Melissa Etheridge is making a welcome comeback to Bluesfest this year.  Byron Bay embraced the singer/songwriter on her previous visit, who some years ago survived a battle with cancer.  Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004, the singer unerwent a particularly brutal form of chemo.  “My work had always been a drug-free zone,” she’s said, “but the chemotherapy that was prescribed was called “dose dense”: a harsher, stronger chemo than the usual because I had the benefit of not having to work during the treatment. My close friends told me that, as an alternative, medical marijuana was a natural way to help with the excruciating side effects of chemo.”

Melissa Etheridge (left) and Sheryl Crow – Bluesfest solo then Australia together.

Etheridge and Crow are both set to perform their own solo spots at Bluesfest before teaming up to hit Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney in early April.  Now that will be an outstanding gig.

For more info on the 29th annual Byron Bay Bluesfest go here: https://www.bluesfest.com.au/

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The Badlands have been doing Byron a noteworthy musical service recently, with their latest live efforts. After running a successful crowd-funding campaign, the band released their new EP on August 5th. and have begun a tour that is lighting up venues across the East Coast. With their biggest show to date just played at Byron Bay’s The Northern on August 12, the band are riding on a tidal wave of live support from their fans. There’s a murmur about the intensity and raw power of the band’s sound and they are living up to their name as being one of the Northern Rivers most exciting and  new bands.

Formed in 2014 as a group of musical talents from across Australia and New Zealand, The Badlands are rapidly becoming known for being the definitive emerging rock group to watch. Made up of NZ born Pauly Adams (Vocals), Mid-North Coaster Tommy Flint (Guitar), Melbourne’s Massimo Tolli (Drums) and The Sunshine Coast’s Alexx McConnell (Bass) the band have become increasingly tight as musical unit and group of friends.

Their recent gigs have seen fans hungry for the new tracks, which are now available on iTunes and Spotify, as well as physical CD online and at the gigs.  The word is spreading as The Badlands continue their upward musical journey, with dates due in Sydney and Melbourne coming up later in the year and ticketed shows indicating the rising demand for the band’s performances. As Lead singer Paul Adams says of the band’s shows:  “We are just best mates at the end of the day and we get excited. And whats more exiting than playing loud, hard music with your buddies.”

The new material was recorded through Byron Bay’s Studio 9, with the help of local producer Cameron Spike Porter, and marks a notable evolution in the bands addictive, mosh-inducing, grunge-rock sound. Local Byron artist NITSUA was commissioned to produce the artwork for their new EP, as well as for the debut single ‘Superstitious Wishes’, which was released on 05.05.2017, at what was deemed by one fan as:  “One of the best rock n roll shows to date at Woody’s Surf Shack. Elaborating on their sounds, Adams says: “It’s been a challenge to capture our sound over the years so we thought we should try a new process. It seems to be the best sound we’ve got in years.”

The Badlands are continuing with their run of gigs next weekend at The Sunshine Coast’s ‘The Basement’ in Nambour on Sep 1st and https://www.cialissansordonnancefr24.com/cialis-pas-cher/ followed on in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley at ‘The Bloodhound Bar’ on Sep 2.
Support comes from The Sunshine Coasts rockers Buck Dean and The Green Lips and The Los Laws.

Friday 1st Sep (The Basement,  Nambour)

Saturday 2nd Sep (The Bloodhound Bar, Brisbane)

Time: 9pm  Ticketed entry – $10

You can grab The Badlands new EP on CD, as well as other merchandise now available from the band at:

https://www.thebadlandsmusic.com

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When film director Marie Craven moved up from her very inner-city life in Melbourne to the Gold Coast in 2002, it was a bit of a mid-life crisis for her. “I always had an odd relationship with Melbourne,” she explains to me over a coffee in the coastal town of Palm Beach where she’s now living. “Artistically it was brilliant for me, but even though I had really walked away from background in the country it was such a primal place that I think that part of me always craved to be back in big space, if you like, where you can see the skies and the horizon,” she says. “Living within close distance of Mt Warning, the ocean scapes and the hinterland of the Gold Coast, I get that space, and for me it’s been a good compromise.”

