Happening every Wednesday night at 8PM!

Table bookings essential.

Thursday Night Music Club is back in May! Our new free monthly gig at the pub brings together three handpicked songwriters for an intimate night of music and storytelling. Each artist will perform a short set and let us peer into their world - sharing the stories behind their songs, their inspirations, songcraft, anything they wish. 

Matthew Colin brings with him the philosophy of history’s great songwriters “a song and a friend for every mile behind”. It’ll only take listening to one or two lines to find a writer of considered craft, values nested in a time of country folk music when all that mattered was the song itself.

Castlemaine’s Tom Candy Cox is a known deep thinker and acoustic guitar picker. He’s got a voice as sweet as brandy and as well as being a wonderful songwriter is known to pull out some special cover version.

Renowned for her warmth and vulnerability, Tulliah brings a suitcase full of strings and stories wherever she goes. She blends bright and bold music with honesty and heartache to make something truly special.

8PM START I FREE ENTRY

Tiramisu Misterioso is 2 parts lady fingers, 3 litres of Mascarpone, 1 cube of buffalo cream, a queef of cocoa, a squirt of coffee and a drizzle of Tia Maria. Served in a vintage Peter's Neapolitan ice cream punnet on a gondola floating down Barker's Creek. For their first ever headline show they will be joined by Kit. Come and witness history.

Kit 9pm
TM 10pm

TICKETS HERE

Sunshine Tip return to the Bridge to launch the first single from their forthcoming album Little Snakes. The four-piece plays melodic, wistful originals about life’s edges, troubles and simple joys, on guitar, cello, mandolin and drums, with sweet vocal harmonies. Songwriter Dave Bowers’ lyrics explore the shifting zone where country meets city, from smashing empties on outer suburban train tracks, to hanging washing on the line and remembering past dance floor heroics.

Free Entry

Saddle up! Chadley’s Silver Spurs are coming to town on Friday 15th May for a night of big western energy at The Bridge. They’ll be performing two sets of classics by all the country greats, new and old, from Garth Brooks to Dolly Parton to Zach Bryan. Plus a line dancing lesson from Neon Cowboy Bootscooters to get you warmed up, perfect for beginners and seasoned dancers alike. Tickets just $15+ booking fee. Don’t miss it ranchers.  

Set 1: 8.30pm
Line Dancing Lesson: 9.30pm
Set 2: 10pm

TICKETS HERE

Melbourne's smokiest slow dance party returns to Castlemaine. We play the slowest, spookiest, sweetest, swinginest old records we can find, and people dance real slow in a haze of smoke and dim red lights. It's a good time. Join us in the smoke filled dreamland that is SLOW GRIND FEVER for an evening of finger snapping rhythm 'n' blues, smoochy low-rider soul, jazzy popcorn, sultry slow-funk burners and uncategorizable moody melters, all sizzling off of antique discs brought to you by your host Richie1250 alongside special guests Aperol Ritz and China Bone (Jazz Party).

TICKETS HERE

Introducing Thursday Night Music Club, a brand new free monthly gig at the pub, bringing together three handpicked songwriters for an intimate night of music and storytelling. Each artist will perform a short set and let us peer into their world - sharing the stories behind their songs, their inspirations, songcraft, anything they wish.

Country siren Freya Josephine Hollick is known for her spellbinding vocals and gritty, poetic storytelling. Freya brings the raw spirit of the 1970's outlaw country scene wherever she performs and has the stories to back it up.

James Kenyon's music has been described as the soundtrack to the great Australian road movie. Think a road trip with Paul Kelly and Don Walker up front with Bruce Springsteen (circa Nebraska) and Iron & Wine in the back seat.

Imogen Pemberton mesmerises audiences with her broad vocal range, soaring melodies and sophisticated guitar playing. Within her cinematic compositions she touches on many genres but always stays true to her own unique sound.

Free Entry - 8pm

Carla dal Forno is an Australian composer, songwriter and producer based in Castlemaine, Victoria. Blending post-punk minimalism, experimental pop and atmospheric electronics, she has built a devoted international following through acclaimed releases and extensive touring across Europe and North America, with praise from outlets including Pitchfork, The Quietus and Resident Advisor, and airplay on BBC Radio 6 Music.

