Festivals & Venues Update: September 7
PUSH TO MAKE MACQUARIE PARK A MUSIC HUB
Labor candidates for RydeJerome Laxale, Bernard Purcell and Penny Pedersen have signalled their intention to make Macquarie Park the live music capital of Sydney’s north west.
Macquarie Park is one of the city’seconomic powerhouses during the day, but is deserted at night.
Labor’s long-term plan will involve exploring opportunities for street activation and infrastructure to support night time activities, changes to Macquarie Park’s planning controls to encourage restaurants and bars and a focus on Macquarie Park becoming an entertainment precinct after dark.
“Labor loves live music, and we want Macquarie Park to be the centre of a cultural revolution in Ryde,” said Cr. Laxale.
During his term as Mayor, Cr. Laxale commissioned the Night Time Economy study,
The Labor team plans to fast-track its findings with a real focus on entertainment, the arts and live music.
Actress and comedian Penny Pedersen who presents The Long Way Home on Northside Radio 99.3 added, “With a background in radio and entertainment, I know the great social and economic benefits they can bring.
“Ryde needs a fun, progressive entertainment quarter and we see Macquarie Park as the best place to achieve that.”
CORNER HOTEL AWARDS BACK
The Corner Hotel awards are back for a second year, as a thank you for the hard work that bands, management and roadies put in to get their music heard.
Winner gets a headline show at the venue, 50 copies of a 7″ vinyl single, $2,000, rehearsal time at Bakehouse Studios, $1,000 to put towards album artwork, a two week poster runs, 50 free t-shirts and a full page ad package from Beat.
Sampa The Great who won it last year the award “added more to my repertoire because it’s a prestigious new award. It moved me away from [being] just an underground artist, putting me into the realm of a more professional artist.”
NEW OWNERS, NAME CHANGE, FOR WORLDSEND
The Worldsend in Adelaide’s Hindley St has closed after 21 years, but will return after changes as the West Oak.
The new owners are nightclub manager Hugo Pedler, designer Tim Pearce and friend Patrick Coghlan. They saw the opportunity for the venue’s trade to grow after UniSA’s decision to boost student numbers by 9000.
Previous owner Evan Katsaros and Operations Manager son James Katsaros maintained a close connection with the music and arts sector. The Fringe, SALA and Arts West were just three events that benefitted from their support.
DAREBIN FEAST GETS MORE INCLUSIVE
Darebin Music Feast, held in one of Melbourne’s most creative suburbs (October 12—22) has unveiled its full program at www.musicfeast.com.au.
Inclusiveness plays a dominant role. Mana is the outcome of Darebin Council’s mentorship of early career female, trans or gender non-conforming music event producers. Daisy Catterall and her mentor Bexx D created an event that celebrates queerness and people of colour.
The opening night is headlined by indigenous band Coloured Stone, supported by Shane Howard, Kutcha Edwards, Bart Willoughby and Yung Warriors.
The Songwriters’ Award Grand Final offers a prize of $2000 cash and studio time.
A$AP FERGS LEADS ’WONDERLAND SCAREHOUSE
DJ and producer Alison Wonderland’s Wonderland Scarehouse Project also features A$AP Ferg, Lido, Lunice, Young Franco, Manilla Killa, Antony & Cleopatra and Haiku Hands, while Californian taste-makers Brownies & Lemonade are hosting one of the stages.
The Scarehouse lands in Brisbane (November 26), Melbourne (December 2) and Sydney (December 9).
WA GRIZZFEST UNVEILS ITS TRUE GRIZZ
The fourth city on King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s curated Gizzfes is held on Sunday November 26 ay Port Beach in Fremantle.
They are joined by Japan’s Kikagakumoyo, USA’s La Luz, The Murlocs, Orb and Parsnip.
WA acts are showcased in the Spinning Top Hut (Peter Bibby Boat Show, Gunns), Camp Doogs Hut (Lana, Aki Swati, Reef Prince, Magnolias Live) and Mojos Hut (Childsaint, Spacey Jane, Hussy, Western Kinsmen of the Sun, Grievous Bodily Calm).
FOMO EXPANDS TO MELBOURNE
FOMO Festival makes stops at Brisbane (January 6), Adelaide (7), and Sydney (13), with RL Grime, Tourist, and Drezo and expanding to Melbourne for the first time.