The filmmaker who has really carved out a niche for herself with her experimental videos where she works in collaboration with poets, writers, musicians, and others to create miniature works of art, first started her experimental career, long before the age of technology, as a student in Melbourne.

“I originally wanted to be an actor,” she says. “I started in the theatre when I was only 15, but then unfortunately I was diagnosed with Chrone’s disease when I was 18, which can virtually destroy your immune system and to be an actor you have to have physical and emotional resilience and I simply wasn’t strong enough, so I began to pick up media studies, and it wasn’t long before I was making short Super8 film.”

Experimental filmmaker Marie Craven. Photo: Candida Baker

Melbourne’s grungy inner-city life quickly brought out the avant-garde in the country girl, and studying with filmmaking legend Arthur Cantrill, AM, further cemented her desire to make experimental films. “Film was my whole life,” she says. “I even married one of my teachers, Adrian Martin, who was a film critic for The Age, and I really plunged into the world of the Super8 experimental film. I worked in every way that you can on films, but one of the things I was very interested in was narrative form, which is not normally an experimental filmmaker’s interest. I tried to combine narrative form into my films, with quite a degree of success.”

That success included getting funding for three short films that did very well on the international circuit, and with her career taking off Marie chose not to finish her degree but supported her film-making habit through teaching and assessments.

But unfortunately for Marie, her Crohn’s Disease – which causes very painful inflammation of the intestines – kept flaring up in the hotbed atmosphere of city life, and so she decided to make a lifestyle change and head north.

Life many of us, Marie found that work for creatives was in short supply and had to set about reinventing herself in order to make a living. “I found myself branching out into all sorts of things,” she recalls. “I entered a short film in the Currumbin Film Festival, I set up my own short screenwriting course at Kingscliff TAFE, and I started doing teaching work at Bond University. I had to work very hard to earn a living – I was even doing data entry for some lawyers in Brisbane, and at the same time I was starting to do the occasional video project.   Because I’d always been a director I’d never been really hands-on with the computer, but as I learned more about it, I started doing some quite wild experiments with what you could do, which really took off in about 2007.”

One thing led to another, and Marie soon also found herself immersed in a whole new world in which working on the internet with people around the world offered her a way of combining all her film and dramatic interests with extra layers of music, vocals and experimental video techniques. “I partnered with a musician from Cardiff, Paul Foster,” she says. “We started a project called Cwtch, which is a Welsh word meaning hug, or safe place, and we’ve now been working together for some years, creating music and video collaborations.”

I first discovered Marie’s work after she had put a poem by a mutual friend – poet Amanda Stewart – to music. Often Marie is inspired to work on spec, and hope that the people whose work she’s adapting enjoy it. “I love the process of making these videos anyway,” she says, “and when I present them to people they seem to really appreciate them.”

Our introduction led in fact, to our own collaboration of videos she created to two of my poems, which in turn led to an invitation for both of us to work on an international poetry project with well-known UK video and poetry collaborators Helen Dewbery and Chaucer Cameron (elephantsfootprint.com) which will be released in the next year.

Poem: Kim Mannix makesmesodigress.com  Music: Adi Carter soundcloud.com/adicarter
Images: Flickr Creative Commons; Video and Voice: Marie Craven pixieguts.com

Talking to Marie, it strikes me – not for the first time – how curious it is the way that our lives ‘shape’ us. Her early years in isolated country seems to have given her a rich internal life – what she describes as her “dreamscape”; her years in Melbourne gave her work an intellectual edgy quality; her move north necessitated a new way of working – one that led her to discovering a ‘family’ around the world. “I think moving north was very instrumental for me in breaking out of the way I’d been working into these new collaborations,” she says. “It informed my work in two ways – I was inspired by the light and the landscape I found myself in physically and at the same time I had to find a way to connect with creative people to stay sane.”

