event could not proceed to be the huge success that it is!

For those who missed being there, or anyone who simply wants to relive a great night of blues music, check out the full Live Stream of the event (start to finish, or any parts in between) via the MBAS page: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1ZitbxKADG/

WELL DONE & SINCERE THANKS TO ALL! … And we’ll soon be announcing details on a special Memphis Farewell Concert show, for both winning acts, to be held on Sunday 15th November, so stay tuned!

Pics: Juli Meetup

20/09/2026

https://mailchi.mp/6397f5e06789/mbas-blues-weekly-21092026

17/09/2026

***UPDATE: SEATING for Sunday's MBAS Blues Challenge FINAL is SOLD OUT – LIMITED STANDING ONLY TIX AVAIL. AT THE DOOR $40 /$35 MBAS Members. Doors at 4:00pm – Starts 5:00pm Sharp. Which 2 Winners will be headed to Memphis IBC!!?🎶💙⭐️🥇🥇⭐️💙🎶

17/09/2026

MBAS 'HOUSE OF BLUES' @ FLEMINGTON BOWLS CLUB
Tuesday 22nd SEPTEMBER 2026 • FREE ENTRY, all welcome!
8:00pm: Feature act: THE JUMP CATS
9:00pm – 11:00pm: Blues Jam (Jammers to register by 8:30pm)
6:30pm: Doors open + KITCHEN OPEN FOR MEALS (6:30pm – 8:30pm)
FREE entry and walkups are always welcome, but attendees are encouraged to pre-book via the MBAS website for guaranteed table seating. Please 'BOOK' a single or multiple (group) ticket here: https://www.mbas.org.au/house-of-blues-22-09-2026
🎶🎥NOTE: The Feature Act is LIVESTREAMED on the night from 8:00pm via the MBAS page.

THE JUMP CATS are a swingin’ jump-blues band playing an uptempo style of blues which has audiences up and dancing. The group are a four piece band fronted by CHRIS (STIBBO) HANGER on vocals and harp, MARK (HARPO) GREENWAY on guitar, JEFF WALTERS on bass, and ALF MOTT on drums. Their music harks back to the 40's and 50’s, referencing the sounds of early rhythm and blues, popularised by the likes of original R’n’B stars Louis Jordan, Tiny Bradshaw, and later artists such as Hollywood Fats.
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ABOUT THE MBAS: Formed in 1990, the Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society (MBAS) is a not-for-profit organisation run by a volunteer team of blues music lovers. MBAS hosts free Tuesday night live music events and jams at its clubhouse at Flemington Bowls Club, alongside producing special ticketed events and a free "Blues Weekly" e-newsletter. All MBAS initiatives – including the annual International Blues Challenge, Women 'N' Blues and Youth in Blues Programs – are funded by weekly raffle drives, Membership fees and donations. Thank you to President & Committee of the Flemington & Kensington Bowling Club for hosting all our live blues music events.

15/09/2026

Tonight's Feature Act - Paul Buchanan's Blues Xpress.

15/09/2026

TONIGHT at MBAS – PAUL BUCHANAN'S BLUES XPRESS + BLUES JAM!🔥🎤🎸🎸🥁🎸🔥 FREE ENTRY. Book by 2:30pm today for guaranteed table seating – walkups are welcome and doors open at 6:30pm for meals. Blues Xpress is on at 8pm + Blues Jam at 9pm. 🎶💙🎥NOTE: We LIVESTREAM the Feature Act from 8pm every Tuesday! Go to the Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society - MBAS page to view.

MBAS 'HOUSE OF BLUES' @ FLEMINGTON BOWLS CLUB
Tuesday 15th SEPTEMBER 2026 • FREE ENTRY, all welcome!
8:00pm: Feature act: PAUL BUCHANAN'S BLUES XPRESS
9:00pm – 11:00pm: Blues Jam (Jammers to register by 8:30pm)
6:30pm: Doors open + KITCHEN OPEN FOR MEALS (6:30pm – 8:30pm)
FREE entry and walkups are always welcome, but attendees are encouraged to pre-book via the MBAS website for guaranteed table seating. Please 'BOOK' a single or multiple (group) ticket here: https://www.mbas.org.au/house-of-blues-15-09-2026
🎶🎥NOTE: The Feature Act is LIVESTREAMED on the night from 8:00pm via the MBAS page.

BLUES XPRESS is frontman PAUL BUCHANAN’s latest project is a hard-driving blues band, whose repertoire of classic rock-blues tunes alonside lesser known tracks, get you rocking! The full band lineup includes MORRIS LORD and ALLAN ELLESMERE on guitars, STEVE CALLAHAN on bass, and STUART ANDERSON on drums. Paul put the group together in 2024 to explore the harder-edged side of the blues, and those who know his trademark powerful vocal style will know that Paul is well suited to fronting a band with a bit of grunt behind them. The lineup has featured at festivals such as Echuca Winter Blues, Mitchell Creek Rock N Blues Festival and Blues Inn Bruthen, and now MBAS welcomes Paul Buchanan’s Blues Xpress to its 'House of Blues' stage for the first time.

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ABOUT THE MBAS: Formed in 1990, the Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society (MBAS) is a not-for-profit organisation run by a volunteer team of blues music lovers. MBAS hosts free Tuesday night live music events and jams at its clubhouse at Flemington Bowls Club, alongside producing special ticketed events and a free "Blues Weekly" e-newsletter. All MBAS initiatives – including the annual International Blues Challenge, Women 'N' Blues and Youth in Blues Programs – are funded by weekly raffle drives, Membership fees and donations. Thank you to President & Committee of the Flemington & Kensington Bowling Club for hosting all our live blues music events.