MELBROUNE’S Nigel Wearne returns to The Front Gallery on Thursday January 5 after a successful tour not just here, but to Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns, Adelaide, Hobart and the Blue Mountains.

Known for his combination of alt-country and folk music, Wearne rattles the emotions on personally handcrafted guitars, mixing honky-tonk, country and real-life stories of bank robbers, wandering poets and eggs, with a nod to Bob Dylan and influences like Townes Van Zandt, Tom Waits
and Woody Guthrie.

He’s been a familiar face at the Queenscliff Music Festival, Mount Beauty Music Festival, Tablelands Folk Festival and will be at the 2012 Gulgong Folk Festival. His current acoustic album “Sweetest Delusion” is full, Forte Magazine says, “of the kind of music that really speaks…it
would be a shame not to listen.”

Having playing at The Front in October, Wearne will now be joined by fellow Melburnian, blues/folk songwriter Luke Watt, once described as “dark and uplifting.”

But before the Melbourne pair get going, Canberra musician, Den Hanrahan will open the night with his vocals and lively guitar-playing.

Nigel Wearne at the Front Gallery, Wattle St Lyneham, 7.30pm, Thursday, January 5. Tickets at the door.