Summer festival season is in full swing. I can never resist catching at least one, although I always approach them with a certain degree of trepidation. You just never know whether the date you’ve booked will be a scorcher. That’s why a festival like By the Meadow 6 makes so much sense. The three-day, two-night music extravaganza hits Bambra from March 29 to 31, once the weather cools a bit!
The event won’t skimp on musical talent though. The Murlocs, Lucy Dacus, Clea, Merpire, and a host of other quality acts have just joined the bill, which already featured The Goon Sax, Collarbones, and Thando. The event is also BYO, so you don’t need to worry about missing bands because you’re stuck in a drinks queue. If your stash gets low, you can also purchase craft beers from Salt Brewing and local Otway Hinterlands wines on site. The pop-up food stalls will also showcase the area’s premium produce. This is a summer festival done right.
General release tickets and camping and glamping packages are on sale now from the By the Meadow 6 website.
I wrote about Evol Walks way back in 2016, excited about their classic rock sound. But then the Gold Coast band kind of fell off my radar. They’re well and truly back on it with the release of their new EP Our Time is Now.
The EP showcases a much harder rock sound than their earlier material, one that’s much fresher. While I loved an early single “Without Me,” it was a bit of a throwback to the power ballad era. The band, now based in Los Angeles, has found their own sound here, and it rocks.
Evol Walks have surrounded themselves with the right people. There are tracks here co-written with Jack Pitts from Black Veil Brides, Travis Miguel and Dan Jacobs from Atreyu, and Tim Henwood from the Superjesus and Palace of the King. But Evol Walks do most of the heavy lifting. Lead singer Leah Martin-Brown is a true rock dynamite and she’s ably supported by her tight band. Take a listen to the title track “Our Time is Now” and just try to resist seeking out the rest.
Our Time is Now is out now on all your favourite digital platforms.
Some rock acts mellow and start playing acoustic shows, but not Rose Tattoo. 22 years after the release of Never Too Loud, the legendary Aussie act are preparing to hit the road on their defiantly titled “Still Never Too Loud” tour.
The tour’s title isn’t just lip service. Next month Rose Tattoo will join bands like Extreme, Skid Row, and Queensryche sailing out on Miami on the Monsters of Rock Cruise. They’ll lay down some new track in the studio in March, then hit stages on this tour. There really is no slowing down Angry Anderson and his mates!
They’ll be in good company, with rock stalwarts The Hard-Ons joining Rose Tattoo at all shows. Rest assured, these gigs will be loud! Tickets are on sale now.
29 March 2019 – Metro Theatre, Sydney
30 March 2019 – Waves, Wollongong
5 April 2019 – Shoppingtown Hotel, Doncaster
6 April 2019 – Chelsea Heights Hotel, Chelsea Heights
12 April 2019 – The Gov, Adelaide
13 April 2019 – Capitol, Perth
26 April 2019 – The Triffid, Brisbane
27 April 2019 – Coolangatta Hotel, Coolangatta
3 May 2019 – Diggers, Ettalong Beach
4 May 2019 – Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
Sunshine Coast teen Jack Gray wowed me with his single “My Hands” last year. Proving he’s no one-trick pony, his follow-up single “Drunk Talk” is every bit as impressive.
“Drunk Talk is a track I worked on late one night with my mates in the studio. We record songs in a converted caravan close to the Gold Coast and we just couldn’t help ourselves as the sessions always go late. One of us ends up drinking way too much and starts talking shit,” Jack recounted. “So, I wrote a song about it. It’s such a universal thing – waking up the next morning and wondering what complete nonsense came out of our mouths.”
“Drunk Talk” is the latest track lifted from Jack’s debut EP, which should drop in the first half of the year. He’s shared the stage with Dean Lewis, E^st, and Mahalia recently, but I’m sure headlining shows aren’t too far off.
Image used with permission from Warner Music Australia
I can’t be the only one excited that Australia now competes in Eurovision. There’s an extra buzz this year with the announcement we’ll go the route of some of the most successful countries and find our representative through a song contest. Today Ella Hooper, Tania Doko, and Alfie Arcuri were announced as the final hopefuls, joining Kate Miller-Heidke, Electric Fields, Sheppard, Aydan, Courtney Act, Mark Vincent, and Leea Nanos on the Gold Coast next month. While I would have liked to see more rock and a little less pop in the offerings, it’s a relatively diverse field considering what we usually deliver. Courtney Act is my sentimental favourite, but I can’t wait to see whether any of the other acts deliver a performance that convinces me to change my vote!
After preview shows on February 8, the big Australia Decides event screens live on SBS on February 9. It’s the perfect taster for the Eurovision extravaganza in Tel Aviv in May. Who will we send? Have your say next month!
Four years after a self-titled debut EP, Jack Runaway are back. New single “Ready to Know You” is the perfect reintroduction to this Western Australian band ahead of the release of their new EP.
It picks up right where the band left off, with Christopher Hoskin’s distinctive vocals laid over the easy grooves of bass and keyboardist Vaughan Wade and drummer Kris Savy. It’s incredibly cool, the kind of track meant to be paired with the beach and cold beers.
Jack Runaway will launch “Ready to Know You” at The Aardvark in Fremantle on February 2.
With so many music venues closing their doors around the country, it’s exciting to see one bucking the trend and welcoming music lovers. Adelaide’s Lions Arts Factory closed late last year, not because of lack of support or lock-out laws, but because the owners wanted to renovate and make it bigger and better than ever. They’ve been hard at work behind the scenes, renovating the space into one worthy of Adelaide’s enthusiastic music fans. On February 7, they’ll reopen with a massive weekend of music.
