Organisers of Splendour in the Grass have dropped another world class line-up of music on North Byron Parklands, with some of the biggest legends in music from Australia and around the world to perform at the festival.

Kendrick Lamar spearheads the Splendour line-up this year straight off the back of winning the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, making Lamar the first non-jazz or classical artist to win the award.

The stellar international cast also includes Lorde, Vampire Weekend, Khalid, The Wombats, CHVRCHES, Miguel, Franz Ferdinand, MGMT, Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite and the legendary Henry Rollins.

International star Lorde will be at this year’s Splendour.

Australian acts make up around 70 per cent of the Splendour line-up this year, making the festival the best place to catch Australian live music, including Hilltop Hoods, Angus & Julia Stone, Gang Of Youths, DMA’S, PNAU, The Avalanches DJ set and Dune Rats.

In all, over 100 acts will perform over three days across the Amphitheatre, GW McLennan tent, Mix Up and Tiny Dancer stages.

Tickets to Splendour were snapped up within minutes when they went on sale, with a record number of fans waiting online. A ticket resale facility – the only place where legitimate tickets for Splendour in the Grass 2018 can be purchased – has opened for anyone that missed out.

Splendour’s co-producers Jessica Ducrou and Paul Pittico were thrilled to see so many people wanting to attend the festival this year.

“The love and excitement for Splendour this year has been nothing short of amazing. We’re thrilled to be bringing you another awesome edition of Splendour in the Grass!” they said.

But Splendour isn’t only about great music. Splendour in the Grass also plays host to an innovative arts and cultural program that showcases some of the best arts practitioners from Australia and around the world. The 2018 program will once again present everything from projections and paintings to large-scale street art and unexpected encounters with life-size art installations.

And for Generation X and Y music fans that now have children, Splendour in the Grass organisers are set to continue their innovative Little Splendour program. Little Splendour is located in a fully fenced and secured area in the middle of Splendour in the Grass, designed exclusively for families to relax and explore their creativity. And when it’s time to count sheep, a dedicated family friendly campground has been set aside specifically for families in a quiet pocket of the regular camping area.

Little Splendour caters for families and kids.

SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS 2018 – SOLD OUT
Friday 20 July, Saturday 21 July and Sunday 22 July
North Byron Parklands
Tweed Valley Way, Wooyung (15 mins north of Byron Bay)
splendourinthegrass.com

KENDRICK LAMAR • LORDE (ONLY AUS SHOW) • VAMPIRE WEEKEND (ONLY AUS SHOW) • KHALID (ONLY AUS SHOW) • THE WOMBATS • HILLTOP HOODS • CHVRCHES • MIGUEL • GIRL TALK (ONLY AUS SHOW) • ANGUS & JULIA STONE • GANG OF YOUTHS • FRANZ FERDINAND • MGMT • BEN HOWARD • DUNE RATS & FRIENDS • BEN HARPER & CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE • PNAU • JAMES BAY • THE AVALANCHES DJ SET • CHROMEO • DMA’S • BALL PARK MUSIC • HENRY ROLLINS (ONLY AUS SHOW) • SAFIA • THE JUNGLE GIANTS • LIL XAN • METHYL ETHEL • AMY SHARK • THE BRONX • OCEAN ALLEY • CARMADA BY L D R U & YAHTZEL • DZ DEATHRAYS • LORD HURON • MIDDLE KIDS • HOCKEY DAD • TOWKIO • CUB SPORT • TOUCH SENSITIVE • SAMPA THE GREAT • DEAN LEWIS • SKEGSS • ALBERT HAMMOND JR • MALLRAT • MARMOZETS • ALEX LAHEY • RITON & KAH-LO • JACK RIVER • SUPERORGANISM • ANNA LUNOE • LEWIS CAPALDI • ALL OUR EXES LIVE IN TEXAS • ALEX THE ASTRONAUT • YUNGBLUD • CROOKED COLOURS • NINA LAS VEGAS • SOCCER MOMMY (ONLY AUS SHOW) • ELDERBROOK • ROLLING BLACKOUTS COASTAL FEVER • TIM SWEENEY • STELLA DONNELLY • BULLY • BAKER BOY • WAFIA • NO MONO • WAAX • ANGIE MCMAHON • WEST THEBARTON • EVES KARYDAS • G FLIP • THE BABE RAINBOW • HAIKU HANDS • DIDIRRI • ALICE IVY • AMYL & THE SNIFFERS • ZIGGY RAMO • FANTASTIC MAN • LO’99 • HUMAN MOVEMENT • MANU CROOK$ • KASBO • MADAM X • ANDRAS ALTA • ARA KOUFAX • TWO PEOPLE • B WISE • MADE IN PARIS • JENSEN INTERCEPTOR • WOODES • TEISCHA • ANTONY & CLEOPATRA • MUTO • ELK ROAD • TRIPLE J UNEARTHED WINNERS
PLUS MIKE GURRIERI • LOVE DELUXE • LAUREN HANSOM • POOLCLVB • GODLANDS • NYXEN • EMMA STEVENSON • EBONY BOADU

