New Beastwars album coming/new single/AU & NZ tour!

NEW ALBUM ‘IV’ CHRONICLES VOCALIST MATT HYDE’S BATTLE WITH NON-HODGKIN LYMPHOMA

‘IV’ ALBUM OUT THROUGH DESTROY RECORDS
TOURING NEW ZEALAND/AUSTRALIA IN JULY 2019
Photo Credit: David James
“The fear of death is enough to make you want to live.”

New Zealand’s legendary Stoner Metal band Beastwars are returning to the world with a new lease on life, literally. Vocalist Matt Hyde underwent over 6 months of treatment for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in 2016, he is now in remission. They are today announcing their new album “IV” which was shaped by Hyde’s recent experiences. It will be released on Friday June 28 through Destroy Records. Merch bundles can be pre-ordered now at http://www.beastwars.bigcartel.com and digital pre-orders at will be live soon.

Along with the announcement of the new album, the band have come roaring back from a three year hiatus with new single “Omens”.

Vocalist Matt Hyde said that through his diagnosis and subsequent treatment, he was given an opportunity to look into the abyss beyond life as we know it. “Throughout the treatment – I was numb – and it’s interesting to have the ability to confront that, to confront the void, to confront the idea of mortality. I didn’t make peace with it either.”

That experience – the loneliness and isolation of the long treatment time – gave Hyde plenty to consider. Life, friendships and relationships in his 40’s, his then-10-year-old daughter and his band and experiences. What resulted was a record that leaves nothing unsaid. A howling, raw and powerful voice. Hyde says, “I was lucky that I had music to express what had happened to me – a lot of people don’t have that. I was very lucky that we could make a record. I took the time to process it and turned it into something else.”

To celebrate the album release Beastwars are touring New Zealand and Australia in June/July – presented by Panhead Custom Ales. They are hitting Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin in New Zealand and then jumping over the Tasman to play Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne shows. All shows minus Christchurch, Dunedin and Brisbane will feature Australia’s Witchskull.

Beastwars formed in Wellington in 2006. Their 2011 self-titled debut was nominated for Best New Zealand Rock Album at the New Zealand Music Awards, as were their second and third albums 2014’s Blood Becomes Fire and 2016’s The Death Of All Things. Beastwars and Blood Becomes Fire were also nominated for the Taite Music Prize.

Beastwars’ new album IV will be released on Friday June 28 and can be pre-ordered now at all good digital stores and streaming platforms soon and Limited Edition Vinyl, Cassette and T-Shirt Bundles are available at http://www.beastwars.bigcartel.com. Single Omens is available for streaming and purchase now.

Matt Corby, Brisbane Entertainment Centre

Harts is soon to play his ‘Harts Plays Hendrix’ performance at the Melbourne Recital Centre, and shares a live video of his ‘Foxey Lady’ rendition here

Award winning multi-instrumentalist and producer, Harts, presents special live HARTS PLAYS HENDRIX performance celebrating the musical legacy of Jimi Hendrix

“Harts is the real deal. He has the tools to lead a new generation that our world has never seen” – Austin Hendrix, nephew of Jimi Hendrix

The reverberations of Jimi Hendrix’s singular expression of history, culture and social connection endures today as a new generation thrive on his music as a source of discovery and fulfilment. That same vivid spirit of song is still heard today in Australian musician Harts. Harts has garnered constant comparison to Hendrix with his expansive explorations of funk, rock, jazz, blues and psychedelia. Now having rocked the Sydney Opera House steps and fresh from lighting up Triple J studios with Denzel Curry for Like A Version, Harts is set to electrify the Melbourne Recital Centre’s Elisabeth Murdoch Hall in May.

I’’m very excited to be putting on this special show. Jimi’s music and playing has always been a big inspiration and influence on my own style as an artist and guitarist. It’s going to be a thrill paying tribute to the iconic music legend by performing and really showcasing his work in a show like this. I think Hendrix fans, Harts fans, lovers of classic rock and the guitar are really going to enjoy this show.’- Harts

This premiere live performance celebrates the 50 year legacy of Jimi Hendrix and pays tribute to the anniversaries of his studio albums while bringing the distinct flair of his iconic performances as only Harts can. The show consists of a carefully curated setlist from Jimi’s entire catalogue, performed live by Harts in a powerful three-piece band experience, and guest appearances by some of Australia’s most revered musicians. Details to come.

Darren Hart, professionally known as Harts, is an acclaimed musician, singer/songwriter, multi- instrumentalist and music producer. Over the years, Harts has established himself as one of Australia’s finest young talents, composing, recording and producing three studio albums, two EPs and a live album, securing three #1 most played songs on Australian radio station Triple J, as well as being awarded a GQ Breakthrough Artist Of The Year award in 2016.