Her fourth studio album, Confession, expands her immersive, minimal sound, carried live through brooding electronics and melodic immediacy in a focused, quietly powerful performance.

She launches the album with a special hometown show at The Bridge Hotel with support from Mio.

TICKETS HERE - SOLD OUT!

TEK TEK are coming back to Castlemaine! Ready to shimmer you away with two jam-packed, exotically-perfumed sets of sweaty disco, psychedelic chicha, surf, exotica and sleazy jazz. It will be a wild night, guaranteed!

TEK TEK are three guys and three girls in matching outfits audiences playing exclamatory trumpet; hedonistic violins and organ; deeply pulsating drums and bass; wild psychedelic electric guitar and synthesizer, with a rich smearing of harmonized singing thrown on top.

TEK TEK Ensemble formed in 2010 and have performed countless times around Australia and the world including Jakarta, The Pilbara, Berlin, New Caledonia, Bangkok and Paris. The band has its roots in the wildness of late-night Melbourne pub music with the stylings of jazz and classical performance, and the danceability of tropical rhythms and hard-partying disco beats. 

Doors 8:30PM

TICKETS HERE $25 - SELLING FAST!

Fresh off their run with Shane Smith & The Saints, The Wet Whistles are fired up and ready to hit the road again, this time for their very own headline shows. Expect a night packed with energy, stories, and plenty of grit. The boys have been busy writing and can’t wait to road test some brand-new songs alongside crowd favourites like Sex, Drugs & Country Music and Guilty of a Good Time. It’s time to whistle up another unforgettable night of Aussie country music.

Doors 9pm
Support (TBA) 9:15
Wet Whistles 10:15

TICKETS HERE $30 + BF / $35 on the door

Gordi returns to Australia following her Sydney Opera House and east coast album launches in October, this time for a national run celebrating her ARIA-nominated third album Like Plasticine.  With a comprehensive run featuring a mix of iconic venues with hand-picked remote village halls, this tour is set to offer Gordi in her most unique live settings around the country.

Doors 7pm | TICKETS HERE $35

Phil Smith is a Castlemaine based alt country/ folk-rock singer songwriter influenced by artists such as Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Creedence, Van Morrison and Ryan Adams to name a few. Together with his band they showcase material from the last 6 albums Phil has written and recorded, bringing a loose, ‘foot-tapping and brain-engaging’ set of story driven songs to the stage.

Free Entry / 3pm

Bob Log III is an American slide guitar one-man band based in Tucson, Arizona. During performances, he plays old Silvertone archtop guitars, wears a full body suit and a helmet wired to a telephone receiver, which allows him to devote his hands and feet to guitar and drums. His show has been described as a blues punk guitar dance party. Need we say more?

TICKETS HERE

Don’t miss Mimi Gilbert (USA) and Ruby Gill (Australia / South Africa) and as they embark on a once-in-a-lifetime, intimate tour of Australia this autumn, bringing their award-winning alt-folk and profound poetry to an exciting series of shows in big and small places near you. The two opinionated, light-hearted, torch-carriers of language have been fast friends for many years, and will be reuniting for an intimate tour across Australia this March and April. For Mimi Gilbert, this is a launch tour for their new record ‘Undrowning,’ a record made between California and Australia. In support, Ruby will be performing a new, never-before-seen set of mostly spoken-word poetry (and a few songs), celebrating the release of their new poetry book ‘I’m not exaggerating when I say’.

This experience is bound to be unforgettable - each artist will bring their own flawless minimalism and unforgettable lyrical honesty to the table, with protest songs, witnessing of nature, exploration of queerness and deep love for family and politics that are beloved by audiences all over the globe. Both will leave you a little changed from when you walked in the door. 

Doors 1.30pm I Tickets HERE

This show will take place in the beer garden. Bring a light jacket!

Bridge kitchen will be open all day

GUITAR WOLF,
JAPAN'S GREATEST
'JET ROCK'N'ROLL' BAND,
RETURN WITH MORE JET!

