Festivals & Venues Update: August 17
OUT ON THE WEEKEND ACTS ADD OWN SHOWS
Out On The Weekend and Love Police Touring have this morning announced that some of the acts confirmed for the Melbourne festival (October 14, Seaworks) are playing their own headlining shows.
These include Justin Townes Earle (who’s doing a national run), Son Volt (making his Australian debut), Traveller, The Deslondes and Robbie Fulks. See Love Police’s website and the festival’s Facebook page for full details.
CMC ROCKS NAMES 2018 DATE
Queensland country music festival CMC Rocks is back in 2018 at Willowbank in Ipswich between Thursday March 15 and Sunday March 18.
Promoters also revealed, “Due to overwhelming demand, we’ve extended the Thursday campers program to include live music at the Jack Daniel’s White Rabbit Saloon from 1pm right through to 2am the next morning.
“So if you wanna join in on Thursday, make sure you’re camping on site!”
The first acts will be announced in September.
SCHOOLBOY Q, PRESETS, STORMZY, AMONG BEYOND THE VALLEY HEADERS
The first announcement for Beyond The Valley (December 28 – January 1, Lardner Park, Warragul) has Schoolboy Q, The Presets, Stormzy, Matt Corby, Little Dragon, Mura Masa and Stephen Bodzin in the headline slots.
They’re joined by Cut Copy, Cub Sport, Dean Lewis, DMA’S, Dom Dolla, FKJ, George Maple, GL, Harvey Sutherland & Bermuda, Ian Ooze, Meg Mac, Princess Nokia, Sampa The Great, San Cisco, Skeggs, The Preatures and more.
ELTON JOHN SELLS OUT VICTORIAN WINERY SHOW
Elton John’s only Victorian show at Rochford Wines, Yarra Valley, at A Day On The Green on Sunday October 1 has immediately sold out all 8,000 tickets.
He is joined by Busby Marou and singer songwriter Chris Watts.
John’s concert marks the launch of A Day On The Green’s 2017-2018 season, celebrating 17 years since Mick and Anthea Newton’s Roundhouse Entertainment’s first concert in January 2001.
SPRUNG HIP HOP FESTIVAL RETURNING
After a three year, Brisbane’s Sprung hip hop festival is returning on October 18 at Parkwood. The full lineup drops tomorrow (August 18).
Sprung launched in 2011 at Brisbane’s Riverstage, and ran until 2014, showcasing names as Hilltop Hoods, Seth Sentry, Thundamentals, Urthboy, 360, Drapht, Allday and Briggs.
In 2013 an expansion to Melbourne proved a disaster, cancelled at the 11th hour due to liquor and venue licensing issues. The festival suddenly went off the radar.
Organisers emphasise they’re “back for the long run” this time.
They explained: “We have been waiting for the right time to bring Sprung back to the people, we hit the ceiling pretty quickly when it came to headlining artists so we needed to allow the community to evolve.
“We are now seeing artists that were once on at midday on our stages taking to the headline spots and a whole new wave of incredible artists that we can’t wait to showcase.
“We think 2017 is going to be an incredible year…”
MANCHESTER ARENA TO OPEN WITH GALLAGHER BENEFIT
Closed after the bombing tragedy in May at Ariana Grande’s show, Manchester Arena returns on September 9 with a benefit concert called We Are Manchester.
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds will headline a bill that includes Courteeners, Blossoms and Rick Astley.
All profits will go towards the Manchester Memorial Fund, a charitable trust overseen by the Lord Mayor of Manchester which will go towards establishing a permanent memorial for victims of the May 22 attack.
It was announced this week that each family of those who died will receive £250,000 (A$409,863) from the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund
SARAH BELKNER RETURNS TO NEWSAGENCY SESSIONS’
Sydney’s Newsagency will host Sarah Belkner for its popular Newsagency Sessions’ Wednesday night residency and recording project.
Belkner, who released her debut album But You Are, But It Has earlier this year, will team up with a local act, including over the weeks Alison Avron, Merpire, Danaides and Diamond Duck.
Each will perform a set, followed by a secret duet at the end of the night, which will be recorded and premiered as a live version the very next day via Music Love.
The first night of the Sessions also celebrates the official opening of its new site, with Newsagency founder Alison Avron moving it to a 120-capacity space next door to Waywards Brewery in Camperdown/Annandale.