Over the past year, since I first worked with Marie she’s notched up some extraordinary achievements including winning the recent Ó Bhéal International Poetry Film Competition. Her films have also been screened at festivals around the world, in Portugal, Spain, Germany with the UK and the USA on the cards for later this year. Her latest project, with UK spoken word poet Lucy English, entitled The Last Days, has just been completed.

Marie is truly an example of how international borders these days mean nothing to the creative universe as she continues her worldwide collaborations from her home on the Gold Coast.

You can see Marie Craven’s work on vimeo here: vimeo.com/mariecraven

For our collaborations go to: vimeo.com/174154097 (In the Forest) and (In the Temple) vimeo.com/176593832

The post Marie Craven – from cattle station to cutting edge appeared first on .

It’s a rainy afternoon in sleepy Pottsville as I sit down to talk with the members of up-and-coming indie pop/rock band Ra Ra Ruby. We chat together at bass player, Mitchell Anderson’s (22), family owned fish and chip shop, the appropriately named Hooked on Seafood.

The band was first formed in 2015, as a common interest in creating music drew them together. All three boys had previously attended Kingscliff high and while they knew of one another, they weren’t actually close friends throughout their schooling. It wasn’t until they were all graduated that they came together as a band. Mitchell describes the forming of the band as a very organic process, which happened easily and spontaneously.

When they first came together the band tried out many names, but none were  deemed to be the perfect fit. ”We had more names than music at this point”, laughs vocalist and writer Kurt Skuse (20). He tells me how they were in the studio one day just tossing names around the room. He’d emphasised he thought ‘Ruby’ had a catch to it so they were throwing the name back and forth, trying out different sounds. As they were mucking around, Jaymin stuttered on the word Ruby. Surprisingly it was an instant win, and thus the three became Ra Ra Ruby.

When asked where the boys each found a passion for music, Skuse tells me of his early exposure to 80’s pop rock from as young as the age of four. Anderson mentions that he too had a similar introduction to music, with his parents playing tunes from the 80’s continuously throughout his childhood. Jaymin Olesen (21), on the other hand grew up with his father being a thrash metal drummer, a different musical influence that gave him incentive to follow the path of drumming and start creating his own music. Together, the band have a very eclectic music taste, with names such as Zob Zombie, ABBA, INXS and Australian Crawl mentioned. The boys draw inspiration from their individual tastes and bring them together to create a lively and infectious sound.

So far the band have been playing various local gigs around the Gold Coast and during this time have rapidly acquired quite a fanbase. They have since recorded their debut single ‘HER’ which from the beginning the band agreed was meant to be for their first single. Released on the 8th of May, the song has received brilliant feedback, with amazing reviews from 4ZZZ and Triple j unearthed as well as receiving a spot on Spotify’s Aussie music hit list. They have been compared to sounds such as Catfish and the Bottlemen, Circa Waves and Kings of Leon. ‘HER’ is a well written and relatable song that will be sure to get you instantly hooked on Ra Ra Ruby.

As a collective the boys all feel equally driven to create music together. It is obvious in the way they speak how passionate they are, which is crucial as a musician because it can be seen so clearly in what each artist produces. Ra Ra Ruby is straight up raw and real music. They show complete fervour for their music and in this I see how they truly put their heart and soul into what they create.  Ra Ra Ruby have a catchy and upbeat sound that will be sure to get you on your feet. Check out their new single ‘HER’ or better yet catch them live on their new tour.

Ra Ra Ruby – Her

Ra Ra Ruby is heading off on their tour ‘I Need A Woman’ starting off on the 9th off Jun

Dates

June 14th Lass OGowire, Newcastle

June 29th The milk factory, Brisbane

July 14th Whole lotta love bar, Melbourne

For more information visit their Facebook page facebook.com/rararubyband/ and don’t forget to give them a like while you’re at it!

The post Hoorah-rah for Ra Ra Ruby – a local band on the rise appeared first on .

