Festivals & Venues Update: September 29
ROUND 7 FOR SUBSONIC
Round 7 for Subsonic, promoters say, “goes to the solo artists and collectives renowned for bringing the vibes big and bold.”
Of the local acts just announced as part of the December festival lineup, Klue will pull double duties, doing a solo set as well as one with his band True Vibenation.
Others include Willaris. K, Phondupe, Hugo & Treats, hip-hop duo Meeting Tree who’re doing a one-off reunion just for the festival, Midnight Tea Party from Sydney’s inner west, soundscaper Ribongia, soul & funkster Mike Who, disco & house exponent Kali, Thunderfox from the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Melbourne’s ‘Whomp Music’ bass heavyweight Kodiak Kid, emerging Sydney producer Somersault, garage and grimer Adrian E, the eclectic Ridds and Israeli born and Byron Bay shire-based Z.I.V.
NEW FESTIVAL FOR MELBOURNE …
Peel Street is a free community celebration out in the streets of Collingwood on November 11, produced by The Grace Darling Hotel team.
First round of acts Archie Roach, Cash Savage and The Last Drinks, local supergroup Terry and rap crew Girl Zone, along with food, community stalls, record fair and an interactive kids park.
…AND NSW MID NORTH COAST…
The inaugural Blues and Berries (November 5, Woolgoolga Beach Reserve) will have a heap of blues powehouses as Mal Eastick, Blues Arcadia and Fiona Boyes will celebrating the agricultural of the region which is known as the berry capital of Australia.
That includes stalls, pie-eating comps and a blueberry pageant.
…AND SYDNEY
New Years party Freedom Time this year expands to Sydney at Manning Bar on January 7. It continues its run in Perth (Roe Street Car Park, December 31) and Melbourne (Coburg Velodrome, January 1).
LAST MINUTE CHANGE FOR YOURS & OWLS
This weekend’s two-day Yours & Owls (Stuart Park North Wollongong) brought in Brisbane’s Waax when Major Leagues had to drop out. The AFL and NRL grand finals will also be screened on the big screen.
TOKYO SING SONG GETS THE YEN
Hospitality group Solotel has, after buying Newtown’s Marlborough Hotel some months back, has given its basement space Tokyo Sing Song a good spruce up.
These include larger stage, dancefloor and bar space. It’s open Fridays 10pm–6am and Saturdays 10pm–5am and set up where freewheeling DJs, drag shows and bands can turn up after midnight.
FREMANTLE’S ARTILLERY DRILL TO HOST MUSIC AGAIN
Fremantle’s historic Artillery Drill Hall has been quiet since the Fly By Night moved out to Victoria Hall around the corner.
Sunset Events is turning it into a 800-capacity music venue and community space, its owner David Chitty said, in a collaboration with the City of Fremantle and National Trust WA.
It’ll be back in action either late 2017 or early 2018, once the funding of $3.5 million reno cost is sorted out.
NEW VENUE FOR JUNCTION ARTS
Thanks to recent funding of $1.25 million from the Tasmanian Government until 2021 and $45,000 per annum for the next three years from the City of Launceston, the 2018 edition of Junction Arts will have a new pop up performance venue.
It will double as a visual arts installation for the rest of the year and, festival Chair Liz Frankham says, will be made to other Launceston non-for-profit organisation and cultural groups.
The funding comes after Tasmania generated an 16% increase in international visitors in the past year, a significant figure as the national increase is 9%.
MULLUM SONGWRITING THEME IS “CELEBRATION”
The theme for this year’s Mullum Music (November 16-19) is “Celebration” – inspired by the fact that it’s celebrating its 10th year.
Entries (a simple video recorded on a mobile phone will do) close on Friday October 27 at mullummusicfestival.com.
The winner, chosen by publisher Norman Parkhill, gets a 30-minute set at the festival on the Sunday and two passes.
The theme changes each year. It was Break Up in 2016 yielding Matt Henry’s winning The Best That They Could Do.
In 2015, Nicole Cross’s White Walls responded to the One Day Can Change Everything theme, while Dan Hannaford’s Payday was chosen as best out of the Protest Song topic.
ROW OVER NT LICENSE FEE
A row has broken out over a proposal by the NT Government to increase licence fees for “high risk” venues, the NT News reported.
The Government says the idea works in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and the ACT. But the Australian Hotels Association NT says there’s no proof that this will work in the NT.
“The considered view of AHANT is the introduction of annual liquor licence fees, whether they be risk-based or otherwise are not justified by the size, nature and risk profile of the Territory’s licensed environment,” the AHANT said.
“Industry strongly opposes any move to introduce an annual liquor licence fee.”
CALOUNDRA GOING CASHLESS
Caloundra Music (September 29 -October 2) is going cashless, with the RFID chips entry in each wristband set up for all bars, merchandising and some food stalls.
With perfect weather predicted over the weekend, Festival Director Richie Eyles is expecting the beachside event to equal last year’s 35,000-40,000 attendees.
NEW ADELAIDE VENUE
Adelaide gets a new performance venue, Broadcast, from October 19 at 66a Grote Street.
It is the brainchild of Cassandra Tombs and Bryan Lynagh of Tuxedo Cat and The Coffee Pot. They say they want to inspire new work ad Broadcast will also be used for podcast recordings, fashion shows and STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and maths) workshops.
The Coffee Pot was closed earlier this year due to escalating rent. Tuxedo Cat is looking for a new home in time for the next Adelaide Fringe.
SECRET GARDEN SETS 2018 DATES
Forest disco Secret Garden returns for its 10thyear between February 23-24. Tickets went on sale yesterday,
MORE ACTS FOR OUT ON THE WEEKEND
Brian Taranto’s Americana-themed Out On The Weekend (October 14, Seaworks in Williamstown) has added to the bill America singer songwriter Lillie Mae and Melbourne’s James Ellis & The Jealous Guys, made up of members of Big Smoke, The Bitter Sweethearts and The Hello Morning.
They join Justin Townes Earle, Son Volt, Traveller, All Our Exes Live In Texas, The Deslondes, Robbie Fulks, Fanny Lumsden, The Sadies, Joshua Hedley, Raised by Eagles,Freya Josephine Hollick, Davidson Brothers and Moonee Valley Drifters.
SURRY HILLS DOES DOUBLE TAKE
Sydney’s Surry Hills Festival which drew an estimated 50,000 recently, raising vital funds for the Surry Hills Neighbourhood Centre in order to continue its community programs.
Double Take is a new arts program developed by the Surry Hills Neighbourhood Centre and local creatives Esem Projects, It has 60 artists involved in curated projection and arts until Sunday October 15.
NEW OWNER FOR DARWIN’S SHENANNIGANS
Darwin’s well-known Shenannigans has a new owner. Melbourne-based hospitality venue group Dixon Hospitality struck a reported multi-million deal for the leasehold, marking its first foray into the NT.
It operates 48 venues in NSW, Victoria and Queensland.
Brothers Justin and Michael Coleman ran the venue for 21 years, among the first to help transform Mitchell Street into an entertainment precinct. They continue to have interests in other pubs.
LEADBELLY GOES ROUND AND ROUND
The next instalment of Newtown, Sydney venue Leadbelly’s In The Round singer-songwriter night is on Wednesday October 11,
This one is curated by Richard Cuthbert of The RC3. He will be joined by hiss musical partner in Green Mohair Suits, Brian Campeau, as well as blues singer Alice Terry and Richard Cartwright (Richard In Your Mind).
Jobs