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If you’ve been in the Byron Shire a while you’ll know that once upon a time most weekends involved gathering some friends and heading to one of the many gorgeous country halls that dot our coast line and hinterland. From major touring artists to small collectives of local original musicians, experiencing music up close and personal was the norm, usually with a chai in hand and some yummy food in our bellies.

But these days our scenic halls that were once the perfect location for live music have been appropriated by the higher paying clients, such as weddings, so that even those halls willing to host music are now priced out of the park for community events.

These days most of us are left to experience live music at crowded festivals, in passing as we loiter by a busker on street corners, or as the stripped back soundtrack to our café trip, or over the hum of drinkers in covers-dominated sets in local bars. The spaces to really savour the magic of live, original music and intimate community gatherings are now few and far between. Enter ‘The Song Lounge’, a fully curated, intimate music event for communities to come together to share music, share spaces, share food and share experiences.

Its first sparkling event launched in lovely South Golden Beach in April. The newly renovated SGB Community Hall was transformed into an oasis of tasty original music, delicious food and fabulous friends. Micka Scene, Phil and Tilley and Christina Giorgio & The Wishing Well brought to the table musicianship, storytelling and a reverence that had audiences captivated for hours. Even as the organiser I was blown away by seeing these artists in this setting and I booked them in! It had the feeling that we were experiencing a magical moment in time which we’d be telling our friends about in the future.

Luke Bennett at Mullum Drill Hall on June 16.

Song Lounge events are a total night out with doors opening at 6.30pm and Kristina’s Tasty Kitchen’s serving up $10 bowls – locally sourced, nourishing, kind to the planet and super tasty. Local Chai masters Hari Har Chai will also be brewing up spicy delight and baking sweet treats. In between acts set up on one of the shared tables, meet somebody new and get the conversations flowing. Grab a rug and cosy up with a cushion, chai and a loved one. These events are a chance to come together and escape the everyday in a space fuelled by community, connection, excellent music and a little bit of magic.

The next Song Lounge event is at the Mullum Drill Hall on Saturday June 16, featuring Loren and Luke Bennett. John Butler says of Loren:  “Loren writes the kind of music that when you listen to it you somehow feel like you’re getting a massage. A sweet, gentle voice accompanied by relaxed melodically plucked guitar written by a man with a heart of gold. I’ve watched him play a few times and am always inspired by how effortless the music is.”

Loren is widely known in the folk and acoustic roots circles for his emotive storytelling in song and passionate performances. His six album releases have found their way into many homes and his latest collection of songs shows a natural evolution in his ripening as a songwriter. The past few years have seen Loren take a step back from the festival/touring circuit, to stoke the fires of his passion for making music. Nestled in the mountains of the northern New South Wales a new direction has emerged in Loren’s music – more meditative and medicinal in flavour.

Launceston-born Luke Bennett grew up falling asleep to the sounds of Fleetwood Mac, Tracy Chapman and Dire Straits. At 14 he started to learn the guitar, and after finishing college he adopted a nomadic lifestyle. Songwriting turned out to be a natural expression for him. Luke’s songs talk about the richness of and adventure of life as well as its questions and internal desires. With the catchy pop sensibilities of John Mayer and Sting fused with the stripped back earthiness of Xavier Rudd and Jack Johnson, Luke Bennett’s warm vocals and intricate guitar sound are food for the soul.

