8 Ball Aitken Bound For Texas & Australia

8 BALL AITKEN NOMINATED AGAIN… TOURING AGAIN… AND NEEDING YOUR HELP TO RECORD   Hi Folks, Nashville is like a big bubbling hot-tub full of fun ideas. This year, I have written 12 of the most barn-raising bad-a$$ songs that I have ever pointed a guitar at. I’m in the corner pocket, beyond the 8 Ball, and laying them down soon in the studio, working with some top Nashville session musicians. Here’s a taste of one of the new songs on the NEW RAINBOW FLAME GUITAR... Birthday present from the best fans in the world. http://youtu.be/SX43mvGC9q4 Now, this is where it gets exciting. YOU CAN BE A PART OF IT! We are offering some wild’n’crazy cool incentives to everybody who contributes as a crowd-sourcing co-producer (Yes! That’s your official title!) If you’ve ever wanted to be in the music industry, this is your big opportunity. First of all, for the Aussies, we can offer tax-deductibility for donations via an umbrella organisation; but with this arrangement, we aren’t allowed to offer incentives. Please PM us for info. Easier still is simply to donate via PayPal (from anywhere in the world), direct deposit to our bank (USA or Australia), or in cash at a gig. Just contact us for all the details! All contributions under $200 get a heartfelt ‘thank you’ in the album credits (your name in lights!) For $300, I will name you personally in the lyrics of a special “thank you” song (written and recorded after the album release), and I’ll send you a copy of that new song on CD and MP3. Your contribution of $500 will turn you into a character in one of my cartoon music videos. Your contribution of $1000 gets your name and cartoon portrait (with me) on a special-edition T-shirt… plus ten of these T-shirts for you to share with your friends. If you choose to contribute $2000, you can appear personally in one of my live music videos (BYO transportation to the film shoot.) You’ll be famous… on TV around the world! For $3000, I will set your words or ideas to music -- you pick the theme! You can make this song about anybody or anything (for a fantastic birthday gift, wedding present, wedding PROPOSAL, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, anniversary, or special occasion gift). I’ll record this song exclusively for you, and give it to you as a CD single and an MP3. I’ll also give you a framed copy of the CD, dedicated to you and signed by me. A $4000 contribution puts you and 3 friends (4 people all up, exclusively your choices) plus myself into a cartoon music video for one of my new songs. And for $5000, I will bring my band to your house (or wherever you like), and we will set up and play a 4 hour show for you and your friends. Best of all, YOU get to pick our song-list (as long as all the songs come from any of my 7 albums.) … FROM THE ROAD I played a crazy good gig at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch on my way to Texas. Now I am in the Lone Star State, with 7 gigs down and 7 more to go rocking my new (best birthday present ever from my fans!) ‘RAINBOW FLAME’ guitar. You have got to see the video above! Tomorrow night I will be doing my best to blow all swampulation devices on Texas legend and gentleman’s gentleman Ray Wylie Hubbard’s “Roots & Branches of Americana” radio show. It all happens live from Gruene, Texas and can be heard world wide on KNBT Radio. I recently received a letter with a prestigious nomination for an AUSTRALIAN INDEPENDENT COUNTRY MUSIC AWARD (Male Artist of The Year)! Please cheer from the sidelines if you can’t jump the fence. I am looking forward to my HUGE Australian tour starting in October and riding that mechanical-kangaroo through for four months of solid action. See TOUR DATES… Thank you, 8 Ball Aitken & Bird Jensen

Copyright © 2014 8 Ball Aitken, All rights reserved.

