News

Live Review: A Hitch to the Sticks

A Hitch to the Sticks

What happens when you put a whole bunch of people on a bus and head out to the middle of no where to be treated to exclusive live gigs. Well, what happens is a fun filled weekend filled with laughter that will make your cheeks hurt and your sides ache.

Departing from Melbourne the bus makes its way out to regional areas in Victoria, covering over 700 kms, picking up mystery hitch hikers along the way. Stopping in regional towns the bus brings an experience to remote areas like no other. Regional artists provide entertainment as locals welcome the VIP humans on the bus with open arms.

Its not only a chance to get to know musicians such as Dallas Frasca on a more intimate level  its more of a backstage pass to the lifestyle of a rock and roller. Friendships are forged over a shared love of music and camp-side sing a longs.  With her amazing sense of humor and approach-ability Dallas is someone everyone falls in love with by the end of the weekend.  She plays host and makes sure each and every person is having a great time along the way.

A Hitch to the Sticks is the first music event of its kind and it really is an experience like no other. You’ll come home a little sleep deprived but with loads of amazing memories and new friends from what is an amazing weekend.

Words and photos by Amanda Lee Starkey

 

 

News

News: UNDEROATH RELEASE NEW VIDEO FOR ‘ihateit’ Performing exclusively at UNIFY: A HEAVY MUSIC GATHERING 2019

Fresh off an electrifying performance at the Aftershock Festival over the weekend, where singerSpencer Chamberlain performed while still nursing a still-healing broken foot that he sustained during the band’s previous appearance at Riot Fest, Underoath have released the cinematic and thematically arresting video for “ihateit.” 
“The ‘ihateit’ video is a glimpse into what it’s like to feel alienated, to need something you shouldn’t need, to feel trapped and isolated and to feel like you have to keep returning to that place to find solace, it’s a vicious cycle,” said Underoath’s  Aaron Gillespie.

Underoath will be performing exclusively at UNIFY: A Heavy Music Gathering 2019. This is their onlyAustralian performance and will be held at the Tarwin Lower site Friday Jan 11th. Tickets available here.

Not only does their new album ‘Erase Me’ mark the group’s first new album since 2010, but it crashed the Billboard Top Hard Rock Albums Chart at #1 and vaulted into the Top 20 of the Billboard Top 200. It sees the band refine its trend-setting but inimitable style with heavy intensity and hypnotic hooks coursing through songs like “Rapture,” “On My Teeth,” “Wake Me,” and “It Has to Start Somewhere,” which have cumulatively tallied over 10 million streams in a few months’ time—a rare and impressive feat for any rock band.
The track ‘ihateit’ was produced by Matt Squire (The Used & Saosin) & Eric Taft (The Amity Affliction) and written by Underoath.

Interview, News

Interview: Osaka Punch

Hey I’m Reggie, I play bass in Osaka Punch. I’ve played bass for roughly 18 years now, been in a lot of different bands along the way, tried my hand at the session muso thing, which was a fun time, but have happily played in Osaka Punch for the last 4 years now, and am still considered a “new member”. Please, join me for the next 3-4 minutes (depending on how fast you read) as I take you on a little tour of my thoughts and feelings about bass guitar, and here, we, go..

What are  your  guitar makes & models?

I actually have two in my collection that I can’t decide between, so I’ll have to call it a tie.

So I have a 5 string Fender Marcus Miller Jazz Bass and a 5 string Warmoth custom bass, put together by Dan Gowen. This one has a P Bass body with a Jazz bass neck. Fender and Warmoth are definitely my favourite brands when it comes to bass guitars.

What sound you produce with these guitars? 

I really love passive basses, both of these have passive pickups, which gives you a really warm, thick sound. I find passive basses break up nicely too when you play a bit harder, and have some overdrive in the mix. For me, both of these basses produce a nice clean tone, but also have a really gnarly tone when running overdrive.

What made you choose these guitars? 

Pretty much I started playing Fender because some of my favourite and most influential bassist use them. I love their tone, they really are a plug and play kind of bass, which I love. They are also quite simple which I really like, I personally don’t like having a shit tone of options with my instrument, all I need is a reliable, great sounding tone, which I feel the Fender and Warmoth provide.

How did you came across the guitar? 

