biography
Energetic. Raw. Feisty.
These three words tell you everything you need to know about Australian roots artist Toby on stage.
Toby is a stand out performer - and this is why she is making her mark touring the world - with five Canadian tours up her sleeve, she also tours throughout Europe, America and Australia playing major festivals, and performing her own headline shows.
For an audience, these live shows are a deeply emotional and joyous experience. For Toby, she wears her emotions, thoughts and adventures on her sleeve as clearly as the delighted smile she sports while playing. It's that chemistry and connection – in between plenty of dancing and jumping from both sides – that makes each performance so strikingly unique and deliciously unpredictable.
Passionate and known for her unwavering commitment to her craft Toby is willing to take the risk and be vulnerable with her thoughts and emotions committed to song.
An inability to pin down Toby's charismatic style is what draws such a wide audience from those who pick up her love of roots, folk, jazz, Latin and rock to those who link into her pop sensibilities or smooth reggae grooves, all of which magically weave their way in and out of her music.
Performance highlights so far include Milwaukee 's Summerfest alongside Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys and Blondie plus Canada 's Big Time Out Festival with Michael Franti and Xavier Rudd. Also Australian festivals including WA Blues and Roots, Bridgetown Blues (five consecutive years) and Fairbridge Festival. Supports have included everyone from Sheryl Crow, John Mellencamp, Paul Kelly, Brandy, The Indigo Girls, Gomez, Donavon Frankenreiter, Luka Bloom and Pete Murray.
Toby has performed on stage with artists such as The Violent Femmes, Tex Perkins and Ash Grunwald.
2010 is set to be a massive year for Toby. Starting the year with a bang, Toby will be supporting the John Butler Trio in Toronto, this is followed by her sixth full band tour of West Canada. Toby will be recording her fourth studio album in San Fran, USA with Carey Williams acting as producer. Carey has produced for Taj Mahal and manages the incredible Etta James. Toby will be joined by some high profile musicians from San Fran and LA.
“Music – my own or someone else's – is emotionally driven for me. When I am feeling the raw emotion about something, then the songs flow. On stage you get exactly how I am feeling and that's what makes the shows stand out.
“With the songs the audience are invited into my life and they take away feelings of their own and a sense of knowing me and therefore become more open. As they open up, that energy feeds back to us and it makes us all more human.”
Keeping it real and untamed is Toby all over as she criss-crosses the globe connecting with audiences, injecting them with the passion she feels for music and turning each performance into a memorable party.
Love Underground and Renaissance are distributed through MGM. For interviews contact toby@tobymusic.com.au
www.tobymusic.com.au
www.myspace.com/tobybeard
www.youtube.com/tobybeard
updated January 2010
50 words...
Energetic, raw and feisty, Toby is a charismatic singer, songwriter and guitarist magically weaving together roots, rock and reggae. Passionate and joyous on stage, recent appearances like America's Summerfest prove why Toby is warmly welcomed to festival bills, support slots and headlining shows world-wide.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PAST FEW
YEARS
| 2008 |
|
| NOVEMBER
OCTOBER
SEPTERMBER
JULY
JUNE/JULY
JUNE
MAY
MARCH/APRIL
FEBRUARY
JANUARY |
Day on the Green - supporting John Mellencamp and Sheryl Crow
"Live at the Fly" DVD launch tour WA (15 dates)
Full band Tour Canada (22 dates)
opening for Gomez at Summerfest, USA
Tour of Canada, Europe and USA (launching "Love Underground"
