Mark Porter

Mark Porter plays raw acoustic blues on a Dobro resonator and a Maton acoustic, with a stomp board keeping time under his feet. The songs trace the music from the Mississippi Delta through Texas to Chicago, Memphis and New Orleans, from Robert Johnson to Stevie Ray Vaughan. Between the covers come earthy originals with a folk streak, and he's the third generation of musicians in his family. Festival stages he's played include the Rotorua Blues Festival across the Tasman, King Island's festival off Tasmania, plus the Airlie Beach Festival of Music, the Agnes Water blues festival, the Roots and Rock festival and the Gympie Music Muster. For a festival spot he asks for a vocal mic, DI lines for the Maton and stomp board and an amp for the Dobro, though he can bring his own gear. A four-piece blues band is also available. Based at Lake MacDonald in Queensland, he's insured and travels nationwide.