Category: Festivals

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Meadow Adds New Acts, Food and Drinks, and Glamping Packages for April Festival

If you’ve considered getting along to Meadow this year but haven’t got your tickets yet, you’d better stop procrastinating. The latest raft of announcements is sure to make them some of the hottest tickets around.

A stack of new bands, including Private Function, Prequel, King Stingray, C.Frim, Kult Kyss, Mindy Meng Wang 王萌 x Tim Shiel, and The Seven Ups have just joined the already stacked bill. They’ll play alongside already announced acts including King Gizzard and the Lizzard Wizzard and Angie McMahon.

All the great musical talent will be complemented by a top selection of local food and beverages. We’re talking tasty treats from Hulms Pies, Pete’s Woodfired Pizza, and Perla Tacos. Wash it all down with craft beers from Salt Brewing Company, gin from Great Ocean Road Gin, wines from Heroes Vineyard, Dinny Goonan Wines, and Livewire Wines. And that’s just for starters.

Meadow hits Bambra Bowl on Victoria’s surf coast from April 23 to 25. Tickets are on sale now. In addition to the regular general release tickets you can also buy new glamping packages, which include beds with linen, towels, rechargeable warm light USB lanterns, chairs, and more. Tickets are limited to keep the event COVID-safe, so don’t muck around or you just might miss out.

Image used with permission from This Much Talent; credit Kayzar Bhathwalla

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Summer in the Domain Back on the Agenda

After a brief postponement, Summer in the Domain is back and ready to keep those good vibes rolling through March. This COVID-safe outdoor concert series staged in Sydney’s Domain has an impressive lineup, with Vera Blue, Ball Park Music, Mallrat, Thelma Plum, Hayden James, and Client Liaison all scheduled to appear. Add in bars and food markets and you’ve got a recipe for a great night out.

Music lovers and their concert crew will enjoy their very own picnic table (pod) on the grass, so you won’t need to worry about others encroaching on your space. Four and six-person pods are available for each show.

“The Domain has a rich history of hosting events and celebrations and we want to continue to host experiences that create lifelong memories and contribute to the health and wellbeing of our communities,” said Denise Ora, the chief executive of the Botanic Gardens Greater Sydney. “As an organisation we have grown accustomed to having a very robust program of festivals and iconic events so I can wholeheartedly say that everyone at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney and Domain are excited to help activate the CBD with the Summer in the Domain concert series as we emerge from the impacts of this pandemic and safely come together in Sydney’s public spaces.”

Each show is limited to 2000 ticketholders to keep things COVID-safe, so don’t hesitate when tickets for the following shows go on sale at midday on February 15 through Moshtix.

18 March 2021 – Ball Park Music and Thelma Plum
19 March 2021 – Hayden James, Mallrat, and Sycco
20 March 2021 – Client Liaison, Confidence Man, and Touch Sensitive
21 March 2021 – Vera Blue with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra

Image used with permission from Fuzzy Events

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Meadow Back in April with King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Angie McMahon

If you’ve been hanging out for a proper music festival, your prayers have been answered. Meadow is heading back to Bambra, in Victoria’s Surf Coast Shire, this ANZAC long weekend. The all-Aussie lineup is stacked, with King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Angie McMahon, Close Counters, Surprise Chef, Elizabeth, and heaps more on the bill.

Organisers are taking every precaution to keep the festival safe without impacting on the fun. It’ll be a smaller event this year, with temperature checks and basic COVID screening on arrival. Coloured wristbands will indicate your designated viewing zone. The front, middle, and back zones will rotate at the end of each day, and once between Saturday daytime and night so all festivalgoers get some time at the front. Standing, sitting, singing, and dancing are all permitted within your zone.

Meadow will take over the Bambra Bowl from April 23 to 25. To keep the event COVID-safe, tickets are limited. Get yours for $189 plus booking fee, including your car pass, now. You can bring one teen for every paying adult and as many kids under 12 for free as you like to keep the family-friendly vibes flowing.

