Festivals Update: September 29
DIXIECHICKS TO HEADLINE CMC ROCKS 2017
Global country stars The Dixie Chicks will return to Australia for the first time in 10 years. Set to headline the 10th anniversary of CMC Rocks QLD, the group are currently performing headline dates across Europe and North America.
CMC Rocks 2017 runs from March 24 – 26 at Willowbank Raceway. The full artist line-up will be revealed nextFriday, October 7.
The 2017Loyalty Pre-Salewill run from9am AESTonWednesday 5 Octoberthrough to5pm AESTonThursday 6 October.
NEIL FINN UNDER FULL MOON AT GOLDEN PLAINS
Golden Plains, this year forecast to be held under a Red Moon, will be headlined by Neil Finn doing a solo set. The ticket ballot for GPXI is open until 10 pm Monday, October 17, Go to www.goldenplains.com.au.
Changes this year include a new sound system, new campground, new foods and kids under 12 allowed for free.
ADDITIONS TO STRAWBERRY FIELDS
Latest additions to Strawberry Fields (November 17 to 20) on the Murray River are Berlin’s Max Graef, FKJ (aka French Kiwi Juice) from Paris and a Seekae DJ set replacing Future Classic label-mate Charles Murdoch after he ran into “scheduling issues.”
NEW COUNTRY FESTIVAL FOR CABOOLTURE
In the wake of the axing of Caboolture’s Urban Country Music comes a new three-day event in April for the area in Queensland. It will be launched officially this Sunday with a mini-concert and unveiling of full details.
SMALLTOWN GETS NINA KRAVIZ TO HEADLINE
The techno gathering Smalltown returns on November 12 to South Beach Reserve in Melbourne with Russian producer Nina Kraviz, Marcel Dettmann in the wake of a mix for iK7’s DJ-Kicks series, and Iceland’s Bjarki, who is signed to Kraviz’s Trip Records label, who’s making his Australian debut.
CALOUNDRA MUSIC GETS OWN SONG
As part of its 10th anniversary celebrations, Caloundra Music on King’s Beach had King’s Beach Boogie written in its honour. The song was written and recorded by Sunshine Coast musicians with a number of New Orleans musicians including Tony Hall (a regular at the festival), Dr. John, Cyril Neville and some of Harry Connick Jr.’s band. The idea was to commemorate links between New Orleans and the Sunshine Coast.
FESTIVAL TO SAVE SYDNEY PARK
A range of EDM acts will perform over multiple stages at the Save Sydney Park Festival on Saturday October 1 at Sydney Park in St Peters. The event was set up by Reclaim The Streets (RTS) and WestCONnex Action Group (WAG) as part of a protest against the destruction of 14,000 square metres of Sydney Park (and hundreds of trees) and support the anti-WestConnex blockade.
Seven of Sydney’s most popular sound stages have now been confirmed, including Asylum Speaker (jungle / drum n bass), Finespun (garage, house, techno), Rivet (dubstep, grime, bass tunes), Bike Rave (random sweet stuff) and Sydney Def Jam (hip hop). Each stage will feature multiple local acts.
Confirmed speakers include local Greens MP Jenny Leong and Jess Miller, City of Sydney councillor and member of Lord Mayor Clover Moore’s independent team.
35,000 FOR FLORIADE NIGHTFEST?
EventsACT is confidentially expecting a crowd of 35,000 to attend Floriade NightFest (September 28 to October 2), similar to last year’s turnout. The food, wine and street entertainer includes live music acts as Lady Bug, Frieda & Diego and Drumassault
BIG PINEAPPLE DINO BACK HOME
Bruce, the 1 ½ metre dinosaur statue, will be back at the Sunshine Coast’s Big Pineapple Music in 2017. He’d been missing since 2014 after he was dino-napped from the festival.
Two hitch hikers found him left on the Mt Coolum trail with a note from the dino saying that after being dragged around Northern Territory, Queensland and WA attending “dog fights, cage fights, chicken fights, horse races, day races & emu races”, he wanted to come home.
He’s back with his owners. Bruce already lost his tail when he was dino-napped from the festival, and now is without an eye and a leg after his adventures.
TAMWORTH COUNTRY MUSIC SEEKING BUSKERS
Tamworth Country Music (January 20—29 )has opened applications for the busker championship on the city’s Boulevard of Dream, Peel Street. Registrations for the 2017 Toyota LandCruiser Country Music Busking Championships are at www.tcmf.com.au/Busking. Troy Cassar-Daley, Kasey Chambers, Beccy Cole and Keith Urban began their careers busking on Peel Street.
TWO MORE FOR HANDPICKED
Set to be held at Lake Breeze Winery, Langhorne Creek in South Australia on Saturday November 12, Handpicked Festival added British India and The Potbelleez to its bill, which already includes The Veronicas and Killing Heidi.
