21 January 2015
At the time of writing, tickets remained for the double-headlining show of Guy Pearce and Powderfinger’s Darren Middleton at Bendigo’s Capital Theatre on January 31. While he may well be known more for his time on the silver screen, music has long been a part of Pearce’s life. Last year saw the release of Broken Bones, his debut album. After having his time in the sun with one of the Australia’s favourite bands, Middleton discovered he had so much more to give.
21 January 2015
It’s time to dig out the budgie smugglers as the Havaianas Thong Day Challenge rolls around for another Australia Day full of fun, sun and tunes. For those who may not be too familiar, the event has become an Australia Day classic where, basically, thousands of people come together to have fun and celebrate being Australian across five of Australia’s favourite beaches.
20 January 2015
eld as part of the Crackerjack Family Fair on March 8, the Bellarine 2015 Busking Competition presents an opportunity to amateur musicians and groups to showcase their musical talents to a large and supportive audience. Major cash prizes are up for grabs, with the judging panel comprised of professional stage artists. If you’re a little green when it comes to performing, this is as good an opportunity as you’re likely to find.
16 January 2015
The Rainbow Serpent Festival is just about here. In fact, it takes place this month. Ticket holders know what they’re getting, but if you are still up in the air about it it’s time to make the call. General presale tickets are currently available, and really, you’re getting a pretty sweet deal for your bucks. Well over 100 producers, bands and DJs will perform across several stages.
15 January 2015
Josh Durno, Joel Stibbard and Acoustic Foxx have teamed up for a series of shows around Victoria this month. Josh Durno is the leader of garage-rock trio The Sketches. He also performs solo. Being a Tasmanian lad, performing solo makes things a little easier. Fellow Taswegian Joel Stibbard is behind indie rock outfit The Gallant Trees. Acoustic Foxx is Craig Williams, a singer-songwriter and guitarist from Melbourne.
14 January 2015
Are you ready for a garage rock electronic funk soul rock pop combo that will slap you upside the head? Glad to hear it! So, you have Magic Bones and you have Harts joining forces. Magic Bones will be bringing the garage rock, while Harts will be serving up electronic funk soul rock pop. It doesn’t get much better than that.
13 January 2015
Due to “unexpected illness”, 360 has been forced to postpone his regional tour. A statement reads: “These are the first performances that 360 has had to postpone, and after starting the tour with sold out shows over the weekend, the decision was not made lightly. 360 is determined to make it up to all fans as soon as possible.
13 January 2015
The Getaway Plan can join the long list of those who owe thanks to crowdfunding. Taking to PledgeMusic, the band was successful in raising the coin to help with the recording and touring of Dark Horses. After spending a decade with the help of record labels, the decision to go down this path was due to the band wanting complete control.
12 January 2015
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. Friends, Romans, countrymen. Freaks, geeks and the all-too-chic. Ausocalypse is coming. Hosted by Bendigo’s Music Man Megastore across Australia Day weekend, Ausocalypse is all about the hard and heavy stuff – because if Australia Day is about anything, it’s about metal.
12 January 2015
In 2015 the Apollo Bay Music Festival is taking a breather, at least when it comes to their three-day format. Yep, it kinda sucks, but you can’t blame them. The festival has been going strong for more than 20 years and the long hours have caught up with them. To soften the blow, a few intimate gigs will take place while the team look at how they can make 2016 something different.
12 January 2015
The crew behind Aireys Inlet Open Mic have been hard at work; not just on assembling another first-class line-up, but giving their website the ol’ spit and polish. At the time of writing only a few artists have been announced, but they’re pretty darn good ones with Altitude, Nicolette Forte & Friends, Sarah Carnegie, Sons of May, Audemia, The Kite Machine, Jessey Jackson, Goofyfooter and Imogen Brough the first to put their hands up.
12 January 2015
You will find few better ways to spend your summer than by soaking up the sunny sounds of The Beautiful Girls and their Summer Soundsystem tour. Frontman Mat McHugh: “Music is something that really propels me creatively, but there’s something about the ocean that I can’t ever do without. I always get asked whether I was a musician that surfs or a surfer who plays music.
