Sat 12 Sep
ROCKWIZ ROCKS BRISBANE ROCKWIZ LIVE
Get ready Brissy, we are coming back to celebrate your fine city!
Music
RocKwiz proudly presents a tailor-made Brisbane show. From Cloudland and Festival Hall to the Fortitude Music Hall, from the Bee Gees to the ‘Finger, The Saints to Savage Garden, The Grates to The Veronicas — we celebrate them all. Julia Zemiro, Brian Nankervis, the Orkestra, special guests, and punter contestants from the crowd spin through trivia rounds, smash breakout musical interludes all in a live mixtape of fun and friendly competition.
DURATION 2 hours 40 minutes including interval
ACCESSIBILITY Wheelchair Access Assistive Listening
RocKwiz Live RocKwiz Live is the run-away child of RocKwiz the television show that aired on SBS for 14 seasons, then on Foxtel for another. Since 2010 it has been a live show that tours around Australia, playing theatres across the country to crowds of 700 in regional towns to 7000 at festivals. RocKwiz Live is a louder, larger and more bombastic version of the TV show, where anything can happen and often does!
For more RocKwiz
Involving audience members as contestants, every show is unique, but they always include sublime musical performances by some of Australia’s (and the World’s) finest performers. Combining live music, comedy, quizzing and audience participation RocKwiz Live is a unique entertainment event.
rockwizlive.com.au
Soundmerch
Rockwiz Rocks Brisbane Show credits RocKwiz Hosts
RocKwiz Live Crew
Julia Zemiro
Dugald McAndrew
Brian Nankervis
Brad Alcock
The RocKwiz Orkestra Peter Luscombe Clio Renner Bill McDonald Olympia Ashley Naylor
The Surprise Special Guests
Richie Robinson Henry Joe Nankervis Brett Millican Brendan Keane Andrew McKeown Sabrina Lawrie
RocKwiz Live Producers Ken Connor Peter Bain-Hogg
Jess Hitchcock
Brian Nankervis
Patience Hodgson
Lily Connor
Dana Gehrman
RocKwiz is an original format conceived by Brian Nankervis, Peter Bain-Hogg and Ken Connor.
Sam Cromack Emily Wurramara
Rockwiz Hosts Julia Zemiro Logie awarded Julia Zemiro is one of Australia’s most recognisable television faces. As the host of the iconic music quiz show, RocKwiz (SBS, 2005 – 2016) she made her name as a charismatic ringmaster of live television. She took those skills into her co-hosting role (Australia’s coverage) of the Eurovision Song Contest (2008 – 2016) where her agile presence made those original broadcasts some of the most memorable and gently irreverent in Australian television history. She can also be seen most recently hosting ABC’s hugely successful new show, Crime Night. From 2013 – 2022, Zemiro co-produced and hosted nine seasons of the hugely successful, Julia Zemiro’s Home Delivery (ABC) proving she could also handle more serious, long-form interviews with ease. The series’ longevity firmly cemented her as one of Australia’s most likeable television talents. She was Executive Producer and Host of Great Australian Walks (SBS).
A graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts, Zemiro returned to her thespian roots in 2020 when she starred in the awardwinning ABC sitcom, Fisk. Over three highrating seasons, Zemiro proved she is also a virtuoso comedic actress winning the 2025 Silver Logie for Best Supporting Actress. In 2019 and 2020 she brought her big vision producing skills to the Adelaide Cabaret Festival as Artistic Director, curating a diverse and dynamic program of international and local artists. With a work ethic to match her talent, she has also been the captain’s pick for many high-profile international interviews and specials including Louis Theroux, Bill Bryson, Stephen Fry, Michael Mosley, Peter Capaldi (Dr Who press tour) and Brian Cox (Stargazing Live). In 2023, Julia was very proud to be awarded Woman of the Year for her artistic and professional activities enhancing links between France and Australia By Le Courrier Australien.
