Bio, Reviews & Photos

Typically associated with the Australian Blues and Roots movement Mike De Velta’s intoxicating compositions and performances are constantly on the move. A rich showcase of blues, folk and a hint of the eastern expressed through the shimmering and delightful tones of lap slide, ukulele and acoustic guitars. Signature slide guitar weeps with expression, magnetic vocals drip with soul. A melting pot and strange brew of all that is sweet in the age of modern blues.

Born (1967) and raised in London Mike immigrated to Perth, Australia with his family at the age of thirteen. It was Mike’s sister’s cheap classical guitar which drew him to his first explorations in music. During his early twenties Mike’s musical journey was deepened after meeting the sensational Indonesian session guitarist Dilli Rihenna in the unlikely Aboriginal township of Roebourne, WA.

“Dilli’s approach to learning the guitar was to revolutionise my whole musical experience. His thorough understanding of the mechanics of music and the functions of the guitar inspired me to follow suit.”

The North West town of Karratha proved to be fertile soil in which Mike’s early live experiences could develop into a solid repertoire of early Blues standards. Utilising both Dobro Resonator Guitar and Acoustic Guitar, from time to time he would perform at the Walkington Theatre where he was able to support and learn from a number of significant travelling Australian artists and groups. Still in the North West, by 1999 Mike had formed a partnership with harmonica player Mark Whinnen and a duo called “The Mudcats” was born.The Mudcats developed a solid reputation in the area for performing vibrant Delta and Texas style blues.

Nowadays Mike is currently living near Fremantle, Western Australia, and regularly performs as a solo artist expressing powerful bluesy vocals and incorporating harmonica (employed in a neck brace), 12 and 6 string guitars, lap steel, ukulele and a stomp box (basically a miked wooden box for a kick drum effect!).

Discography

All albums are available direct from mikedevelta.com

Norfolk Lane 2002

On a Backdrop of Silence 2004

Frontline 2008

Whiskey in the Mornin’ 2011

Press Photos

These photos are hi res available for download and print.

Please use right click and save link or target as..

mikedevelta1.jpg

mikedevelta2.jpg

Hightlights

Bridgetown Blues Festival (2003), (2004), (2005)

Invited to play at Live en Aout (Jazz Festival) Noumea, New Caledonia, National TV, Live to air and interviews.(2006)

Nannup Folk Festival (2007)(2010)

Included in the WAMI compilation CD (2006)

Araleun Blues in the Park (2007)

Westcoast Blues And Roots Fringe Festival (2007), (2008)

Fairbridge Folk Festival (2008)

Tracks from the album, “On a Backdrop of Silence” included in ABC documentary for Stateline

Played on ABC Radio “The Planet”.

Featured artist on BAR 1 CD (Blues and Roots Promotions CD)

Played Live in the studio on Perth’s ABC 720 with James Lush’s Breakfast Show (2008) (2011)

Included in the Perth Blues Club’s annual Festival of the Fret with Lindsay Wells, Gerard Maunik, and Mal Eastwick.(2008)
Played “Yanchep Blues in the Park 2009″ with Bondi Cigars, Indigo Duck, Diamond Dave and the Doo Daddies and more..

Shared the stage with Deborah Conway,, Kevin Borich, Lucky Oceans, Nathan Cavalieri, Vdelli, The Ragabillys, Blue Shaddy, Bondi Cigars, Dave Mann Collective, Ivan Zar, Derrin Nuaendorf, Wolf Mail, The Waifs, Lindsay Wells, Gerard Maunick, Mal Eastick, Lapjaccd, Bonjah, Doc Neeson, Ian Moss.
Included on the Guitar Gods website as highly regarded WA guitar player and musician.
Awarded “Blues Artist of the Year 2011″ by Global Thunda Network
“Whiskey in the Mornin’” reached number 6 On the Australian Blues and Roots Airplay Charts for Dec 2011
CD Reviewed by prominent UK/International Magazine, Blues Matters.http://bluesmatters.com/magazine/ N064 2012

Reviews

Blues Matters Cd Review UK.

MIKE de VELTA
Whiskey in the Mornin’
Independent.

London-born Mike de Velta re-located to Australia at age thirteen, settling on the west coast. It must be the Aussie blood in me, but I’m a sucker for the’Biues’n'Roots’ they serve up over there. ‘Whiskey in the Mornin’ is a couple of years in the making, and, in my opinion, is well worth the effort.All tentracks are self-penned and with the exception of Dean Wuksta on drums, Mike plays all theinstruments and is on vocals. I’ll elaborate on that, he plays electric/acoustic guitar, lap steel, ukulele,bass, harmonica, then harmonises his own vocals! Recorded in his home studio, this is a collectionof blues-infused songs, from the wailing harp opening on the title track, to opener ‘Nicotine Stain’and ‘Mud and Grime Blues’. Mike can do a good ballad as well, as ‘Pretty White Lies’ testifies. ‘TheWedding Song ‘ would be a good substitute as a wedding march. The love theme continues on ‘ThisGreat Love’ and the instrumental closer ‘Doorstep to my Heart’. Then there’s the calypso rhythms of ‘Island In The Sun’, with the message that it might be idyllic, but the realities of life still exist! All in all, then, this is a fair representation of blues songs, credit also goes to Mike (is there anything he doesn’t do!) and Paul Yarrow for the artwork/ design. I’m glad to have made contact with Mike,you can as well by visiting www.mikedevelta.com.
Clive Rawlings

http://www.globalthundanetwork.com/section-8/mike-de-velta-best-blues-artist-2011.html

BEST BLUES ARTIST 2011

Mike De Velta has beaten the boards everywhere in 2011 and has also released his much aniticipated, “Whiskey in The Morning” to national acclaim.
Appearances and supports, radio interviews and non stop performance in a fashion that is truly recongized among his peers as ‘the right stuff’, it is our pleasure to honour the bluesman, Mike De Velta.

