“It’s hard to put the magic of the concerts into words. Each time I’ve been (three times, maybe four) I feel uplifted, I feel that the world is a slightly better place than I thought, with more decent people in it. Don’t know quite how the alchemy works, but it does.” Clare Boyd-Macrae.
Our 2025 shows (so far!) will be our annual performances at the Williamstown Literary Festival (Friday 20 June) and Write Around the Murray, Albury (Saturday 13 September).
Our 2024 shows were at writer’s festivals in June, August, September and October, and November. Lots more details.
To enquire about booking us, contact director Vin Maskell via our contact page or via email: sterestorieseditor@gmail.com
Our 2023 shows were at writers’ festivals in Queenscliff (May), Williamstown (June) and Albury (September.)
For performance examples, see our YouTube clips.
For publicity photos, see our photo album.
For comments by festival directors, writers and audience members, see Word of Mouth
For profile of our band, see The Stereo Stories Band
For list of our concert writers see writers/narrators
For samples of set lists, see – yes, Our set lists
Stage Plan and Tech Reqs Stereo Stories 2022 Version 2
Stereo Stories in concert 2022
Memo Music Hall, St Kilda. Sunday 9 January. See Against the odds.
The Commercial Hotel, Terang. Saturday 5 March. See Thank you, Terang.
Williamstown Literary Festival. Friday 17 June. Details here.
Mildura Writers Festival. Friday 15 July. Details here.
Port Fairy Literary Weekend, Saturday 3 September. Details here
Write Around The Murray. Saturday 17 September. Details here.
Stereo Stories in concert 2021
In May 2021 we performed a 75-minute concert as part of the Bendigo Writers Festival. Lots of pics.
We also did a private Zoom gig in December 2021: three stories from here in Melbourne, two poems from Bill Arnott in Canada, and some chit-chat with the small audience. Something new!
Like thousands of other musicians, bands, writers, performers, actors, we have lost gigs the past few years due to Covid. We wish all those in the arts industry the very best in these hard times.
Stereo Stories in concert 2020
Saturday 27 June, Newport Folk Festival, Melbourne. Cancelled due to Covid-19
Saturday 12 September, Write Around The Murray, Albury. Cancelled due to Covid-19
Stereo Stories in concert 2019
Sweet dreams in Williamstown. Saturday 15 June. An audience of 450 listening, crying, laughing, singing..
Saturday 6 July. Private house concert.
Saturday 14 September. Write Around The Murray, Albury.
Stereo Stories in concert 2018
Saturday 8 September Write Around The Murray Festival Albury (for the third year running)
Saturday evening 16 June Williamstown Literary Festival (fifth year on our home ground). See our photo essay. Writers included Brian Nankervis, Danny Katz, Rijn Collins, Zoe Krupka.
Williamstown Town Hall. June 16 2018. Photo by Eric Algra
Friday 29 June Glen Eira Storytelling Festival. Writers included Arnold Zable, Melanie Cheng, Jenny Valentish.
Stereo Stories in concert 2017
Our final show for 2017 was a low-key two-hour show at the Newport Bowls Club on 25 November.
Our first show for 2017 was a 90 minute concert on Saturday 18 February in Wangaratta, northern Victoria.
Thank you to the 400 lovers of story and song who came along to our show at the Williamstown Literary Festival on Saturday 17 June. Here are a few pics from the big night.
It was a treat to be invited back to Albury in September for the lovely Write Around The Murray Festival.
Emily Maguire and The Stereo Stories Band. Riders On the Storm. Photo by Peter Charlesworth. Courtesy of Write Around The Murray 2017.
Stereo Stories in concert 2016
On Sunday 7 February we took The High Ground at the exciting new Geelong Library.
Our one-hour show on Sunday 3 April at Williamstown Library featured three new performance stories and an informal, impromptu launch of Jack Gramski’s new CD.
We then played (and filmed for YouTube) a 90 minute show to a packed house of 250 people at the Williamstown Literary Festival on 18 June 2016, followed a fortnight later with a 45-minute midday gig at the delightful Newport Folk Festival.
In September we played a two-hour dinner show at Write Around The Murray, Albury
Our final show for 2016 was a one-hour concert on Sunday 20 November at the Word for Word Festival in Geelong.
Stereo Stories in concert 2015
April Stereo Stories performed a one-hour set at the Williamstown Library. A full house of 60 people enjoyed nine Stereo Stories, including several new pieces, in The Gallery. See Live at The Library!
May Stereo Stories was part of the 2015 Newstead Short Story Tattoo. We performed a half-hour set at Fire Stories, at the Newstead Racecourse. To slightly reword Michael Nesmith, we were standing in the lovely light of the silver moon, looking over maps of memories for the road. See Fires and a full moon at Newstead.
June Stereo Stories performed a two-hour set at the Williamstown Town Hall, courtesy of the 2015 Williamstown Literary Festival. The show featured ten Stereo Stories, three bonus solo tracks , a short acapella tribute to the late great Joan Kirner (founding patron of the Willy Lit Fest) and a dance-bracket finale. See Stereo Stories hits high notes at Willy Lit Fest.
Early July 45 minute bracket at the Newport Folk Festival in Melbourne. See Plenty of fun at Newport Folk Festival
Late July 90 minute bracket at Victoria University. The evening was hosted by the university’s Professional Writing & Editing course. See A good night for the roses at VU.
September Stereo Stories performed at Sunshine Library on Saturday afternoon 12 September, 2015, part of the Brimbank Writers and Readers Festival. The performance space was the children’s section of the library, so toddlers were coming and going, looking for books or mum or dad, or just wanting to play on the primary-coloured furniture. It was a very enjoyable hour of music and memoir.
Stereo Stories in concert 2014
Stereo Stories’ debut performance was at the Williamstown Literary Festival in late May 2014. Eight Stereo Stories in the old council chambers.
It was quickly followed by a gig at the Newport Folk Festival in early July 2014. Six Stereo Stories in the old scout hall, with log-fire burning.
The Stereo Stories Band of writers and musicians then played at the Newport Bowls Club in Melbourne on Sunday 19 October 2014. Fifteen Stereo Stories, including some bonus tracks! More details.
Listen to Houndog at the Newport Bowls Club.
Listen to Senses Working Overtime at the Newport Bowls Club.
Stereo Stories concerts are based around stories that, mostly, are first published on this website. For performace, the stories are edited to make room for The Stereo Stories Band to weave in and out of the narration of the story by the writer. Several writers have been part of our shows since our debut in 2014. Some have been invited for particular concerts. Others have been invited by writers festivals to be part of our show.
Stephen Andrew
Paul Bateman
Tony Birch
Clare Boyd-Macrae
Anson Cameron
Ian Carpenter
Rijn Collins
Luke R Davies
Darren ‘Smokie’ Dawson
Nick Gadd
Andy Griffiths
Jane Harrison
Hugh Jones
Rick Kane
Danny Katz
Zoe Krupka
Emily Maguire
Maria Majsa
Vin Maskell (MC)
Brian Nankervis
Lucia Nardo
Matthew Naqvi
Debra Oswald
Steph Payne
Fiona Price
Kerrie Soraghan
Markus Zusak