Festivals & Venues: October 13
90+ ACTS FOR WAMFEST’S LIVE FRIDAY SHOWCASES
WAMFest’s Live Friday Showcases program sees another 90+ acts in 18 venues, with 17 events targeting particular niches, audiences or themes.
They join the 130+ artists across 20 venues already announced for WAMFest Live Saturday, as well as the massive Regional Showcases.
The Friday sessions are curated by Moshtix, Perth Theatre Trust, RTRFM, The Sewing Room, WOMPP, Wasted Youth, Matchless Music, Catzilla, Pinky Swear, YMCA HQ, Cool Perth Nights, Sweet Mate Music, Eduardo Cossio, Hen House Live, Doghouse Records, Treehouses, Hector Protector, The Faim and Wesley Church.
See the WAM website for full list of acts.
STORM SETS DATE TO DROP “EPIC” LINEUP
The line-up for the inaugural Storm festival (Parramatta Parklands, Sat December 9) will drop on October 18.
Its Australian Project Director Bev Price-Malcolm promising it will be “epic” and adding, “We’ve secured many of the world’s best artists in dance music.”
The first 5 artists in alphabetical order are: Ephwurd, Ghastly, Kill Frenzy, Mija and NGHTMRE.
The Chinese festival’s founder and global promoter A2LiVE has arranged for the Sydney show to be Livestream to more than 30 million viewers in Greater China and the rest of the world.
It’s promising “next-level SFX, theatrics, pyro, lasers” and “the biggest concept stage ever seen in Australia. Its creation [is] so under wraps, that different designers have been engaged to work separately on unique sections of the plans.”
SENSATION OFFERING WHITE TICKET
Sensation – Celebrate Life (Sydney Olympic Park, Saturday November 25) is offering a White Ticket, a premium event experience valued at up to $3,000.
It includes Level 4 Sky Deck view with all-inclusive menus by HostCo’s “Michelin-trained Executive Chef” with designer food stations, along with Dom Perignon and Belvedere Midnight Saber experience, a dedicated private entrance, access to hair, make up, and lash facilities, the opportunity to party with the artists, and the AAA after party.
TWO AUSTRALIAN VENUE EXECS ON GLOBAL LIST
The executives of two Australian venues made it into a Billboard list of 20 Arena Power Players based on their performance.
In the Top 10 list of venues with 10,001-15,000 capacity were at #5, Perth Arena GM Michael Scott ($16 million through the year) and at #7, Brisbane Entertainment Centre GM Trish McNamara ($12 million).
Heading this category was SSE Hydro-Glasgow, followed by Hallenstadion in Zurich, Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg, NYCB Live Home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in New York, Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids in Michigan, MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Infinite Energy Center in Duluth, Georgia, and 3Arena in Dublin.
In the 15,000-capacity list were The O2 London ($119 million), Madison Square Gardens in New York ($102.8 million), T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas ($52.5 million), Manchester Arena ($48.1 million), Barclays Center in Brooklyn ($38.2 million), Staples Center in Los Angeles ($32.9 million), Prudential Center in New Jersey($32.7 million), American Airlines Center in Dallas ($30.1 million), Sportpaleis in Antwerp ($27.4 million) and The Forum in Los Angeles ($26.6 million).
NEW BLUES FEST FOR TASMANIA
The inaugural Huon Blues on January 28, set among the vines of the Ranelagh’s Home Hill Winery outside Hobart, has Ash Grunwald and Diesel as its headliners.
PARTY OVER FOR HOWL AT THE MOON
Howl at the Moon nightclub has abruptly closed its doors after 13 years, putting 14 staff out of work.
It Howl thrived for 10 years in Broadbeach’s Niecon Plaza but a dispute with their landlord saw them shift to Surfers Paradise – which was a mistake, co-owners Lou Cerantonio admitted, as redevelopment of the area by local council was slower than they expected.
GARDEN OF UNEARTHLY DELIGHTS DROPS EIGHT SHOWS
The Garden of Unearthly Delights (Feb 15 – Mar 18 Rundle Park, Adelaide) dropped the first eight of its 100 shows.
These include the new rtechnicolor party for all ages from the creators of Blanc de Blanc and LIMBO: Fun House; the return of illusionist KevinQuantum with a new show direct from Edinburgh, Anti-Gravity; and the sexy sell-out Blanc de Blanc returns after one of the most popular seasons in The Garden’s history.
The comedy contingent includes Wil Anderson’s puntastic Wilegal, Dave Hughes’ The Snorkeler, Rich Hall, and Joel Creasey in Blonde Bombshell.
Returning is A Night at the Musicals starring drag queens Le Gateau Chocolat and Jonny Woo.
PROGFEST ’18 EXPANDING TO THREE CITIES
After selling out in Melbourne last year, Progfest will through January expand to Brisbane and Sydney, headlined by Norway’s Leprous.