Haha.. ahh this is a fucked one. Well, I use to own a 5 string USA Fender Jass, which I loved, more then my Nanna. Then while we were on tour with The Butterfly Effect over in Perth, some degenerate cunt broke into our van and stole it. Needless to say I was devastated, and for the first time in my life, understood why people commit murder. Anyway, Glenn Esmond from TBE came to my rescue and lent me his MM Fender Jazz for the remainder of the tour, I grew a love for it, once again even greater then the love I have for my sweet, little, old, kind hearted, super supportive, kidney donating Nanna. I ended up buying it from Glenn and that was how I turned my frown upside down.

What is the best song  you have written on it?

I’ve actually only just started writing tunes on this bass, as we finally have a break in our touring schedule, so I plan to write a 17 minute prog disco track on it soon, and that surely will be the best song I will write on it. Possibly even the best song ever written. In the world.

What is ther dream guitar that you’d  like to own?

I own it (Warmoth)! Which is an unreal thing to achieve! I’ve always wanted a custom bass, and now I finally have it. It’s great because I literally chose everything on it, so I got to create my own dream bass. I highly recommend it.

What guitarist inspires you the most?

The list is massive, but I can settle on 4;

Tim Commerford from Rage Against the Machine.

Les Claypool from Primus.

Glenn Esmond from The Butterfly Effect.

Victor Wooten from being so good it actually depresses me.

All these bassist have definitely played a big part in my bass playing and gear selection. They all 100% inspire me to play more, and drive me to try and be a better player. Tim Commerford and Glenn Esmond are the reason why I went down the Fender road, I love their tone, and it’s what got me hooked on those basses, and ones of that kind.

 

November 2018 will see them play in Melbourne at The Evelyn on the 10th, Brisbane at The Zoo on the 16th and the Sunshine Coast’s SolBar on the 17th. Joining the two bands on the shows will be Terrestrials & Slow Talk (Melbourne), Sum of Us (Brisbane) and Muules (Sunshine Coast). Tickets are on sale today for all tour dates from Oztix.
Sat 10 Nov – The Evelyn, Melbourne
w/ Terrestrials & Slow Talk (“Limbo” single launch)
Fri 16 Nov – The Zoo, Brisbane
w/ Sum Of Us
Sat 17 Nov – Solbar, Maroochydore
w/ Muules
* Editors note- if you did steal the guys gear and you’re reading this, then give it back – don’t be a degenerate.
News

News: Woodford Folk Festival’s Huge 2018/2019 Lineup Is Here

Queensland’s annual Woodford Folk Festival has unveiled its 2018/2019 music lineup, ahead of its return to the mythical Woodfordia this December.

Topped by the likes of The Cat Empire, The Waifs, Xavier Rudd and Kimbra, this year’s roster also features the talents of Dan Sultan, Jen Cloher, Julia Jacklin, Stella Donnelly, Alex The Astronaut, Screamfeeder and Remi — and that’s just the tip of the woodpile.

As always, this year’s event will also feature dance, cabaret, circus, comedy, workshops, debate, street theatre, films, forums, visual arts and an entire children’s festival just for the kids.

