HOT String Band performing at The Port Cygnet Cannery as part of the 2023 Cygnet Folk Festival

Hobart Old Time String Band

The HOT String Band is a community band of around 20 musicians who share a passion for acoustic old time music and related genres. Our aim is to provide a community forum for lovers of American old time, hillbilly and related instrumental music to get together and continue to improve their musical and performance skills. Enthusiasm levels are high!

We play mostly acoustic stringed instruments and meet nearly every Thursday evening from 7:30pm in the All Saints Church lower hall, Macquarie St, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Visiting musicians and potential members are always welcome. 

Note that our current Covid-19 requirements are –
· all members and visitors MUST verify they are double vaccinated as a condition of entry to the hall and participation in all band activities.
· wearing of masks and social distancing is desirable but is not mandatory. We aim to respect each player’s personal situation, so they feel comfortable in the band environment.

The band was first formed in 2001 by the efforts of Mike Grant and Fred Pribac as a follow-on from Adult Education classes offered by Fred since 1999. These courses were named Hillbilly Zen, Barney Sell Your Fiddle, Diddly Per Diddly and more.
Our material is drawn from traditional and modern folk song and tune sources. Although we take our musicianship seriously, our performances must be seen to be believed! Our normal dress code includes a variety of hats, and attire to suit the occasion.

The HOT String Band performs at private functions, community events and festivals. And sometimes we just have a jam with whoever can turn up. We have a reputation for our huge wall-of-sound that gets faces smiling and toes tapping.

The band has recorded three CDs; one is still available for purchase however stock is limited.