It showcases prog of all kinds, including prog, post, psychedelic, art rock and metal. Other acts involved are Perth’s Voyager, Melbourne’s Alithia and Orsome Welles, Sydney’s Meniscus and Adelaide’s Dyssida.
MERIVALE BUYS VIC ON THE PARK
Justin Hemmes’ Merivale has bought live music venue The Vic On The Park in Marrickville for a rumoured $20 million, taking over on November 13. It is Merivale’s further move into the Sydney inner west, having purchased the Queen Victoria on Enmore Road last year and rebranding it Queens.
RED DEER FINISHING ITS RUN
Tomorrow’s Red Deer Music & Arts (Mt Samson, Brisbane) will be the final instalment of the ten year event.
Directors Bas Pelly, Sean Graham and Julian De Maria say the time is right to wish it adieu after putting everything into it and getting pleasure watching it grow.
The last instalment features The Preatures and The Kite String Tangle among others.
SUGAR MOUNTAIN DROPS DIVERSE BILL
Sugar Mountain 2018 (Victorian College of the Arts, ACCA and the Melbourne Arts Precinct, Saturday January 20) dropped a huge bill lead by Cut Copy and Joey Bada$$.
Others plugging in on the day include Beaches, Jamila Woods, Body Type, Stella Donnelly, DJ Honey Dijon, Love Deluxe, Eclair Fifi, Shanti Celeste and Dan Shake.
QHA AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE
At the QHA (Queensland Hotels Association) Awards for Excellence, Eatons Hill Hotel took out Best Entertainment Venue and Best PubTAB Venue.
GRASS IS GREENER HEADS FOR CROWD DOUBLE
The Grass Is Greener’s decision to play two weekends could be paying off.
The first, at Cairns Showground tomorrow, had by last week shifted 6000 tickets and organisers are tipping it could hit 7000 to 8000. This would be double of last year’s Cairns show.
The second date, at Mackay’s Botanic Gardens is on the 21st.
The mainacts are Peking Duk, British India, Allday and What So Not,along with a comedy tent.
MELBOURNE PUBS FOR SALE
Within a space of a few days two music-loving pubs in outer Melbourne have gone on the market – the Berwick Inn Hotel by ALE Property Group and Royal Hotel in Sunbury.
SCALPER OF THE WEEK
Festivals are ever vigilant about tracking down ticket scalpers and penalising them. In the case of Brisbane’s FOMO, it was easier when a gent who was trying to sell his $71 ticket for $350 made it easier to get hit with a “null and void” as he also posted his mobile number and order number.
ADDITIONS TO KYNETON MUSIC
The 6th annual Kyneton Music Festival has added The Pretty Littles, B*tch Prefect, Ciggie Witch, Dag, The Meltdown and Golden Sounds to the Victorian goldfield event.
WAXX AT END OF THE LINE
Brisbane’s free End Of The Line (Saturday November 4, Jurgens Street) is headlined by WAXX, alongside Jeremy Neale, Sydney’s Flowertruck, Melbourne’s Terry, Slow Dancer and Loose Tooth, and locals Nice Biscuit, Future Haunts and Spirit Bunny
There;s also a POP Gallery and a mix of live painting, Japanese dance theatre and singing called Theatre Of Thunder.
GANG OF YOUTHS, STELLA DONNELLY, JOIN FAIRGROUND
Gang of Youths and Stella Donnelly have been added to Fairgrounds in Berry, in NSW (December 8 & 9) joining You Am I, Future Islands, The Shins, Marlon Williams, Hockey Dad, Client Liaison and D.D Dumbo.
DARWIN FESTIVAL CALLS OUT FOR IDEAS
Darwin Festival is calling out to Territory artists, companes and arts workers to share their ideas or proposals for consideration for the 2018 event, which runs August 9—26.
Organisers say, “Darwin Festival is passionate about connecting with the cultural and artistic diversity of its unique home and accepts proposals across all art-forms including those involving collaborations with other artists and youth or community projects.”
An information session for submitting expressions of interest will be held at Happy Yess on Tuesday October 31 at 6pm.
Submissions close on Monday December 18.
MITCHELL CREEK ROCK’N’ BLUES DRAWS 3000
The 6th Mitchell Creek Rock’n’Blues proved another success, drawing over 3000 to the 100 acre property inland from Noosa,
It was also a triumph for performer Kylie Cowling who is involved with the event along with running Wild Weather Records.
Headlines Chain stole the with Amanda Emblem (singer / bass player of Diva Demolition) joining them on stage to launch a new version of the 1971 #1 hit ‘Black and Blue’ which features both Matt Taylor and Emblem.
Emblem performed the song four times over the weekend, both on the main stage with Chain on Saturday night and in her own set Friday afternoon (filling in for The Bondi Cigars whose flight was delayed) and Saturday morning, as well as in the Zeppelin Bar on the Sunday night
This year, $6604.00 was raised at the event for Homeless people in the Redcliffe Area, by the “Rockin’ For The Homeless” crew, with a series of raffles and merchandise sales over the weekend.