Image used with permission from This Much Talent

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Meadow Ready to Hit Country Victoria for Bushfire Relief

Summer might be winding down, but festival season isn’t quite over just yet. If you prefer a festival that’s a little bit cooler, in more ways than one, check out Meadow in Bambra from March 27 to 29. Formerly By the Meadow, this boutique festival is headed up by exciting young acts including Angie McMahon, Sweet Whirl, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Close Counters, Emily Wurramara, Closes Counters, and a whole stack more.

The Victorian Otways provides the perfect backdrop across three days and two nights. It’s all BYO too, so you can forget about long bar lines and focus on seeing your favourite bands. Alternatively, enjoy bevvies from Salt Brewing, Great Ocean Road Gin, and local cool climate wineries. Local restaurants will also serve up tasty dishes to match the great booze on offer.

Meadow tickets, including add-ons like parking and glamping packages, are available now through the Meadow Festival website. With 20% of all ticket sale profits going to the CFA and a whole lot of great music to boot, you’ll want to get on this.

Image used with permission from This Much Talent

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Ocean Alley Drop New Music Ahead of Laneway Shows

Ocean Alley have kept a fairly relentless touring schedule over the last 12 months, but they’ve still found time to write and demo some new music. New single “Tombstone” is one of the latest tracks to come out of those creative stints. Its easy blend of funk, soul, and classic rock showcases everything that made Ocean Alley one of the hottest bands in the country.

Ocean Alley spent much of 2019 abroad playing shows in New Zealand, Bali, Canada, the USA, Europe, and the UK, but they’ll be back on home soil next month for the Laneway Festival shows. They’ll also support Six60 in New Zealand. Catch them at all the following gigs.

1 February – Laneway Festival, Brisbane
2 February – Laneway Festival, Sydney
7 February – Laneway Festival, Adelaide
8 February – Laneway Festival, Melbourne
9 February – Laneway Festival, Fremantle
22 February – Western Springs, Auckland (supporting Six60)
7 March – Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin (supporting Six60)

Photo credit: Charlie Hardy

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Grampians Music Festival Gearing Up For Bumper 2020

The New Year has a way of sneaking up on us. We get so focused making plans for Christmas that the next year is here before we know it, and our social calendars are bare. Don’t let it happen to you! 2020 is a leap year, which means you definitely want to make that rare February 29 a day to remember. That means you should definitely put the 2020 Grampians Music Festival on your radar.

The festival is in for a bumper year in 2020 with a diverse lineup including indie darling Julia Jacklin, Ecca Vandal, These New South Whales, DRMNGNOW, Maddy Jane, Raave Tapes, and heaps more.

“I’m very proud of this lineup and what it says about the Grampians Music Festival,” said festival organiser, Carly Fleckoe “We are blessed to have this much talent on our bill! Julia Jacklin has hit her straps both here and overseas, and her from-the-heart songwriting style is pure magic. Alongside Ecca Vandal and These New South Whales rounding out the top of the bill is a blend of an incredible mix of the artists that are making waves in Australia at the moment. It’s going to make for a very special weekend.”

The Grampians Music Festival will return to Halls Gap on February 28 and 29. Then on March 1, the GMF Emerging Artist Stages will return to local pubs and taverns, giving you plenty of reasons to extend your regional Victorian getaway. Tickets are on sale now through OzTix.

Image used with permission from Beehive PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Matt Joe Gow Strips Back “Light My Way”

Break, Rattle and Roll was one of my favourite releases of 2018. I still find myself coming back to it periodically, like an old friend that’s comforting, familiar, and so good to spend time with. Now Matt Joe Gow is reminding us just how good one of its tracks, “Light My Way” is with an acoustic reimagining.

If you’ve read my blog for any period of time, you’ll know just how up my alley this is. When you strip a song back you get to appreciate its essence, its lyrics, its simple melody without the big production. Recorded in Matt’s new studio “The Woolshed,” this single does down easy.

Matt Joe Gow is ringing in the new year with a string of headlining slots and festival appearances. Catch him at the following venues in the coming months.

