With an infectious rock and blues sound evocative of Sheryl Crowe and Tracy Chapman, Tanya has been performing since the age of 14 as a guitarist, bassist and singer in a number of bands. A wide-ranging and adventurous explorer of all musical genres from classic rock to modern pop, reggae and everything else in between, her career highlights include playing with Married at First Sight star Drewboy at major festivals such as Groovin’ The Moo and the Grass is Greener, and supporting iconic acts such as Jimmy Barnes and Pete Murray.

Playing bass at The Grass is Greener festival with Drewboy.
Backstage with Jimmy Barnes at a support gig in 2009.

Based in Cairns, Tanya captivates audiences at weddings, parties, functions, bars and restaurants with her unique adaptations of classic crowd-pleasers and top 40 hits.

Tanya wows the crowd as a one-woman band, playing stomp and tambourine percussion with her feet while effortlessly combining complex guitar riffs, smooth vocals and vocal effects.

Take rhythm and harmony and shake until combined; add some heat and spice and you now have Tanya paired with percussionist/vocalist Kimberley Cooper. This dynamic duo brings all the boys (and girls) to the yard. Don’t be fooled by their sweet appearance – given a chance these girls will rock it til the third encore when the lights are coming on and security has to ask everyone to leave.

Add some funky bass, a drum kit and a truck load of good vibes, turn up the dial to “defrost audience” and you have “The Tease“, a band sent back in time to change the future for lucky audiences everywhere. These guys are destined to pack the dance floor at any event, such as these nights at Gilligan’s in Cairns:

So, picking a playlist to please your Aunty Iris, Dad, Mum, your grandparents, the kids, your cousins from the country and friends from overseas can be a nightmare. Tanya makes life easy for you with a repertoire to please all ages and musical tastes, and doubles as a DJ between live sets. Requests, sing-alongs and conga-lines are encouraged, keeping everyone happy, so the only thing you need to worry about is how to stop Aunty Iris from drinking all the punch and showing everyone her table-top dance moves.

No two shows are the same as Tanya tailors the setlist on-the-go to suit the occasion. So whether you want a chilled out dinner party, romantic love songs, or to party like it’s 1999, contact Tanya now to book your personalised entertainment experience.

Tanya Murphy appears regularly at North Queensland venues such as Gilligan’s, The Cotton Club, Hemingways Brewery (Cairns), Spirit of Cairns Dinner Cruise, Yorkey’s Knob Boat Club, Bluewater Bar & Grill, The Chambers, Kewarra Beach Shack, Cairns Cruising Yacht Squadron, Courthouse Port Douglas, Apres Palm Cove, The Jack, Rattle N Hum (Cairns), Espy Bar Palm Cove, and more.

“Thank you to Tanya and the band for a fantastic night of laughter, fun and dancing. Our guests thoroughly enjoyed themselves on Saturday at our wedding.”

Letitia & Phil

Tanya has played at my bar now for nearly two years and is very reliable never letting me down. Best female voice in cairns and highly talented on the instruments. She brings a beautiful vibe to the bar with her presence.

Paul Gilmartin – Owner, Jack N Shanan’s Restaurant & Espy Bar, Palm Cove

Tanya recently played at our cocktail party and was amazing. She is so professional, even coming to check out the venue the day before and arriving an hour early on the day. Her selection of songs was great – catering for all ages. Would definitely recommend her.

Jennifer Lawrence, CEQ

“We all had such a great time at Turtle Cove Resort with Tanya setting the scene! Beautiful voice and great entertainer and an amazing person too!”

Nathan Bonneau-Plassa, Manager – Turtle Cove Resort

“Tanya played down at the Trinity Beach Sports club tonight, she was absolutely fantastic, such a good vibe, 10/10”

Charlie Milton

“Tanya is amazing!! Sings all genres of music, interacts with people, and takes requests too! If you want a date night… or a dance with your friends, she is the girl to listen to!”

Alecia Freeman, Bar Manager – Spirit of Cairns Dinner Cruises

A night where Tanya is playing is always going to be a good night. She has a great voice, with great energy to suit a chill or upbeat mood.

David Cazzulino

Tanya is an incredibly talented and professional musician! I’ve been lucky enough to see her perform on many occasions, and she is always on point. Great vocals, fantastic guitar playing, and she even adds her own percussion using foot pedals! With a great repertoire, she’s a one girl band!

Gary Smyth, Musician