Megan Washington, Matt Corby & More For Brisbane Bushfire Fundraiser

Fire Fight Australia and Down to Earth: A Fire and Climate Relief Concert may have sold out in a red hot minute, but there are still tickets available for a host of fantastic bushfire fundraisers. One of the best that I wanted to put on your radar is Raise ‘Em Up, a Brisbane show aiming to raise $100,000 for the fire relief efforts.

The bill is stacked with local talent including Megan Washington, Matt Corby, The Kite String Tangle, Asha Jefferies, Ngaiire, and The Riot. These artists will donate their time to the event, ensuring 100% of all ticket, bar, and merch takings can be divided between Red Cross and WIRES.

“Both WIRES and the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal are hugely worthy causes and we hope that throwing this Raise ‘Em Up show provides people another way to support their critical work,” explained The Tivoli’s co-owner and creative director, Dave Sleswick.

“In return, we promise a jam-packed evening of live music which will kick off from 5pm with food trucks, a car park party and a great community raffle also taking place.”

Raise ‘Em Up hits The Tivoli on January 25. Tickets are all general admission and ranging from $50 to $200, so you can donate as much or as little as your budget allows and still see the show. Get yours from Ticketmaster while you can!

Image used with permission from Aruga

Queen, Alice Cooper, and k.d. lang Lead Fire Fight Australia Line-Up

{TEG} Dainty and {TEG} Live promised us a big bushfire benefit show and they haven’t disappointed. This morning they dropped their star-studded line-up for Fire Fight Australia headed up by international acts Queen and Adam Lambert, Alice Cooper, and k.d. lang.

Of course, plenty of Aussies have also rushed to help including hot young things Amy Shark, Baker Boy, Conrad Sewell, and Illy, and absolute legends including Daryl Braithwaite, Icehouse, Olivia Newtown-John, and John Farnham. There are plenty more artists announced and others that will be added to the bill before the big event at ANZ Stadium on February 16.

Ticket sales benefit rural and regional fire services, Red Cross disaster relief, and the RSPCA Bushfire Appeal. You can get yours from Ticketek from noon today.

Joel James Live Charms With “Your Name Reminds Me Of Hollywood”

It didn’t take me long to fall in love with “Your Name Reminds Me of Hollywood,” the latest single from Melbourne’s Joel James Live. It was somewhere within the first verse where I got suckered into its poetic lyrics and honest romance. It’s got the sort of earthy magical quality that a really good indie romance flick like Before Sunrise or Annie Hall has, with an authenticity that doesn’t require cute catchphrases or a schmaltzy soundtrack.

Perhaps Joel’s music gets this authenticity because he’s in total control. A multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, producer, and engineer, Joel James will never be a slave to the music machine.

“Your Name Reminds Me of Hollywood” comes from Joel James Live’s stellar EP Cabin Fever.

2019: A Year in Review

It’s about time to put on our party clothes and celebrate the end of another wonderful year. Before we do, I thought it was looking back on the one that was, all the amazing Aussie music we heard and the great shows we saw. Here are my top 10s. Were these the acts that made your 2019 brighter, or did someone else excite your ears? I’d love to hear your views on 2019 in the comments!

Top 10 Aussie Albums/EPs

1. Through the Walls – The Vanns
2. Roar Like the Ocean – Esimorp
3. Now I’m Ready to Start – Sinclaire
4. Drinking Alone – Jack Runaway
5. Free Time – Ruel
6. 10 Steps to Cynical Thinking – The Barren Spinsters
7. Lonely Leaves – PLTS
8. Hold Yourself Together – Asha Jefferies
9. Building Blocks – THIA.
10. Why Don’t You Just – Bec Stevens

Top 10 Aussie Tours

1. LANY
2. Rob Thomas
3. The Eagles
4. Allen Stone
5. John Mayer
6. Tim Minchin
7. Phil Collins
8. Jack Jones
9. Megan Hilty
10. David Campbell

Image source: Rob & Jules @ Flickr

Vale Greedy Smith

Sometimes you get music news that knocks the wind out of your sails. Hearing that we’ve lost Andrew “Greedy” Smith is one of those pieces of information I wasn’t quite ready for.

For years he’s been the man keeping Mental as Anything’s legacy alive, the only original member still rocking. Still touring right up to the end. The band were due to start a string of shows in Victoria on Thursday. This wasn’t a guy who thought he was going anywhere.

Greedy passed away after suffering a heart attack on December 1. He was just 63 years old. He is survived by his son Harvey, fiancée Fiona Docker, brother Stuart, and a legion of Aussie music fans who will keep celebrating the music of The Mentals in his honour. Here’s a start.

The ARIA Awards Wrap

Pub trivia took precedence over the ARIA Awards last night so I’m only just catching up on all the goings on (thanks 9Now!). Honestly, I think it was one of the better award ceremonies. It was so exciting to see such a diverse range of talent honoured with the sharp pointy things. Guy Sebastian was such a superb host with the right mix of warmth and humour. I was thrilled to see him take out the Song of the Year title for “Choir.” What a top track that is.

I found myself getting unexpectedly emotional at Human Nature’s Hall of Fame induction. They were my boy band of choice in my teenage years, although I swore black and blue that they were a “vocal group” instead. I went to countless RSL gigs, shopping centre appearances, and the like. I lost track of them somewhere along the way, but watching them bust out those old hits before their induction took me right back. 30 years together is a massive achievement. Congratulations to them.