NEW ALBUM AND AUSTRALIAN TOUR IN MARCH!
NEW SINGLE OUT NOW!

The nonstop roar continues—

Following insane Australian tours in 2023 and just a year ago in early 2025, Tokyo's Guitar Wolf are set to return to Australia in March, dragging a new album.

Starting in Cowaramup, the tour also takes in Perth & Freo, the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Brisbane, Sydney and Wollongong, and Bendigo, Castlemaine, Melbourne, Frankston and Balnarring. Supports include Alien Nosejob, Split System and Itchy & the Nits with more to be announced,

Guitar Wolf's first new album in 7 years, MORE JET! will be released locally on Sorcerer Records in time for the tour and available at the shows and cool indie record stores through Magnetic South distribution. It's preceded by the first single "9PM Pornomag Planet", which is available now from the band's Bandcamp page.
Guitar Wolf New Album after 7 years Release confirmed!!!
Once again, it's Jet!

When Seiji shouts “Jet!”
A bolt of lightning crashes down on Guitar Wolf Seiji's head with a ZGYAAN! His body sizzles and burns hot,
A colossal power born, BOGYAN ZSHAAN JAKIN~!—enough to cover the entire galaxy in space！

From the heavens, dazzling lightning illuminations crackle and race over the roaring guitars, bass, and drums,
Sparking and smoke explode with a Gyo-in! Jet Rock ‘n’ Roll blasts forth!!

Yes! That's right!

This album captures that very sound. It's the ultimate jet.
I always want to burst out, crackling and popping! The sound, the songs, the live shows, the after-parties! I refuse to settle for anything ordinary!

We've made an album so hot it'll burn you.

I want to drive everyone crazy!
No, I want to make them sane!

Wake up! This is the real rock ‘n’ roll!
- Seiji (Guitar Wolf)
 

Doors : 8pm

Support (The Urviles) :  8:20

Guitar Wolf : 9:20

Tickets $45 + BF / $55 door

Long-time friends Bec and Marty (aka Valley Road) appreciate a good harmony, thoughtful instrumentation and quality songcraft. They collaborate in an organic way, creating moments of gentle beauty and magic that often stir the soul. Their songs are rich in imagery, containing echoes of the dry bush and rolling hills of Central Victoria. Funded by the Troubadour Foundation and produced by Rod McCormack, Valley Road’s first album achieved widespread national airplay and was a finalist for Best Debut Album at the Australian Folk Alliance Awards. They now have a second album on the way, which represents an exciting evolution of their sound.
Supported by Ryan Martin John.

Starts 3pm I FREE

Helen brings her new album LOVE OVER HATE to the Bridge Hotel with Bruce Haymes, Lachlan

Bryan, Stephen Hadley and Chris Tabone. Songs rich in storytelling steeped in soul, pop, country,

folk and roots “Ryder has her own thing going on. Her voice is a thing of beauty and this is an

album to fall in love to.” Jeff Jenkins - Rhythms


This show will take place in the beer garden (weather permitting). Table bookings encouraged

California indie band, Rainbow Girls, is known for their haunting harmonies, powerful songwriting, and unfiltered yet poised stage presence. Their live show is an unforgettable, one-of-a-kind experience that will make you both laugh and cry. Visiting Australia for their debut tour including performances at Port Fairy and Blue Mountains Folk Festivals, this is a chance to see a contemporary folk band on the rise in the beautiful setting of The Bridge garden.

Doors 7:30pm I Tickets $35

Mighty Horse return to The Bridge on Friday 20th February 2026 to road test some new tunes for their upcoming 3rd LP, before hitting the studio to press record.

2025 was a busy year for the band, touring and releasing their critically acclaimed double vinyl LP Road Movie Dream

“The word ‘epic’ understates this album” CRISPI – PBS 106.7FM
“What a great album from start to finish, it’s a wild ride” NEIL ROGERS – RRR 102.7FM
 

“Dynamic, unpredictable and emotionally potent” AAA BACKSTAGE
 

Wow! An incredibly powerful album that deserves a place in your collection” SOUNDVILLE

Mighty Horse will be playing tracks from Road Movie Dream and a blistering set of newbies.