The Song Lounge, Mullumbimby Drill Hall
Saturday June 16^th, 6pm
Featuring Loren and Luke Bennett
https://www.facebook.com/events/859236784263875/
https://www.ticketbase.com/events/the-song-lounge-mullum

SOUNDCLOUD  www.soundcloud.com/lorenmusic
FACEBOOKwww.facebook.com/lorenmusic
YOUTUBEwww.youtube.com/lorenmusicchannel

FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/lbennettmusic/
INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/lbennettmusic

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There’s something about the long walk from the carpark to the Splendour site, that promises magic even before you get there.  It’s as if the crowd is being welcomed into another land, as the flat gives way to the rolling hills and the cradle of this beautiful valley.  Every year the Splendour call goes out to the increasing thousands of people who fly in from all over the world for one of Australia’s best-loved music festival, and like homing pigeons, many of us return for, not just the music, but the incredible atmosphere, landscape and art-works that make up Splendour in the Grass.

This year, back in my own region for the first time after a few years away, I came as a local rather than as a visitor, and it was lovely to feel so strongly connected to the Splendour community.  I’ve been covering the Festival for nine years now and of course this year, for the first time ever, Splendour came up against the intrusion of the outside world in the form of the possible threat of terrorism.  But the organisers dealt with it calmly and sensibly so that the presence of the extra 150 police, the wands on entry and the limitation on bag size, really hardly impinged on the flow of visitors – and if anything added an extra layer of comfort to the event.  Apart from the somewhat startling amount of young women who seemed to have given up clothes for gaffer tape and glitter, and the always-eclectic crowd mingled and moved happily between the stages.  However, the trend for baring all did cause various hash tags on social media to ‘encourage’ the use of clothing, such as #bringbackthepants.

But apart from the shortage of female clothing it was music business usual as usual – and wow – the stages were on fire this year.  Things got off to an amazing start.

Splendour co-producers Jessica Ducrou and Paul Piticco said, “Splendour 2017 is up there with our best events ever.”

“Thanks so much to our incredible Splendour community, for looking out for each other and embracing all the crazy shit we dream up. It’s you guys that make this event so special. Safe travels and we’ll see you all again next year (hopefully with pants on)!” they added.

Tash Sultana. Photo: Heidi Flumm.

FRIDAY

Day One acts that stole the show included Tash Sultana, Peking Duk and The xx.

Melbourne phenomenon, Tash Sultana, proved to be the ultimate multitasker dazzling the crowd with her one-woman band show. Her loop-pedal driven music which incorporates original jazz sounds with rock inspired guitar captivated a spell-bound audience.

Enter festival favourites, Peking Duk, who had joined the Splendour line up at the last minute after George Ezra cancelled. The Canberra dance duo stepped out from behind the decks for the first time, delivering a supercharged set peppered with multiple guest appearances by fellow artists that included Vera Blue and Dan Sultan.

Friday headliners, The xx, were probably one of the most anticipated acts of this year’s line-up. The brooding Brit trio didn’t disappoint. They delivered a hypnotic set laced with new and old classics, including favourites, Intro and Crystalised. The groups unique synthesised soundscape was the perfect close to a mind-blowing Day One.

Queens of the Stone Age – absent for a few years, but the wait was well worth it.  Photo: Heidi Flumm.

SATURDAY

The stellar Day Two line-up delivered lovers of rock into music heaven, starting with Bernard Fanning, who had crowds running to the Amphitheatre from all directions when he announced a surprise Powderfinger reunion. The group kicked off with the timeless, (Baby I’ve Got You) On My Mind followed by the megahit, These Days, before Fanning wrapped the set with Wish You Well.

Enter the night and a double serve of heavy. English drum and bass guitar duo Royal Blood hit the stage and whipped the crowd into a literal whirlpool. The sweat covered crowd slammed into each other through a thumping set of hits. The pair closed with a massive version of Out of The Black, which saw drummer Ben Thatcher jump off the Amphitheatre stage before heading back to smash-up his drum kit.

