Live music at Fusilier Cottage

The cottage was built in 1838 by Angus McLeod, late bandmaster of the Scottish Fusiliers Regiment. Mr McLeod left the regiment to settle in Tasmania (then known as Van Diemen’s Land): he wasted no time in setting up shop as a music teacher, and band leader.

The architecture and design of the new extension give a nod to Angus, with bugles on display and use of brass in the kitchen and throughout.

The current owner of the cottage, Mark Heyward, also has a musical background. A guitarist and singer-songwriter, Mark produced an album called Crazy Little Heaven. https://soundcloud.com/mark-heyward/crazy-little-heaven

On February 27th 2021, Annick Thomas, who runs the antique shop next door in Hampden Road, surprised the residents of Battery Point, hosting a live concert at Fusilier Cottage. After months of lock-down it was time to let down some hair!

The Heart Collectors are a folk-rock band from Byron Bay. The al-fresco concert was the last stop on their tour of Tassie. The music is a mix of originals, contemporary songs and familiar oldies, an eclectic blend of banjo, guitar, and fiddle topped off with Kymrie’s simmering vocals. As their website says, “…with soaring cello, intricate guitar, sparking mandolin, boot banging banjo, passionate strikes of a tambourine and the thundering of the bodhran, these four charismatic performers create real musical synergy, marrying progressive folk-rock sensibilities and clean classical precision. Get ready to have your heart collected!”

Annick and her friends served complementary snacks and drinks, the band played, the sun shone, and everyone had a good time – the crowd spilling out onto Waterloo Crescent. Mark and Sopan invited the audience in to see the new extension to Fusilier Cottage, and the band ended up staying for a dinner and some impromptu jamming into the night.

Check them out: https://theheartcollectors.com/