WAITING FOR THE SUN
Port Macquarie’s Festival of the Sun, back for the 14th year (December 7—9) dropped its first 20 acts yesterday, Among them were The Preatures, Meg Mac, Ball Park Music, The Preatures, Horrorshow, Holy Holy, Kim Churchill, Bad//Dreems, Sampa The Great, The Bennies, Ali Barter, Ivan Ooze and The Cactus Channel.
Festival director Simon Luke noted that such is the FOTS experience “that we attract lots of artists and industry who simply attend to hang out and catch up, including many past performers, who are always welcome!”
FORMER KENSINGTON SITE GOES ON SALE
299 Hunter Street in Newcastle, former site of the Kensington nightclub, is going under the block on September 21. The building has been vacant for five years.
The two-storey building opened as The Kensington Theatre in 1970. According to the Newcastle Herald, the owners spent $4 million over eight years when it was a nightclub, including the sound and lighting systems and a super-dancefloor.
But it was twice refused a liquor licence, operated for a time under a catering licence, and in late October 2012 was a dry venue for teenagers while owners tried to sell it.
SKATEBOARD LINE PAYS HOMAGE TO SYDNEY PUBS
Trent Evans, owner of Sydney skateboard manufacturing company Pass-Port, says that when he went out to see bands, he was mesmerised by some of the tiling in these venues.
“To recreate these tiles these days is next to impossible, there is so much rich history & craftsmanship in every segment, it had to be documented,” he explains.
The company’s latest line, The Pub Line Series, has indeed documented them in its designs.
These include the Hopetoun, The Wembley, Glengarry Castle, the Cricketers Arms and The Shakespeare.
BALLARAT TO GET 10,000 CAPACITY VENUE
The Victorian regional city of Ballarat could get a 10,000-capacity amphitheatre for concerts, festivals and other entertainment.
Broo Brewery has finalised designs and will now put plans before local council within the next 12 months, with plans to start building in 2018.
The new $100 million brewery on15 hectares in Ballarat West will have a beer museum, energy education centre, a restaurant and bars inside, while the auditorium will also be used for expos and market stalls.
AND A FEW OTHER THINGS …
Fatboy Slim and Armand Van Helden will headline Electric Gardens on January 27 at Sydney’s Centennial Park.
After a $2.3 million upgrade of stage, lighting sound and seating, the Queensland Performing Arts Centre’s Cremorne Theatre has re-opened for business.
Creamfields has announced Dutch DJ duo Showtek, aka brothers Sjoerd and Wouter Janssen, as its sixth act. Some of Creamfield’s acts, including Showtek, are also playing Sydney’s Sensation.
Latest additions to Victoria’s Meredith Music (December 8-10, Supernatural Amphitheatre) are Norway DJ Todd Terje and his band The Olsens, Chicago hip hopper Noname (her first visit), ESG, Total Control, !!!, Future Islands, Warpaint, Downtown Boys, Mark Seymour & The Undertow and Harvey Sutherland & Bermuda.
Latest additions to the 10th Mullum Music (November 16—19, Mullumbimby, NSW) are Husky, NT’s Caiti Baker, WA’s Stella Donnelly and Strange Daddy.
Promoters Yours And Owls are returning Wollongong Fringe (September 22—October 1), an initiative in partnership with Destination Wollongong. It includes an under-18 show, Taste Orange Food and Wine Fair, Speak Satellite, the Sydney Underground Film Festival – Directors Cut, a Tony Mott photo exhibition, Aboriginal Culture Day – The Paperbark Forum and Green Flicks, an environmental short film competition for 12-24 year olds.
The grand reopening of Adelaide’s HQ nightclub, set for mid-September, has been delayed a month as wet weather caused a delay in the building of the 1300-capacoty venue.
Mark Seymour & The Undertow, Busby Marou, All Our Exes Live In Texas and Fraser A Gorman are at Lighthouse Folk on November 18 in Norah Head on the NSW Central Coast.
Sydney nightclub kingpin Justin Hemmes added the Collaroy in the northern beaches to the Merivale portfolio.
Over three and a half thousand turned up to see You Am I and local Indigenous R’n’B group B2M open the Darwin Festival (August 10—27) at the free Santos Opening Night Concert.
Adelaide gets a new EDM festival OH YES on Friday September 29.
Queensland’s Gulf Frontier Days (August 16—20) had to move at the last minute from Doomadgee to Burketown, as u[grades to the Doomadgee rodeo and festival grounds were not completed in time.
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