6 December 2019 – Music On The Hill @ Red Hill Pavilion, Red Hill (with The Dusty Millers)
7 December 2019 – Bayview Country Art Club, Bittern (with Andrew Swift)
21 December 2019 – Buster Greens, Dunedin
3 January 2020 – Western Weekender @ Spotted Mallard, Melbourne
4 January 2020 – Bayview Country Picnic Festival @ Bayview Country Art Club, Bittern
14-16 February 2020 – Riverboats Festival, Echuca

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

A Hitch to the Sticks Back With Big Local Line-Up

A Hitch to the Sticks is back and better than ever this year with an eclectic, electric line-up heading to Wangaratta this November. Tex Perkins & His Fat Rubber Band, Magic Dirt, Stonefield, Ella Hooper, Dallas Crane, Bachelor Girl, Cookin’ on 3 Burners, Davidson Brothers, Emilee South, and plenty more will all make this one music event you won’t forget. Dr. Karl from Neighbours will even be there! I’m not even kidding!

A Hitch to the Sticks is no ordinary music festival. Just 50 punters will make the once-in-a-lifetime trip from the Melbourne CBD to the Wangaratta region. Bus ticket holders enjoy access to nine events running from November 1 to 3, including six exclusively for VIPs. As one lucky punter put it last year, it was “not so much a ticket, but a portal to the best weekend of my life.”

If you can’t get a space on the bus, you’re still welcome to check out the public events. Attend all three for less when you snare a weekend pass. Head to the A Hitch to the Sticks website for all the deets!

Image used with permission from Deathproof PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Don’t Wait: Get Your Scene & Heard Tickets Now!

Have you got your tickets for Scene & Heard yet? If not, what are you waiting for? This year’s event is bigger and better than ever, with shows in Cairns and Brisbane complementing the original Newcastle gig.

The line-up is also the stuff early noughties dreams are made of, with The Dandy Warhols, Wolfmother, Alex Lloyd, and Sneaky Sound System all on the bill. There are also a few acts exclusive to each venue, including British India in Brisvegas and Eskimo Joe in Newie. Brisbane and Newcastle also get the Don’t Come Monday Stage, a party zone headlined by the Potbelleez DJs.

Scene & Heard aims to create more than a festival. It’s all about making memories and connecting to the music and one another, rather than worrying about capturing images for your social media profiles. If you’re into that vibe, make sure to snap up your tickets soon!

27 October 2019 – Barlow Park, Cairns
2 November 2019 – Eatons Hill Outdoors, Brisbane
10 November 2019 – Wickham Park, Newcastle

Image used with permission from GYRO Pr; photo credit: J Munns

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Sahara Beck and Asha Jefferies Headline Brisbane’s Bloom Festival

When I cast my mind back to my teenage years, my biggest frustration was missing gigs. I didn’t want to go to pubs and clubs to drink; I just wanted to experience the music. Under 18s gigs are still in relatively short supply, so I wanted to put Bloom Festival on your radars. The event is for kids and organised by kids from Fortitude Valley’s Music Industry College, with the support of industry professionals and the Brisbane City Council.

Sahara Beck and Asha Jefferies will headline this year’s multi-day, multi-venue event. These talented women and other local acts will play venues like The Triffid, MIC, Phase 4, Winn Lane, Bakery Lane, California Lane, and the 4ZZZ car park.

“I can’t wait to play Bloom in support of the school that helped me find the courage to do what I do today,” said Sahara Beck. “The fact that it will be all ages is so great; it’s important that young people get to attend shows that will inspire them. I know I am lucky to have seen all ages shows when I was a kid, if not maybe I wouldn’t even thought about becoming a musician.”

If you know young music fans in Queensland, make sure you tell them about Bloom Festival. It hits Fortitude Valley from July 26 to 28. It’s all free, ensuring kids all across Brisbane and surrounding areas can soak up as much of this great live music as they can.

Image used with permission from Starving Kids