Harts Plays Hendrix
Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre,
in arrangement with Four Tone Artists and The A&R Department
Thursday, 30 May 7.30pm // Tickets $65/$55
Elisabeth Murdoch Hall (90-mins)
Harts vocals/guitar
Tickets on sale now

www.hartsmusic.com
www.facebook.com/hartsmusic
www.instagram.com/hartsmusic

Harts Plays Hendrix
Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre,
in arrangement with Four Tone Artists and The A&R Department
Thursday, 30 May 7.30pm // Tickets $65/$55
Elisabeth Murdoch Hall
Tickets on sale now

CLOWNS ANNOUNCE ALBUM TOUR NATURE/NURTURE OUT NOW

Clowns highly anticipated new record Nature/Nurture is OUT NOW and as you may have guessed, the gang will not be waiting long to take these tunes to the stage across Australia and abroad!

Nature/Nurture will be getting it’s first dose of mileage on an Australian run this June through Hobart, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Sydney, Newcastle, Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth and Bunbury, sporting a healthy mixture of some of the biggest venues the band has tackled to date and a few shows that are sure to be hard to get into and drenched in equal parts beer and bodily fluid. Coming along for the ride will be Melbourne’s Private Function, a band under the Damaged wing who have recently been keeping themselves busy touring with The Bronx in Australia, gearing up for their first full-length record and selling out pub shows.

Nature/Nurture – the record that has struck Clowns a deal with punk empire Fat Wreck Chords, sold out of coloured vinyl variants and won them first prize in a national hot-sauce championship – has been dubbed by Stack Magazine as “their strongest record yet”. It’s an implosion of punk soaked garage, hardcore and psychedelia that’s a sonic nod to punk of the ages, yet with hardly a touch of nostalgia and refreshingly unique. It’s already gained critical acclaim the world over with Alternative Press in the US exclusively premiering the record to their 1.2 million Facebook followers, placing number 1# in the April 2019 Visions chart (Germany’s leading alternative publication) and is sure to expand ever higher on the foundations the band have laid through their relentless DIY style touring that has seen them exhibit everywhere between punk floor shows in the jungles of Borneo, the world’s biggest heavy music festivals, Marvel Stadium with Foo Fighters and your best mates backyard.

Clowns are ready to explode, the fuse has officially been lit and the trajectory is looking good. Catch Clowns as they launch through a city near you! Tix from clownsband.com

BIGSOUND 2019 DATES REVEALED WITH NEW VENUE & ENHANCED PROGRAM
BIGSOUND FESTIVAL & TECH APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN

BIGSOUND is back from September 3-6 in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley Live Music Precinct, with this year’s theme revealed as ‘The Artist As CEO’.

The event will acknowledge the new music industry reality where artists are now truly in the centre of the industry, making empowered creative and business choices around their music. BIGSOUND not only creates the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest new live music party, but also tools artists, managers, labels, publishers, bookers and other music professionals with knowledge, inspiration and expanded thinking around their careers.

For the first time in the event’s history, BIGSOUND will also be waving goodbye to its traditional conference home at the Judith Wright Centre and saying hello to Cloudland, providing expanded conference and meeting facilities right in the heart of the BIGSOUND Festival precinct. “Over the years, BIGSOUND has changed, with networking, workshops and other events becoming far more integral to the event, so making the move to Cloudland will give more programming flexibility as well as bringing the conference events closer to the live music that is at the heart of BIGSOUND,” said BIGSOUND Executive Programmer Maggie Collins.

THE NEW HOME OF BIGSOUND; CLOUDLAND

BIGSOUND 2019 also sees a new programming team joining Collins, with Tom Larkin (Shihad, VVV Management) assisting the conference events and Melody Forghani (Twnty Three) and Tim Shiel (Spirit Level, Double J) joining the live music team. BIGSOUND Tech also makes its return, expanding and extending to the length of the conference, giving tech entrepreneurs the ability to showcase to the wider conference as well as gain access to greater market feedback, training and support. Applications for BIGSOUND Tech open today at bigsound.org.au.
.

WATCH: BIGSOUND Festival 2018 HIGHLIGHTS

Artist applications for BIGSOUND are open today, with the festival once again providing three nights of showcases with over 150 bands from across Australia and the world playing in front of global industry decision makers. With BIGSOUND launching international careers for alumni including Flume, Gang of Youths, Courtney Barnett, Tash Sultana, Rufus Du Sol and many more, this event is the place Australian artists come to be put on the map.

BIGSOUND is also expanding the “Hook Up” sessions to provide opportunities for artists and industry to connect through deeper one-on-one face time. With even more international delegates and decision-makers than ever before, BIGSOUND is not just your opportunity to hear from global industry and influencers, it’s their opportunity to hear from you. This year will also see the introduction of “WTF” micro-workshops for accelerated understanding of important but often daunting subjects such as blockchain or neighbouring rights as well as a focus on relatable storytellers, thinkers and innovators.

Special rate purple passes for entry to the full BIGSOUND experience are on sale from today. Purple pass access is the only way to get into the BIGSOUND Hook Ups, WTF sessions and other conference events, as well as priority access to BIGSOUND Festival events (did you miss out on last year’s Paul Kelly secret show?).