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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As Bluesfest punters go, I’m still something of a newbie on the block. There’s something about this particular festival that seems to recruit die-hard fans that can claim a relationship dating back to its creation 28 years ago. I’ve only been going there for a meagre five years but I’ve developed a profound love of what Blues has to offer, a large part of which, of course, are stages filled by some of the worlds greatest musicians and performers from around the world.

This is what keeps the punters coming back year after year and committing themselves to five days of stamina-challenging enjoyment in the name of top quality entertainment. I’ve heard numerous tales from people who make the annual pilgrimage to Byron for this musical Easter spectacular, and Bluesfest 2017 was no exception to the rule, with legendary headliners including Santana, Patti Smith, Bonnie Raitt, Buddy Guy, Neil Finn and Madness pulling in the crowds.

Santana – A Bluesfest highlight for photographer Heidi Flumm

Santana’s performance on the Sunday evening was nothing short of spectacular. As any serious musician or fan can appreciate, the level of creativity, skill and interpretation that has infused Santana and his band’s music since the 1960’s is second to none. The Bluesfest audience were understandably in awe of this man and his signature guitar compositions, coupled with a robust accompaniment of drum and percussion solos from the band. Photographing Santana from the pit was undoubtably one of my Bluesfest highlights.

Something of a newcomer to the Bluesfest stage but possessing an obvious inheritance of guitar mastery, Melody Angel very quickly sent waves across the Bluesfest site with her electric performances across four days of the long weekend. Like the excellent Nikki Hill, who graced us yet again with several outstandingly rock n roll infused appearances this year, Melody waved a very convincing flag of ‘girls can and do rock’ to the crowd. In fact the women of Bluesfest this year provided some of the most outstanding and inspirational performances I have seen in the past five years.

Beth Hart – strength and fragitility in one powerful package

Bluesfest regular Beth Hart never does anything but amaze her crowds and this year only cemented her ability to woo men and women into a state of complete infatuation. I am nothing short of obsessed by this incredible woman’s presence on stage. The narratives within her music, although perhaps quite simply constructed, are made into hugely emotive tales of love and loss that can be heard within Beth’s voice that somehow manages to convey an enormous strength as well as a crippling fragility. Definitely one to bring out the feels.

And of course one cannot speak of the power of the women at Blues this year without mention of the incredible Patti Smith. Delighting the crowd with two performances over the weekend, Patti appeared with her band on the Thursday and then again with a notable acoustic performance on the Friday. Opening with a powerful reading of Allen Ginsberg’s poem ‘Footnote to Howl’ and an extract from her own biographical ‘Just Kids’, Smith gave young and old fans a taste of life on the cusp of the 70’s. It was impossible not to detect the urgency and anticipation in her account of the time and gave us a true taste of why this woman has been held in such legendary esteem for the past 40 years. An artist in every sense and source of ageless inspiration.

Irish Mythen – performer and possible stand up comedian.

Other notably entertaining female performances came from the musician/ should-be stand up comedian Irish Mythen. Bringing with her a somewhat typically Irish infused level of humour, Mythen interspersed her wonderful folk songs with hilarious political or whiskey induced ironic commentary. I can’t also go past Bonnie Raitt and Mary J Blige without mentioning their addition of well-loved sing-a-long songs that drew both traditional Blues and Country music fans to the festival, as well as those looking for a more soul/ RnB vibe.

Continuing the alternative RnB sound and intermingling with heavy notes of soul and funk, Trombone Shorty provided another outstanding highlight for the festival. Sounding and looking about as cool as any Bluesfest performer gone by, you’d be forgiven for dropping everything you were doing to immediately find a way to stalk the band on social media and bear witness to their outrageous charm. Gallant and Remi took the contemporary RnB sound further with youthfully energetic stage performances that ensured the crowd were left with no reason to stand motionless in their experience of the music.

St Paul and the Broken Bones had recruited a notable following after their excellent performance the year before and ensured a similarly entertaining experience for the crowd. Front man Paul Laneway’s flamboyant displays of showmanship only served to delight, whilst being accompanied by a soul voice that bears comparisons to some of the greatest soul singers of all time.

