Festivals Update: September 23
Image: Electric Gardens Festival
FOUR NEW FESTIVALS MAKE DEBUT
The festival circuit expands with three new additions, one of them a touring event.
Grow Your Own (December 23, Forster NSW) is headlined by Angus Stone’s new solo project Dope Lemon and co-founder Holly Rankin’s project Jack River and a number of Forster and Greater Lakes bands.
Staged October 14 to 16 is the Ballarat SongWays Music, courtesy the City of Ballarat and Creative Victoria through its Music Works initiative. Set to cash in on Ballarat’s music, fashion, entertainment, art & design renaissance, there’ll be free and ticketed gigs and music skills workshops.
US dance brand HARD hits four cities in December, with Gary “Destructo” Richards bringing Canada’s Zeds Dead as headliner, Miami’s GTA. Ghastly, Rinse FM’s Chris Lorenzo and Rezz.
Last weekend, the first EDM and visual arts Agathering Festival in Northern Territory got off to a strong start. It offered three days in the outback to a couple of thousand ravers, with camping, waterfalls and sand at Litchfield National Park in Darwin. “It was about doing something different for the EDM community in NT,” said headliner Steve Ward.
FAIRBRIDGE INSPIRES BEN ELTON FILM
WA’s Fairbridge Festival has inspired Ben Elton’s new comedy Three Summers. It follows attendees at the event, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2017 (April 21 to 24) over three years. It mixes music and romance as they chill out in one of the tents. Production has begun in the first feature film to be shot entirely in the scenic Peel Region. It is also the first Australian movie for Elton, whose previous screenwriting credits The Young Ones, Blackadder and Mr Bean.
BLUESFEST HAS ANOTHER WIN…
Bluesfest Byron Bay took out Best Regional Event at the Australian Event Awards on Wednesday night. Other finalists were the Deni Ute Muster, Blues on Broadbeach Music Festival and The Birdsville Big Red Bash. It was Bluesfest’s second win in the category.
Festival Director Peter Noble said, “Festivals create a sense of community. They say Byron is a brand, it is festivals here like Bluesfest, that have had a huge impact on how the Byron brand is recognised as an arts capital around the world.”
…AND ADDS MORE ACTS
Six more acts were announced in Bluesfest Byron Bay’s second artist round yesterday. Heading to Byron Bay over Easter 2017 are Mary J. Blige, Corinne Bailey Rae, Michael Kiwanuka, Mahko & Medicine For The People, Gallant and The Suffers. Ticket sales have been “through the roof” since the first announcement weeks ago including Zac Brown Band, Patti Smith, Buddy Guy, Bonnie Raitt and Mavis Staples.
SPLENDOUR ON CHARITY BENDER
Eight community organisations in NSW’s Northern Rivers were recipients of this year’s Splendour in the Grass Community Grants. The funding ranged from $8000 to $5000. They covered grocery cards and shower access for the needy, rainforest regeneration, meals on wheels, school music programs and canteen upgrades, and foam surf boards to teach nippers.
MORE ACTS FOR FESTIVAL OF THE SUN…
Second round of acts for Festival of the Sun in Port Macquarie include The Creases, Hey Geronimo, World Champion, Ayla, Rackett, Hot Spoke and Korzdahavoc.
VALLEY FIESTA RETURNS
A party at Cloudland announced that Valley Fiesta will roll back to Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley entertainment precinct for the 20th time, between October 28 to 30. The live music is headlined by The Vines, Yacht Club DJs, Harts and KLP.
ELECTRIC GARDENS FLOWERING AGAIN
Sydney EDM festival Electric Gardens returns to Sydney on Saturday January 28 at Centennial Parkland. First acts to be unveiled shortly. In the past it’s hosted majors as Fatboy Slim, Dubfire, Erick Morillo, James Zabiela and John Digweed.
VIVID UNPREPARED FOR DROWNING
Sydney’s Vivid Festival was unprepared for a drowning as a person in the water wasn’t included in their risk assessment procedure. So said an inquest into the May 2014 drowning of 34-year old Irish tourist Brendan Hickey after he fell into Darling Harbour. Festival staff had not drilled for such an emergency.
The event organiser at the time, Michael Prescott, opted not to stop the concert at the time, rationalising it would be easier to search for Hickey when thousands of patrons were at the show, rather than moving about. Hickey, whom the court heard was heavily intoxicated, could not swim and had a fear of the water.
ADELAIDE FESTIVALS HEAD TO PINKY FLAT
Pinky Flat on Adelaide’s northern river bank of the Torrens will be the site for many festivals this summer, reported the Adelaide Advertiser, quoting Adelaide Council’s papers for its Adelaide Park Lands Summer Event Season for 2016-2017.
Adelaide Festival will in March use the site, as well as Elder Park in March, possibly for an outdoor club. Also heading there are Adelaide Fringe, the Fringe’s high profile venue the Royal Croquet Club (which drew 200,000 punters over a month at its old home at Victoria Square) and the Adelaide Festival of Lights (April 8 until May 7), among racing and cricket events.
AMBASSADOR OPENS TURNING WAVE
The Turning Wave festival in the Yass, NSW region, which celebrates all kinds of Irish music, had a special guest. Newly arrived Irish ambassador Breandán Ó Caollaí and his wife Carmel Callan attended the official opening.
BREAKING UP AT MULLUM MUSIC
The theme for this year’s Mullum Music songwriting competition is Break Up Songs. Organised through Rhythms Magazine, applicants upload their sniff-sniff tunes (a simple video recorded on a mobile phone will do) for a chance to score a 30 min performance at the festival on Sunday November 20. Deadline to enter is October 26.
DAREBIN MUSIC FEAST TURNS 20
The Darebin City Council celebrates being one of Melbourne’s most music and arts inhabited municipalities with the 20th anniversary of the Darebin Music Feast (October 27 – November 6). Spanning over 40 venues and 600 artists, initiatives include a tribute to Kim Salmon’s talents through story, song and sketch, a 20/20 venue hop, seminars, a Bowie/Prince dance party and Enter Sandman which provides an idea of what it sounds like when dozens of people play Metallica songs all at once.