The Radium Club Hepsters are a versatile, 5 – 18 piece professional swing band that present authentic vintage swing, lounge and jazz through to high energy neo-swing and rockabilly. Through many years of public, corporate and festival performances, the band has perfected the energy, excitement and sophistication of the swing era.
The Radium Club flourished in 1940s Harlem, sitting alongside the Cotton Club and Savoy Ballroom, becoming the hot spot for all-night music and dancing. Sydney’s ‘Radium Club Hepsters‘ began in 1999 and have developed continuously, entertaining thousands with their savvy, engaging performances.
The Radium Club Hepsters have performed at over 80 corporate events and have maintained several long-term residencies:
Bar Broadway, Ultimo : 3 years
Strawberry Hills Hotel : 10 months
New Brighton Hotel, Manly : 12 Months
Exchange Hotel, Balmain : 6 months
The Radium Club Hepsters appeal to a variety of audiences, performing vintage and modern swing styles with the finesse of jazz and the vigour of rock and pop. This variety is engaging to all age groups. The band’s animation and presence has led to a large public following. The Hepsters have developed a unique and extensive repertoire of well-known favourites, new swing compositions and lesser-known gems of the past. The band composes and arranges their own music and can play from a quiet, fully acoustic level to “as loud as you like” !!
A sample of the styles and artists include -
Lounge : Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Louis Prima, Louis Jordan,
Henry Mancini, Sam Butera,
Big Band Swing : Harry Connick Jr., Frank Sinatra, Brian Setzer Orchestra
& Jazz Standards Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Chet Baker, Michael Bublé,
Duke Ellington, ‘Count’ Basie
Neo/ Rockabilly Swing : Royal Crown Revue, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Swingerhead,
The Big Six, Brian Setzer Orchestra
“Hot Club” Gypsy Jazz : Django Reinhardt
Band line-ups range from the standard Hepsters' 5 piece - Guitar + Vocals
Tenor Sax
Piano + Trombone
Double Bass
Drums
to 6,7 or 8 piece band incorporating more brass: trumpet, baritone saxophone, and trombone.
Expanding further to 10,12, 15 or 18 piece Big Band: vocals, piano, double bass, guitar, drums, 5 saxophones, 4 trombones, 4 trumpets. (This format also known as ‘The TOAST Big Band’
The Radium Club Hepsters have their own audio and lighting production for both small and large functions. The band also has a network of professional swing dancers, dance instructors and burlesque dancers available to complement the event. Additional items such as bamboo 50’s styled band stands and lounge props are available to complement the event.
Some successful themes used at events with The Radium Club Hepsters have included:
Black Tie
Hollywood
Cocktail Lounge40s Swing Club
50s Rock n Roll
Casino / Vegas !!
James Bond
Gangster
The band is happy to work on additional songs / arrangements to suit any theme.
Previous clients include -
The Argyle Events Centre, Australand, American Express, The Arthouse Hotel, Star City Casino, Singleton Ogilvy Mather, The Pudding Factory, Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority : (Darling Harbour Jazz Festival / Maritime Museum / “The James Craig” NYE ), Baulderstone Hornibrook, University of New South Wales, University of Western Sydney, Norths Rugby Club, Stamford Plaza Hotel Double Bay (residency), P&O ports, Logica, Waverly Institute, Catalina Rose Bay, Qantas, Roche Pharmaceuticals, Scarborough Wineries, Sheriton on the Park, Westin Hotel, Australian National Museum, Pan Pacific Incentives, Customs House, Bimbadgen Winery, Manly Jazz Festival, Blacktown City Council (Summer Jazz Festival), 2000 Olympic Games (baseball), Illawarra Jazz Festival, The Hilton Marble Bar (residency), The Civic Hotel, The Wintersun Festival (QLD), Kustom Kulture Festival (SA), National Institute of Accountants, Beach Road Hotel Bondi, Australian Institute of Photographers, Greengate Hotel (residency), The Watershed Hotel (residency), The Renaissance Hotel, Fox Studios, The Marriot Hotel, The Hydro Majestic Blue Mountains.
The Radium Club Hepsters have appeared in the press and also featured on Channel 7’s “Sydney Weekender”. Swing themes have influenced fashion and film in recent years ( movies : Swingers, The Mask, Three to Tango, Swing Kids ). The swing dance and band scene in Australia has now consolidated and a large number of swing dancing schools continue to introduce new fans to this exciting lifestyle !