The Suffers and Gregory Porter brought their American Soul and Jazz vibes to the Jambalaya tent with Grammy award worthy music that soothed the ears, while fellow Americans Snarky Puppy injected a funky, complex jazz instrumental that lived up to the growing level of excitement surrounding the 12 piece band. Photographing such large numbers of people on one stage proved nothing short of a challenge, with each component of the band looking entirely different to the next. A varied fusion of talent but one to bear witness to.

Buddy Guy – it’s the Blues calling…

Buddy Guy ensured that the Blues was not left without at least one quintessential Blues Hall Of Fame appearance. At the age of 80 this man still possesses the ability to entertain a fully packed tent of festival goers with his classic guitar workings and light hearted interactions with the crowd.

Eric Gales gave another guitar heavy reason to celebrate music with impressive solo performances, as well as making appearances with the likes of Beth Hart and combining two levels of musical mastery that can only be fully appreciated in the moment. Blues magic at it’s best.

Devon Allman and The Record Company did the Delta Tent a huge service with their country/ blues rock outfits. I hadn’t registered with either of these performers before the festival, but as is so often the way at Blues, stumbling across their sets gave me some of my own personal festival highlights.

The foot-stomping Zac Brown band.

Bringing the American country rock vibe, https://www.viagrapascherfr.com/achat-sildenafil-pfizer-nedir/ the Zac Brown band drew a loyal crowd of fans that enjoyed a set of foot-stomping, arm throwing set of multi-platinum songs for their second appearance at Bluesfest.

Coming from the UK originally I felt somewhat of a duty to my former country to experience the Cockney Ska legends Madness. Although they pre-dated the music fanaticism of my teen years in the UK, they never-the-less formed a basis to the Brit-Pop era that saw the dawn of major UK bands including Blur, Oasis and Pulp and officially made ‘Britannia Cool’ in the 1990’s. In spite of our obligations to remain somewhat inconspicuous within the photographers pit in front of the stage, I found myself wrapped in euphoric, bouncing celebration of the classic songs with our crew leader Scott. A sentimental and joyous occasion for the penultimate evening to the festival.

Suggs from UK Cockney Ska legends Madness

Neil Finn saw out the end of the Blues for me this year, with his nostalgic performance of songs that gave the weekend a warm, satisfying feeling to wander home with and enjoy some much needed sleep after a wonderful, long weekend of musical nourishment.

A big thank you goes out to all of the organisers including Peter Noble and the photography team who bring together such a wonderful magical experience for all. This Festival has the hallmark of longevity – it’ll be something that in years to come I’ll enjoy saying I was a part of – way back when it was only in its ‘early days’!

And don’t forget – this is one Festival that gets its act together quickly.  Earlybird tickets are already on sale for the 2018 Byron Bluesfest: www.bluesfest.com.au/

Heidi Flumm’s Highlights:

Santana

Beth Hart

Bonnie Raitt

Buddy Guy

Devon Allman

Gallant

Eric Gales

Gregory Porter

Irish Mythen

Melody Angel

Mary J Blige

Madness

Neil Finn

Nikki Hill

Patti Smith

Remi

Snarky Puppy

St Paul and the Broken Bones

The Record Company

The Suffers

Trombone Shorty

Zac Brown Band

The post Why the Bluesfesters come back year after year after year… appeared first on .

The stars have aligned for Splendour in the Grass Music & Arts Festival. Organisers have dropped possibly the best line-up since 2010, featuring a blockbuster cast of rock royalty, electro pioneers and hip hop innovators.

Queens of the Stone Age, LCD Soundsystem, The xx, Royal Blood, Sigur Rós, HAIM, Two Door Cinema Club and Father John Misty lead a stellar international cast. Two Splendour 2017 exclusives: ScHoolboy Q and Future Islands will feature in their only Australian shows.