11 January 2015
Times are good for Caravãna Sun. Really good. For the third time the band enjoyed a stint in Europe last year, playing to open-air festival crowds in Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, France, Switzerland and Portugal. They also recently welcomed new member Ken Allars. Not a band to take their foot off the pedal, their Under a Southern Sky tour continues the band’s good times on home soil. Kicking off late last year, the tour will take in several festival stops along the way.
10 January 2015
Ah Jordie, we’ve missed ya. Songman Jordie Lane may hang up his guitar in the US these days, but his heart is still in Australia. And so will he be shortly. Heading back our way for his first national tour in 18 months, Jordie will take in over 30 dates, including a few festival spots here and there. Lane’s musical career has been tracking okay for a guy born to a comedian and a clown.
10 January 2015
Can I get a hallelujah? My rockin’ and rollin’ brothers and sisters, Ballarat Beat Rockabilly Festival is set to shine its glory upon us once again. Seriously folks, if you have been snoozin’, you have been losin’. The Ballarat Beat Rockabilly Festival is your one-stop destination for all things rockabilly – the music, the fashion, the cars, the beer and, yes, the vibe. Performers in 2015 include The Detonators, Atomic Hi-Tones, Benny & The Flybyniters…
10 January 2015
What’s the point in rushing? A good 20 years have passed since Blue Heat recorded a studio album, but with One Day Too Long, a humble title if ever there was one, the drought has been broken. No excuses were made, with the band offering this: “Too much time had passed by … We had this backlog of songs. It was about time too that we pulled our proverbial finger out and did it.”
9 January 2015
It’s time to play the music. It’s time to light the lights. It’s time to meet Frenzal Rhomb on their Steroidosonic tour. Ah yes, it would seem as though Frenzal Rhomb have been keeping up to date with the goings-on of the world, with the fun-lovin’ punksters announcing their Steroidosonic tour.
9 January 2015
On February 6, Bob Marley would have turned 70. To commemorate the occasion, the Marley family has decided to grant Universal Music Group access to its extensive vault of unreleased material. The first release will be a CD/DVD release, Easy Skanking in Boston ’78.
9 January 2015
Following a seven-year innings, Flap! has decided to call it a day. It has been a wonderfully vibrant career for the folk jazz party band, one which kicked off in Copenhagen and played out to The Secret Garden Party, The Brixton Academy and even The Femø Jazz Festival. Then there was their nude gig at Bar Open. From the band: “We’ve got some big news for you: We’re breaking up. We’ve had some real good times these last 7 years but it’s time now to call it a day…”
9 January 2015
We’re pretty happy with Geelong’s Motor City Music Festival, so you can expect a bit of attention going its way in Forte. There are heaps of artists there – like Amber Lawrence, Jimi Hocking, Electric Mary, Michael Stangel, Painters & Dockers, Mick Thomas & the Roving Commission, The Black Sorrows…
9 January 2015
In ripping news for Geelong, siblings Angus and Julia Stone have tagged on a local date as part of their summer tour. As you’re probably aware the duo is spruiking their third album, a self-titled effort released in August last year. Behind the album was Rick Rubin, the man behind albums including Beastie Boys’ Licensed to Ill, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Blood Sugar Sex Magik and Johnny Cash’s American Recordings among many, many others.
9 January 2015
Born and raised in the suburbs of Sydney, bluesman Jack Derwin would be challenged when he moved to north western NSW. The countryside was harsh yet beautiful, but it was his struggle to be accepted a “local” that hit hardest. Fortunately, he found solace in music. He began writing music at the age of fourteen, channelling the likes of Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd and The Beatles before finding his own voice.
9 January 2015
Pokey LaFarge was born Andrew Heissler, apparently receiving the nickname ‘Pokey’ from his mother who would scold him when he was a child. Blending elements of early jazz, country blues and western swing, LaFarge has released several albums, his most recent being 2013’s self-titled effort. He made his Australian debut last year, and such was the response he is back again in 2015.
8 January 2015
The Amity Affliction is the kind of band that takes the good with the bad. As a wise man once said, you just gotta keep rollin’ on, which is exactly what the band did when their guitarist and co-founder Troy Brady left the band. They have a European/UK tour with Of Mice & Men lined up for March/April, but first they’ll undertake a few shows around our good country.