LIVE BROADCAST FOR MILDURA COUNTRY MUSIC
As part of the 30th anniversary of the Mildura Country Music, the Good Morning County Crew has been broadcast from the event, with Overnight sessions, interviews and the rundown on tomorrow’s Southern Stars Awards.
QUEENSCLIFF MUSIC’S FINAL ROUND-UP
Queenscliff Music’s final announcement for 2016 including live comedy, family entertainment, food stalls and yoga. The comedy line-up includes Denise Scott, Anne Edmonds, Dave O’Neil and Dilruk Jayasinha. True Spirit Revival Yoga has long been a popular feature for the event.
The huge music bill includes Melbourne music initiative The Push presenting an exchange program of three Singapore acts, Jawn, Linying and Stopgap.
MINI FEST AT MCG
As part of Melbourne Music Week, the MCG will transform into a mini music festival on Sunday November 13, with Gate 2 opening at 2.00pm. Not only will live music fans be entertained by the likes of The Delta Riggs and Pierce Bros, but they can visit normally off-limits areas including the player change rooms, the new Robert Flower Terrace and the edge of the hallowed turf itself.
EARTHCORE EXTENDS PERMIT
Earthcore has had its permit approved for a few more years by Pyalong Council. The festival hosted a series of secret-locating warehouse raves across the country.
TASTE OF TASMANIA SEEKING MUSIC ACTS
Bands, ensembles, soloists and DJs are invited to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to participate in The Taste of Tasmania (December 28 to January 3) on the Hobart waterfront. Last year it drew 235,000, of which 12% are from overseas, 28% from interstate and 60% reside in Tasmania. Deadline for applications is October 3.
RADIOHEAD VIDEO AT CLIPPED
After stops at Vivid Sydney and BIGSOUND Brisbane, Clipped music video festival heads to Canberra where National Film and Sound Archive (nfsa.gov.au) in Canberra will screen the new Radiohead Daydreaming video tonight (September 30) at 6 pm. The clip has already got 14 million YouTube views but it’s the 35mm print in all its cinematic glory for fans.
For other screenings, panel discussions and live acts performing, check out their Facebook. In its first year Clipped has been a success, with organisers revealing that they got over 600 entries for their competition.
BLUESFEST’S NOBLE PUSHES FOR BYRON RECOGNITION
Peter Noble, Bluesfest Director, is pushing for the NSW Government to adopt the slogan “Byron — the regional arts capital of Australia”. He says the region thrives with all kinds of music and arts activity. Aside from Bluesfest, it is home to festivals as Splendour, Falls, Boomerang, Mullum and Bangalow BBQ & Bluegrass as well as those covering writers, fashion, film, Latin, spirituality and food which have national and often international recognition.
It is also home to the likes of Bernard Fanning, Rob Hirst, Pete Murray, Toni Childs, Murray Burns of Mi Sex, Ash Grunwald and Scott Owen of The Living End as well as actors and media personalities.
FOOTIE FINAL SCREENINGS AT YOURS AND OWLS
This weekend’s Yours and Owls in Wollongong is getting into Grand Final fever for both football codes – and both with NSW teams. A huge screen will be set up at Coopers Bar – complete with deck chairs, a fake beach, beer and appropriate music. The AFL one starts at 2.30 pm on Saturday between Sydney Swans & Western Bulldogs, while the NRL’s begins at 7:15pm on Sunday between Cronulla Sharks & Melbourne Storm.
DAREBIN MUSIC FEAST’S CLOSING PARTY LINE-UP
Aside from the announcement of its full 2016 program for its eleven days, Darebin Music Feast in Melbourne also unveiled its official and free Closing Party lineup. It is on Sunday, November 6 at Preston Markets from 2 pm with Totally Mild, Alex Lahey, Dorsal Fins and Clairy Browne.
FIRST ARTISTS FOR RESERVOIR STOMP
The inaugural Reservoir Stomp bill on Sunday, October 30 (he Preston-Reservoir Bowls Club, Melbourne) unveiled its first round of acts. The event is conceived by proud ‘Reza’ residents, Emma Peel (PBS FM) and Danny Walsh (Danny Walsh Banned) to unveil the area’s creative talent with 20 music, dance and comedy names.
Among them are retro drummer-less trio The Rechords, Grindhouse, dance group Anna Go-Go, Afro-Colombian folklore ensemble La Descarga, 16-piece hip hop crew Outer Urban Projects Zone 2 Crew, and a finale by The Reservoir All-Star Band performing songs from the Reservoir Dogs soundtrack and made up of members of Reservoir residents Rocket Science, Mustered Courage, Saint Jude, The RocKwiz Orchestra, Pony Face, Danny Walsh Banned and ATM15.
HERMITUDE ADDED TO PARTY IN THE PADDOCK
Added to Launceston’s Party In The Paddock (Friday, February 10 to Sunday 12 in Burns Creek are Sydney’s Hermitude who are still celebrating their Dark Night, Sweet Light album topping the ARIA chart.