Queens of the Stone Age was an anticipated headliner for Splendour after having been absent from the festival line-up for several years. The wait was worth it. The group delivered a greatest hit set including the classics, If I Had a Tail, No One Knows and Little Sister. Singer Josh Homme also gave the Amphitheatre crowd a taste of his famous acidic tongue, as one heckler copped a brutal serve.

Retro dance master Client Liason. Photo: Heidi Flumm.

SUNDAY

Day Three, and enter retro dance masters, Client Liaison. The Melbourne duo delivered a stunned Amphitheatre audience into pop heaven when they invited Australian music icon, Tina Arena, to the stage. Arena joined the Triple J favourites to perform their collaboration A Foreign Affair, along with her own nineties mega hit Sorrento Moon and a glorious version of Womack & Womack’s Teardrops.

Fans assumed LCD Soundsystems’ performance at Splendour 2010 would be their last Australian gig after they had announced their breakup. Fortunately, the break-up didn’t stick. Bathed in blue and red lights and under a giant hovering disco ball, singer James Murphy led the group through a killer set, featuring hits like Dance Yrself Clean, New York I Love You but You’re Bringing Me Down and Daft Punk Is Playing at My House. LCD Soundsystem closed Splendour 2017 with the Amphitheatre singing along to the all-time classic, All My Friends.

https://heidiflumm.com/

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The prospect of mingling with packs of counter-terrorism police didn’t stop 32,000 music fans descending on North Byron Parklands yesterday for Splendour in the Grass Arts & Music Festival.

For the first time, terrorism threats at music events around the world prompted Australia’s biggest music festival to beef up security. Entry to the sold-out event is now reminiscent of boarding an aeroplane.

The introduction of new bag restrictions bans backpacks. Other measures now include regular bag and vehicle searches and the threat of being subject to ‘wanding’ by a metal detector. Counter-terrorism police are reported to have joined more than 150 officers patrolling the site.

In spite of the increased security presence, the measures appeared to fail dozens of women who seemed to have had major sections of their wardrobe stolen. Droves of scantily dressed female festival attendees scampered about topless, with only gaffe tape carefully placed over their nipples in crosses to ensure their modesty.

Nonetheless, the mass loss of key clothing items and post September 11 security measures failed to dampen the festival spirit of the sundrenched North Byron Parklands.

Organisers have dropped possibly the best line-up since 2010, featuring a blockbuster cast of rock royalty, electro pioneers and hip hop innovators. Day one acts that stole the show included Tash Sultana and Peking Duk.

Tash Sultana wowed the crowd at Splendour.

Melbourne phenomenon, Tash Sultana, proved to be the ultimate multitasker dazzling the crowd with her one-woman band show. Festival Favourites, Peking Duk, had joined the Splendour line up at the last minute after George Ezra cancelled. The Sydney duo delivered a supercharged set that was peppered with multiple guest appearances by fellow artists that included Vera Blue and Dan Sultan.

Tonight’s stellar line-up will see lovers of rock blasted into music heaven at the amphitheatre stage with a double serve of heavy. The thumping Brit duo Royal Blood will perform, followed by one of the best live bands in the world, Queens of the Stone Age.

SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS 2017

Friday 21 July, Saturday 22 July and Sunday 23 July

North Byron Parklands

splendourinthegrass.com

SOLD OUT

THE XX • QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE • LCD SOUNDSYSTEM • ROYAL BLOOD • HAIM • SIGUR RÓS • SCHOOLBOY Q (ONLY AUS SHOW) • VANCE JOY • TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB • PEKING DUK • RL GRIME • BONOBO • FATHER JOHN MISTY • CATFISH AND THE BOTTLEMEN • TASH SULTANA • PAUL KELLY • STORMZY • KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD • PEKING DUK • FUTURE ISLANDS (ONLY AUS SHOW) • BANKS • BERNARD FANNING • DUNE RATS • CUT COPY • ÁSGIER • ALLDAY • MEG MAC • RAG‘N’BONE MAN • THUNDAMENTALS • LIL YACHTY • SAN CISCO • CLIENT LIAISON • REAL ESTATE • DAN SULTAN • VALLIS ALPS • D.D DUMBO • MAGGIE ROGERS • TOVE LO • POND • BIG SCARY • THE SMITH STREET BAND • OH WONDER • A.B. ORIGINAL • DOPE LEMON • THE KITE STRING TANGLE • YOUNG FRANCO • JULIA JACKLIN • KINGSWOOD • AMY SHARK • LUCA BRASI • THE LEMON TWIGS • VERA BLUE • SLUMBERJACK • BAD//DREEMS • BAG RAIDERS • TOPAZ JONES • MIDDLE KIDS • OCEAN GROVE • CONFIDENCE MAN • BISHOP BRIGGS • LATE NITE TUFF GUY • JULIEN BAKER • KILTER • LANY • HOCKEY DAD • KIRIN J CALLINAN • AIRLING • COSMO’S MIDNIGHT • GRETTA RAY • MOONBASE • THE PEEP TEMPEL • TORNADO WALLACE • THE MURLOCS • MALLRAT • LUKE MILLION • THE WILSON PICKERS • ROMARE • JARROW • GOOD BOY • KUREN • ONEMAN • WINSTON SURFSHIRT • SET MO • HWLS • HARVEY SUTHERLAND & BERMUDA • CC:DISCO! • ENSCHWAY • DJHMC • NITE FLEIT • ALICE IVY • WILLOW BEATS • WILLARIS. K • MOOKHI • TRIPLE J UNEARTHED: WINNERS PLUS… SWINDAIL • DENA AMY • ANDY GARVEY • PLANÈTE • SAM WESTON • SUPER CRUEL • CHRISTOPHER PORT • LEWIS CANCUT • KINDER

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Matthew, described as ‘”a guitarist of superb technical accomplishment and a musician of perception and style” will perform the complete guitar concerto of Joaquin Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez”. This orchestral masterpiece blends Spanish classical guitar with a full symphony orchestra – a rare feat in music and it has arguably made this work one of the most famous 20th century orchestral compositions.

Matthew Marshall

The music line up also includes Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra, 4th mvt, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No 5, 2^nd mvt and the Sibelius Symphony No 5, 3rd mvt and excerpts from the fabulous film “Babe” by Australian composer, Nigel Westlake.  acheterdufrance.com Sonya Lopes will conduct again in this concert series.

The Whitebrook Theatre at Southern Cross University is the location for these upcoming performances on May 27, 7.30pm and May 28, 2pm.

Book your tickets online at www.trybooking.com/PLBK

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The mercury soared as fans wilted under scorching blue skies across the three-day music and arts program. Punters attempted to keep the oppressive heat at bay with regular visits to the on-site Palm Springs Water Park, which was packed to capacity across the weekend. Nonetheless, the sold-out event saw 22, 500 patrons attending over the three days of the festival.

Festival Director, Brandon Saul, said organisers worked hard to help fans deal with the harsh conditions.  “With the hot weather, many of our patrons took advantage of the regular shuttle buses to close by beaches to cool off during the day,” Saul said. “For those who chose to stay on site throughout the day we put a lot of effort into keeping people cool and hydrated – the magnificent twelve pool water park was once again a huge hit… We had free water refill stations, roving volunteers with back pack water sprayers and we handed out water and sunblock at the main stage,” he added.

Day 1 – New Year’s Eve

Punters huddled under a lonely tree in zero breeze conditions to catch early Valley Stage acts that included Northeast Party House and Mallrat. One fan defiantly made his way out to the front of the stage but was soon beaten back by the heat.

Enter retro dance masters, Client Liaison. By now a cloud had mercifully drifted over North Byron Parklands, shielding the amphitheatre for part of their set. The group opened with Canberra Won’t Be Calling Tonight followed by an assortment of classics, including Pretty Lovers and Feed The Rhythm, with even an old Savage Garden cover thrown in.

Headliner Childish Gambino. Photo: Charlie Hardy.