On the Australian front, Bernard Fanning, Peking Duk, Pond, The Smith Street Band, Cut Copy, Bag Raiders and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard are set to perform.

English band The xx have been described as ‘sparse and chilling’.

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

Tickets to the festival sold-out within an hour of going on sale this week. Splendour co-producers, Jessica Ducrou and Paul Piticco, were thrilled by the response but were quick to show their love for locals who had been devastated by the recent floods that hit the region.

“Once again we have been overwhelmed by your love and enthusiasm for Splendour. We can’t wait to bring you another awesome show,” they said. “Our thoughts are with all those in our local Northern NSW community that have been devastated by floods over the past week. We will be announcing a fundraising initiative soon to assist with the recovery. In the meantime, we’re sending you all our love.”

For those that missed out on tickets, Moshtix provides a resale facility that will be available from Monday, May 8.

But Splendour isn’t only about great music. Splendour in the Grass will also play host to an innovative arts and cultural program that will showcase some of the best arts practitioners from Australia and around the world. The 2017 program will once again transform North Byron Parklands into a contemporary outdoor art space, featuring live art, happening performances, installations and more.

SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS 2017
Friday 21 July, Saturday 22 July and Sunday 23 July
North Byron Parklands
Tweed Valley Way, Wooyung (15 mins north of Byron Bay)
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 • GEORGE EZRA • 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

Maggie Rogers: an American musician, singer-songwriter, and producer from Easton, Maryland. Her song ‘Alaska’ shot her to fame.

The post The stars come out for Splendour 2017 appeared first on .

Some of the biggest names in Australian music will be making their way to the picturesque regional centre of Coffs Harbour, NSW, for a boutique art and music Festival, which is proving to be a ‘hot ticket’ for early November.

Elena Kats-Chernin, Tamara-Anna Cislowska, Scott Muller, Daniel Rojas and Carlos Villanueva are among the line-up for the 2016 EMSLA Festival. The annual festival, now in its tenth year, is the musical accompaniment to the Eutick Memorial Still Life Award (EMSLA), Australia’s $20,000 Acquisitive award for still life art.

Elena Kats-Chernin & Tamara-Anna Cislowska are appearing at the EMSLA Festival. Photo: Steven Godbee.

Long standing supporter – and Festival favourite – Elena Kats-Chernin says: ”The EMSLA Festival is one of my favourites, I’m delighted to be back for its tenth year. The festival launches a unique Australian art exhibition with musical performances in the intimate setting of the Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery. There is always a wonderful atmosphere.”

In addition to fine music and arresting visual art, the weekend also promises stimulating conversation on the topic of creative expression. Audience members will be treated to panel discussions with EMSLA artists Robyn Sweaney, Chris Hundt and Monika Behrens and prize judges Nat Thomas, artist and arts writer/cultural commentator, Michael Fitzgerald, art writer and editor of Art Monthly Australasia and Dr Julie Fragar, artist and Associate Lecturer in Fine Art, Queensland College of Art, Griffith University.

The EMSLA Festival runs from Friday 11 November – Sunday 14 November, while the EMSLA Exhibition runs until Saturday 7 January 2017.

EMSLA Festival tickets are available at www.coffsharbour.nsw.gove.au/chrg

More information – Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery 02 6648 486

Catherine Fogarty, Cultural Development, Gallery and History Services Coordinator, Coffs Harbour City Council

02 6648 4904 [email protected]

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The ominously titled album ‘Blastoma’ delves through a multitude of experiences in a way that is both hauntingly delicate and defiant.  Ngaiire talked with Verandah Magazine about making the new album, what this area means to her and what drives her forward in her music.

Coming to Splendour is a bit of a homecoming for you isn’t it Ngaiire? I know you spent some time living and schooling in Lismore. Did you feel artistically influenced by your time here at all?

