Festivals & Venues: April 27

STRAWBERRY FIELDS COUNTS OFF 10TH YEAR

Strawberry Fields, the boutique music, arts and wilderness festival is back to celebrating its 10th year from November 16 – 18.

The event has been growing in leaps and bounds. Its first instalment drew less than 1000.

This year they are expecting 8000.

The EDM festival has showcased some acts as Floating Points, Tycho, Moodymann, Booka Shade, Stephan Bodzin, Apparat, Carl Craig, HUNEE, Nightmares on Wax and Mr Scruff to the wildlands.

As part of the 10th year bash Strawberry Fields is offering a competition where a winner and three friends get lifetime entry as well as a chauffeur driven limo ride to and from Melbourne and a glamping pack.

All this for sharing your fave memory of the festival (“the winning entry will showcase creativity, humour and community spirit”) to www.strawberry-fields.com.au by June 1.

INAUGURAL NSW FEST RETURNING

The inaugural Bobby Jack’s Festival in Walcha in regional NSW will definitely be back in 2019, promoters said, after declaring the event a success.

It came together in five months, when someone declared that local musicians needed a place to showcase at, and decided to name it after a local artist.

The organising committee worked out 400 patrons would  mark the break-even point.

Instead over 600 adults and 200 children attended last Saturday, to hear the music (on the main stage and the Get Out Of Your Garage stage) as well as belly dancing, and puppet making workshops.

NEWCASTLE’S QUEENS WHARF TO QUIETEN DOWN

The Queens Wharf Hotel in Newcastle told patrons that it has been forced to scrap showcasing music, and only after 6pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

This came after complaints about the times and loudness of music to council and Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority.

Council told the hotel it was allowing live music outside of the times agreed to in 2015.

MELBOURNE’S HOWLER CALLS FOR PUBLIC HELP

Melbourne’s Howler club in Brunswick is asking the live music community for help.

As TMN reported last July, a builder plans to erect an apartment block right next door. “There are literally bedrooms backing onto the stage!” the club said.

A mediation meeting was called for between venue and developer, by Moreland Council.

Of note, as Howler told TMN, was that the development application did not identity Howler as a music venue but a “former wool store.”

Now it transpires that council has OK-dokey’d the building – even though Victoria does have something called Agent of Change which puts the onus of soundproofing on the builder, and that new residents cannot complain about noise if the venue was there first.

The Howler is asking TMN readers to contact council here  to remind them that venues are protected by the law.

LIVE NATION BUYS NZ’S RHYTHM & VINES

Live Nation has been busy in New Zealand. Following its  2016 acquisition a huge stake in the 12,000-capacity Spark Arena in Auckland and co-hosting Auckland City Limits, it has now bought a huge stake in Rhythm & Vines Festival.

The 15-year old three day event is Gisborne is the first major event in the world to greet the new year.

The festival has booked acts as Public Enemy, Moby, LCD Soundsystem, Wiz Khalifa, Bastille and Chance the Rapper through the years, and its owners say the Live Nation link-up will see it get even bigger acts.

SOFT CELL

An EDM event is being held in the Old Melbourne Gaol – current home of Ned Kelly – on Saturday May 26.

Music is headlined by house purveyors Prok & Fitch and there’ll be an on-site taco van.

FLO RIDA, SNOW PATROL ANNOUNCED FOR AIR & STYLE

Three day Sydney snow boarding, skiing and music Air & Style (August 3, 4, 5 at The Domain) booked Flo Rida and Snow Patrol as its headliners.

BALLINA COUNTRY GETS FUNDING

NSW’s Ballina Country (November 2—4, over half a dozen local venues) will be able to market itself more and build up its audience (and regional tourism and a boost for local traders) after getting a funding boost of $10,000 from the state government.

“Great to see state-level recognition for our community event which brings national country artists to our coastal town each year,” promoters said.

They thanked Nationals parliamentary secretary for Northern NSW Ben Franklin for pushing or the grant.

SPLENDOUR SPIN OFF BACK AFTER FIVE YEARS

After five long years of hibernation, Spin Off – the Adelaide mini-version of Byron’s Splendour in the Grass – is back.

It’s on at Wayville Showgrounds on Friday July 20, with some acts from the Splendour bill and some exclusive to Spin Off.

Acts announced are The Wombats, The Smith Street Band (they just sold out the city’s Thebarton Theatre on their national tour ), Meg Mac, and The Jungle Giants, joined by Methyl Ethel, Yungblud, G Flipm Alex The Astronaut and Eves Karydas.

BRIGHTSIDE DOES SPLENDA

Brisbane venue The Brightside is ramping up its own party vibes tonight with ‘Splenda Warm Up: Not Quite The Same, But Still Pretty Sweet’ with local acts, and presented by Heads Will Roll and The Bone Zone.

BALD FACED STAG SOLD

Sydney’s Bald Faced Stag has been sold by owner Marvan Hotels for $7.98 million.

The one time live music venue in Leichhardt ran into issues when its former lease holder Scott Mackenzie had to be removed.

He ran into financial problems, leading to non-payment of bands, rent and workers.

NEW HUNTER FESTIVAL FKA

NSW’s Hunter Valley has a new festival, FKA (aka Formerly Known As) is staged at Hope Estate in Pokolbin on October 20.

First round of acts include Ali Barter, The Belligerents, The Jungle Giants, Kingswood, Maddy Jane,  Luca Brasi, Trophy Eyes and Tired Lion.