2026 BAND BIO
SALTY DOG
High-energy Australian blues
Chicago · Swamp · Boogie · Mississippi Hill Country
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SALTY DOG 2026
Short Bio
Multi award-winning, high-energy blues featuring powerhouse male and female artists.
With more than three decades of experience, Steve Plater and Marion Turner have shared the stage with legends including B.B. King, Bob Dylan and Ray Charles.
Since the 1990s, SALTY DOG has performed extensively across Australia at venues and blues festivals, earning accolades for their recordings, including recognition at the Australian Blues Chain Awards.
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SALTY DOG 2026
The Band
Steve Plater is a celebrated multi-instrumentalist renowned for exceptional slide guitar playing and is the founder of the Great Southern Cigar Box Guitar Festival in Ballarat, Victoria.
Marion Turner delivers powerful vocals and harmonica and is recognised as one of the country’s leading female harp players.
Together with drummer David McDougall and bassist Mat Sing, SALTY DOG delivers a raw, driving blues sound rooted in the Mississippi tradition.
SLIDE GUITAR
HARMONICA
GROOVE
RAW BLUES
LONG BIO
The Salty Dog Story
A high-energy blues act mixing Chicago, swamp and boogie with Mississippi Hill Country blues.
With a music career spanning well over three decades, Steve and Marion have performed on the same bill as legendary acts including B.B. King, Tony Joe White, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles and Lil Charlie and The Night Cats, along with other international headliners.
The journey continues →
THE BLUES JOURNEY
On the Road
SALTY DOG have clocked up thousands of kilometres around Australia during their blues journey since the 1990s, performing regular shows at numerous venues and blues festivals, touring overseas and earning awards from their CD recordings.
“So raw it’s like it’s straight off a Mississippi mud floor.”
CHICAGO
SWAMP
BOOGIE
HILL COUNTRY
LIVE IN BALLARAT
On Stage
Salty Dog performing at Piano Bar Ballarat.
VOCALS · GUITAR · SLIDE GUITAR
Steve Plater
One of Australia’s finest multi-instrumentalists, renowned for wickedly deft slide guitar playing and expertise across a range of stringed instruments.
Steve is also founder and director of the successful Great Southern Cigar Box Guitar Festival, held in Ballarat, Victoria, and now a feature of the regional music scene.
GUITAR
SLIDE
STRINGS
BLUES
IN HIS WORDS
“Myself and Marion have teamed up with powerhouse drummer David McDougall to create a blues so raw it’s like it’s straight off a Mississippi mud floor.” — Steve Plater
VOCALS · HARMONICA
Marion Turner
Powerhouse vocals and harmonica from one of the country’s leading female harp players.
Marion brings energy, grit and a commanding live presence to SALTY DOG’s sound, alongside decades of performance experience with Steve.
Marion Turner centre stage at the Women in Blues showcase during the Ballarat Blues Festival.
DRUMS · BACKING VOCALS
David McDougall
A drummer with a great sense of groove and dynamics who gets the house rockin’.
Having travelled down many different musical highways over the years, David has ended up in the same juke joint as Marion and Steve.
His dynamic playing adds drive and depth to the SALTY DOG sound, anchoring the band’s raw blues with a powerful sense of groove.
THE RHYTHM SECTION
David McDougall + Mat Sing
BASS GUITAR
Mat Sing
Recently welcomed aboard, Mat brings years of experience across a variety of bands to the SALTY DOG rhythm section.
Between Mat and David, the band has a rhythm section built to deliver powerful, driving grooves — the foundation under Steve’s guitar work and Marion’s vocals and harmonica.
Deep groove. Strong dynamics. No shortage of horsepower.
SALTY DOG LIVE
In the room
The lights go down, the amps come up and the groove takes over.
THE BAND
Salty Dog 2026
Steve Plater
Vocals · Guitar · Slide Guitar
Marion Turner
Vocals · Harmonica
David McDougall
Drums · Backing Vocals
Mat Sing
Bass Guitar
High Energy
Raw Blues
Live Groove
SALTY DOG · 2026
Raw blues.
Big groove.
No apologies.
Chicago · Swamp · Boogie · Mississippi Hill Country
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