8 Ball Aitken Launches 'HILLBILLY DISCO'

Launching 8 Ball Aitken's 'HILLBILLY DISCO' Click here to view on Youtube -- http://youtu.be/PiYQzWdxvnE 8 Ball Aitken has been touring for the last 5 weeks in Florida and Texas. This month he plays in Tennessee, and also on the Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia. Parties out in the sticks have a way of snow-balling. At first, it’s just a close circle of friends, and then somebody invites all their cousins, and the good ol’ boys down the road turn up with a truck full of cold beer, and somebody texts the local rockabilly girls. Next thing you know, there’s generators humming, a circle of pick-up trucks (that’s ‘utes’ for the Aussies) are spotlighting the makeshift dance floor, and the farmer’s hay-barn has been turned into a full-on sound and light spectacular, right down to the mirror-ball. The cows don’t know WHAT to think (not that they ever think much). There is a technical term for this uniquely rural phenomenon – it’s a ‘Hillbilly Disco’. Nashville’s 8 Ball Aitken (a fine Australian export of skillfully-brewed country, blues, & roots) has captured the moment such parties take off in a song, and new video, of the same name. Filmed at a live and local honkin’ stompin’, backwoods free-for-all, ‘Hillbilly Disco’ captures the excitement of a bunch of country characters spontaneously hell-bent on having a good time. They might not be anywhere near a big-city cocktail bar, but they sure do know how to whoop it up, outback-style. 8 Ball’s new album release, ‘Southern Hemisphere’, was recorded in Nashville (USA) and Queensland (Australia), featuring a team of top musicians, including members of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Little Big Town, and members of Emmylou Harris’, and Robert Plant’s bands – as well as a duet with Australian country music legend Troy Cassar-Daly. The album’s first single, ‘I’m Going To Jail’, held the #1 spot for 3 weeks in Australia’s national country music chart, and all eyes and ears are on ‘Hillbilly Disco’, in anticipation of similar (or better) success. The video for ‘Hillbilly Disco’ is being released to 8 Ball Aitken’s most loyal fans before distribution to the general public and mass media. “This is just one special way I like to thank my fans, who support and promote me so much throughout the year,” he comments. “I make music just for them!” OUR UPCOMING VIDEO EXTRAVAGANZA... Fully fan-funded, coming soon to a screen near you is our cartoon video for 'Destroying the World' -- the next release from Southern Hemisphere. Good things are always worth waiting for! Featuring the animated cartoon characters created for some of our favourite fans (including Angie Maxwell, Shayne Soall, and Harley Panagopoulos), the video clip takes you on a wild trip through a science fiction adventure saga (including a return performance by everybody's favourite outer-space crocodile) all the way from Tokyo to the back 40 of a Far North Queensland farm. We are starting preparations for our next cartoon. If you'd like to be an 8 Ball Aitken music video cartoon character, please contact us. 8 Ball Aitken is touring in North America and Australia throughout 2014. Follow him on Facebook -- www.facebook.com/8ballaitkenmusic NEW OUTBACK BOOTY CALL T-SHIRTS AVAILABLE (S, M, L, XL, 2XL)

I'M GOING TO JAIL Hits #1 Spot in Australian Top 20

8 Ball Aitken's current single, 'I'M GOING TO JAIL',  has just hit the #1 spot in the Australian Top 20 (98.9FM Radio Charts). This is 8 Ball's first number #1 radio chart hit. We genuinely appreciate all the requesting that his fans have done since the song's release -- and a big THANK YOU to all the radio stations who have been playing the track. (8 Ball's album 'SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE' is also number #4 in the Australian Blues & Roots Chart this month.) 'I'M GOING TO JAIL' is also number #7 in the national Country Tracks Top 30 -- we want to get this up to #1! You can make a genuine difference. If you want to help get him to a national #1 hit, please keep requesting 8 Ball on the radio. Please email us if you need the contact details for your local radio station. You can share this link with all your friends -- 'I'M GOING TO JAIL' -- http://youtu.be/C4g579-5nlo For full 8 Ball Aitken tour dates, please click here. To purchase a download Southern Hemisphere on iTunes, please click here. To order your personally signed CD, simply respond to this email. Best wishes! Rock on!! Cheers from Bird Jensen & 8 Ball Aitken www.8ballaitken.com www.facebook.com/8ballaitkenmusic