Brian Nankervis Brian has been writing, co-producing and cohosting RocKwiz since 2005. Brian co-hosts The Friday Revue with Jacinta Parsons and hosts Saturday Breakfast on ABC Radio Melbourne. From 2021 to 2023 he hosted Songs and Stories, a national ABC radio show. In 2012, he hosted Pictures Of You on Channel Seven.
He was a writer/performer on Let The Blood Run Free and appeared regularly on Hey Hey It’s Saturday as poet Raymond J Bartholomeuz. Brian is an experienced MC and performer for public events and corporate functions. He performs a poetry show in schools.
Surprise Special Guests for Rockwiz Rocks Brisbane Jess Hitchcock
Patience Hodgson
Jess Hitchcock is a singer-songwriter and composer with a voice that cuts through, the kind that can make you cry. Her sound travels across genres, with roots in opera and a new home in a raw country-rock sound she has made her own. Her sophomore album Unbreakable reached #4 on the AIR Independent Album Charts. Jess has collaborated with legendary artists including Paul Kelly, Archie Roach, Emma Donovan, Briggs, Deborah Cheetham and Kate Miller-Heidke. Currently developing a contemporary opera set in the Torres Strait of a love story that spans the Pacific, Jess is also set to release her anticipated third studio album of country-rock bangers.
Patience Hodgson is the frontwoman of Brisbane indie rock band The Grates, who formed in a suburban garden shed in 2002 and went on to become one of Australia’s most beloved and energetic live acts. Across two decades, The Grates released four studio albums, toured extensively throughout Australia and internationally, and brought their particular brand of colourful chaos to stages everywhere from Big Day Out and Splendour in the Grass to SXSW. Their first two albums Gravity Won’t Get You High and Teeth Lost, Hearts Won both landed in the ARIA Top 10. These days, Patience’s creative life stretches well beyond music. She is an artist, performer, host and community organiser, collaborating across music, theatre, fashion and live art. She is the co-creator of Flower. Puppy. Show. with artist Rachel Burke and continues to find new ways to bring people together through creativity and a healthy dose of weirdness. A familiar face on Australian stages for more than 20 years, Patience is thrilled to be back with RocKwiz making some noise and celebrating the extraordinary musical history of her hometown.
Dana Gehrman Dana Gehrman is a Brisbane based guitarist and powerhouse vocalist blending 70s West Coast warmth with modern roots-rock, blues and soul. An award winning songwriter and seasoned touring artist, Gehrman has cemented her reputation as one of Australia’s most exciting contemporary roots musicians.
Sam Cromack Over 15 years into their career, Ball Park Music has become one of Australia’s most revered and endearing bands, with six ARIA Top 5 albums, four platinum singles and 12 Hottest 100 appearances. Their eighth album Like Love debuted at #1 on both the ARIA National and Australian Album Charts in April 2025. The band also supported Oasis on the Australian leg of their massive LIVE 25 tour. New music is on the horizon.
Emily Wurramara Multi-award-winning singer-songwriter Emily Wurramara has amassed over 30-million streams on Spotify alone. A Warnindhilyagwa woman from Groote Eylandt, Emily writes and sings in both English and Anindilyakwa language. She’s a powerful story teller and performer, regularly sharing stages with renowned artists including the late uncle Archie Roach, Michael Franti, Mavis Staples, Midnight Oil, Missy Higgins and Thelma Plum. Emily is also a passionate advocate for environmental issues, mental health awareness and youth suicide prevention.
The Rockwiz Orkestra Peter Luscombe
Bill McDonald
Peter Luscombe is an award-winning musician with over four decades of experience playing with some of the best songwriters in the country. Having played on over 200 albums Peter is renowned as a songwriter’s drummer with a unique sensibility to music. His extensive knowledge of music is highly respected, and his incredible passion for music and its history is evident in his work. His work has been featured in films, television shows, and on the radio.
Bill McDonald has been part of the RocKwiz Orchestra for more than 10 years and has worked with MD Peter Luscombe on and off for nearly 50 years, including the last 24 in Paul Kelly’s band. He has released 3 albums under the name Four Hours Sleep through Pop Boomerang, and he is involved in several other diverse music projects.