All proceeds from the gig go to Harcourt Progress Association to assist bushfire relief in the town.

Doors 9PM

Tickets $20 + BF / $25 door

Like clockwork, Skyscraper Stan and the Commission Flats return to their home away from home for their annual sun soaked beer garden show at the Bridge Hotel, this time on Valentines Day. Expect a set loaded with crowd favorites and the occasional deep cut. This will be one of SSATCF's only Victorian appearances in the first half of 2026 before they disappear into the studio. Don't miss out.

Doors : 2:30 pm

Tickets $30 plus BF/$40 door

Table bookings welcome 

A band needing no introduction, Dallas Crane are heading to Castlemaine for a proper a Friday night pub gig. Damn straight. One of Australia’s hardest-working bands, they eternally give their heart and soul to every performance. Their fans include Tim Rogers, who declared: “Dallas Crane is the best band in the country.” You Am I even gave them a shout-out in their classic Who Put The Devil In You (“From Dallas Crane to Mötley Crüe, oh!”). Stomp on down.

Doors 8.30PM I Tickets

HACHIKU is the brainchild of German-Australian producer Anika Ostendorf. We first got to host her back in 2020 when she stole hearts while supporting Courtney Barnett. Catch her with her full band Sunday Feb 1st.

Doors 3pm I Free Entry

THE TRIPLE THREAT TOUR OF THE AUSTRALIAN SUMMER

Love Police are thrilled to announce the return of two of Nashville’s most beloved country storytellers —JONNY FRITZ and JOSHUA HEDLEY— and have the pleasure to introduce music lovers to the talents of CHRIS ACKER for a run of special Australian shows in January 2026.
 
It’s been a few years between drinks, but the wait is over. Fritz and Hedley are heading back in Oz to share new songs, old favourites, and plenty of good times, performing music from their brand-new albums alongside the country gold that’s earned them fans from Austin to Adelaide.
 
Jonny Fritz remains country music’s most charming outsider. Once known as Jonny Corndawg, Fritz has carved his own path as a songwriter of rare wit and warmth, blending humour and heartbreak in a way only he can. His latest songs on new album Debbie Downers (released October 2025), are full of crooked truths and plainspoken poetry, continue his legacy as one of Nashville’s great eccentrics — and a live performer like no other.
 
Joshua Hedley — the rhinestone-clad “Mayor of Lower Broadway” — first stole hearts with his stunning debut Mr. Jukebox (Third Man Records), followed by the sharp and swaggering Neon Blue. His new album All Heart continues to dig deep into the heart of classic country, all velvet tones, weeping pedal steel and honky tonk melancholy delivered with that unmistakable Hedley polish.
 
Rounding out the bill is Louisiana-born, Seattle-based Chris Acker, whose rambling, narrative-driven songs echo the spirit of Townes Van Zandt and John Prine while carving out a voice all his own. His presence on this introductory tour is the perfect complement to two artists who prize honesty, humour and heart above all.
 
Together, the trio promise an unforgettable evening of songs and stories, performed by three of Americana’s most authentic voices. Expect heartbreakers and two-steppers, banter and brilliance — a triple threat tour of the summer featuring three starts for 5 star night out that will remind you exactly why you fell in love with country music in the first place.

Doors 7pm I Tickets HERE

he Breadmakers return to one of their favourite Beer Gardens in the whole of Australia for their annual Christmas pilgrimage.

Since they were last at The Bridge, the 'Breadies' have released their ninth LP Lonesome Sundown which has received rave reviews around the world.

The album is nearly sold out but - don't worry you can grab a limited edition Louisiana Sunset Orange vinyl copy or a CD at the show!

So come on down for some rocking R'n'B 

PLUS, adding to the festive tone of the arvo, it will also be MAIN FM's Sunday Roast Christmas Party show so if you're a fan of Shanos and Richos show, or just MAIN FM in general, come on down and have a celebratory drink. 

Free entry, tables bookings welcome

Anarchy. Epilepsy. Electronic prophecy. 

Our Carlson launches his new album O.C. Spray live at The Bridge Hotel.

