Festivals Update: December 1
BLUESFEST LOSES NEIL YOUNG…
Neil Young has cancelled his headlining appearance at Bluesfest on April 14 – as well as a national tour with Frontier Touring in April, which was still to be announced although teased on social media.
…AND LANEWAY HIT BY JULIE RUIN
US band The Julie Ruin have pulled out of next year’s Laneway run due to an “unavoidable medical conflict” suffered by their guitarist which makes it impossible to fly then.
NEW FESTIVAL FOR GOLD COAST
The Gathering Feel Good is a new festival for the Gold Coast on January 26. It’s a music, mind and body event with 20 DJs and bands. The site is Country Paradise Parklands at Nerang,
The Body Mind & Spirit Village includes a display of indigenous culture, lifestyle coaches, natural living insights, spiritual insights and guidance and massage therapists.
CMC ROCKS EXPECTS TO SELL OUT IN RECORD TIME
Organisers of CMC Rocks Queensland are pleased with ticket sales. “After last year’s sold out fest, we are on track to run out of tickets in record time for 2017,” they posted. They’ve also posted the time schedules for all the acts, and the chance to meet Georgia-based artist Kip Moore. Also coming up will be news of a new camping site in the Willowbank area after negotiations with local businessmen.
PHOTO COMP FOR GROOVIN’ THE MOO
The regional touring Groovin’ The Moo is bringing back its Shoot The Moo competition for a 4th year. It offers emerging photographers aged 16—25 the chance to shoot acts from the pit before the stage with help from the GTM clicker team. Full details at the festival website, last year 1000 applied.
Groovin’ dates are Oakbank Racecourse, Oakbank SA (Friday April 28), Maitland Showground, Maitland NSW (April 29), Murray Sports Complex – Townsville Cricket Grounds, Townsville, Qld (Sunday 30), Prince of Wales Showground, Bendigo (Saturday May 6), University of Canberra (Sunday 7) and Hay Park, Bunbury WA (Saturday 13).
RAGAMUFFIN RETURNS TO AUSTRALIA
One World’s reggae love-in Ragamuffin, which in recent years has been confined to New Zealand, makes a return to Australia in 2017. Shaggy, SIX60, The Wailers ft Julian Marley, Morgan Heritage and House of Shem play at Margaret Court, Melbourne (Sunday Feb 19) and Hordern Pavilion Sydney (Tues Feb 21).
UNDER THE MILKY WAY
An event at the Toyota Country Music Festival in Tamworth is Toyota Stars Under The Stars. The event is held on the last Friday night of the festival attracts more than 10,000 fans to the grounds of Bicentennial Park aptly known as Toyota Park during the nine-day event. Featured are James Blundell, Kirsty Lee Akers, Luke Austen, Luke Dickens, Jared Porter, Kaylee Bell, Mickey Pye and Karin Page.
VOLUME UP FOR THE HILLS
The Hills Are Alive 2017 released news of 15 more acts and 4 comedians. Joining Cloud Control and Dope Lemon are the likes of Remi and Northeast Party House.
CAKE RISES MORE
Victoria’s New Years Day Let Them Eat Cake added 25 local acts to the day, at Werribee Park mansion grounds. Leading the list are CC;Disco! and Dro Carey
SOUTHBOUND BAND COMP
WA’s Southbound is giving an original, unsigned artist residing in the state’s South West the chance to open the festival on December 27 for a $500 fee. It is a team-up with Clancy’s Fish Pub in Dunsborough, which will hold heats until December 17. See clancysfishpub.com.au.
BUSH BANDS BASH WIDENS AUDIENCE
The Bush Bands Bash, which began 12 years ago, is widening its audience. Held for the first time at the Old Telegraph Station, 2300 people attended to experience eight bands playing songs in nine traditional languages. 53% were first-timers, 16% came from outside Northern Territory.
SANCTUARY SOUNDS FUND RAISING TO BUY VENUE
This weekend’s three day Sanctuary Sounds in New Zealand registered strong ticket sales. But with its College Road, Pukehou, venue in jeopardy, it’s begun a crowd-funder at givealittle.co.nz/cause/savesanctuarysounds to buy the property to turn it into a permanent festival site and a musician’s retreat.
NSW FESTIVALS GET TOURISM GONGS
At the 27th NSW Tourism Awards staged in Sydney, Bluesfest took gold (for the fourth time) in the Major Festival and Event category while Tamworth Country Music Festival took silver. In the Festivals and Events category, Parkes Elvis Festival was gold while Deni Ute Muster took bronze (third).
STRONG START FOR SO FRENCHY
90% of the first ticket releases for So Frenchy So Chic have sold, report organisers. It offers patrons speciality menu items from Hotel Gitan in Melbourne (Jan 15) and Bistrot Gavroche in Sydney (Jan 21) as well as the chance to pre-order picnic hampers with French foodie goodies.
ALL THINGS BROOKE
A mini-festival is held in Sydney on December 3 at a secret venue dedicated to actress Brooke Satchwell. Satchfest features a lineup of Brooke-loving bands like Mesa Cosa, Los Tones, Rackett, Bilby and Simo Soo, BYO booze, karaoke and a Brooke Satchwell art gallery.
INAUGURAL PLEASURE GARDEN THIS WEEKEND
The inaugural Pleasure Garden (December 10 at St Kilda’s Catani Gardens, Melbourne) has promoter Parachute International promising a taste of EK festival experience. Parachute founders, Aussies Glenn “Goose” McGrath and Geordie Barker (profiled recently in TMN) have worked at the UK’s Glastonbury, and Burning Man as well as local festivals, and say that the new wave of Australian festivals are built by people from all walks of life from all over the world, and work closely with the local community.
GATHERING IN THE FOREST KEEPS LOW PROFILE
New Zealand two-day underground festival Gathering in the Forest in February Whanganui is keeping to its underground vibe by staying as low profile as possible. Tickets capped to 250, no major marketing, and the venue only available to punters when they buy tickets. Half the box office goes to the musicians performing.