For the past 30 years, he has been the longstanding drummer and musical collaborator for Paul Kelly, as well as Musical Director for the popular SBS TV show RocKwiz.
Clio Renner Clio Renner is a Melbourne musician, songwriter, pianist and vocalist who has spent years moving between the spotlight and the wings. She’s performed with artists including Angus & Julia Stone, Missy Higgins, Emma Donovan, Remi Wolf, Tim Rogers, G Flip and Alex Lahey, and is a regular member of the house band on SBS’s RocKwiz. Alongside her work as a collaborator and musical director, Clio has built a solo career of her own, releasing two albums Nothing Breaks Nothing Mends and Don’t Hurry the Dance. Her work as a musician spans performing, songwriting, recording and musical direction.
Olympia Olympia, once dubbed Australia’s “local guitar bully and counter-culture connoisseur” by the Herald Sun, is a singer, songwriter and guitarist known for fiercely original records and a formidable live show. Her debut album Self Talk (2016) was nominated for an ARIA Award, shortlisted for the Australian Music Prize and named a triple j Feature Album. Its follow-up Flamingo (2019) further established Olympia’s reputation for soaring, guitarfronted art-rock, with Clash (UK) describing her as “in perfect control of her art.” A commanding singer and guitarist of rare taste and imagination, Olympia has built a reputation as a visceral live performer in Australia and internationally. In a particularly fitting endorsement, Midnight Oil chose Olympia’s ‘Smoke Signals’ as their walk-on song throughout their epic Great Circle World Tour - endorsing the artist at 77 shows across 16 countries, reaching more than half a million people. In 2026, Olympia returned with Love for One, the first release through her own label, Reach-Around Records — a new independent chapter for an artist who has always preferred doing things her own way.
Ashley Naylor Ashley Naylor first joined the RocKwiz family in 2009, appearing alongside Vanessa Amorosi for a spirited duet on the Stones classic ‘Get Off My Cloud’. Since 2010, Ash has appeared as guitarist on numerous RocKwiz tours and the final two televised series’ in 2015 and 2016. He divides his time between being a member of Steve Kilbey’s iconic Australian band The Church, touring locally and overseas since joining the band in 2019, and as a member of Paul Kelly’s band since 2016, having been ushered into the fold by RocKwiz musical director Peter Luscombe after the 2006 Countdown Spectacular arena tour. Ash fronted Melbourne underground Arianominated stalwarts Even from 1994 to 2022 releasing eight critically celebrated albums in that time frame, as well as performing in local bands The Stems, The Grapes and The Ronson Hangup. Since 2023 his focus has shifted towards his new classic psych rock band Ashley Naylor Spaceship, indulging in extended guitar instrumental workouts and classic covers from the golden era of 70s rock. Having released his most lauded solo album Alexandria Sunset in September 2025, Naylor is taking a leaf out of the Kilbey/Kelly play book and aiming to be far more prolific these days, with two new albums already in the 2027 pipeline.
Acknowledgement of Country
Brisbane Festival, the Festival Board, and the Indigenous Advisory Group continue to build a festival that expresses its respect for and acknowledgement of the various Traditional Owners and Custodians of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lands and waterways. Our respects extend to the local and neighbouring Communities where the works are performed and celebrated across Brisbane areas. We acknowledge their continuing connection to land and waters and honour the Elders past and present.
We recognise the fundamental role that Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander people continue to play in creative events and celebrations, as well as the importance of our continued engagement with the Indigenous Advisory Group and First Nations Communities. We are committed to the development of opportunities for further growing the various Cultural performances across the Festival. Brisbane Festival and the Indigenous Advisory Group will continue to embrace, engage, and collaborate in partnership towards aprogressive future.