‘I’M GOING TO JAIL’ Enters Charts - ‘SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE’ Out Now

8 Ball Aitken’s New Single ‘I’M GOING TO JAIL’ Enters Charts… ‘SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE’ Album Released In Time For Christmas All I want for Christmas… is for my fans, stalkers, groupies, cousins (including everyone with red-hair from Australia), pets, intelligent indoor house-plants, and Santa Claus to request my new music video ‘I’M GOING TO JAIL’ on CMC (Country Music Channel Australia). Please spare me 30 seconds and do it now. I need your help and I appreciate your support. You need to log in to CMC online with this link… http://www.countrymusicchannel.com.au/request_single_search GOOD NEWS:  My new single ‘I’M GOING TO JAIL’ has entered the Australian Country Tracks Top 30 at number 28 this week. Whoo hoo! Thank you DJs. Please keep spinning it and boost it upwards. I need the bail money to get out of jail for Christmas! Otherwise I will have to climp up the chimney and break out. Ha ha!!! MORE GOOD NEWS:  8 Ball’s new album ‘SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE’ has been officially released. 8 Ball will be playing some special launch shows in Tamworth. There is still time to get a signed copy under your tree. If you want one, simply respond to this email, visit www.8ballaitken.com or for digital, follow the iTunes link https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/southern-hemisphere/id757690653 THANKS: We would like to especially thank all the folks who came to see 8 Ball Aitken playing live throughout 2013. Next year, we plan to do it all bigger, better and wilder. Thank you for joining us on this musical journey. May your Christmas be wonderful and 2014 be your best trip around the sun so far. ‘I’M GOING TO JAIL’ --  8 Ball Aitken is currently available for interviews. Please contact management (Bird Jensen – bird@phoenixmovement.com -- Phone: 0408 075 959). 8 Ball Aitken Australia Summer Tour Dates… December 20 – Tamworth Tennis Club, Tamworth, 8:00pm December 21 – Club House Hotel, Gunnedah, NSW, 8:00pm December 22 - Mudgee Brewery, Mudgee, NSW, 4:30pm December 27 – Lennox Point Hotel, Lennox Heads, NSW, 9:30pm December 28 – Pier Hotel, Coffs Harbour, NSW, 8:00pm December 29 – Park Beach Surf Club, NSW, 3:00pm December 30 – Woodford Festival, (Bluestown), 4:00pm December 31 – Woodford Festival, (Bluestown), 5:30pm January 2014 January 1 – Woodford Festival, (Joyluck), 10:30am January 1 – Woodford Festival, (Bluestown), 9:30pm January 2 – Mustang Bar, Perth, WA, 9:30pm (supported by Jason Ayers) January 3 – Clancy’s Fish Pub, Fremantle, WA, 9:00pm January 4 – Southerly’s Bar, Dongara, WA, 8:00pm January 5 – Rock Inne Tavern, Karragullen, WA, 5:30pm January 7 – Charles Hotel, North Perth, WA, 9:00pm January 8 – Mojos, Fremantle, WA, 8:00pm January 9 – Indie Bar, Scarborough, WA, 8:30pm (Supported by Timothy Nelson & Jordan McRobbie) January 10 – Ravenswood Hotel, Ravenswood, WA, 8:00pm January 11 – Beerwah Hotel, Beerwah, QLD, 8:00pm January 12 – Tyalgum Hotel, Tyalgum, NSW, 2:00pm Tamworth Country Music Festival January 17 – Courthouse Hotel (front bar), 2:30pm – 5:15pm January 17 – Joe Maguire’s, 7:30pm – 10:30pm January 18 – Wests (Legends Lounge), 2:00pm – 5:00pm January 18 – Kootingal Hotel, 8:00pm – midnight January 19 – Tamworth City Plaza, 1:00pm – 2:00pm January 19 – Joe Maguire’s, 3:30pm – 6:30pm January 19 - Tudor Hotel, 9:00pm – 12:00am January 20 – Tamworth Proud Concert, Bicentennial Park, 7:00pm January 20 - Wests (Legends Lounge), 8:00pm – 11:00pm January 21 – Services Club, Writers In The Round, 8:30am – 11:30am January 21 – Fanzone, 5:30pm January 22 – Wests (Blazes), Fender Showcase, 11:00am – 1:00pm January 22 – West Tamworth Pool Party, 4:00pm – 7:00pm January 23 – Wests (Blazes), Maton Showcase, 10:30am – 12:30pm January 23 - Joe Maguire’s, 5:00pm – 8:00pm January 24 – Post Office Hotel, 7:00pm – 10:00pm January 25 – Wests Diggers (Courtyard), 4:00pm – 7:00pm January 26 – Joe Maguire’s, 3:30pm – 6:30pm January 27 - Wests Diggers (Courtyard), 7:30pm - 10:30pm January 31 - Dubbo RSL Club Resort, 7:30pm February February 1 – Old Bank Restaurant, Dubbo, NSW, 8:00pm New Zealand Tour February 6 – Bristol Hotel, Wellington, New Zealand, 8:30pm February 7 – Bent Horseshoe Cafe, Tokomaru, New Zealand, 7:30pm February 8 – Detour Bar, Whakatane, New Zealand, 7:30pm February 14 – Digggers Bar, Hamilton, New Zealand, 10:00pm February 15 - Mangawhai Tavern, Mangawhai, 9:00pm February 16 – The Riverhead Hotel, Aukland, New Zealand, 2:00pm February 22 – The Hay Shed, Western Australia March 1 – Agnes Water Blues Festival, QLD March 2 – House Concert in Hervey Bay, QLD (For tickets call – 0419 667 269) Watch the new 8 Ball Aitken music video -- I'M GOING TO JAIL -- http://youtu.be/C4g579-5nlo