Huge vibes. Punk-meets-dance bangers-meets-drugs-meets-disability. 

Our Carlson & DJ Cash Daddy (Cash Savage). Touring O.C Spray across Australia this Spring. Destroying the current political system one stage and one banger at a time.

‘Melbourne’s Unofficial Techno Poet Laureate’
The Guardian

‘Like a rural Australian mix of Sleaford Mods and EDM… Diagnosed as an epileptic at 33 Our Carlson has since channeled his anger, confusion and anxiety into music… Through his methods may seem a tad unsound this is serious stuff, albeit served up with a backing track of party vibes’
4zzz Radio

‘Highly recommend… A guaranteed good time’
Beat Magazine

Doors 9pm

Tickets Here

This show celebrates the launch of two new albums in 2025 by Palm Springs & Sienna Thornton released on Poison City Records and Bedroom Suck respectively.

Palm Springs is the outsider folk identity of Erica Dunn and an evolving cast of essential collaborators. Born out of a compulsion to write sparse, intimate verse and named for her nervous affliction -sweaty hands - Palm Springs has been a cornerstone of Dunn’s songwriting that sits in a seperate interior back room from her other creative outputs (Tropical Fuck Storm, MOD CON, Fiancée, Harmony et al.)

Live shows are intimate and sparse with nylon string guitar and vocal accompaniment.

Sienna Thornton 

After a long silence since the release of 2018’s ‘Cyanide Thornton’ album, Narrm-based songwriter Sienna Thornton returns with a new full-length album, ‘Birding Out’. 

The album features Sienna on most instruments, with a range of guest performers including Shaun Fogarty (tenor sax), Emma Stuart (voice), Georgia Knight (voice), Mei Craken (voice) and Luke Brennan (acoustic guitar) and live shows include a rotating crew of collaborators.

Doors : 8pm

In his first solo tour in 15 years Australia’s poet of the underground river - multi award winning songwriter, singer, instrumentalist and engineer/producer of seminal Melbourne band Augie March, Glenn Anthony Richards embarks on a ramble across the country this October and November. 
 
Winner of JJJ’s Hottest 100 for his song “One Crowded Hour”, which also recently came in at an astonishing 33 in their poll of best all time Australian songs, Richards has had a storied career, touring here and overseas, experiencing the highs and the very deep lows of life as a songwriter outside of commercial and mainstream attentions, and his unceasing originality in composition and lyricism to this day is testament.
 
Currently working on a new solo album in Glaziers Bay Tasmania, and all things going well, a new Augie March album later in 2026, GAR is in something of a prime and looking forward to illustrating the often surprising workings of his songs both familiar and obscure to fans old, young and in between as he takes to the road on his lonesome.

Kids under 12 are free. 

GARDEN SHOW MATINEE

Doors 2:30

Tickets $39.80 ADULT/ $34.70 YOUTH +BF HERE

Step back in time and let your ears drink in the sweet, sun-dappled sounds of Queenie & Hank — a dynamite duo dripping in rhinestones and soaked in ’60s charm. With golden harmonies and a smoky twang, they channel the sultry swagger of Nancy & Lee and the tender fire of Dolly & Kenny, while offering something undeniably fresh.

“Queenie” is Eloise Thetford, a rising star in Melbourne’s live music scene with a voice of pure gold. “Hank,” aka Henry Wagons, a pioneer of Australia’s indie-country movement, adds his fireside baritone and visionary edge. Together, they twist and turn through a psychedelic folk turbine, emerging from the darker corners of music and storytelling with a sound that feels both timeless and brand new.

What began as a chance meeting at the 2023 APRA Awards — with a sprinkle of mutual admiration — soon turned into a collaboration that felt fated. Their voices met like puzzle pieces in Hank’s Trentwood Studio, and in a wild, organic stream of creative force, they forged a full album of original duets that hover in the spirits of the past while reaching boldly forward.

Think modern Nancy & Lee or Nick & Kylie — but uniquely Queenie & Hank.

Doors 2:30

Show 3:00pm 

Youth tickets available ($20) via the link below. Kids under 12 are free

Tickets $30+BF HERE / $35 door