Organisers are tight-lipped about who’s on the bill for opening weekend, but I expect big things. Fans will also get to see the improved stage and sight lights and hear the difference the upgraded sound system makes. This is going to be the best place in Adelaide to see acts like the killer musicians booked for the coming months.
“We have been really moved by the response from bands and agents wanting to book shows into Lion Arts Factory, and are excited to work on a project that will have a real diversity in the genre of artists playing the venue,” explained Ross Osmon of Five Four Entertainment, one half of the bookings team. “We are focused on delivering a space that all of the gig going community and bands will feel at home in and want to come back to.”
Here’s your handy guide to everything going down at Lion Arts Factory. Get amongst it! Tickets for all shows are available through MoshTix.
7, 8, & 9 February 2019 – Opening Weekend (18+)
15 February 2019 – Eves Karydas (18+)
16 February 2019 – DZ Deathrays (18+)
22 February 2019 – West Thebarton (18+)
8 March 2019 – Dream On Dreamer & The Getaway Plan (Licensed All Ages)
13 March 2019 – Converge (18+)
15 March 2019 – Luca Brasi (18+)
16 March 2019 – Venice Queens (18+)
25 March 2019 – Gang Of Four (18+)
24 April 2019 – Montaigne (Licensed All Ages)
27 April 2019 – Heavy SA Fest (Licensed All Ages)
9 May 2019 – Ne Obliviscaris (Licensed All Ages)
17 May 2019 – Thrice (18+)
Image used with permission from Five Four Entertainment
Living on the Central Coast, seeing a great musical typically means taking the train to Sydney. We’ve got our community theatre groups, and the occasional small play from a larger company stops by, but when you want to see the big guns from Broadway the options are typically lacking. However, an unexpected partnership between Sydney Opera House and The Art House in Wyong saw the Tony Award-winning Lin musical In the Heights playing a tiny venue in my local area before it travelled to the big stage.
I must admit, I didn’t know a lot about In the Heights before I shuffled into The Art House. I knew it had taken home a swag of Tonys and Lin-Manual Miranda wrote it. Frankly, these were the only selling points I needed. There’s something nice about approaching a production without any expectations. It’s been some time since I’ve done that. I knew much about the lives of Carole King and Bobby Darin before catching Beautiful and Dream Lover. I was familiar with some of the music from Book of Mormon. I knew the characters from Wicked and the basic premise. Here I was flying blind, and it was glorious. However, since I wasn’t so familiar I had to fight a little harder to catch the lyrics in the fast-paced songs. The Art House really needed to fine-tune the sound, as sometimes the music seemed to dominate the vocals.
And that is where my criticism begins and ends. Because aside from that little niggle, this production was flawless. I was mesmerised by it, quickly taking the characters to heart and marvelling at the actors’ dance skills and vocal prowess. This is an exceptional cast, one where even the members of the chorus can floor you. I would like to make special mention of Luisa Scrofani as Nina, Stevie Lopez as Usnavi, and Alexander Palacio as Kevin though. These three performers were particularly dazzling, playing their parts so well that I can’t imagine any of the Broadway pros could top them.
I was on the edge of my seat for the entire production. The bright lights at intermission were an unwelcome interruption. I couldn’t wait to immerse myself in the Washington Heights neighbourhood again. By the time the musical reached its heartbreaking climax, I was wiping back tears. I laughed, I cried, and most importantly I felt. This production of In the Heights was truly one of the greatest things I’ve witnessed on stage. It plays Sydney Opera House on January 16 to 20. Sydneysiders, get yourself a ticket. I guarantee you won’t regret it.
We can always count on Busby Marou for folk-pop tracks that feel like instant classic. Their latest track “Sounds of Summer” is no exception. Expect to hear this gem played at barbeques for years to come.
“This is a big tune and feels like it could be our biggest yet,” said one half of the Queensland duo, Thomas Busby. “We’re always being told that we have a distinct sunshine sound, so it felt only natural as we were writing it, to let it become a summer anthem.”
The song was conceived when the band were touring across America a few months ago and recorded in a Los Angeles Airbnb before being mixed in Nashville. After those recent US and Canadian shows, Busby Marou are in fine form. Catch them at the following shows in Australia and New Zealand in the coming months.
23 January 2019 – The Longyard Hotel, Tamworth
7 March 2019 – Sooki Lounge, Belgrave
8 March 2019 – Torquay Hotel, Torquay
9 March 2019 – Memo Music Hall, St Kilda
15 March 2019 – The Triffid, Brisbane
16 March 2019 – Kingscliff Beach Hotel, Kingscliff
28 March 2019 – Heritage Hotel, Bulli
29 March 2019 – Bridge Hotel, Rozelle
30 March 2019 – Milton Theatre, Ulludulla
5 April 2019 – Galatos, Auckland
6 April 2019 – Blue Smoke, Christchurch
The more I hear from Betty Who’s forthcoming studio album Betty, the more excited about it I am. The Aussie expat is releasing some of the most polished, addictive pop music I’ve heard in some time. Her latest single “I Remember” is a case in point.
“‘I Remember’ is exactly the way I wanted to start my new year. It’s such a representation of the album and my obsession with making music that makes people feel good,” Betty explained. “The whole point of the song is about letting go of how hard life (and especially love) can be at times and remembering why you do it in the first place. Love is never going to be perfect. Sometimes it will be easy, most times it will be hard, but all the time it’s worth it because, when you’re with the right person, you are willing to work for it.”
You can hear more of Betty’s new tunes when her third studio album Betty drops on February 15.
