Festival Update: September 16
Image: Puscifer
Credit: Robin Laananen
MOFO ANNOUNCES FIRST TWO ACTS
The first artist announcement for Hobart’s experimental music and arts MOFO is not some weeks away. But curator Brian Ritchie could not wait to announce that January 21 sees the world premiere of tētēma, the new project by Faith No More’s Mike Patton and Australian experimental composer/ pianist Anthony Pateas.
Another act is Puscifer: the new musical from Tool’s Maynard James Keenan, which announced a tour yesterday.
WORLD PREMIERE FOR MOVEMENT SYDNEY
Last year’s Movement Sydney drew 7,000. So next month’s return sees a couple of standouts of the 25 EDM events announced. One is a world exclusive performance from Mind Gamers, consisting of Sebastien Tellier, Daniel Stricker of Midnight Juggernauts and John Kirby of Blood Orange.
Sugar Mountain hosts the Potluck exhibition from Tokyo-based Australian illustrator Karan Singh. There’s a live music photography display at Ambush Gallery and, for gamers, an Insert Coin(s) Halloween party featuring Resident Evil 7: Biohazard.
NATIONAL FOLK HAS FESTIVAL WITHIN
The 2017 National Folk (Thursday April 13 – Monday April 17) is holding a mini-festival within. FringeWorld includes a circus arena and new concert venue The Borderland to showcase cool and quirky content. Among concepts to be announced are ‘Flip! The Other Side of Folk’, the Human Chess Challenge, Down the Rabbit Hole, Big Kids’ Carnival, Choose Your Own Adventure and The Night of Endless Possibilities.
SECOND RELEASE TIX SELL OUT FOR YOURS AND OWLS
As Yours & Owls sets up to stage on October 1 and 2 at Wollongong’s Stuart Park, it announced yesterday that second release tickets have now sold out
UNIFY ADDS BODYJAR
The heavy rock UNIFY added punk rock champs Bodyjar to the lineup to replace I Killed The Prom Queen. Already some of the younger acts are planning to crowd up front to see the band they say made a big impact on them.
Michael Richards, Violent Soho: “The first time I heard these guys, punk rock became better forever.”
Tyler Richardson, Luca Brasi: “Bodyjar mean everything to me, I first heard No Touch Red at my best mate’s older brother’s house and was hooked.”
JJ Peters, Deez Nuts: “Rimshot is one of my all time favourite punk rock albums. Definitely one of the bands that inspired to me to write music and start a band. Psyched to share the stage with the legends!”
Dan Seymour, Columbus: “Their beer is tasty and so are their massive tunes.”
Luke Holmes, Ocean Grove: “Bodyjar? They have been knocking since before I could form an articulate opinion. They’re renowned for being right hectic. I’ve had their beer before, it got me somewhat pissed.”
NEW PITCH COMING, FIRST ACT ANNOUNCED
Pitch Music & Arts, the new glamping festival for March 2017 by Beyond The Valley and Melbourne promoter Novel, announced Italian EDM superstar duo Mind Against! as its first act, and making their Australian debut. The rest of the bill is due to be unveiled next month. They will be accompanied by live art and gourmet food.
MANLY JAZZ TO ADD $5M TO ECONOMY…
Sydney’s Manly Jazz (September 23 to October 3) expects to draw 100,000 visitors and inject $5 million to local businesses, says Northern Beaches Council General Manager, Mark Ferguson. “This is Sydney’s longest running and most popular jazz festival … and is a significant event for the community.”
…AND MAROOCHY AIMS AT $3M
In its second year, last weekend’s Maroochy Music and Visual Arts is expecting to add $3 million to the Sunshine Coast economy after drawing close to 7,000 (up from 5,000), said Festival Director James Birrell. 60% of attendees are from around Australia and some from New Zealand. Despite a fierce storm hitting during Client Liaison’s set, most braved the H2O and stayed to the end.
GONG GETS FRINGE BENEFITS
The team-up of Yours & Owls and Destination Wollongong, which is behind the Yours & Owls, are also staging the Wollongong Fringe between September 23 to October 2, to highlight the more radical creatives of the town.
INDIGENOUS PROGRAM FOR MELBOURNE FEST
Melbourne Festival (October 6 to 23) has a dedicated indigenous program. It leads off with the traditional meeting of the five clans of the Kulin Nation. There is a concert based around Clinton Walker’s ground-breaking book, film and album about black country music Buried Country, and Collisions where filmmaker, Lynette Wallworth creates a virtual experience of elder Nyarri Morgan’s first experience of Europeans being the atomic test in the South Australian desert.
WALKER, GRIFFIN, FOR PT. FAIRY FOLK
Don Walker, Grammy-winning Patty Griffin and Austrian based hang drummer Manu Delago are the latest additions to the 41st Port Fairy Folk (March 10-13).
HILLS ALIVE AGAIN
Organisers of Victoria’s The Hills Are Alive announced that the 2017 event will be back for a ninth year and staged March 24 to 26.
KARMA FOR REFUGEES
Wollongong’s Kiama Folk by the Sea will include a Songs for Refugees concert on Saturday September 24, 1pm at the Saddleback stage. Performing are Celine Yap (who also runs a refugee show on Melbourne radio), Mark Cryle, Lime & Steel, Jason Roweth and Terry Serio. All of them have written songs about the plight of people who come to Australia seeking a better life. Refugees will use the show as a platform to call for change in Government policies.
MENTORS FOR MULLUM
Four mentors were announced as mentors in this year’s Mullum Music Festival’s 7th Youth Mentorship Program. Natalli Rize who fronts a reggae-roots outfit will mentor bands, Suzannah Espie will mentor singer songwriters, local R&B/ soul singer Shelly Brown will oversee vocals and local muso Chris Mallory of folk-roots outfit Two Lions will inspire under-15s.
Applications have opened at www.mullummusicfestival.comfor talent aged under 21. Festival Director Glenn Wright says that uncovering new talent in Northern NSW is at “the heart of what we do. For young musicians seeking to find a path in the music industry, a mentor can be life changing. The connections made between young artists and their mentors often last long after the festival.” It stages November 17-20.
COUNTRY MUSIC BOOTCAMP
WA’s Shooting For The Stars Bootcamp and Showcase is targeting all styles of country music with a skills-developing program. Successful applicants must travel to Boyup Brook (November 4-6) with opportunities to perform at the 2017 Boyup Brook Country Music. Registrations close October 4.
INTERNATIONAL LINEUP EAT CAKE
Melbourne’s Let Them Eat Cake’s 2017 edition has quite an international EMD cast, including Germany’s Oliver Huntemann and Alex Niggemann, Cut Chemist (US), Dusky (UK) as well as Glitch Mob co-founder Edit, Canada’s Heidi, UK’s Leon Vynehall and Ireland’s Mano Le Tough. The fest returns in its fifth year to Werribee Park mansion grounds on Jan 1 from 11 am.