With the most frequently played tracks on Global Thunda Network’s Australian Independent Radio, we are proud to announce Mike De Velta/ Best Blues Artist 2011 I’d just like to thank the team at Global Thunder Network for selecting my work as Best Blues Artist for 2011.

http://www.globalthundanetwork.com/

Mike De Velta opened proceedings tonight with a rousing solo set of rootsy blues punctuated by his raw and emotive vocals, acoustic and steel guitars, mouth harp and bare feet bashing away on a stomp box. Endearing and warm, he got the crowd going and dancers on the floor from the start. (KEVIN BORICH EXPRESS With The Graham Greene Band & Mike De Velta) Shane Pinnegar, The Rock Pit.

Am sitting on your YouTube profile listening to stuff I had not heard before, and I am so enthralled by you. You, Sir, are one of the most talented artists I have met to date. It is an honor and a privilege to know you.
Nana Mex http://globalthundanetwork.com/

“There are a great bunch of songs on this album and to be honest, I’m just really glad I have a copy of it”
(referring to Frontline)
Nigel Bird, Western Australian Music Industry WAMI

Feeling stressed & in need of some quality time?
Then don’t go any further than Mike de Velta’s latest cd “Frontline”.
Mike’s wonderful voice & music will flow over & into you as he sings his beautiful songs. Each song on this cd is very addictive, the more you listen to it the more things you find to love about it. Congratulations Mike & I’m very proud to play your music on my show.
Wendy Rudin, Presenter Spirit FM 91.1

Mike De Velta’s skiffly vocals over his dobro & ukulele are irresistable. His rickety-tickety pace & frenetic harmonica on ‘Come back baby’ are plain old good time fun”
South Australian Roots and Blues

“Lady Luck – An interesting arrangement & song that someone like Paul Simon would have been proud of. Although probably “labeled” a modern folk/roots love song it had a medieval ballad feel to it for me that really works”.
Bill Dewdney, DJ of Highway 49 Blues 2CCC

Mike De Velta’s up-tempo ‘Come Back Baby’ features an extremely talented harp player who drives the lively pace of this punchy, rootsy toe-tapper. Spoons, bones or other simple percussion device add a brilliantly primitive under-current to a track featuring rich, clear vocals. His ‘Fifteen Days’ is the least bluesy of all the tracks but is a very tuneful acoustic piece. The slight hollow echo effect on the mike and bluish turnarounds make this an interesting listen.
Steve Barnes, The Blue Note

A fine acoustic album indeed.Stand out tracks for me in “Fav” order are: 4-9-5-1-2 as well as a couple of nice instrumentals.(Referring to “On a Backdrop of Silence”)
Terry “Tekka” Iredale, DJ of HotFM

Mike De Velta’s track, 15 Days is the most sophisticated on the disc. A solo acoustic song full of rich jazz harmonies reminding us that the boundary between blues and not blues cannot be easily defined, and perhaps nor should it.
Michael Hardy , Canberra Blues Society

CD REVIEW MIKE DE VLETA “WHISKEY IN THE MORNIN’”

Mike De Velta may well have been born in London but his heart and soul are soundly grounded in the West Coast of Australia. His live gigs are always exciting as he builds the tempo throughout his Blues-infused set, readily demonstrating that he wears his musical heart on his sleeve.

“Whiskey In The Mornin’” has been a couple of years in the making at Mike’s home studio and is a truer reflection of his well-received live performances in that it has a definite Blues bent on the majority of the ten tracks, all self-penned. With the exception of drums (Dean Wuksta), De Velta plays an amazing array of instruments, including electric and acoustic guitars, lap steel, ukulele, bass, percussion and harmonica, as well as harmonising with his own lead vocals.

“Pretty White Lies” is a heartfelt plea for compassion within a relationship. A truly beautiful ballad. Love comes to the fore on songs such as “The Wedding Song” (watch this become popular at marriage ceremonies), “This Great Love” and the instrumental closing track, “Doorstep To My Heart”. For something quite different, try the calypso-infused rhythms of “Island In The Sun”, dreaming of an idyllic beach party, whilst having to deal with the harsher realities of life.

It’s the fine representations of Blues songs which dominate the album, from the wailing harp opening on the title track to “Mud And Grime Blues” and “Nicotine Stain”. Their vitality fairly bursts from the speakers with purposeful intensity. Well worth a listen.

Derek Cromb

PETE’S POEM
One thing that will make your life complete
Is listening to Mike De Velta
With slide guitar finger style, folk and
Blues from down the delta
With a ukulele, lap guitar he doesn’t need 17 lagers
There’s nothing this man can’t do
He even does Indian ragas
So lay back in the Nannup hall
There’s no need to swelter
Just sit back and listen to a master musician
The legendary Mike De Velta
Peter Capp, Nannup Music Festival WA

About

Voted Best Blues Artist of 2011 by Global Thunda Network, Mike De Velta's intoxicating compositions  and performances are constantly on the move. A rich showcase of modern delta, slide and piedmont  blues expressed with a hint of the Eastern through the shimmering and delightful tones of lap slide, resonator and acoustic guitars.

Mike de Velta

Australian Blues, Folk and Roots Artist