While Human Nature stirred my nostalgia, The Teskey Brothers delivered the performance of the night for me with “Rain.” I’ve long championed these guys and I can only hope the ARIA Awards puts them on the radar of people who might have been unaware of their talents. I was stoked to see them take home awards for best group and best blues and roots album for Run Home Slow.

I’m not going to run through every performance and accolade, because it’s so late on a Thursday that all that information has already been widely publicised. But it’d be remiss of me not to mention Tones and I. She’s smashed chart records and earned global fame this year, but four ARIA awards is such a fitting cherry on top. Hats off to her.

What did you think of the 2019 ARIAs? Who were you excited to see honoured and was there anyone you were disappointed to see missing out? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Ocean Alley Stage Charity Festival, A Day for the Beaches

Ocean Alley are giving back to their native Northern Beaches, curating and headlining a fantastic festival for charity next month. A Day for the Beaches is an all ages, drug- and alcohol-free event raising funds for Cerebral Palsy Alliance and One Eighty, a grassroots organisation working to prevent youth suicide.

They aren’t doing it alone though. Ocean Alley will share the stage with Dear Seattle, Eagle Eye Jones, Stump, Liquid Time, The Brights, Monkey Knife Fight, and BUTTERBOX. The event will also feature food trucks, market stalls, and local art displays.

A Day for the Beaches will take over Narabeen’s Rat Park on November 16. Tickets are on sale now from Oztix.

Image used with permission from Bianca Blancato; credit: The Sauce

Young Lions Heading Out On the Road for “Golden” Release

The hard-working lads from Young Lions are ready to rock you with the release of their latest single “Golden” and not one but two tours. The track is an anthem for self-reflection and self-care, as vocalist Zachary Britt explained.

“Life can get crazy sometimes and we all know what it’s like to be burnt out and on the edge. For me personally, I know there’s a few people, songs and places in my life that bring me back up again when this whacked-out world gets overwhelming … You don’t have to act like everything’s fine around these friends as they help you recharge. This song is an anthem for those moments. When it’s all a little fucked up it’s OK to rest and stay until you’re golden.”

Tonight Young Lions commence a string of dates supporting Hands Like Houses. Then they’ve barely got time for a breather before they start their own intimate headlining shows. Here are all the dates you need music lovers!

18 October 2019 – Narrabeen RSL, Narrabeen (supporting Hands Like Houses)
19 October 2019 – Central Coast Leagues Club, Gosford (supporting Hands Like Houses)
24 October 2019 – Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour (supporting Hands Like Houses)
25 October 2019 – Cooly Hotel, Coolangatta (supporting Hands Like Houses)
26 October 2019 – Wharf Tavern, Mooloolaba (supporting Hands Like Houses)
27 October 2019 – Spotted Cow, Toowoomba (supporting Hands Like Houses)
30 October 2019 – Harvey Rd Tavern, Gladstone (supporting Hands Like Houses)
31 October 2019 – Seabreeze Hotel, Mackay (supporting Hands Like Houses)
1 November 2019 – Dalrymple Hotel, Townsville (supporting Hands Like Houses)
2 November 2019 – Edge Hill Tavern, Cairns (supporting Hands Like Houses)
7 November 2019 – Beer Deluxe, Albury (supporting Hands Like Houses)
8 November 2019 – Pier Hotel, Frankston (supporting Hands Like Houses)
9 November 2019 – The Tah, Hobart (supporting Hands Like Houses)
10 November 2019 – Sooki Lounge, Belgrave (supporting Hands Like Houses)
6 December 2019 – Woolly Mammoth, Brisbane
12 December 2019 – Rocket Bar, Adelaide
13 December 2019 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
14 December 2019 – Sly Fox, Sydney

EVIE Releases Cool Throwback Tune, “For You I Would”

If you crossed Mazzy Star with Michelle Branch, you might get someone like Brisbane songstress EVIE. Her latest single “For You I Would” is giving me laidback ‘90s vibes, and I am absolutely loving the nostalgia.

EVIE penned the track in the wake of a breakup, when emotions are still raw but there’s also a sense of optimism towards the future. “The song was written with a heavy heart but shows the optimism found in these hard decisions and the confidence that is gained from moving forward,” EVIE explains.

Hometown fans can catch EVIE at The Milk Factory on October 24.

Image used with permission from GYRO PR

Music and More at Brisbane’s Free Hidden Lanes Festival

Exciting Aussie acts including Tyne-James Organ, The Vanns, Cry Club, and Greta Stanley will entertain crowds at this year’s The Hidden Lanes Festival in Brisbane. The event aims to celebrate the lanes of Fortitude Valley, shining a light on more than 80 local businesses operating in California, Winn, Bakery, Lucky, and Little Valley Lanes.

Aside from the musical acts, there’ll be plenty of food vendors, a fashion and beauty trail, an art and design trail, and nearly 20 master classes teaching you everything from how to make cocktails to how to braid hair.

All this is completely free, so get amongst it on October 26. The Hidden Lanes Festival takes over Fortitude Valley’s lanes from 10 am til late. Register for the master classes and heritage trail via the event’s website.

Image used with permission from Gyro PR