She's Going To Mexico

SHE'S GOING TO MEXICO... I'M GOING TO JAIL Gossip, rumours, and innuendo… we love it! What’s this -- 8 Ball’s in jail? And what’s this about a hillbilly disco? The fibre-optic bush telegraph is heating up overtime as rumours are flying faster than a jumbo jet taking off from Nashville International Airport. Some folks are saying he’s been busted by the culture police for having too much long, red hair to play country music. Some say he’s clocked up too many speeding tickets for playing guitar faster than the average chicken-picker. A card-carrying one-off, the man himself has named his crime, and now he’s doing the time – sentenced to playing over 200 gigs a year, with no chance of parole (or a holiday). “Maybe you could call it musical break and enter,” 8 Ball laughs. “When nobody would open any doors for us, we just kicked a few in.” Although his legions of devoted fans don’t seem to mind that he’s kicked in the doors to their local venues, 8 Ball has been busy all year serving his sentence in America. “I guess you can say I’ve been behind bars,” jokes the Ginga Ninja. “I’ve even climbed up on top of more than a few bars during my gigs!” He expects to get up to even more wacky shenanigans during his current Australian tour. Throughout the rest of 2013 and early 2014, 8 Ball will be touring Oz – and coming to a venue near you. After two years of being based in Nashville, 8 Ball Aitken is releasing an exciting new album called ‘Southern Hemisphere’. 8 Ball wrote and recorded all of the songs in Nashville, working with producer Mike Flanders and some of Music City’s hottest session musicians -- including past and present members of Little Big Town, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, as well as band members from Alison Kraus, Emmylou Harris, and Robert Plant’s ensembles. Songs such as ‘I’m Going To Jail’ and the effervescent, party-in-the-sticks ‘Hillbilly Disco’ give the good ol’ boys a thumpin’ good time. You can check out 'I'm Going To Jail' here: http://youtu.be/C4g579-5nlo Due to budgetary constraints, we have a very limited number of pre-release, collectors' edition of Southern Hemisphere available at 8 Ball's shows. You can also mail-order these for just $30, postage paid. Please in-box 8 Ball or Bird to place your order. Here’s where you can see it all happen live: November 15 – Caledonia Hotel, Cessnock, NSW, 8:00pm November 16 – Coast Hotel, Budgewoi, NSW, 8:00pm November 17 – Marrickville Bowling Club, NSW, 4:30pm November 20 – Royal Cricketers Arms Hotel, Prospect, NSW, 6:30pm November 22 – Bligh Park Tavern, Bligh Park, NSW, 7:00pm November 23 – Private Party (Western Sydney). For details - 0407 751 572 November 24 – Edwards Tavern, Wodonga, NSW, 4:00pm November 26 – Star Hotel, Yackandandah, VIC, 7:00pm November 27 – Standard Hotel, Fitzroy, VIC, 8:00pm November 29 – Blues Train, 6:00pm, Queenscliff, VIC, 6:00pm November 30 – Geelong Speed Trials, Geelong, VIC November 30 – Blues Train, Queenscliff, VIC, 6:00pm December 1 – Geelong Speed Trials, Geelong, VIC December 1 – Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy, VIC, 4:30pm December 2 – Paynesville Wine Bar, Paynesville, VIC, 7:00pm December 3 – Royal Standard, West Melbourne, VIC, 8:00pm December 4 - Meningie Hotel, Meningie, SA, 7:00pm December 5 – Gilbert Street Hotel, Adelaide, SA, 7:00pm December 6 - Blacksmith's Inn, One Tree Hill, SA, 8:00pm December 7 – Singing Gallery, Adelaide, 8:00pm (with Chris Finnen) December 8 – Semaphore Workers Club, Semaphore, SA, 4:00pm December 9 – Palace Hotel, Broken Hill, NSW, 8:00pm December 13 – Taree Sports Club, Taree, NSW, 7:30pm December 14 – Caloundra Powerboat Club, Caloundra, QLD, 7:00pm December 15 – Marcoola Surf Club, Marcoola, QLD, 2:30pm December 20 – Tamworth Tennis Club, Tamworth, 8:00pm December 21 – Club House Hotel, Gunnedah, NSW, 8:00pm December 22 - Mudgee Brewery, Mudgee, NSW, 4:30pm December 27 – Lennox Point Hotel, Lennox Heads, NSW, 9:30pm December 28 – Pier Hotel, Coffs Harbour, NSW, 8:00pm December 29 – Park Beach Surf Club, NSW, 3:00pm December 30 – Woodford Festival, (Bluestown), 4:00pm December 31 – Woodford Festival, (Bluestown), 5:30pm January 2014 January 1 – Woodford Festival, (Joyluck), 10:30am January 1 – Woodford Festival, (Bluestown), 9:30pm January 2 – Mustang Bar, Perth, WA, 9:30pm January 3 – Clancy’s Fish Pub, Fremantle, WA January 5 – Redcliffe On The Murray, Pinjarra, WA, 4:00pm January 7 – Charles Hotel, North Perth, WA January 8 – Mojos, Fremantle, WA January 9 – Indie Bar, Scarborough, WA January 10 – Ravenswood Hotel, Ravenswood, WA January 11 – Beerwah Hotel, Beerwah, QLD, 8:00pm January 12 – Tyalgum Hotel, Tyalgum, NSW, 2:00pm TAMWORTH FESTIVAL SHOWS January 17 – Courthouse Hotel (front bar), 2:30pm – 5:15pm January 17 – Joe Maguire’s, 7:30pm – 10:30pm January 18 – Wests (Legends Lounge), 2:00pm – 5:00pm January 18 – Kootingal Hotel, 8:00pm – midnight January 19 – Tamworth City Plaza, 1:00pm – 2:00pm January 19 – Joe Maguire’s, 3:30pm – 6:30pm January 19 - Tudor Hotel, 10:00pm – 2:00am January 20 - Wests (Legends Lounge), 8:00pm – 11:00pm January 21 – Services Club, Writers In The Round, 8:30am – 11:30am January 22 – Wests (Blazes), Fender Showcase, 11:00am – 1:00pm January 22 – West Tamworth Pool Party, 4:00pm – 7:00pm January 23 – Wests (Blazes), Maton Showcase, 10:30am – 12:30pm January 23 - Joe Maguire’s, 5:00pm – 8:00pm January 24 – Post Office Hotel, 7:00pm – 10:00pm January 25 – Wests Diggers (Courtyard), 4:00pm – 7:00pm January 26 – Joe Maguire’s, 3:30pm – 6:30pm January 27 - Wests Diggers (Courtyard), 7:30pm - 10:30pm

