Guitars In Bars Gets South Australia Grooving

South Australia will be inundated with live music over the next two weeks, with more than 220 gigs heating up the city, suburbs and regions for Adelaide Guitar Festival's Guitars in Bars, starting tonight.

More than 780 artists and almost 100 venues are taking part in the program, which runs until July 29.

From city pubs to wineries, markets and even bakeries, Guitars in Bars is bigger and better than ever, with the number of registered venues up by 60 per cent, and gigs up by 38 per cent, compared to last year.

Interest in regional areas has also surged with 25 gigs lined up in Port Pirie, Port Lincoln, Barossa and Victor Harbor.

Adelaide Guitar Festival Producer Andrew Dundon said Guitars in Bars builds excitement for Adelaide Guitar Festival, which runs 9-12 August.

"Guitars in Bars is a great opportunity for musicians to connect with venues and showcase their talent to a wider audience," he said.

"This year more venues than ever have signed up, including some unexpected places, such as a florist, market places, bakeries and a houseboat. With Adelaide Guitar Festival just around the corner, this is a fantastic opportunity for everyone to immerse themselves in the excitement and talent on offer."

This year, three acts from Guitars in Bars will be chosen to appear in Adelaide Guitar Festival. Hana and Jessie-Lee's Bad Habits, handpicked from last year's program, will perform at the festival on 11 August.

Frontwoman Hana Brenecki said Guitars in Bars is a great excuse to shrug off the winter blues.

"Traditionally people tend to hibernate in winter but this program brings a lot more attention to live music and it's such a good thing to keep people coming out and enjoying gigs in the middle of the year.

"Adelaide Guitar Festival is a prestigious event and to play in the same program as such incredible talent is really exciting. It means a lot to us to be part of such a respected festival, especially one showcasing so many great women guitarists as well."

Music fans are spoiled for choice, with Guitars in Bars coinciding with Music SA's Umbrella: Winter City Sounds. Hana and Jessie-Lee's Bad Habits and fellow Adelaide Guitar Festival artists, The Family Bushdance, will perform at the Umbrella Opening Street Party at Bank Street tonight.

Adelaide Festival Centre's CEO & Artistic Director Douglas Gautier said Guitars in Bars is all about supporting and celebrating local artists: "Guitars in Bars is an important part of Adelaide Guitar Festival. The fact that there are more venues, more musicians and more gigs taking part this year, is further evidence of South Australia's support for live music and reaffirms Adelaide's status as a UNESCO City of Music."

Adelaide Guitar Festival brings some of the world's best guitar players to Adelaide, including Tommy Emmanuel & Friends, Grammy Award-winning legend Albert Lee, innovator and composer Marc Ribot, and classical duo Martha Masters & Vladimir Gorbach.

To find a gig happening in your area visit the "gigs near me" map on the website: www.guitarsinbars.com.au/gigs-near-me/

The full Guitar in Bars and Adelaide Guitar Festival programs can be found at www.adelaideguitarfestival.com.au

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