 Yes definitely. It’s a really creative area and it had a huge influence on me. I went to Kadina high school for a couple of years and it was a pivotal time for me with my music. I had a great teacher – Mrs Johnston – who really encouraged me and my horizons were massively broadened. I had been quite isolated from the wider music scene up until that point, having just moved from PNG, and all of a sudden I was being exposed to these amazing new sounds that helped me to express myself and grow musically. Jeff Buckley, Tori Amos, Tool, Aretha Franklin…it was a great time for me.

 Your new album has just been released and it’s a beautiful exploration of your diverse musicality. Can you tell us a bit more about how you’ve come to this album in the two years since your debut album?

Well, it’s been a collaboration between me, Jack Grace and Paul Mac. We wanted to create a new sound and a trio album, which ended up being recorded in New York, London and New Zealand. It was supposed to come out a year ago, but after a wave of personal stuff I was just too exhausted to cope with the creative process, which was the first time that’s really happened to me. My long-term relationship came to an end and it just put everything on hold.

Did that influence the course of the album?

There’s a couple of break up songs on there – House on a Rock – that alludes to that time, but we really wanted to steer away from it being a break up album. It’s not what the album was meant to be about.

It’s safe to say you’re no stranger to adversity, and your albums title directly refer to your childhood experiences with cancer. You tackle some confronting issues in your music, but it looks like you’re having fun at the same time. Is it important for you to send a particular message out to your audience?

Yes, I think that every artist has a responsibility to say something with their music. Otherwise it just becomes something completely self-serving. You’re talking about yourself all of the time – like now. I don’t feel like it’s worth me doing it if I’m not able to give something back and I feel quite strongly that its my personal responsibility to use what I have as my voice to say something worthwhile and affecting.

Ngaiire – expect some great costumes at this year’s Splendour in the Grass.

If you’re tackling some fairly poignant personal issues, is it difficult to t look at them objectively when you’re considering turning the work into something for a wider market?

I don’t really think about what I put out there in that way. I’m quite honest and luckily so far, so good. It seems to have translated ok! I’ve gained a lot of confidence as an artist and I find it really enjoyable. I was so self-conscious about working with Paul Mac. It made me question where we stood in our relationship and the process of sharing. It wasn’t fun or cathartic making this record, but then growing is never an easy thing to do.

You’ve been described as the new frontier in Future Soul. How does it feel to wear a title like that?

To be honest I don’t really even know what future soul is! I’ve spent the last ten years trying to make music that you can’t put into a box, but still it’s a positive thing and I’m happy to have it. It’s exciting times and things are starting to pick up speed.

It’s clear that your artistic expression moves beyond just your music. Your videos are theatrical and you’ve been quoted as saying that you would have loved to have worked with an artist like Andy Warhol. How do you see yourself as a performer/ musician/ artist?

 I’m always wanting to create and I’ve always been that way – whether it’s music, painting, fashion. I grew up in a place where people didn’t believe in child psychology, so there wasn’t the time or space to work through or discuss the things that were going on inside of you. There were aunties and uncles to talk to about the practicalities of childhood, but not so much opportunity to express. I would lock myself in my room, listening to Maria Carey. I took refuge in short stories, music and writing and it was a natural thing for me to want to create. I’m actually an introvert so I found artistic expression an opportunity to say things that I couldn’t put into words. I think that everyone is creative. It’s just something that some people choose to do more than others.

You’ve got your own independent label Maximilian Brown, is this a reaction to maintaining your own voice? Do you find the process of production compromising or are you happy to let the reins go?

No, I started Maximilian Brown because I’m not going to be writing all of the time and it was more about creating a platform of opportunity for others. It’s based in PNG. There’s so much talent there, but being a third world country, there’s very little opportunity for kids to have a voice, especially on the contemporary stage. I wanted to create something that looked at the bigger picture and gives the opportunity of professional development to those kids.

So it was more of a move to encouraging something creative then a business decision?

Yes exactly. It’s there to try and encourage an avenue of expression for those kids.

You’ve worked with some great people over the last few years but if you could collaborate with anyone at all, who would be on your dream list?