The Melbourne show is a slightly smaller version called FOMO by Night with Kaytranada, Post Malone, SZA and The Kite String Tangle.
UNIFIED SOLD OUT
Unified: A Heavy Music Gathering in Victoria sold out n five days – the fourth time that it has done that.
Over two days in January, it will feature 29 bands incuding The Amity Affliction, Parkway Drive and Architects.
On Friday September 8, it will launch an official re-sale platform with fan-to-fan ticket resale platform Twickets.
MULLUM FOR OPENERS
Mullum Music’s 10thAnniversary Opening Night Gala on Thursday November 16 (Mullum Civic Hall) features the festival’s patrons Mama Kin and Harry James Angus, along with Suzannah Espie, All Our Exes Live In Texas and The Teskey Brothers.
SECURITY BEEFED FOR ADELAIDE OVAL
The South Australian Government will beef up the security pf the 55,000-capacity Adelaide Oval by replacing current temporary bollards with $5 million worth of concrete-encased steel bollards to thwart potential terror vehicle attacks.
They’ll be drilled deep into the ground to stop a 2.5 tonne vehicle travelling at 48km/h.
COMEDIAN TO MC BUSH BANDS BASH
Shiralee Hood, top ranking Aboriginal female comedian, will MC the celebration of indigenous music, Bush Bands Bash, in Alice Springs (Telegraph Station) on Sunday September 10.
Organised by MusicNT, the Bush Bands Bash will feature Tjupi Band, Moon Band, Desert Rain Band, Desert Divas, Red Sand Beat Band, Black Rock Band, Wampana Band, Lonely Boys and Irrunytju Band.
They have spent four days attending a series of workshops and mentoring sessions as part of Bush Bands Business (BBBiz) which began yesterday (Wednesday, September 6.
Mentors included publicist Paula “Jonesy” Jones, MOFO festival Artistic Director Brian Ritchie, singer songwriter Jeremy Whiskey, Music NT Executive Director Mark Smith,
Drew Goddard (Karnivool), Phillip Eaton (APRA AMCOS), Michael Hutchings (APRA AMCOS), Nigel Bird (West Australian Music Association), Dougie Pipe (NokTurNal & Coloured Stone), Deb Suckling (SugarRush Music), and Buzz Bidstrup (Association of Artists Managers, GangGAJANG
NAMING RIGHTS CLOSE FOR PERTH STADIUM?
VenuesLive is said to be close to finalising the naming rights for Perth Stadium, The West Australian reckons. They’re worth up to $10.5 million over four years.
Apparently, it’s down to two, with Bankwest one of them. Another close contender, Alinta, kicked the tyres but decided not to go ahead.
VenuesLive said it had “significant interest from a range of well-known companies” but right from the start indicated that alcohol and tobacco companies would not be considered.
PLATINUM NIGHTCLUB RELAUNCHES
Gold Coast nightclub Platinum has relaunched after a $500,000 revamp by its new owners, Sydney-based Astrid Woods and daughter Rachelle who has the Assistant Manager role.
The revamp includes a $50,000 lighting system, new bar tops and new furniture.
JAMAICAN FESTIVAL FOR MELBOURNE
Jamaican Music & Food returns to Melbourne at Seaworks on Sunday November 12.for a second year after its sell-out last year.
The music component is lead by Marvin Priest and Jamaican reggae superstar Bushman with dancehall, ska, roots and dub acts over five stages.
The food comes from 20 stalls covering jerk wings, curry goat, handmade roti while the bars will stock up on rum punch.
CHANGES AT YOURS & OWLS
SAFIA pulled out of the Yours & Owls underage festival at Waves on September 30 due to scheduling issues (but will play the main event later in the day) and replaced by Allday, DJ Black Summer and Tyne-James Organ.
Melbourne’s Gold Class also cancelled, and replaced by US band Wavves.
NEWCASTLE FUND RAISER
Newcastle’s Cambridge Hotel hosts a fund raiser on September 16 with local acts for well-being counselling and education company ARAFMI Hunter. It will be in memory of local identity Bernie Sessions aka The Man in the Doorway who took his life in June.
TOWNSVILLE’S NEWMARKET ON SALE
The owner of Townsville’s Newmarket is on the market for a cut-down price after an offer by an interested party (who bid three times) fell over at the last minute.
The hotel had been closed since July when yet another tenant was evicted over a dispute about rent.