Acknowledgements Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) CHAIR
Ian Walker
TRUST MEMBERS Leanne Coddington Dr Sophie Galaise Rebecca Pini Susan Rix AM Patrice Scott
EXECUTIVE STAFF
Rachel Healy Chief Executive Zoë Connolly Executive Director – Philanthropy and Partnerships Gemma Davidson-Butler Executive Director – People and Culture Roxanne Hopkins Executive Director – Marketing and Ticketing: Bill Jessop Executive Director – Venue Infrastructure and Production Services Ellen Kavanagh Executive Director – Curatorial Kurt Schulte-Schrepping Executive Director – Venue Services and First Nations Strategy Scott Pugh General Counsel Brett Walker-Davies Chief Financial Officer
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The Queensland Performing Arts Trust is a statutory body of the State of Queensland and is partially funded by the Queensland Government. The Honourable John-Paul Langbroek MP Minister for Education and the Arts Sharon Schimming Director-General, Department of Education
Presented by Brisbane Festival and Queensland Performing Arts Centre.
QPAC rests on the lands of the Yuggera and Turrbal peoples. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of this country and recognise their rich cultural heritage and enduring connection to the land, waters, and skies. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are this country’s original storytellers, and it is our privilege to continue to share stories and be a place of gathering on this land that has been a meeting place for millennia. Thank you to all our donors for their generous support of the QPAC Foundation, which enables us to reach beyond the stage and bring a sense of belonging, community engagement, and joy to all Queenslanders. To find out more about the QPAC Foundation and how you might support its work please email philanthropy@qpac.com.au. We give heartfelt thanks to QPAC’s Principal Partners Hyundai and MinterEllison and we acknowledge the valued support of all our corporate partners who help make our work possible.
Brisbane Festival Team
Ebony Bott
Artistic Director
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dr Jane Wilson AO Philip Bacon AO Kim Challenor Andrew King Mirusia Louwerse Amanda Newbery Jonathan Perry Sophie Robertson Graeme Wikman
LEADERSHIP TEAM Michael Adams Bella Ford Claire Hooper Tim Pack Justine Robins
DEVELOPMENT Lyndsey Black
Xandy Blue Jared Cameron Jodie Gordon Warrick McDonald
FINANCE
Rhoisin Elwell-Sutton Lorelle Edwards
Charlie Cush
Chief Executive Officer
Chair Deputy Chair
Emily Barclay Persephone Hitzke-Dean Sasha Iwanick Sabrina Ryan Ella Winten
Aunty Bridget Garay Aunty Raelene Rallah-Baker Ben Graetz Danielle Ah Boo Luke Peacock Sharnee Hegarty
Chief Impact Officer Program Director Chief Financial Officer / Company Secretary Technical Director Administration Manager Development Coordinator – Philanthropy Development Administrator Development Coordinator Development Manager – Philanthropy Development Manager – Partnerships Financial Accountant Finance Assistant
MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS Nadia Jade Okorn Mark Sutton Lucy Andrews
INDIGENOUS ADVISORY GROUP
Marketing Manager Brand and Content Manager Marketing Officer – Media & Comms Ticketing Lead Ticketing and CRM Manager Marketing Officer – Content & Engagement Brand Coordinator Marketing Officer – Digital Lead
Chair; Kemer Kemer Meriam Nation Yuggera, Birri, Girramay Nations Malak Malak, Kungarakan, Muran Clan, and Torres Strait Islands Samsep, Dhoeybaw, Maluligal, Kulkalgal Samsep/Meriam Gunggari, Wulkurukaba
PROGRAMMING Stefan Greder Sanja Simić Adeline Shaddick Renee Place Michelle Morgan Consultant Genevieve Trace Darcy Boyd
TECHNICAL Richard Clarke Andrew Haden Henry Manning
Senior Producer Creative Producer Associate Producer Education Consultant Community Engagement Program Manager Production Coordinator Production Manager Technical Manager Technical Coordinator
GIVING COMMITTEE
The Honourable Justice Thomas Bradley Courtney Talbot Philip Bacon AO Andrew Baker Heidi Cooper Anna Palmer Prue Pateras Paul Taylor AM Dr Jane Wilson AO
NEXT GEN GIVING COMMITTEE Ashleigh Mansfield Alissa Bermingham Xanthe Lowe-Brown Bianca Wylie Phoebe Zavros
Chair
Chair Deputy Chair
brisbanefestival.com.au