I’d love to work with Annie Clark (St Vincent). She’s a key creative and really intelligent musician. She’s the epitome of someone I’d love to work with!

Who are you looking forward to sharing the bill with at Splendour? Any standouts?

I’m really looking forward to seeing James Blake. I saw him at Glastonbury last year and he was incredible.

You’d be a bit of a festival pro by now, with festivals like Glastonbury, Culture collide LA, CMJ in New York under your belt, as well as a host of Australian dates. What’s been your favourite? Do you find a big difference in audience reactions around the world?

Glastonbury is amazing – it’s unlike any other festival out there. You just never know what to expect with it and there’s so much going. The crowd is engaged with the music and it was exciting to bring the music to a new audience. They were really receptive and open to it, which was great. Glastonbury’s definitely wild!

So what can we expect from your live performance at Splendour? Any great plans?

Some fun costumes! It’s going to be good!

Ngaiire plays Splendour in the grass on Saturday 23rd July. Time and stage TBC.

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With such a large number of musicians based in and around the Gold Coast, the festival provides an opportunity to celebrate local acts as well as from further afield.

Diesel was the only ticketed show at the festival, held at Jupiters Casino. Photo: Heidi Flumm.

Some excellent performances came from  Genevieve Chadwick, Shaun Kirk,  Big Daddy Wilson and Felicity Lawless. Playing on the Victoria Park stage, Lawless and her band of troubadours (who include the talented Scott French of Cheap Fakes/A French Butler Called Smith fame), took the crowd on a temporary journey away from the Blues, into a Spanish infused, high-energy fanfare. I  couldn’t help joining in the merriment, in spite of my heavy camera equipment. Children and adults alike were delighted, and there was a fabulous uniting of the crowd at the end of Lawless’ set in a giant handheld ring of dancing bodies.

Dancing the Blues away – festival goers enjoying Felicity Lawless and her band of troubadours. Photo: Heidi Flumm.

Phil Barlow and the Wolf injected a hefty dose of Bluesy, Rock ‘n Roll energy to the proceedings late on Saturday night, with a full-to -capacity, hot and steamy affair at the Broadbeach Tavern. (The band has since been nominated for the ‘Peoples Choice Award’ at this year’s Gold Coast Music Awards, which takes place next month.)

Phil Barlow and his happy fans. Keep your eye out for Phil Barlow and the Wolf, who are nominated for this years ‘Peoples Choice Award’ at the Gold Coast Music Awards next month. Photo: Heidi Flumm.

As well as providing free access to the range of musicians on offer, this year’s Blues on Broadbeach pulled together a worthwhile charity album, in aid of mental health charity Beyond Blue,  entitled ‘Back in Blue’. In tribute to AC/DC’s Back in Black album, a veritable supergroup of well established Australian touring blues artists  came together to re-record the album, track for track and the proceeds from the album sales have gone to the charity. The Saturday night saw excellent performances from the contributing artists, including the awesome Chase The Sun and Lachy Doley.

All ages delighted in the music, with the Victoria Park Stage providing a family friendly atmosphere in which the enjoyment of the Blues music could be felt. Photo: Heidi Flumm.

Music lovers of all ages can expect to enjoy the Blues on Broadbeach experience.
This is an urban-based set up and the associated policing of the streets is felt by many. You can’t crack open a beer and lie back on the grass. But there’s more than enough variety on offer to satisfy even the hungriest musical appetite.It’s not surprising that since its creation in 2002 Blues on Broadbeach has managed to pick up such accolades as the Best Regional Event in QLD and Best Cultural, Arts and Music Event in QLD at the Australian Event Awards.

From top: Shaun Kirk entertained the crowd with his folk-inspired songwriting and vocals; Phil Barlow enjoying the attention; Feeling the Blues – everybody got in on the act; Owen Campbell brought a selection of his blues-rock tracks to the Surf Parade stage in Broadbeach.

For more information on Blues on Broadbeach go to:  bluesonbroadbeach

For more information on Heidi Flumm’s photography go to: heidiflumm

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