Woodford Folk Festival 2018/2019 Music Lineup
8 BALL AITKEN
ADAM SCRIVEN
AIKYAM
ALANA WILKINSON
ALEX THE ASTRONAUT
ANDREW CLERMONT
ANGUS GILL
APACHE
BALKANSKI BUS
BAND OF FREQUENCIES
BART STENHOUSE
BINNY JARADI
BLACK ROCK BAND
BOLIVIA MARKA
BREKKY BOY
BRENDAN MACLEAN
BURGER JOINT
BUTTERFINGERS
CACHICAMO LATIN HARP QUARTET
CARDAK
CHLOE AND JASON ROWETH
CHOCOLATE STRINGS
CHRIS TAMWOY
CUBAN DANCE COMPANY
DAN SULTAN
DAVE ORR BAND
DJANGO BRAVEHEART
DOZAN ARABIC MUSIC GROUP
EMILY WURRAMARA
ESTÈRE
FEELSCLUB
FOLKAPHONIC YOUTH FOLK ORCHESTRA
FORMIDABLE VEGETABLE
FRANCIS GILFEDDER
FRANKY WALNUT
FRU SKAGERRAK
GEOFF WOOD
GLENN CARDIER AND CHRISTIAN MARSH
GLENN SKUTHORPE
GLENY RAE VIRUS AND HER PLAYBOYS
GOLD MEMBER
GREG SHEEHAN
GYIMESI PROJECT
HAILEY CALVERT
HAT FITZ AND CARA
HEILANI PACIFIC DANCERS
HUSSY HICKS
INSPIRATION CHOIR
IRISH MYTHEN
ISLE OF SKYE DANCERS
JEN CLOHER
JO DAVIE
JO JO SMITH
JULIA JACKLIN
KELLY FAMILY BAND
KIMBRA
K MAK
KOPAN TIBETAN NUNS OF NEPAL
LEANNE TENNANT
LES POULES A COLIN
LIAM GERNER
LINDSAY LOU
LITTLE SEED THEATRE COMPANY
LUCY WISE
MADELENA
MAGPIE DIARIES
MAL WEBB AND KYLIE MORRIGAN
MARK LANG
MEL PARSONS
MENDOZA TANGO QUARTET
MENINAS DA LUA
MICK THOMAS AND THE ROVING COMMISSION
MIDNIGHT TEA PARTY
MUSIC FOR A WARMING WORLD
MZAZA
NATTALI RIZE
NOOSA PIPE BAND
OLD MAN LUEDECKE
PADDY MCHUGH
PANDIT SUKHDEV MISHRA
PAUL BULANYI & MIRCHA MANGIACOTTI
PHIA
PRESTON’S HISTORIC PUNCH & JUDY
REMI
RHYTHM HUNTERS
RIVER MATTHEWS
ROB KNAGGS
ROB LONGSTAFF
ROYAL GYPSIES
RUBY GILL
RURA
SABA ENSEMBLE
SAIKAT BHATTACHARYA
SAMOKO
SCREAMFEEDER
SEAMUS KIRKPATRICK
SEAN SENNETT
SEBASTIAN FLYNN AND MARTIN REECE
SERAPHIM CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
SESSIONS
SHEN FLINDELL
SOUMYA CHAKRAVERTY
SOUNDTRAK
STAV
STELLA DONNELLY
STEVEN GATES AND PAUL MCDERMOTT
STIFF GINS
SUN COLLECTIVE
SVETI SAVA SERBIAN FOLKLORIC ENSEMBLE
SWEET FELICIA AND THE HONEYTONES
TENZIN CHOEGYAL
TENZIN NYIDON
TENZIN THECKCHOK
THE ANECDOTE
THE BALKANICS
THE BARRY CHARLES BAND
THE BIG ILCH
THE BRAINS TRUST
THE CAT EMPIRE
THE EVENING SONS
THE FERGIES
THE FRETLESS
THE IMPRINTS
THE LITTLE STEVIES
THE MAD MARIACHI
THE MAES
THE MONTGOMERY BROTHERS
THE MOONSETS
THE MOUSSA DIAKITE TRIO
THE NORTHERN FOLK
THE RAGLINS
THEREIN
THE RESIGNATORS
THE SPIRIT OF CHURAKI
THE SPOOKY MEN’S CHORALE
THE STRANGEST DREAMERS
THE TESKEY BROTHERS
THE UNUSUAL SUSPECTS
THE VIEW FROM MADELEINE’S COUCH
THE WAIFS
TIBET2TIMBUK2
TIM MCMILLAN & RACHEL SNOW
TOPGYAL GONTSE TIBETAN KHAITA DANCERS
TRAD.ATTACK!
TULLARA
VESICA PISCES
VILLANOVA COLLEGE IRISH ENSEMBLE
VINCE JONES AND THE ASTRAL ORCHESTRA
VINOD PRASANNA
WANDERERS
WILLIAM BARTON AND VÉRONIQUE SERRET
WILLIE BRIM – MANTAKA
WOODLOCK
XAVIER RUDD
YOGESHWARI GIRI
YUKI TANIGUCHI
ZAIA KENDALL
ZIGGY MCNEILL
ZUHIR NAJI ARABIC MUSIC ENSEMBLE

Woodford Folk Festival 2018/2019
Wednesday, 26th December 2018 — Tuesday, 1st January 2019
Woodford, Queensland
Tickets: Official Website

27 Listicle Series

27 Listicle Series: PowderCloud

Danish Pop Band PowderCloud  have played music together for many years under different monikers, in 2015 the
foursome decided to commit themselves to pop music. Inspired by the subsequent worldwide success of MØ and Lukas Graham, PowderCloud are determined to becomethe biggest Danish act worldwide. 