East Coast tour of "Love Underground"
Fremantle SOLD OUT launch of "Love Underground" (over 600 people)
WA Tour - launch of "Love Underground"
Full band Canadian tour (15 dates)
East Coast tour
Support for Renee Geyere |
| 2007 |
|
| DECEMBER |
16 date european tour |
| NOVEMBER |
Blues at Bridgetown Festival MAIN STAGE (outselling any other artist) |
| NOVEMBER |
release of "Red Rooster" single |
| OCTOBER |
18 date tour of WA |
| AUGUST |
Big Time Out Fest, Canada (with Michael Franti and Xavier Rudd)
full band tour of canada |
| JULY |
WA Northwest Tour |
| JUNE/JULY |
QLD/NSW full band tour |
| MAY/JUNE |
5 gigs in Switzerland |
| APRIL/MAY |
15 gigs in UK |
| MARCH |
West Coast Blues and Roots Festival (fringe fest) |
| FEBRUARY |
toby singing backing vocals/percussion on stage at the Tivoli
in Brisbane with the VIOLENT FEMMES |
| FEBRUARY |
having the VIOLENT FEMMES join them on stage at The Rails in
Byron Bay |
| FEBRUARY |
east coast tour - qld and nsw |
| 2006 |
|
| November |
Day On the Green (Bunbury) and Perth (10, 000 people) SOLD OUT |
| November 11th |
Bridgetown Blues Festival |
| Oct/Nov |
wa state wide tour |
| September |
solo canada tour |
| July/August |
wa state wide tour |
| May 23rd |
support for eugene hideaway bridges |
| May 20th |
"RENAISSANCE" ALBUM
LAUNCH SOLD OUT FLY BY
full 14 piece band
(drums, guitar, bass, harmonica, violins, cello, flute, sax,
trumpet, keys, percussion, vocals etc) Fly By Night Club, Fremantle |
| May 6th |
 |
| May 4th |
support for NICK BARKER AND BAND |
| April 22nd |
support for IAN MOSS |
| April 7th |
Freo Blues and Roots local showcase |
| March 5th |
nannup music festival with ash grunwald |
| 2005 |
|
| November 19th |
ravenswood blues and roots festival |
| November 12-14th |
bridgetown blues festival |
| October 19-30th |
northern coastal springtime tour (wa state wide) |
| September 3rd |
support for GLENN TILLBROOK (UK SQUEEZE) |
| August 4th-12th |
melbourne tour - support for Bomba, and also
Carus |
| June 20th |
CD LAUNCH
"On Second Thoughts" |
| May 27th |
support for THE CHOIRBOYS |
| May 3rd - June 6th |
residency at Roebuck Hotel, Broome |
| April 27-May 1st |
support for Hirst and Greene |
| April 14th-17th |
Sydney tour - supporting Eugene Hideaway Bridges |
| April 2nd |
Fremantle Blues and
roots
with Jack
Johnson, Violent Femmes, G-Love,John Lee Hooker Jnr
etc |
| March 13th |
support for Luka Bloom (sold out) |
| March 2nd-5th |
Solo Brisbane Tour |
January
8th |
Vintage Blues Festival
with the Waifs
and Tex Perkins |
| 2004 |
|
| December 12th |
support for Pete Murray 6000 people |
| November 27th |
CD LAUNCH
GiddyUp |
November
12-15th |
Bridgetown Blues
Festival
with Xavier
Rudd, Ian Moss etc |
| October 22nd |
support for Donavon Frankenreiter |
| August 20-22nd |
Broome Blues and
Roots Festival
with the Waifs,
Tex Perkins, Xavier Rudd, Jeff Lang |
| August 25th- September 2nd |
WA state wide tour
Broome, Derby, Kununurra,
El Questro |
| August 4th-8th |
Melbourne Tour (full band) |
| May 6th-31st |
WA state wide tour |
| April 16-18th |
Fairbridge Festival |
| April 7-14th |
El Questro special performances for crew of 'Outback Jack' |
| April 4th |
CD launch - "Indi - Live On The West Coast' |
| March 24th-28th |
Solo Melbourne tour |
| February 6th |
support for Paul Kelly (sold out) |
| January 3rd |
Vintage Blues Festival |
| 2003 |
|
| Nov-Dec |
Clancys residency |
| September 21- October 3rd |
WA tour with Carus Thompson |
| August 28th-September 9th |
Broome/Derby tour |
| August 1st |
solo performance at Swiss Day Festival, Switzerland |
| July 10th-August 2nd |
residency at Metro Bar, Interlaken, Switzerland |
| May 24th - June 2nd |
WA state wide tour |
| March/April |
Paddington Ale House residency |
| January |
solo Melbourne Tour |
|