Testimonials

Fretfest was one of my earliest gigs, and it gave me the the opportunity to play my original music to an appreciative crowd.

A quality showcase event with good sound and a passionate commitment to acoustic songwriting is a great and rare thing.

There is a real opportunity for young people to gain a range of transferable skills and invaluable experience through live performance. It is access to opportunities such as Fretfest at a young age which builds not only our future artists, but also our future audiences.

Fretfest always provide the perfect music that complements our events and makes people stay longer and enjoy the wonderful atmosphere! Since I first booked them over a year ago we haven’t booked music through any other providers. They are always reliable, great to deal with and all of the musicians most importantly have a great, fresh sound! Our events at UQ Gatton would not be complete without Fretfest.

Having Fretfest perform at our Careers That Shape The World event was not only entertaining, but served as a great way to keep 700+ prospective students engaged in our program. Fretfest showcased some fantastic emerging artists who were professional, talented and relevant to our audience.

I have been in the music industry for some forty years and was the former Tour Manager for the Rolling Stones and the Grateful Dead. I have worked with hundreds of different artists over the years including Eric Clapton, Pink Floyd, Janis Joplin, the Band and countless others. I heartily endorse Fretfest’s work with young and emerging artists and believe that it deserves the widest support.

All the solo artists were brilliant – I was blown away by the voices on some of those kids and they already seem so confident in their stage presence. The whole gig had a great feel to it – I have never seen so many happy faces, it was truly uplifting.

As an audience member and music lover, it is so refreshing to see that there’s still real talent out there. Real songwriters, singing their own songs, while sharing their own personal experiences. THIS is what music is. I can’t think of anything better than to ‘get lost’ in these artist’s stories for a few hours a week and forget about my own troubles! Fretfest has uncovered true musical talent.

Fretfest has been enjoyed by students and staff here at UQ with a soulful mix of contemporary music, and, working with Alan from Fretfest, we get quality sound, professional artists, and a reliable music contact who works hard to ensure every gig is perfect.

fRETfEST is an amazing opportunity as I am always fully aware of what the night will entail, all necessary communication before, during and after the gig is prompt and very helpful, the equipment is set up for me every gig and has a great sound that I know I can count on. The gig is run professionally and not only provides me with amazing venues to play MY songs at but also, through Alan’s expertise, provides me with mentors and contacts who I have, and am sure will continue to, keep learning from!! fRETfEST has allowed me a foot in the door of the music industry and shows strong sign of continuing to support me in my career. I hope one day I’ll be able to return the favour and be the ‘feature artist’ that brings the crowds to the FF shows!! Thanks Al and the FF team!!

FretFest has given me an opportunity as a artist to grow and basically pay my dues. In the old days before pokies you could get a gig at any pub and you could walk down to your local and see young emerging bands such as Midnight oil and The Saints. Oh how times have changed. In an otherwise dull facade of mediocrity Fretfest offers a glimpse of hope for artists. Its a no-brainer.

Fretfest is fantastic in the sense that original musicians can play regular gigs and showcase their own material. Especially for those who have other life commitments and struggle with organising gigs in their hectic lives. Best of all, it enables the younger musicians to take that initial step into live performances, one that many people need a helping hand with.

fRETfEST has exposed me and my songs to audiences that I may never have reached on my own – it has professionally introduced me to the marketplace with an enthusiastic rap and it is giving me great individual support and technical coaching. I’m learning things I should have learned years ago! fRETfEST is a great promoter and it gets the general public to appreciate and listen to original music!

fRETfEST is fantastic because it realizes the work of young singer/songwriters who have fresh, new & original material to offer & encourages them on to the stage. It’s been half a century since this genre first became a phenomenon, but fRETfEST’s events re-inspire audiences about this timeless style.

FretFest has helped my development in a really rounded way. From different workshops and experiences with gigs I have learned to run my music as a business, learning to invoice properly, joining up with APRA, and learning to communicate effectively and professionally as Fretfest does with us, the musicians. I love being part of a wider music community in which is there have been great friendships built with the other musicians and a great working relationship with Alan Buchan (director) and FretFest.

I have been with Fretfest for the last 2 years and in that time I have grown into a very busy, professional performer. With so many opportunities like weekly gigs, festivals and special private performances I have been able to develop my stage craft, my song writing and my musical career. It has been a rewarding experience, I have made some fabulous friends, have had some great feedback and am appreciated for who I am an original acoustic artist with my sights set on a musical future. Without Fretfest I wouldn’t have had such wonderful opportunities and I would not have come so far with my career, and would not have developed to the level I am at in such a short time. I will continue to accept all the support and encouragement, guidance and opportunities that Fretfest offer me now and in the future.

fRETfEST has helped enable me to perform my original songs to a live audience which in turn gives me feedback about my songwriting and helps me develop as a songwriter and performer.

Fretfest is great because we get the opportunity to perform our original music in an environment where almost everything is done for us. From the advertising, venue bookings, and merchandise through to the stage set up and payments. This leaves us to focus our full attention on our musical performance and everyone’s improvement has been astounding. We all feel a part of a musical community that is not driven by ego but has a clear sense of honesty and friendship.

Fretfest is so great to play for because Alan (the organiser) is always there to look after all the little things that can go wrong such as feedback, sound levels, instruments and gear malfunctions. You always know someone’s got your back. It is awesome too because the guidelines are very clear. You play all originals, for half an hour, and you get a specific pay-rate and a meal too. It means you look totally professional and have nothing to worry about!

I am a 24 year old singer/songwriter who’s just starting out and hoping to break in to the music industry. Fretfest has helped me tremendously in gaining confidence in myself as a performer. Two weeks ago (prior to joining fretfest) I had very little confidence and even though I had the dream, the idea of getting on stage and actually performing my own songs seemed a near impossibility. Fretfest has turned this dream into reality, firstly by providing me with invaluable advice on how to present myself and my songs on stage (something which previously baffled me). After reading one email that I received from fretfest, my whole idea of what performance is and the role of the performer completely changed (for the better!). Following this advice made my first gig with fretfest a success! This coupled with amazing support and a friendly and professional environment, backed by killer sound equipment helped me, for the first time, to see myself as an actual (professional) artist! This in itself is the greatest help I could have received.

Fretfest has been a great opportunity to grow as an artist. The encouragement from the team and fellow performers as well as the audiences is a great confidence builder too. I don’t know any other events around Brisbane that still take on original artists and its awesome that we actually get to play in really nice venues. I love that you can just come and play and everything is already set up ready to rock!

It was GREAT!!! Excellently communicated. Even though I have been a band muso for many years, today I learnt about all my bad stage habits. But I also learnt much about modern solo performing. So once again, many thanks for your workshop.

I learned so much – technique and performance wise, and it was great to have some ‘Actual’ constructive feedback. I can’t wait to get back to my music and start putting all I learned today into practice.

I attended the last workshop you had and I found Alan to be a very gifted teacher. His communication skills are an asset.

Fretfest provides a really great mentorship program.

Fretfest has been the stepping stone to what I hope will be a successful music career for me.

I have learned so much about a variety of aspects of the music industry including recording my own music, songwriting and guitar skills, tailored to my individual needs and experiences.

Throughout my time with fretfest I have been encouraged, coached, supported to grow into the artist I am today.

It was through consistency of live performance and ongoing coaching at Fretfest, that I was put in good stead to develop my own signature style of performance, enabling me to follow my passion into a sustainable career.