Festivals Update: October 20
Image: Melbourne band Clowns
NEW HEAVY ROCK GATHERING FOR HUNTER VALLEY
NSW’s Hunter Valley gets a new outdoor heavy music gathering called Thrashville, from the same promoters who also stage The Gum Ball, PigSty In July and Dashville Skyline. Thrashville is held on Saturday January 21 on the Dashville site in Belford.
It features two of the greatest power trios to come out of Australia, Cosmic Psychos and The Hard-Ons, along with Clowns, Mischling, the Neptune Power Federation, Mucho Sonar, Zombonimo, The Australian Beefweek Show and others.
FIRST ACTS FOR NATIONAL FOLK 2017
Among the first of the 200 acts announced for National Folk 2017 (April 13—17, Exhibition Park Canberra) are England’s Rheingans Sisters, Irish vocalist and bouzouki player Daoiri Farrell, and Aussie songwriter and storyteller Greg Champion. The 51st instalment of the event is focussing on acts from South Australia and the Northern Territory.
SPECIALS AT GOLDEN PLAINS
Aside from seeing Neil Finn playing under a full Moon, Victoria’s Golden Plains also offers a dance-out to 2-Tone outfit The Specials with original members Terry Hall, Lynval Golding and Horace Panter. Golden Plains XI (March 11—13, Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre) that time is running out for the second ticket ballot. Previous subscribers had until Monday, non-subscribers have until Tuesday October 25 to join.
FEAST LOSE ALL STRAIGHT STAFF
Following the suspension in September of straight GM Cassandra Liebeknecht, two more straight workers have resigned from Adelaide’s gay and lesbian community Feast Festival which kicks off this weekend.
The suspension of Liebeknecht (which she claimed was due to being targeted for her sexuality) lead to the resignation of four of Feast’s 10-strong board. Office Manager Tegan Woodham said she’d taken stress leave before she quit, adding she “did not feel safe” without the support of the four board members who left, and of the board’s apparent refusal to investigate sexual harassment allegations against a board member.
FAIRGROUND SELLS OUT FIRST RELEASE
December 2 and 3’s Fairgrounds, on the NSW South Coast, has sold out its first release of tickets. It recently added Middle Kids, Gabriella Cohen, Ali Barter and Bec Sandridge to its bill. Demand from inbound festival-goers from Sydney and Canberra saw organisers widen its Rivercamp to include all-ages family-friendly zoning in addition to an 18+ area.
SIDE EVENTS FOR UNCONFORMITY
Unconformity in the mining town of Queenstown, Tasmania, has proven to be another success, organisers say. The festival was this year rebranded from the name Queenstown Heritage and Arts after six years, to gain a greater appeal. Final attendance figures were not available but exceeded all organisations’ expectations.
Ticketed events and local accommodation sold out, and close to 2000 came from outside the region. Uncomformity will remain a biennial event, but organisers are contemplating “other events” for the in-between years. The festival also forged closer ties with the mining community, spokespersons from both sides said.
EDM ACTS ADDED TO FALLS
Falls’ second announcement for Lorne, Marion Bay and Byron included major EDM acts including g Kilter, Generik, KLP, Moonbase Commander, Feki and Just A Gen. Additions to the Perth event will be revealed shortly.
BLUESFEST DEADLINE LOOMS
The deadline for applications from performers wanting to play Bluesfest 2017 is October 31. It is through http://www.bluesfest.com.au/forms/BLF/artists/ with successful submissions contacted in January.
SUGAR MOUNTAIN BACK
Sugar Mountain (Saturday January 21 at VCA) scored a number of Melbourne exclusives, including Blood Orange,Pantha Du Prince, Jessy Lanza and Little Simz. Moses Sumney and Kelsey Lu make their Australian debut.
WOMADELAIDE SCORES TWO DEBUTS
The Philip Glass Ensemble make their festival debut at WOMADELAIDE in Adelaide (March 10—13), while it’s an Australian debut from Jamaican phenomenon Brushy one string. Twenty acts were announced in the first round of the festival which smashed attendance records this year. They included acclaimed Brazilian bossa nova singer Bebel Gilberto, Cie Carabosse make the trip from France for the fourth time delivering nightly fire installation The Exodus Of Forgotten Peoples in Frome Park, The Specials, Archie Roach, The East Pointers, Gawurra, Hanoi Masters, Sudha Ragunathan, The Waifs and Xylouris White.
SELL-OUT FOR GRASS IS GREENER
Despite the rain which fell all through the day, The Grass is Greener in Cairns’ Fogarty Park was a sell-out. Hermitude was the stand-out as far as the crowd was concerned as were some local acts. The festival was controversially refused permission by the Cairns Regional Council before relenting. Organiser Oli Frost confirmed that the festival was returning to Cairns.
ON THE HILL SLOTS UP 33
NYE On The Hill has brought to 33 the amount of acts announced for the three day camping event in the pastures of Victoria’s South Gippsland, and is on track to sell out its capped 2500 tickets for a third consecutive year.
Caravãna Sun, Kyle Lionhart, BATTS and Zoë Fox & The Rocket Clocks join The Preatures, Pierce Bros, Tash Sultana and The Bennies.
JET, LIVING END, TEGAN & SARA, AT TWILIGHT
Signing on for the Melbourne and Sydney Twilight series (at Melbourne Zoo and Taronga Zoo) are Jet, The Living End, Sara & Tegan, Peter Garrett.& The Alter Egos, Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons, Ball Park Music, Kev Carmody, Kasey Chambers, The Specials, Paul Dempsey, Killing Heidi, James Morrison Big Band, Björn Again and The Rubens.
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