Groove Armada Prepare to Board the Bacardi Express

As one half of Groove Armada, Andy Cato is preparing to head around Australia headlining the Bacardi Express 2009 tour. The train trip continues the band’s long running association with the brand. They’ve played Bacardi shows in Miami, Greece, Mexico, and Brazil already, on a whirlwind world tour which has had plenty of highlights.

“Greece was a big one. It was the first time we synced our DJ set to the lights, visuals and lazers. The gig was in a velodrome where the UK had won some of its very rare sporting gold medals. We added another win to the list that night. And Mexico crowds are always top class. That was another first too – the only gig we’ve done in a blow up arena,” he said.

Groove Armada are no strangers to Australia, playing here “a dozen times at least.”
“We’ve been to Australia a dozen times at least. We’ve had amazing gigs there over the last ten years. Centennial Park was special, as was the first time we played the Hordern. New Years Eve on Bondi Beach was everything you’d expect. We’ve played killer festivals outside Melbourne and Perth, and had a top ten night in the (now demolished) venue where the Beatles played on the Gold Coast. We’ve seen more nights to remember in Australian bars, clubs and house parties than you could hope to manage in a lifetime.”

This time around the band hope to visit the Match Bar and Grill in Melbourne.   ”A friend of ours has set it up to combine top food and drink with an enormous sound system out the back. Sounds like a one stop shop,” he enthused.

The Bacardi Express will depart Melbourne on March 26. It’ll make stops at Wagga Wagga and Wollongong before arriving in Sydney on March 28.

Image used with permission from Peer Group Media. Image credit: Derek Santini

Target Rocks Melbourne Fashion Week

Department store Target will bring together fantastic Australian music, delicious food, and of course cool clothes at the Target Rocks Red Market. The 22 March event is part of Melbourne’s Fashion Festival celebrations.

It’s free to attend the markets, which will feature appearances from special guests and the crew from Nova100, the Battle of the Decks competition, Dolly Styling Sessions, Get Down and Dance classes, pop-up Target stores showcasing all the latest runway looks.

If you want a closer look at those fashions, make sure you get to one of the runway shows. At just $20 each, the Target shows are amongst the cheapest this fashion week. Tina Arena is the fitting headliner of the 100% Fabulous show, while DJ John Course will pump out beats for the 100% Electric show.

It all sounds like so much fun! Check it out at the Western Tip and Peninsula Central Pier, 161 Harbour Esplanade, Docklands from 11 am to 4 pm on March 22.

Image used with permission from Style Counsel

Kate Miller-Heidke’s Caught in the Crowd

Kate Miller-Heidke is showing her sensitive side with her latest single “Caught in the Crowd.” This moving song about bullying is a world away from her most recent anti-dance hit “Can’t Shake It.”

The tune is currently featured in a nation-wide anti-bullying campaign in conjunction with MySpace, the Department of Education, The Daily Telegraph and Kids Helpline. In conjunction with the awareness campaign, students have the chance to win some awesome prizes including a Kate Miller-Heidke concert at their school and a Sony professional video hardware pack. To enter students should make a video for “Caught in the Crowd” and upload it to www.myspace.com/caughtinthecrowd.

But the MySpace profile is about more than this competition. It’s also a forum for people of any age to share their stories about bullying.With one in six Australian students bullied every week, it sounds like a great cause.

Kate will play shows in support of the single in April and May. You can catch the “Caught in the Crowd” tour at the following venues.

30 April 2009 – Prince of Wales Bandroom, Melbourne
1 May 2009 – Hi Fi Bar, Melbourne
2 May 2009 – Hi Fi Bar, Brisbane
7 May 2009 – The Metro, Sydney
8 May 2009 – The Governor Hindmarsh, Adelaide

Solo Dan Auerbach Heads to Australia

Dan Auerbach made a big impression as the lead singer and guitarist for The Black Keys. Now he’s continuing to impress with his first solo effort, Keep It Hid.

Dan will showcase tracks from this amazing release, plus plenty of Black Keys hits, at his very first Australian shows in April. He’s out here to play the East Coast Blues and Roots Festival in Byron and the Boogie Festival in Melbourne, but there are also plenty of chances to see him up close and personal at some intimate side shows.

Here are all the dates!

3 April 2009 – Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay
4 April 2009 – The Zoo, Brisbane
6 April 2009 – The Basement, Sydney
7 April 2009 – The Annandale Hotel, Sydney
9 April 2009 – The Corner Hotel, Melbourne
10 April 2009 – East Coast Blues and Roots Festival, Byron Bay
11 April 2009 – Boogie Festival, Melbourne

Image source: PR Photos

Lily Allen Announces Aussie Tour

Australia loves Lily Allen. Local music fans sent her sophomore album It’s Not Me, It’s You straight to the top of the charts, and now the loudmouthed Brit is heading Down Under to say thanks.

But if you don’t live on the east coast, or you’re under the age of 18, you’re going to miss out. Lily’s announced just three gigs, and a MySpace Secret Show.

Given the small venues and Lily’s massive popularity, I’d get in quick when tickets go on sale March 2 if I were you. Consider yourself warned!

8 June 2009 – Tivoli, Brisbane
9 June 2009 – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
10 June 2009 – The Forum, Melbourne

Image source: PR Photos

Abby Dobson Releases "Horses"

The voice of Leonardo’s Bride Abby Dobson is preparing to release “Horses,” the latest single from her debut solo album Rise Up. The track has already earned critical acclaim, placing second in the 2008 International Songwriting Competition.

