Explosive performance

Story: April Spadina. Photo: Cody Fox

As the name suggests, the TNT Big Band delivers an explosive performance that is powerful and dynamic. Comprising of around twenty musicians and vocal soloists, the band is not only visually captivating with its arrangement of saxophones, trumpets, trombones and a rhythm section, the sound produced by TNT is high octane and captivating, performing everything from classic big band swing to Latin and popular contemporary arrangements. 

Based in Hervey Bay the band was established in 2021 with a desire to bring together the crème de la crème of local talented musicians and offer the region a Big Band experience second to none. With the smooth 1940’s style swing and jazz scene seeing a revival, the TNT Big

Band formed to deliver the popular easy listening genre to the Fraser Coast, now delivering sell out performances at the Hervey Bay Jazz Club along with private and corporate events.

Members of the band are predominantly music teachers, semi-professionals and community musicians who have a long history of playing together in various groups and have come together to form a tight knit ensemble. The perfectionism is clearly evident with each band member individually focused on enhancing the overall excellence of the group. The high level of skill required to maintain the flawless musical outcome is evident. As each song unfolds, delicious waves of intensity sweep over the rhythmic sound and the snappy, punchy switches between instruments hit every note with precise timing. 

These accomplished musicians have years of experience between them and it not only shows in their impressive skill levels, it is evident in their appreciation for one another. They clearly enjoy what they do and the playful banter between the bandmembers shows a love and admiration you find when people come together and become a family, bound together by a mutual admiration and respect for the very thing that brought them together. 

The TNT Big Band received a Regional Arts Development Fund community grant towards their performance of A Very Jazzy Christmas held at Maryborough City Hall on Friday 20 December.

This story appears in the December 2024 edition of Fraser Coast Scene, our monthly guide to What's On across our Cultural Services venues.

The creation of this story and photography was funded by Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF). RADF is a partnership between the Queensland Government and Fraser Coast Regional Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.