Fresh off releasing their singles ‘Heroes’ and ‘Just Anything,’ your favourite Danish Pop boy band PowderCloud have returned to release their highly infectious debut EP ‘Songs From The AM’. To celebrate the release, we’ve asked Powdercloud to send us their Top 5 Favourite Pop Songs and lead-singer Victor talks his favourites. 

My Top 5 Favourite Pop Songs by Powdercloud

Hey Jude by The Beatles is probably one of my favourite songs, and I know its sort of mainstream to name such a famous and beloved song. To me, however, it represents what I want to achieve as a songwriter and recording artist. To me it is the perfect melody, lyric, instrumentation, and feeling – a prime example of a song that doesn’t do too much or too little, but is perfectly balanced. Every time I’ve written a song that I think is fantastic, I hold it up against some of the best Beatles songs, and I know I have a lot to learn, and I think that keeps me sharp and always wanting to do better. You’re never better, as a songwriter, than your last song.

  1. Choke by OneRepublic is an unlikely favourite of mine only for the reason that I didn’t think it would be when I first heard it. But I kept finding myself returning to it, its pop sensibilities, vocals, lyrics, and the gospel choir just struck a note with me. It is one of the lesser-known songs written by Ryan Tedder, the underground king of pop, and I absolutely love it, especially when I’m feeling dramatically melancholy. It might be too pop for some, but only Kanye can judge me.

 

Come Back Baby by Pusha T is one just pure awesome, the chorus reminds me of lots of older music, and yet it still manages to sound as fresh as the newest music out there, which it of course also is. It is produced by Kanye, and is my favourite track on Daytona, which is the name of the album. Ironically I love it for being so cool and groovy (I’m probably very uncool for using that word as well), but I also know that I will never be able to sound that cool – but I can keep dreaming.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SkMJqlZ6Y0

Nights by Frank Ocean is such a brilliant song, the feeling, the sonic landscape, the lyrics and the SINGING – that man can sing. The strange, yet intriguing tale on the song that starts after the main song has ended, also feels like a very natural part of the song, and as soon as one gets used to it being there, it’s hard to imagine the song without it. I absolutely love this tune (oh and Ivy also!).

 

Here Today by Paul McCartney is one of the best songs ever written, it is so heartfelt in imagining a conversation he never had with the late John Lennon. It is perfectly relatable for everyone who has experienced loss, and this makes this song universal. Personally, the song was always about my late grandma, and it always gets me when he ends the song by singing “and if I said I really loved you and was glad you came along, then you were here today for you were in my song”. This is also why I don’t listen to it too much, because you kind of have to be ready to go on a feel-trip, but in the most beautiful way.

https://youtu.be/YkzgAJbfme8

Whilst relatively new to the scene, on stage their performance is energetic and captivating
with singer Victor Dilling’s contagious energy and charm, strongly supported by the other
members of the band. They set the hearts of audiences afire with blazing beats urging
people on the dance floor. The audience is taken through the entire emotional register of
love and is left with an unforgettable experience.

 

News

News: CONVERSATIONS WITH NICK CAVE – Nick Cave brings his speaking events to Australia & New Zealand

CONVERSATIONS WITH NICK CAVE

Nick Cave brings his speaking events to Australia & New Zealand

Earlier this year in the US and Ireland, Nick Cave debuted a series of speaking events combining music and open discussion with the audience.

Cave now brings these special evenings to Australia & New Zealand, where he will take questions from the audience on all manner of subjects and perform some of his most beloved songs on piano.

The relationship between Cave and his audience has always been open and intense, but has deepened during recent shows with the Bad Seeds, inspiring these unconventional and unique evenings of unfiltered, unscripted and un-moderated Q&A.