The single, which will drop on March 13, will include an exclusive bonus track “High Like Heaven” which was recorded live at Abby’s Spiegeltent show in Melbourne last November. Abby worked with acclaimed director Bart Borghesi (Eskimo Joe, You Am I, The Living End, Something For Kate) on the “Horses” video, which was shot at Melbourne Museum.

To celebrate the single’s release, Abby will embark on an Australian tour in March. Tickets are on sale now for the following shows.

13 March 2009 – Garden of Unearthly Delights, Spiegeltent, Fringe Festival, Adelaide
18 March 2009 – The Gearin Hotel, Katoomba
19 March 2009 – The Basement, Sydney
20 March 2009 – Tempus Two Winery, Hunter Valley
21 March 2009 – Manly Boat Shed
24 March 2009 – The Toff in Town, Melbourne
26 March 2009 – Ruby’s Lounge, Belgrave
27 March 2009 – The Studio, Geelong
28 March 2009 – Capers, Hawthorn
2 April 2009 – Sound Lounge, Gold Coast
4 April 2009 – Bon Amici, Toowoomba
5 April 2009 – Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay

Image used with permission from Original Matters

The Living End Play for Victorian Bushfire Victims

The Living End packed up their instruments and toured the bushfire ravaged parts of Victoria on Monday.

The Aussie three-piece entertained locals and support teams at the Yea Relief Centre before heading to Alexandra. There was no power there, so they played a stripped back set with Chris Cheney on acoustic guitar and Andy Strachan using a garbage for his drum kit.

“Throughout the day we got to meet some amazing people, all of whom have been directly affected by the fires and we would like to thank those communities for allowing us to come and play for them. It was an honour to do so,” Chris Cheney said in a statement.

“Although the aim was to entertain and provide a distraction for these people, we would like to stress that what is needed more than anything else is money. If you haven’t already donated to the appeal, please do so.”

Remember every little bit counts. Online donations are still accepted through Red Cross and Wildlife Victoria.

Image source: Michael Spencer @ Flickr

Madness and The Human League Join V-Festival

The V-Festival just got a whole lot more interesting for old fogies like myself. Ska legends Madness and 80s electro-pop outfit The Human League have just joined the bill!

But it’s not all retro. Youngsters will be satisfied with the recent addition of Razorlight, The Kills, and ex-Rilo Kiley frontwoman Jenny Lewis.

There are more local acts too, with Children Collide, Howling Bells, Jackson Jackson, and Wolf and Cub all late additions to the bill.

They join the already spectacular line-up which includes international headliners The Killers, Kaiser Chiefs, Duffy, and Snow Patrol.

Here are the dates!

28 March 2009 – Centennial Park, Sydney
29 March 2009 – Avica Resort, Gold Coast
4 April 2009 – Showgrounds, Melbourne
5 April 2009 – Claremont Showgrounds, Perth

Image source: Newscom

Sparkadia Dreams of European Success

Sparkadia hopes to crack the tough European market with a move to Germany later this year. The Sydney four-piece will base themselves in Berlin, where they plan to record a new album and tour Europe.

You can say goodbye (or should that be auf Wiedersehen?) to the band at their farewell shows in March and April. Brisbane’s John Steel Singers and Sydney’s The Jezabels will join them on the road.

Here are the dates!

8 March 2009 – Rock It Festival, Joondalup
12 and 13 March 2009 – The Zoo, Brisbane
21 March 2009 – Corner Hotel, Melbourne
4 April 2009 – The Factory, Sydney

Image source: KingDaveRa @ Flickr

Jason Mraz Back for Blues Festivals and Sideshows

Jason Mraz’s love affair with Australia continues. The laid-back American troubadour will embark on his sixth local tour next April.

This is bound to be the biggest tour yet thanks to the popularity of this smash hit single “I’m Yours” and the album it came from, We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.

So it’s fitting that Jason will tour with a seven-piece band and two big support acts. In a stroke of synchronicity, Jason will take fellow Californian Eric Hutchinson on the road with him. Eric’s song “Rock & Roll” appeared in recent advertisements for Channel Seven’s series Packed to The Rafters, replacing the drama’s original tune “I’m Yours.” Australia’s own Lisa Mitchell will round out the stellar bill for these shows.

The tour’s highlights will include performances at the Bluesfest Byron Bay and the West Coast Blues & Roots Festival. He’ll also co-headline Adelaide’s Music in the Park concert with Missy Higgins.

If you still haven’t grabbed a copy of the album, you might want to hold off. We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. will be released as a 2CD/DVD expanded edition on March 6. It includes the album, three previously unreleased EPs, a 20-page booklet with lyrics and additional artworks, and a full band live DVD. It’s enough to tempt me to fork out for another copy!

Every show sold out on Jason’s last tour, and I expect this one’s going to go the same way. Tickets go on sale on Thursday 19 February, so get in quick! Here are all the dates!

13 April 2009 – Byron Bay Bluesfest, Belongil Fields
14 April 2009 – Convention & Exhibition Centre, Brisbane
15 April 2009 – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
17 April 2009 – Bonython Park, Adelaide (Missy Higgins to perform instead of Lisa Mitchell)
18 April 2009 – West Coast Blues and Roots Festival, Fremantle
20 April 2009 – Palais Theatre, Melbourne

Image source: Bauer-Griffin