The sun mercifully went down in time for the legendary Grandmaster Flash to take over the Valley Stage. His set opened with a video that outlined how he had honed his art after discovering turntables in the seventies. Highlights included a salute to the late George Michael with Faith, as well as The Jacksons’ Blame It On The Boogie. Fans were sent straight to hip hop heaven when the Grandmaster closed his set with The Message.

Headliner Childish Gambino AKA Donald Glover hit the Valley Stage after the annual 10-second countdown to midnight and didn’t disappoint the now fading audience. Gambino held the amphitheatre in his hands as he soared through favourites from Camp and Because The Internet, as well as standouts from new album Awaken, My Love! – a perfect start to start the New Year.

Day 2

The sun continued its scorched earth policy into Sunday as patrons foraged for opportunities to stay cool. There were winding queues to enter the Palm Springs Water Park and for the buses promising delivery to Byron Bay.

As one of Australia’s most respected acts and unparalleled masters of atmosphere, The Jezebels were a welcome return to the festival circuit. Frontwoman, Heather Shannon, had been receiving treatment for ovarian cancer, which had kept the group out of the spotlight. Fans enjoyed a mix of new and old classics from the Sydney group. Tracks like Pleasure Drive from their new album Synthia were well received, as were the eternal hits like Endless Summer and The Look Of Love.

Part of the Australian contingent – The Jezabels.

Enter low-fi psych rock Perth exports, Pond. Nick Allbrook and company had stepped-up to fill the headlining spot left by Grouplove’s exit from the line-up due to medical reasons. And it was a good thing they did. Pond were easily the stand-out performance of the festival. Allbright is a magnetic performer with ‘moves’ that suggest he could be the love child of James Brown. The small crowd that had the sense to gather at the Valley Stage were rewarded with an auditory freak-out featuring classics like Don’t Look At The Sun Or You’ll Go Blind and Waiting Around For Grace.

Conversely, the amphitheatre was later packed to capacity for Violent Soho, widely recognised as one of Australia’s best live bands. Fans had flooded front of stage to catch the festival legends race through a volley of hits that included Love Is A Heavy Word, Viceroy and Like Soda. The all-time festival favourite, Covered In Chrome, elicited singing from the audience that could probably be heard back in their hometown, Brisbane.

Next-up – The Avalanches, perhaps one of the most anticipated acts of the festival. The headliners were subject to mixed reviews for their Splendour in the Grass slot back in July. But this was to be a triumphant return for the Australian mega stars. What followed was a barrage of electro-pop brilliance that included tracks like last year’s comeback hit Frankie Sinatra, Subway and the eternal classic Frontier Psychiatrist, an appropriate end to a mind-blowing set.

Day 3

By Monday, most punters were sporting various shades of sunburn and exhaustion, though relief soon set in with the arrival of a light breeze accompanied with dappled cloud cover.

Sydney trio, DMA’s, packed the Forest Stage early. It was during their set that dark clouds assembled on the horizon which would soon deliver a violent downpour that no umbrella or poncho could defend. But any thought of the approaching storm faded away as the trio ripped through hits like Too Soon and Timeless.

Australia’s unofficial poet laureate Bernard Fanning.

As if on cue, gentle rain began to fall as Australia’s unofficial poet laureate, Bernard Fanning, took over the amphitheatre. Fanning and band produced a set mixed with his solo work and firm Powderfinger favourites. Tracks like Which Way Home and Wish You Well delivered fans into festival heaven while a giant version of These Days melted into a tribute to Prince, with a gorgeous cover of Purple Rain.

And rain it did. Sideways in fact. There were rumours the violent torrent would put an end to proceedings, with the deluge hitting the Valley Stage from all sides. But the show went on, with London Grammar vocalist, Hannah Reid, giving punters a reason for hanging around in the trench warfare conditions. Reid gave a spell-binding performance, spinning a roll-call of the UK trio’s classics like Nightcall and Flickers, as well as a taste of the new release, Rooting For You.

Happily, the Byron event was virtually incident-free, apart from the ‘rite of passage’ traffic jam on leaving that saw some campers not hitting the road until 11.30am. Festival Director, Brandon Saul, noted that both staff and fans contributed to the success of the Byron leg of Falls.