“I thought that a direct conversation with the audience might be valuable – in the recent live shows we have all shown a kind of willingness to open up.” Nick Cave

Between stark, gorgeous performances of key songs like “Skeleton Tree,” “The Mercy Seat” and “God Is In The House,” Cave was wry, genial and funny as hell. Billboard

This is a striking turnaround when you’re used to seeing icons in all their bombast and mythos. Here, you are getting them unmediated by journalists, you are getting them in an unfiltered and unedited form, you are getting them in a human state without the guise of stardom in full-force. Stereogum

nickcave.com theredhandfiles.com

TOUR DATES

SATURDAY 5 JANUARY Performing Arts Centre | Wangaratta | VIC

SUNDAY 6 JANUARY Odeon Theatre | Hobart | TAS

TUESDAY 8 JANUARY Sydney Opera House | Sydney | NSW

FRIDAY 11 JANUARY HOTA | Gold Coast | QLD

SATURDAY 12 JANUARY Brisbane City Hall | Brisbane | QLD

TUESDAY 15 JANUARY Michael Fowler Centre | Wellington | NZ

THURSDAY 17 JANUARY Auckland Town Hall | Auckland | NZ

SATURDAY 19 JANUARY Melbourne Town Hall | Melbourne | VIC

TUESDAY 22 JANUARY Adelaide Town Hall | Adelaide | SA

WEDNESDAY 23 JANUARY Perth Concert Hall | Perth | WA

Tickets on sale Thursday October 18 at 9.00am Tickets available from www.nickcave.com

News

News: The Smashing Pumpkins: Premiere Billy Corgan-Directed Video For Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)

THE SMASHING PUMPKINS
Premiere Billy Corgan-Directed Video For Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)
Shiny And Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 / LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun. Out November 16

 

GRAMMY® winning seminal rock band The Smashing Pumpkins have premiered a stunning new companion video for current single Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)
Directed by Billy Corgan and longtime visual collaborator Linda Strawberry, the video is a beautifully crafted riff on cult horror movie conventions. The clip sees Corgan, James Iha, Jimmy Chamberlin and Jeff Schroeder challenged to spend the night in a haunted house as part of a macabre Halloween promotion hosted by smarmy radio host Jackie Cherry (played by Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath).Mixing pop culture references with the band’s ubiquitous visual flair, the video for “Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)” stands alongside some of The Smashing Pumpkins’ most arresting work.

The bands highly-anticipated new LP SHINY AND OH SO BRIGHT, VOL. 1 / LP: NO PAST. NO FUTURE. NO SUN.is set for release on November 16. Recorded at Shangri La Studios with multi-GRAMMY® Award-winning producer Rick Rubin, the LP is the band’s first in over 18 years to feature founding members Corgan, Iha and Chamberlin, with longtime guitarist Jeff Schroeder.

The group has released two singles from the album, beginning with Solara and its dreamlike music video, which was directed by Nick Koenig and expands on the theatrics of the band’s catalog of iconic music videos.

The LP is available for preorder now from
www.smashingpumpkins.com

 

Formed in Chicago, IL in 1988, The Smashing Pumpkins released their heralded debut album Gish in 1991 and found mainstream success with 1993’s 4x multi-platinum Siamese Dream and 1995’s 10x multi-platinum Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.
With over 30 million albums sold to date, the GRAMMY®, MTV VMA, and American Music Award winning band remains an influential force in alternative rock.

The Smashing Pumpkins
www.smashingpumpkins.com

News

Live Review: Panic! At the Disco

Panic! At the Disco, Olympic Park  Melbourne

 

Fifteen years ago, in the early start of the century a new music era was ushered in, and a war of bands started as the rise of ‘ Emo’ music began. At the forefront of the scene race was Panic! at the Disco. Fifteen years later and they’re still going strong, having recently released ‘ Pray for the Wicked’.

Heading into the arena early and the line up is back as far as the eye can see, a veritable sea of enthusiastic fans that are dressed the customary black with smatterings of glitter and sequins here and there.

As the clock on the giant over head screen ticks down the excitement hits fever pitch, the screams almost deafening as silver streamers pop to mark the arrival of Brendon Urie to the stage. From then on in its non- stop as the front man is a tornado of energy and excitement.

