Barry Hills 

Hills started playing bass guitar at high school in the 70’s.  Playing in various local dance and cabaret bands, he found rock & roll with the likes of the Rolling Stones, Deep Purple and The Beatles.  In 1978 Barry met pedal steel guitarist Wayne Appleby, joining his band, Midnight Flyer, playing Gram Parsons, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and the Nashville sound. Midnight Flyer became the backing band for Jean Stafford, Australia’s Multi Golden Guitar Queen of Country for several years, as well as for touring artists including Tony Pantano, Ray Kernaghan, Anne Kirkpatrick and Chad Morgan. 

Hills then moved on to play with local blues rock outfit, Rockfoot, backing artists like Phil Manning and Brent Parlane, all the while learning and listening to blues music from the masters. 

In 1984, Barry met Australian Blues legend, Dutch Tilders, at the legendary Windsor Castle Hotel jam session. Barry and Dutch went on to form the multi-award winning Dutch Tilders and The Blues Club band, which also featured internationally acclaimed guitarist and vocalist Geoff Achison. 

Barry founded the Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society (MBAS) in 1990, which supports Youth in Blues and local blues artists with annual competitions for a chance to appear at the prestigious Memphis International Blues Challenge.  Most notably, Fiona Boyes and Jimi Hocking both went on to win the worldwide competition. 

Barry also formed Blues Club Records around the same time which released not only Dutch Tilders recordings but licensed other great Australian acts such as The Backsliders, Marco Goldsmiths’ Blue Heat, Rocket 88’s, Lil’ Fi and Delta Rhythm Kings.  Barry received Producer of the Year from the Blues On Air Awards for Dutch Tilders album ‘The Blues is my Life’ and went on to produce three more albums for Dutch. Barry continued his producing skills with the award-winning Real Australian Blues Vol 1, 2, 3 and 4, which showcased original blues songs from 100 Blues bands around Australia. 

During this time Barry also produced ‘The Beat Inside’, a promo CD which featured Lloyd Spiegel’s’ first recording session, Billy Kavanagh, Marco Goldsmith Band, Sue Nightingale and Lazy James Band.  ‘Deep South’ was a successful compilation of South Australian blues bands, which became a starting point for the South Australian Blues Club “Deep South.” In 2007, Barry was awarded MBAS Producer of the Year for up-and-coming blues trio, Lyman Debut.  On top of all this Barry also found time to play with other well-known Melbourne bands like Hoochie Coochie Boys, The Mojo’s, Joe Galea Band and Dirty Rivers.

In 2018, after a ten-year self-imposed sabbatical from music, Barry decided to return, with an innovative approach he’d been considering for a while. His idea was to form a group of session players who could adapt their playing styles to whatever the main artist required.  After talking to a couple of musicians – Brian Fraser and Roland Kretschmer - who Barry had worked with many times previously, their enthusiasm created confidence that this project would be possible. PepperCreek Revival was born, albeit not yet named. 

In November 2022, Barry was inducted into the Blues Music Victoria Hall of Fame as an Industry Icon together with long-time partner and PBS FM ‘Roots Of Rhythm’ presenter, Helen Jennings OAM.

Nick Carrafa

Nick is a man of many talents as a drummer, singer, music producer and actor. In the 70’s Nick started drumming to the radio with sticky tape drumsticks and at 17 he was playing in Italian reception bands. 

Nick has appeared in many television series and theatre productions then returning to playing music again with Kelly Auty, Rocky Dabscheck, The Two Bob Millionaires, David Cosma, Blackfeather and Damon Smith. Nick is currently completing his first solo album of songs highlighting his eclectic and varied skill set as a dynamic performer and producer.

Kelly Auty

Renowned for her powerhouse performances, Kelly Auty is a favourite on the Australian music scene. Her voice pulls at the heartstrings, and her passionate and energetic style captures audiences everywhere. 

Kelly began singing in church choir, music theatre and the Opera as a teenager and has since gone on to forge an illustrious career. She has produced ten albums of unique powerful originals and favourite cover songs. 

Kelly has appeared at many Australian festivals, supported Janis Ian, Eric Burdon, Mary Coghlan, The Divinyls, Manhattan Transfer, and sang support for extensive tours with The Drifters and The Platters.

In 2018 Kelly and her band travelled to Memphis to compete with 240 acts from around the globe in the International Blues Challenge where Kelly’s Blues presented their new original repertoire to adoring fans and won a place in the semi-finals. In the same year, the Kelly Auty Band won the Vic Tas Blues Music awards for Band of the Year and was a semi-finalist in the Chain Awards Artist of the year category.

Kelly is always writing and creating her next musical adventure. She’s at the top of her game and alive and kicking, a mainstay of the Melbourne music scene.  

As Jose Feliciano says, “Kelly sings from the heart.” 

Brian Fraser

Brian Fraser is one of Australia’s finest and most well recognised acoustic blues performers.  A multi-award-winning artist with over 30 years’ experience in the music industry, he spends much of his time touring Australia, performing at festivals, hotels and a multitude of other venues. 

While his early work was never far removed from blues musical traditions, when in his 30’s, it was upon hearing Stevie Ray Vaughn’s “Couldn’t Stand The Weather” album that he discovered the raw, emotive power of the blues—a genre that would come to define his journey. These early experiences, blending local storytelling with soulful melodies, eventually laid the foundation for his future endeavours both as a band member and as a solo artist.

Brian has released three solo acoustic albums and an album with the Brian Fraser Trio, ‘Passing the Time’, which won the 2006 Australian Blues Band of the Year at the Australian Blues Music Festival “Chain Awards”. 

Australian Blues Album of the Year –Chain Awards 2000

Male Artist of the Year –VicTas Awards 2003          

Australian Blues Band of the Year – Brian Fraser Trio, Chain Awards 2006

Roland Kretschmer

Born in Germany, Roland's musical journey began in Altona, a vibrant suburb of Melbourne, where he first discovered the world of music through the trumpet during his school years. However, the allure of the guitar soon captivated his soul, and the trumpet was lovingly set aside in favour of the six strings. 

In the early stages of his career, Roland was fortunate enough to share the stage with iconic bands like Men At Work and The Uncanny X-Men, where he honed his performance skills and gained invaluable experience in the music industry. 

Throughout his career, Roland has achieved notable milestones, including being a pivotal member of two award-winning bands. The Lyman Debut, in the early 2000s, garnered recognition with two prestigious awards: one for Best Debut Album and another for Best Producer. In 2015, Roland's musical journey reached new heights with the country rock band Ruckus, which clinched a remarkable eight awards at the Canberra Country Music Awards. 

Primarily known for his masterful guitar skills, Roland is also a proficient bassist, mandolin player, and baritone guitar enthusiast and luthier of some of the instruments he plays today. Now, Roland continues his musical odyssey as a key member of PepperCreek Revival. This exciting collaboration takes audiences on a sonic journey through time and space.