“A huge amount of effort went into creating this festival and we would like to thank all the staff, service personnel and the army of over five hundred volunteers,” said Saul. “The festival patrons themselves should also be congratulated – everyone commented on how friendly, polite and cooperative the patrons were and that it made this year’s Falls Music and Arts Festival Byron a great experience,” he added.

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London Grammar and Childish Gambino lead a stellar line-up of international acts that will include the legendary Grandmaster Flash, Broods, Catfish And The Bottlemen, Jamie T, Aluna George, MØ, Modern Baseball and Shura.

On the Australian music front, festival favourites Violent Soho lead an all-star contingent that includes The Avalanches, Matt Corby, Alison Wonderland, The Rubens, RY X, Ball Park Music, The Jezabels, Tkay Maidza, Illy and the DMA’s.

And in news just in, low-fi psych rock Perth exports, Pond, have stepped-up to fill the headlining spot left by Grouplove’s exit from the line-up due to medical reasons. Falls Music & Arts Festival Byron Director, Brandon Saul, has named his not-to-miss picks from the 2017 line-up.

Hip Hop legend Grandmaster Flash

“I’m looking forward to seeing Childish Gambino because he is a true innovator,” says Saul. “London Grammar – because one of their first big festival gigs was at Falls Byron, they were so blown away by the crowd that had come to see them they asked for the cialis generique crowd to be lit up so they could take photos of them from the stage; Bernard Fanning -because he is the real deal and of course hip hop legend Grandmaster Flash – catch up on ‘The Get Down’ on Netflix to get a feeling for how influential he is,” he adds.

But Falls isn’t just about great music – the Falls Festival 2016 Arts program is back again and bursting with interactive installations, creative spaces, visual arts, and trippy performances.

Soak up freestyling rhymes, circus performances, hip-hop dance workshops, puppetry, burlesque, samba soul sessions, Russian choirs, 80’s flash mob troupes, folk and bluegrass bands and cabaret.

Now in its third year, the Falls lifestyle precinct will offer craft workshops, yoga and dance workshops, live music, funky markets and the infamous late night silent disco sessions.

Festival Byron Director, Brandon Saul, is also a big fan of The Grove.

“I really love spending time in The Grove, it’s where all the weird and wonderful stuff happens at Falls, it’s a mini festival within a festival and also provides a showcase for the extraordinary local talent we have in this region,” he says. “Merryn Jeann, Angie Hudson, Teddy Lewis King, Parcels – the list goes on – The Grove really is the place to be.”

And don’t forget the first night of every Falls Festival has a fancy-dress theme and this year is no different. The theme this year is ALL GOLD EVERYTHING.

North Byron Parklands 18+ event

Byron Bay NSW: 31 Dec, 01 Jan, 02 Jan (est. 2013) 18+ event *sold-out

EMBED + LISTEN TO THE 2016/17 LINE-UP PLAYLIST: https://embed.spotify.com

THE FALLS MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL 2016/17 NATIONAL LINE-UP

CHILDISH GAMBINO (NO SIDESHOWS) · LONDON GRAMMAR (NO SIDESHOWS) · THE AVALANCHES

VIOLENT SOHO · MATT CORBY · ALISON WONDERLAND* · CATFISH AND THE BOTTLEMEN*

FAT FREDDY’S DROP* · TA-KU · THE RUBENS* · THE JEZABELS · BALL PARK MUSIC

POND · BERNARD FANNING* · JAMIE T · BROODS · TKAY MAIDZA*

GRANDMASTER FLASH · ILLY · MØ · HOT DUB TIME MACHINE · DMA’S · ALUNAGEORGE

BOOKA SHADE · CLIENT LIAISON · VALLIS ALPS · PARQUET COURTS · CITY CALM DOWN · L D R U*

MODERN BASEBALL · TIRED LION* · REMI* · RY X · MARLON WILLIAMS* · LEMAITRE · SHURA

PLUS PLENTY MORE ACTS TO BE ANNOUNCED AT ALL SHOWS

*NOT PLAYING FREMANTLE

 BYRON BAY NSW: 31 Dec · 01 Jan · 02 Jan

NORTHEAST PARTY HOUSE · HAELOS · HEIN COOPER · MIDDLE KIDS 

SPIT SYNDICATE · DENA AMY · MALLRAT · LASTLINGS · MATTY ROGERS + MORE

Part of the Australian contingent – The Jezabels.