Running through the hits at almost break neck speed Urie is electric to watch, even when he’s not standing on his baby Grand piano or back flipping off the stage.  He is having as much fun performing as the crowd are dancing along to ‘ LA Devotee’, ‘ Golden Days’ and ‘ Dancing’s Not a Crime’. The only time the crowd seem to falter is when he perfectly covers Cindy Lauper’s ‘ Girls Wanna Have Fun’ – a song most of the audience were possibly born well after its release. Its a nice nod to his performance in Kinky Boots on Broadway in 2017, to which Lauper wrote the musical score.

He does manage to get an entire sing-a- long happening for Queen’s ‘ Bohemian Rhapsody’ which he plays with expertise on the piano, his four octave voice hitting the notes with perfection and flawlessness. Its one of those take- away moments of the night that will be long remembered.

Having announced his pan-sexuality some time ago for the ‘Girls/Girls/ Boys’ colored love hearts have been handed out and as rainbow flags are thrown onto the stage the room becomes a untied sea of rainbow colors as Urie races to collect and drape himself in pride flags. Its a moment of unity and love, the room for one moment becoming a single entity celebrating pride.

As the evening draws to a close, confetti canons exploding into the room for the final song ‘ Victorious’ its clear to see that Brendon Urie is an engaging performer that is able to have an entire room captivated for almost two hours of visual entertainment.

Words and images by Amanda Lee Starkey

News

Live Review: Lost Picnic

 

The Nursery, Flemington Racecourse

7 October 2018

It couldn’t be a more perfect day for the inaugural Lost Picnic in Melbourne. As we enter the festival grounds, the sun is shining and many punters can be seen barefoot and relaxing on picnic blankets surrounding the stage. There’s plenty of food trucks and bars around to stock up on food and drink throughout the day and the kids can even run around and enjoy the fun activities and live entertainment.

Rising star Odette, captures our attention early on with a powerhouse performance of her heart-breaking songs loaded with deeply intricate lyrics. She stands behind her keyboard and blows us away with her impressive soulful, R&B-inflected vocals and beat poetry. By the third song in, her microphone cuts out but nothing stops her from delivering every moment with an intense passion. She shares her emotionally charged stories through a few impressive spoken word songs including ‘Lotus Eaters’ and the first song she put out into the world called ‘Watch Me Read You.’

Hot Potato Band hit us with a surge of skyrocketing energy to get the crowd up on their feet and dancing on the lawn. The funky ten-piece band creates the atmosphere of a New Orleans style street band with an infectious and engaging stage presence. They perform a range of unique covers including ‘Dang!’ dedicated to the late Mac Miller.

Marlon Williams captivates listeners with his timeless voice in the late afternoon. His melancholic vintage croons include many songs about jealousy and heartache that combine country, jailhouse ballads, bluegrass and folk sounds. Williams’ music extends to the generations present in the audience, which makes him a fitting artist on the line up. He commands the stage by delivering a captivating and instinctive performance with his charismatic and relaxed vibe and a few cheeky hip-dips as he moves around the stage.

After a quick puppet show to entertain the younger audience watching from above their parent’s shoulders, Meg Mac emerges in a black and white checkered ensemble under a wide-brimmed hat. Mac’s flawless style with attention to detail runs all the way down to the oversized cuffs of her white shirt, complete with her initials stitched on the end. The power in her soulful vocals reaches soaring heights with a flawless delivery. She continues to bust out some huge notes that send chills down spines with her triple j Like A Version cover of Tame Impala’s ‘Let It Happen.’

“I get told I can play for a certain amount of time but my songs are very long”, says Tash Sultana as she commences her extended headline set. “You hear me on the radio and that’s the radio way but this is the actual way,” she continues. There’s something special about seeing a performer like Sultana play live and makes the appreciation of her music even greater than listening to a recorded version. Many of her songs feel like they go on forever but in a good way that you never want to end.

Sultana starts each song with a slow build up and then gradually gains momentum before exploding in unexpected tangents with electric instrumentals to get our hearts racing. With a three-tier high stack of keyboards, synths, drum pads and sampling equipment to her left, multiple guitars to her right, pedals down below and two microphones out in front, Sultana gets completely carried away in her element and we get lost in the moment with her. It’s exciting to watch her perform as each song builds layers upon layers of looped sounds including a trombone and a pan flute thrown into the crazy whirlwind of organic sounds. “I used to think I’d just play music as a little kid. I see all these kids here and you can too. I had all these teachers tell me that I couldn’t and here I am today,” Sultana concludes.