8 Ball Aitken News -- My beard grew back really quickly!

Great News -- My beard grew back really quickly!     Hi friends, Greetings from Nashville in the springtime. My beard grew back really quickly! Check out my new music video -- THE OTHER SIDE.  Ha ha!!! Don't worry, I am still smooth as an 8 Ball rolling across the velvet...  This video was made a couple of years back, but we've only released it just now. You get it first!  Thank you!  8 Ball Aitken www.8ballaitken.com www.facebook.com/8ballaitkenmusic www.youtube.com/8ballaitken

New Release : ALIVE IN TAMWORTH - 8 Ball Aitken - review

I just received and had the pleasure to listen to 8 Ball Aitken's new release, ALIVE IN TAMWORTH. First I gotta tell you that you may look at 8 Ball and think he's not serious but I'll tell you... he is! His music is presented with a lighthearted attack but it's really hard not to have a good time listening to this. 8 Ball is a really fine player and a terrific showman and you can tell just listening to the recording that the crowd is really digging it. I can tell you a number of times in the 4 or 5 times I've listened to this recording I've thought "this really needs to be seen in person". 8 ball puts on a great show and I'd love to see him in person. If you like delta swampy music with a big touch of humor 8 Ball is your guy. I will mention that the cd is live and mostly acoustic resonator... it really adds to the basic sound! The interaction with the crowd really adds to the feel of the cd. I also think that hearing the names of some of the songs will give you a flavor of the theme:

Chocolate, Jack Daniels and LSD
Nobody Looks Ugly After Midnight
Outback Booty Call
Pitbull Is Off The Chain


I thoroughly enjoyed this cd and am looking forward to hearing more!
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Nobody Looks Ugly After Midnight - 8 Ball Aitken

Australia’s best-loved banana picker (turned full‐time guitar picker) 8 Ball Aitken is touring with his award winning third album, ‘REBEL WITH A CAUSE’.

8 Ball Aitken is authentic ‐‐ a real‐deal character who rattles the roof, stomps the planks, and gets his audiences whooping and hollering along in a frenzy of pure exuberance. He plays a sizzling hot blend of original blues, roots & country music. Coming from a farming community in Far North Queensland, 8 Ball Aitken is the oldest son of an impoverished family of twelve children. 8 Ball spent his adolescence on a banana plantation, living in a rough tobacco shed with resident rats, bats, snakes, and spiders as his sleeping companions.

He started work as a farm labourer aged fifteen, doing back‐breakingly hard work on the mango and banana plantations of the Atherton Tablelands, a man's work for a boy's pay. A life‐changing conversation with an Aboriginal elder, who told him he should pursue a career in music, convinced 8 Ball to pack his bags, grab his guitar, and leave the farm to meet his destiny.
8 Ball has taken his unique blues & roots sound to festivals and clubs across the world, including Australia, Europe, Japan and Canada, including Canadian Music Week 2009 and the Stan Rogers Festival. He’s toured in Japan four times, where he headlined the popular Rokko Sun Music Festival. He has played a string of dates in Singapore, the UK (including a live appearance on the BBC), Poland, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway.
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