Festivals Update: November 3
Image:Rufus To Headline Mountain Sounds
JAZZ IN THE VINES BOWS OUT WITH DRAMAS
Jazz In The Vines in NSW’s Hunter Valley certainly bowed out with the farewell party it has been promising since April. However two aspects let it down. Wine partner Tyrells apologised for long drink queues.
After the event, a brawl broke out after police and security tried to evict a 24-year old woman for punching a woman she did not know. A number of other people intervened. A 45-year-old man was charged with breaking the wrist of a male police officer after pushing him over, and spitting on a female officer and punching her in the face. He was capsicum sprayed. A number of others in the affray will be facing court.
GUM BALL ANNOUNCES 2017 DATES
Following last year’s sell-out in record time, the boutique music and arts and camping Gum Ball returns for the 12th time on April 21—23. The bill is announced on December 16. It is held at Dashville, a secluded property at Belford in the Hunter Valley NSW, which also hosts Dashville Skyline, PigSty in July and now Thrashville.
The Gum Ball also offers gourmet food and market stalls, kids crèche, yoga, skate demos, workshops, live art and a popular late night silent disco. Tickets go on sale on November 11. Organiser Matt Johnston said of last year’s sell-out, “Having both You Am I and Dan Sultan playing a sold out festival in our front yard was a bit of a dream come true to say the least!”
MAJOR DONATION FOR ADELAIDE FESTIVAL
The South Australian Government’s Made In Adelaide 89-strong delegation to the Edinburgh International Festival in August has already paid off for the Adelaide Festival.
Following discussions between the two Artistic Directors and SA Arts Minister Jack Snelling, a US philanthropist has made a donation of $150,000. It will be used to help stage the festival’s Australian premiere production of Glyndebourne Festival’s landmark opera Saul, directed by Barrie Kosky.
Rufus Wainwright, one of the headliners, will highlight his own songs with Prima Donna and highlights from Rufus Does Judy, his recreation of Judy Garland’s famed 1961 Carnegie Hall performance.
Of the 31 theatre, music, opera, dance, film and visual arts events, 16 are Australian premieres and 17 are Adelaide exclusives.
RUFUS TO HEADLINE MOUNTAIN SOUNDS
After announcing Dune Rats as the first act, the NSW Central Coast’s Mountain Sounds (February 17—18) went on to unveil all-star bill is headlined by Rufus. Others including DMA’s, Ngaiire, Bec Sandridge and Mosquito Coast explains why the four-year-old festival has consecutively sold out twice.
WORKSHOPS FOR FESTIVAL OF THE SUN
The sold-out Festival of the Sun (December 8—10) in Port Macquarie unveiled a number of workshops. They include making your own merchandise with Rhi Rebellion and graffiti workshops from resident artist Sigh Luxton.
SYDNEY FESTIVAL GETS BRAND REFRESH
In addition to a new Festival Director (director, writer and actor Wesley Enoch), Sydney Festival 2017 also appointed Alphabet Studio after a pitch to give it a new look. The diversity of the crowd will be highlighted through eight brochures and a series of portraits.
Enoch’s mantra, “I am a maker” also gave the festival its creative approach – “A festival made by a maker. A festival inviting all to be makers. A festival to make your own.”
DIVERSE PROGRAM FOR PLEASURE GARDEN
Melbourne’s The Pleasure Garden (December 10, Catani Gardens, St Kilda Foreshore) is more than just live music. Headlined by The Cat Empire, others include Blue King Brown, Dub Pistols Sound System, The Opiuo Band, Tash Sultana and Dub FX.
Announced this week were a giant hairy snail, the world’s first stilt riding ladybugs, and artist collectives as THINGkers Collective Australia, 3D architectural conceptualisers Glitzern Grime, rave designers General Zodd, party crews Culture Jam, newly formed Flame Effects Australia which creates large scale collaborative art projects with flame effects, and another new project Miss Jaunty created by Miss Holly Preston and Miss Loren Bell.
The food too includes Naples style pizza and pizza-inspired gelato, a funkadelic café, vegetarian soul, Philly cheesesteaks, Mexican street food, American BBQ, burgers, paletas (Mexican ice cream on a stick) and more gelato.
AIRLIE BEACH SONGWRTITING WINNER ANNOUNCED
The winner of the Airlie Beach Festival of Music Song Writing Competition is Port Macquarie musician Andrew Cousins who pockets the $5,000 prize. The judges found that his song Islands Of Love, co-written with DJ Elypsis, captured the spirit of The Whitsundays, meeting the criteria of love, compassion, wisdom, faith, energy and mindfulness.
Cousins performs the song this Sunday on the main stage. Altogether the competition received 57 entries.
PAUL KELLY & CHARLIE OWENS HEADLINE BMMF
The 22nd Blue Mountains Music returns on March 17, 18 and 19 in Katoomba with a headline set from Paul Kelly & Charlie Owen performing their collaborative album Death’s Dateless Night.
