Festivals & Venues Update: June 9
MINISTRY OF SOUND ANNOUNCES MORE LINEUPS
Sydney’s new Ministry of Sound nightclub at the ivy, which opens tomorrow with Peking Duk and the USA’s Sandy Rivera/Kings of Tomorrow, has announced more major names in the next two weeks.
June 17 sees John 00 Fleming(pictured) take on a marathon seven-hour ‘open-to-close’ set in the main room.
On June 24, LA’s Drezo takes over the main room, along with resident DJs A-Tonez, Ember and JaySounds.
SPILT MILK DROPS MEGA-BILL
Canberra’s Spilt Milk (November 25, Commonwealth Park) has dropped its bill, with headliners Lorde, Alison Wonderland, Vance Joy and Tash Sultana.
Also plugging in will be Illy, Remi & Sampa The Great,Carmada, Dune Rats, Bad//Dreems, Kilter, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, San Cisco, Dean Lewis, Mallrat, Vallis Alps and What So Not.
The first Spilt Milk festival was held in 2016, with 20,000 tickets selling out in 20 minutes.
There’s a possibility that the first pill-testing labs will be trialled this year, after it was decided there was not enough time for trials to take place at Groovin’ The Moo’s Canberra leg.
ALL-STAR LINEUP FOR DENI UTE MUSTER
The 2017 Deni Ute Muster (September 29 and 30) announced an all-star lineup.
They include Lee Kernaghan, Sara Storer, Beccy Cole, The McClymonts, James Blundell, Shannon Noll and The Wolfe Brothers.
It traditionally draws 18,000 patrons flocking to the town of Deniliquin in southern NSW each long weekend.
It is again presented by the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.
Minister for Tourism and Major Events, Adam Marshall, said, “As one of the country’s premier regional events, the Deni Ute Muster encapsulates the uniqueness and vibrancy of Australia’s rural heritage and culture..
“Since its inception the event has grown steadily, generating considerable economic benefits to the Riverina region.”
NEW FESTIVAL FOR MELBS
Due West is a new festival in Melbourne, to be held in the city’s west August 10—27. It is a mix of music, dance, visual arts, workshops and performances featuring local creatives, organisations and venues.
The Victorian Government’s funding contribution of $85,000, through Creative Victoria, matches the City of Maribyrnong’s investment in the new event which will celebrate and showcase the area’s creative strengths.
PERTH’S GOBBLES BACK FOR A NIGHT…
One of Perth’s best known entertainment venues and late night celebrity hang-out, Gobbles, closed in the mid-1990s. But a one-off reunion at The Charles Hotel was a near sell-out.
It was organised by Gary Dunn, guitarist with its house band The Night After, who flew over some of its original patrons from all over Australia.
In the crowd was Bob Maher who ran the club for 20 years.
…AS IS MELBOURNE’S EMPRESS
Melbourne’s Empress, another ‘90s music venue which hosted the then-unknown White Stripes and Silverchair before closing its doors to live music fans in 2013, is bringing back live music tentatively for one night this Sunday (June 12) with East Brunswick All Girls Choir and The Shabbab.
The idea was that of newly-appointed venue manager Rory Kelaart, who previously worked with live music spaces as The Espy, Laundry, Lounge, and The Corner Hotel. With the recent addition of a retractable roof at the Empress, he asked Blair Whittstadt of Possum Music to put together a bill that would impress the old patrons of the North Fitzroy pad.
KIM CHURCHILL HEADLINES MACKAY’S TIMBERFEST
Kim Churchill is the headliner for Mackay’s newest festival, Timberfest. Held September 23 at Rowallan Park, the idea was to showcase the North Queensland city’s creative talents with music, installation art, workshops and cuisine.
With two stages operational between midday and 2 am, Churchill is joined by local names Tia Gostelow, Will Anderson, multi-Queensland Music Awards nominee Brad Butcher and blues guitarist Karrie Hayward.
STAR-STUDDED RETURN FOR THE LANSDOWNE
The new owners of Sydney’s Lansdowne Hotel in Chippendale have officially announced a relaunch on June 15, and big names includingThe Delta Riggs, Hard-Ons, The Meanies, Saskwatch and Gold Class in the first few weeks.
A Red Bull Sound Select gig on June 30 will see The Peep Tempel, Sloan Peterson and Mezko play a free-with-RSVP show.
However they’ve also dropped hints that there’ll be a number of “special guest bands” whose names will be released an hour before they take to the stage.
FREMANTLE WINTER MUSIC IS BACK
Fremantle Winter Music returns for the 11th time presented by community radio station RTRFM on Saturday, June 17.
Twenty acts will take over the port city’s venues including Mojos, North Fremantle Bowling Club, The Railway Hotel and The Swan Hotel.
MARGARET COURT ARENA NAME CHANGE… SORT OF
While the nation dukes it out over whether Melbourne’s Margaret Court Arena should be changed after the tennis champ-turned-pastor’s comments on her future airline choices, among other matters, Fairfax Media yesterday reported that someone seems to have already made the change.
One of its reporters went on to Google Maps to check found that in some instances, the place was accidentally called Evonne Goolagong Arena.
Google told the ABC it was due to a user edit, and the change was quickly reversed.
TMN eagerly looked for Boy George’s suggestion of Glitter Ball Arena but alas…
BIFF ON THE DANCEFLOOR
ACT Police are asking for the public’s help in one of its investigations. They’ve released CCTV showing a man being punched on the head by another at 1.30am on the dancefloor of Canberra’s Cube nightclub.
The solidly-built man was wearing a white T-shirt and sported a goatee and left with another male after the incident.
ANOTHER OXFORD ST VENUE GETS A LITTLE LESS LOCKOUT
Another Oxford Street establishment, The Burdekin, has had its trading hours relaxed. New patrons can enter until 2 am until 1.30 am, and last drinks are at 3.30am instead of 3am.
It’s hailed as signalling a renaissance of the famous strip, with its other spaces Oxford Art Factory, World Bar, Stonewall and The Basement also pumping up the vibe after similar exemptions.
The Kings Cross Hotel was also recently added to the list of exempted venues.
NEW ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE FOR NEWCASTLE
A report in the Newcastle Herald suggested that an entertainment centre could be part of the NSW Government’s long-awaited concept plan for the future of Broadmeadow.
There’s been a lot of speculation since the previous regime started discussions as far back as 2009. The final plan remains a secret as it has not been presented to Cabinet.
JUNCTION ARTS EXTENDS HOME
Launceston City Council has extended the lease of the Junction Arts organisers over the western vestibule of Albert Hall for a further three years.
The festival returns for a seventh year September 6—10. It includes a bar in a circus tent, live music and DJs at Prince’s Square and other uses of city space.
Previous festival experiences included riding on the back of motorbikes, experiencing a performance inside a carwash, listening to live music in the back yards of picturesque houses, travelling back in time to a secret late night speakeasy and having a sauna in a public park.