2008 Canberra Blues Society's Instrumentalist of the year

2015 Chain award nominee

After 4 years honing his craft by performing on the south coast of England, Chris Harland exploded on to the Australia blues scene in 2007. Picking up the Canberra Blues Society’s award for best instrumentalist in 2008 paved the way for numerous festival appearances and attention.

The combination of screaming, weeping, singing guitar solos with soulful vocals sees Chris Harland and his eponymous band deliver a distinguished standard of searing Chicago Blues. A promise to showcase a commanding performance that will not be forgotten in a hurry.

Chris Harland has performed alongside some of Australia's biggest names in blues music including, Geoff Achison, Ray Beadle, Fiona Boyes, Frank Sultana, Shane Pacey…among others.
Chris was also chosen to be the support act for Eric Burdon and the Animals for their Canberra Theatre show during their 2016 Australian tour, for Matt Schofield’s Canberra show during his 2022 Australian tour and joined Ana Popovic on stage for the encore at her Canberra 2026 visit.

After making a name for himself in the Canberra region, Chris Harland and his band were invited to perform at a number of national Australian blues festivals; The Australian Blues Music Festival, Echuca-Moama Winter Blues Festival, The Great Southern Blues Festival, Mitchell Creek Rock ‘n’ Blues Festival, Merimbula Jazz Festival, Kiama Jazz and Blues Festival, Sydney Blues Festival…

With a formidable rhythm section the Chris Harland Blues Band have the precision to nail every live show they play. With their long awaited debut Australian album, A Long Time Coming, reaching the top ten on the Australian Blues and Roots radio airplay charts and the track It’s Getting Late being nominated for a Chain award, it is a sign of much more to come.

With a total of five studio recordings and two live performance recordings released, many successful festival appearances, two short overseas tours back ‘home’ to the UK, Chris Harland has proven that from local blues jams to the international stage he is a musician on the rise.

High-voltage... Hot-wired...


The simplest formula. The maximum impact. The Chris Harland Blues Band has the command and the precision to nail every number they play. Every CHBB set remains a memorable, musical event, revisiting the best of the Blues standards: B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters…
the list is long, the excitement sustained.

UK guitarist CHRIS HARLAND brings the tradition of British-made Electric Blues,
the authentic riff-driven Chicago sound, a high-voltage heritage of
Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and Peter Green.


A Lick of Blues...

The CHBB sound is strong; assured; enticing. When they work a room, people buy another drink, move towards the music, applaud and shout for more – and they spread the word.



Chris Harland was voted best instrumentalist of the year by the Canberra Blues Society in 2008


      



“I caught the Chris Harland Blues Band at the Canberra Blues Society’s monthly jam session at the Statesman Hotel in June. I hadn’t seen them perform before, but have had many people recommend them to me, with one expert labelling them the best thing in blues in Canberra. I’m glad to say they lived up to the hype and then some. They gave an absolutely commanding performance even in just a short set.
Highly recommended; get out and see them!”
Bill Quinn Presenter, Artsound FM
"Electric Blues at its best..."
Russ Lawrence President, Canberra Blues Society
"You must get along and see them!"
Jim Greaves Blues In Britain Magazine
"Great player and singer!"
Shane Pacey The Bondi Cigars