The 40-strong first announcement includes acts from Ireland, Scotland, Canada, The Netherlands, The US, India, Japan and Ehiopia. Joining Aussies as The Waifs, Urthboy, Bustamento, Dog Trumpet, The Borderers and Chris Wilson are international names Eddi Reader, Folk Uke (Amy “daughter of Willie” Nelson and Cathy “daughter of Arlo” Guthrie) and Boo Hewerdine.
ELECTRIC PARADE EXPANDS TO SYDNEY
The 2017 edition of Melbourne’s EDM celebration Electric Parade will expand to Sydney. After mounting at Myer Music Bowl in the southern city on February 18, it does it all over again on the 19th at Parramatta Park’s outdoor amphitheatre The Crescent. Sharing the bill are Alex M.O.R.P.H., Sneijder, Alex Stein, Ace Ventura and Richard Durand.
MAJOR’S CREEK RETURNS
For 20 years, Major’s Creek has showcased the finest of Australia’s folk, bluegrass, Americana, Celtic, jazz and blues, held in the charming laid-back goldrush town where impromptu sing-alongs are the case any time of the day.
This year’s event (November 11-13) is headlined by Neil Murray with Raised by Eagles’, Lucie Thorne & Hamish Stuart, ARIA nominated Harry Hooker and Australian-Fijian troubadour Andrew Kirwin.
INAUGURAL BABYLON HITS TWO CITIES
The inaugural EDM event Babylon will be held simultaneously in Victoria (March 10 – 12) and NSW (March 10 –13) bushland. Spearheading the beats are Infected Mushroom and Planetary Assault Systems aka Luke Slater making his Australian debut. The full artist lineup is unveiled this week.
FREEDOM CURATED BY THEO PARRISH
Melbourne NYD 2017 rave Freedom Time is curated by Detroit’s Theo Parrish. Aside from his headlining status, also performing are UK’s Nick The Record, Holland’s Tako & Izabel, Harvey Sutherland with Bermuda, plus András and Krakatau. It’s on three stages at the Coburg Velodrome.
PARTY BACK AT PADDOCK
Party In The Paddock at Burns Creek, Tasmania (20 minutes from Launceston) February 10—12 has Sticky Fingers, Hermitude, The Smith Street Band and Tash Sultana among its main acts. The four past events all sold out.
MICHAEL RIVETT WINS WANGARATTA JAZZ AWARD
Sax player Michael Rivett won the 2016 National Jazz Award at the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz. Heavy rains and flooding led to last minute changes by organisers: a new outdoor precinct was set up, the outdoor jazz stage was axed, while the blues stage was moved. While the jazz greats pulled in some masterful sets as they have for the past 27 years, organisers also marvelled at how many emerging names also put in sets that created a buzz backstage and in the audience long after.
INAUGURAL THRASH, BLAST AND GRIND PREPS UP
The inaugural nine date Thrash, Blast and Grind which cuts through Australia and New Zealand between February 10 and 19 has King Parrot headlining, with Tasmania’s Psycroptic as direct support, and alongside them are US heavyweight death/thrash giants Revocation, Melbourne slam-gore-grind merchants Whoretopsy, and Sydney’s rising stars Black Rheno.
YOUNG FEMALES SCORE MULLUM YOUTH MENTORSHIP
Four out of the five categories for Mullum Music Festival’s Youth Mentorship Program were won by up and coming female musicians from the NSW Northern Rivers region. It’s a big plus in a year where gender equality at festivals has been a hot topic. They perform for 20 minutes each at the November 17—20 festival.
Winners were15 year old Byron Bay High School student Lorelai aka Isabella Cox (in the singer songwriter category), 14-year old Chloe Mason from Ballina, 14 year old folk-pop Byron girl Hannah Parrington (wild card), grunge blues East Atlantic from Byron Bay High School (band) and Byron Steiner student Monica Brandolini (under 15).
Mullum Music’s opening Thursday night has sold out, with Festival Director Glenn Wright confidently expecting that Friday, Saturday and Sunday will follow suit.
PSYCH FEST III MAKES OFFER
Promoter Bad Vibrations, staging the third edition of Sydney’s Psych Fest (February 25 at The Factory Theatre) is offering discounted tickets for those who’ll buy before the acts are announced.
NO WORRIES MATE GOES ‘LEGIT’
No Worries is an official event held on Christmas Eve at the NSW South Coast town of Moruya, with 13 unsigned bands and DJs from the region.
No Worries Mate unofficially began four years ago when the Paradise South Crew threw a party on private property with their mates’ bands supplying the noise. 100 attended. The year after 300 turned up. When it reached 600, local council suggested they might go through proper channels.
NATIONAL FOLK APPOINTS DESIGNER
Canberra’s National Folk appointed Canberra artist and designer Paul Summerfield to design all festival artwork for the next four years. With degrees in both fine art and animation, Summerfield’s work is diverse –from commissioned portraits to creating a colouring-in book to painting on a car for a fundraiser.