Words by Michael Prebeg

 

News

News: The Age Music Victoria Awards 2018 announce new venue + nominees revealed and public voting now open

The Age Music Victoria Awards 2018 announce new venue + nominees revealed and public voting now open

Cast your vote via www.musicvictoria.com.au/votenow

Australia’s largest publicly voted music awards The Age Music Victoria Awards is back for its 13th year in 2018. Boasting a massive night of live music and accolades, the 2018 Awards will take place on Wednesday 21 November during Melbourne Music Week.

This year, the awards welcome new major partners, The Melbourne Recital Centre, which is hosting the event for the first time, Bendigo Bank who will be providing cash grants to the regional award winners, and The Archie Roach Foundation sponsoring the new Emerging Talent Award.

Also, for the first time, the Victorian Government will provide $10,000 to the newly titledPremier’s Prize for the Best Victorian Album of 2018, and $5,000 to the Premier’s Prize for the Best Victorian Breakthrough Act of 2018.

Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley said: “We’re proud to support these awards, and it’s just a small acknowledgement of the economic, social and cultural benefits music brings to our State.”

Co-presented by vital community radio stations Triple R 102.7FM and PBS 106.7FM, the evening will be hosted by beloved radio presenters Lyndelle Wilkinson and Chris Gill and will invite industry to gather, reflect and celebrate another successful year for Victorian music, with live performers and the Hall Of Fame induction to be announced in early November.

From now until Friday 9 November, Australia’s music community can vote for their favourite music contributions of the year in the 10 publicly-voted categories for Best Album, Best Band, Best Song, Best Solo Artist, Best Male Musician, Best Female Musician, Best Breakthrough Act, Best Live Band, Best Small Venue (under 500 capacity) and Best Large Venue (over 500 capacity).

This year, Melbourne icon Courtney Barnett and rising star Baker Boy are leading the charge in the publicly voted awards, nominated in all 5 categories that they are each eligible for. Laura Jean is up for 4 awards for her fifth studio album Devotion, and Sampa The Great, Camp Cope, Tropical F*ck Storm and Mojo Juju all in the running for three mentions.

Additionally, 17 industry awards will be handed out, with nominees and winners selected by expert panels of industry heavyweights. The industry-voted awards celebrate the diversity of Victoria’s thriving music community, and reward excellence in regional music, festivals and genres, with new and updated award categories introduced this year for Best Reggae and Dancehall, Best Global and Best Rock/Punk.

Be sure to cast your vote now to commend your local favourites on yet another incredible year of Victorian music! Voters will automatically go in the running to win one of 2 double passes to the exclusive industry-only event.

The full lists of nominees now open for PUBLIC VOTING are:

The Premier’s Prize for the Best Victorian Album of 2018 – $10,000 Cash Prize
Camp Cope – How To Socialise & Make Friends
Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel
Laura Jean – Devotion
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Hope Downs
Sampa The Great – Birds And The Bee9

Best Band
Camp Cope
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
MOD CON
Rolling Blackouts Coastal
Fever Tropical F*ck Storm

Best Song
Baker Boy – Marryuna
Camp Cope – The Opener
Courtney Barnett – Nameless, Faceless
Laura Jean – Girls On The TV
Mojo Juju – Native Tongue

Best Solo Artist
Alex Lahey
Angie McMahon
Baker Boy
Courtney Barnett
Didirri
Laura Jean
Mojo Juju
Sampa The Great
Tash Sultana
Vance Joy

Best Male Musician
Danzal Baker (Baker Boy)
Didirri Peters (Didirri)
Gareth Liddiard (Tropical F*ck Storm)
Jake Robertson (School Damage, Alien Nosejob)
Tom Iansek (No Mono)

Best Female Musician
Courtney Barnett
Erica Dunn (Tropical F*ck Storm, MOD CON, Palm Springs)
Laura Englert (Laura Jean)
Mojo “Juju” Ruiz De Luzuriaga (Mojo Juju)
Sampa Tembo (Sampa The Great)

The Premier’s Prize for the Best Victorian Breakthrough Act of 2018 – $5000 Cash Prize
Angie McMahon
Baker Boy
Kaiit
Mildlife
MOD CON