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This Virgin Sacrifice is on at the Mullum ex-Services Club, Wednesday December 14.  Doors open 7.00pm, Show 8.00pm.  Tickets at the door $10/15 or online www.mandynolan.com.au or phone 6619 0529

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A near six year labour of love from local Director and Producer, Brendan Shoebridge, The Bentley Effect faithfully chronicles the campaign that led to the fateful showdown at the gates of Bentley, near Lismore.

The reception to the film has been extraordinary, receiving standing ovations at all of its screenings to date. “I was completely blown away by the audience reaction to The Bentley Effect’s World Premiere,” Brendan Shoebridge says.  “I was completely unprepared for the standing ovation and honoured and humbled by such an emotional response to the film. It’s a tremendous relief to know that it’s ticked the boxes. The first priority was to ensure it was entertaining, but I didn’t want to make a film that people would simply watch either. I wanted to offer the audience an experience, the achat cialis en ligne next best thing to being there on the blockades. It also had to inspire hope and stay true to what played out.”

The film is not just the story of a social movement however. Woven through the commentary is a much broader discussion about the current political climate and the inability of our government to see beyond short term gain and corporate profits.

“It’s a remarkable time to release this documentary which is ultimately about standing up to corporate greed and general madness,” says Shoebridge, “especially in light of the protests boiling over in Dakota, the abhorrent Adani Carmichael Mine approvals now looming over our embattled Reef and places as unique as the Kimberly region – the third most pristine coastline in the world after the Arctic and Antarctic coast – all currently under fierce attack from fossil fuel interests – and all at a time when we know we must accelerate in the opposite direction. But with our State and Federal governments threatening legislation which would prevent environmental groups from taking legal action, whilst effectively removing the right of civilians to protest, the time really has come for people to take the power back into their own hands and show our political representatives what democracy is really about. I hope taking a trip back to Bentley through the eyes of the protestors will inspire The Bentley Effect to spread fast and ripple across the globe” says Shoebridge.

The film won the Byron Film Award at the Byron Bay International Film Festival recently and is touring select cinemas throughout the Northern Rivers before a wider distribution plan is hatched to send the film national and around the world.

Brendan Shoebridge, director of The Bentley Effect.

To assist the film’s rollout, the production has partnered with Enova Energy -­‐ Australia’s first community-­‐owned renewable energy company.  The Bentley Effect and Enova are also teaming up with COREM to bring Mullumbimby a celebration to remember on Saturday the 3rd of December 2016 at the Mullum Civic Hall with a combined movie screening, fundraising dinner and entertainment until midnight.

With a stellar line up of renowned popular Bentley entertainers joining this celebration, the evening is sure to be a highlight of the Mullumbimby entertainment calendar for 2016. Commencing at 6pm with dinner being catered by the organic COREM Café, the documentary will then screen, desert will follow and the celebration of the achievements of our community at Bentley will continue on the dance floor. We wish to bring the community connection that was the Bentley Blockade to the Mullum Civic Hall and acknowledge the incredible achievement of the northern rivers in stopping Coal Seam Gas. Enova will be present to promote their sign up campaign to switch local residents to Enova Energy and local beer brewers Stone & Wood are also supporting the event.

Tickets are $25 waged, $15 unwaged/concession, kids under 12 are free and dinner will be available for $15 a plate and for those flush with cash there will be a $50 Gold Pass ticket available (including dinner).

Proceeds of the evening will go towards the production of the documentary and COREM – Community.

For more information about the film you can visit the film’s website www.thebentleyeffect.com. Confirmed screenings can be found here: https://www.thebentleyeffect.com/screenings

December 1: NIMBIN BUSH THEATRE, Thursday 7.30PM, Tickets $20
December 3: MULLUMBIMBY CIVIC THEATRE, Saturday 7PM, Tickets $25/$15 Con

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