Best Live Act
Amyl And The Sniffers
Baker Boy
Cable Ties
Courtney Barnett
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard

Best Small Venue (under 500 capacity)
The Gasometer, Collingwood
Howler, Brunswick
Northcote Social Club, Northcote
The Old Bar, Fitzroy
The Tote, Collingwood

Best Large Venue (over 500 capacity)
170 Russell, Melbourne
Corner Hotel, Richmond
The Croxton Bandroom, Thornbury
Hamer Hall, Southbank
Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank

INDUSTRY-VOTED NOMINEES:
Best Festival
Gizzfest
Golden Plains
Meredith Music Festival
Sugar Mountain
Wet Fest

Best Regional/Outer Suburban Act
Benny Walker
Freya Josephine Hollick
High Tension
Stonefield
This Way North

Best Regional/Outer Suburban Venue (Over 50 gigs per year)
Barwon Club, South Geelong
Caravan Music Club, Bentleigh East
Karova Lounge, Ballarat
Sooki Lounge, Belgrave
The Workers Club, Geelong

Best Regional/Outer Suburban Venue (Under 50 gigs per year)
Aireys Pub, Aireys Inlet
Blues Train, Queenscliff
Meeniyan Town Hall, Meeniyan
Theatre Royal, Castlemaine
Wandi Pub, Wandiligong

Archie Roach Foundation Award for Emerging Talent
Alice Skye
Baker Boy
Kaiit
Oetha
Willow Beats

Best Blues Album
Collard Greens And Gravy – Luedella
Fiona Boyes – Voodoo In The Shadows
Lloyd Spiegel – Backroads
Rhythm X Revival – Rhythm X Revival
Steve Boyd’s Rum Reverie – Hoodoo Hipshake

Best Country Album
Ben Mastwyk & The Millions – Winning Streak
Freya Josephine Hollick – Feral Fusion
Greta Ziller – Queen Of Boomtown
James Ellis & The Jealous Guys – It Ain’t Texas (But It Ain’t Bad)
Michael Waugh – The Asphalt & The Oval

Best Electronic Act
Alice Ivy
Cale Sexton
Corin
Habits
Mildlife

Best Experimental or Avant-Garde Act
Aviva Endean
Maria Moles
MESS Ltd
Nat Grant
Romy Fox

Best Folk or Roots Album
Cat Canteri – Inner North
Lucy Wise – Winter Sun
Luke Plumb & The Circuit – Turn & ReTurn
Michael Waugh – The Asphalt & The Oval
Trouble In The Kitchen – The Score

Best Global Act
Cool Out Sun
Digital Afrika
Mojo Juju
The Senegambian Jazz Band
Xylouris White

Best Heavy Album
Dangerous Curves – So Dirty Right
Dream On Dreamer – It Comes And Goes
Encircling Sea – Hearken
High Tension – Purge
YLVA – Meta

Best Hip Hop Act
Baker Boy
Drmngnow
Jordan Dennis
Kaiit
Sampa The Great

Best Jazz Album
30/70 – Elevate
Barney McAll – Hearing The Blood
Menagerie – The Arrow Of Time
Origami – Wu Xing – The 5 Elements
Sam Anning Sextet – Across A Field As Vast As One

Best Reggae and Dancehall Act
Marvin Priest & Rik-E-Ragga
Melbourne Ska Orchestra
Monkey Marc
Ras Jahknow
Yaw Faso

Best Rock/Punk Album
Camp Cope – How to Socialise & Make Friends
Divide and Dissolve – Abomination
Little Ugly Girls – Little Ugly Girls
Sarah Mary Chadwick – Sugar Still Melts In The Rain
Tropical F*ck Storm – A Laughing Death in Meatspace

Best Soul, Funk, RnB Album
30/70 – Elevate
The Bamboos – Night Time People
Billy Davis – A Family Portrait
Mildlife – Phase
Sampa The Great – Birds and The BEE9

Vote at: www.musicvictoria.com.au/votenow
Voting closes at midnight, Friday 9 November 2018

The Age Music Victoria Awards
Wednesday 21 November 2018
Melbourne Recital Centre
7.00pm
Live performers and Hall of Fame inductee announced Thursday 1 November.

MUSIC ARTS MEDIA