Purple passes sold out early last year, so don’t miss out!
.
BIGSOUND FESTIVAL 2019

Purchase your special rate BIGSOUND Purple Pass now at
www.bigsound.org.au

Applications for BIGSOUND FESTIVAL and BIGSOUND TECH are also open now at www.bigsound.org.au

THE SABOTEURS
(AKA THE RACONTEURS)
ANNOUNCE SPECIAL GUESTS LAURA IMBRUGLIA (MELBOURNE) & JOHNNY HUNTER (SYDNEY)
MELBOURNE SOLD OUT
– FINAL SYDNEY TIX ON SALE NOW!
Nashville rockers The Saboteurs – Jack White, Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler (known outside of Australia as The Raconteurs) – hit our shores in less two week’s time. This will be the band’s very first shows in Australia, and comes off the back of their news of their first album in a decade: Help Us Stranger, out June 21st.

What’s more, over the weekend they played live at the Third Man Records’ 10th anniversary party – even introduced on stage by Jack White’s mum. Says Billboard:

“[They] were bursting with boyish energy (White and Benson often stood inches away from one another as they ripped through riffs), clearly eager and excited to be sharing the stage again. The knockout set ended with a searing guitar solo from White … complete with a rapidly-flashing light show that managed to keep up.”

Today, the band also announce two special guests. Final tickets remain for Sydney’s performance at Big Top Luna Park on Saturday 20 April – selling fast and available now via frontiertouring.com/thesaboteurs.
Melbourne: make welcome Laura Imbruglia. Laura is bringing her just-released fourth album Scared Of You (not to mention her amazingly titled band The Bin Chicken) to The Saboteurs sold-out show at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre on Thursday 18 April.
Check out Laura’s latest record now via her Bandcamp, awarded Album of The Week on 4ZZZ (Brisbane) and 2SER (Sydney), including her rocking latest single ‘Carry You Around’. Laura’s no stranger to indie music lovers: she’s been releasing music since the early noughties, covering a range of genres from folk to throat-tearing punk, dark country, psychedelic rock and everything in between. Scared Of You is another winning effort: as 2SER says, “Strikingly unguarded, Laura plays it tough yet tender on this record, and smoothly cuts across rock, classic country, shoegaze and more.”
Sydney: prepare yourself for the post-punk of Johnny Hunter, the Sydney-based five-piece making waves with only a few singles so far to their name. Nick Hutt (vocals), Ben Wilson (guitar), Xander Burgess (guitar), Nick Cerone (bass) and Gerry Thompson (drums) will join the bill at Big Top Luna Park on Saturday 20 April.
Check out their latest single ‘Ashamed’: 2:30 mins of “an introspective attack on the budget-grade hedonism that is known all too well amongst the punters of a dying Sydney nightlife,” say the band. Johnny Hunter mix glam-pop theatrics with a metallic, post-punk sheen and an unwavering gaze – taking the all-consuming, rock n roll charm of The New York Dolls, Siouxsie And The Banshees and Iggy Pop, and meshing them with The Church and Wire’s songwriting grace.

These shows are going to be the hottest rock gigs of 2019. Don’t delay in grabbing your tickets to The Saboteurs, performing for the very first time in Australia!
THE SABOTEURS
AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND TOUR
APRIL 2019
Presented by Frontier Touring,
The Rock (NZ only) & Under The Radar (NZ only)
With special guests Laura Imbruglia (Melbourne) and Johnny Hunter (Sydney)
Tuesday 16 April
Powerstation | Auckland, NZ
18+ | SOLD OUT!
ticketmaster.co.nz | Ph: 0800 111 999

Thursday 18 April
Regent Theatre | Melbourne, VIC
All Ages Licensed | SOLD OUT!
ticketmaster.com.au | Ph: 136 100

Saturday 20 April
Big Top Luna Park | Sydney, NSW
18+
ticketmaster.com.au | Ph: 136 100
bigtopsydney.com

Also playing Bluesfest (not a Frontier Touring show). Visit bluesfest.com.au for more information.
Patrons are advised to purchase tickets only through authorised ticket sellers.
We cannot guarantee any ticket purchase made through any means other than
the official ticketing agents listed on the Frontier website.

Winterbourne, Northcote Social, Melbourne

There is  chilly fog hanging low over the streets of Northcote this evening, for the debut of Winterbourne at the iconic Melbourne venue. The curtains are drawn across the stage, the echoes of the melancholic Rob Muinos still lingering in the air. The atmosphere of the sold out room is one of anticipation as the crowd stand shoulder to shoulder patiently awaiting for Winterbourne to begin.

Hailing from  the picturesque Central Coast of NSW the duo who were originally discovered on the busking scene quickly amassed a loyal following touring consistently around the country. They released two EP’s – All But The Sun  and Pendulum and will release their debut album later this year. Tonight they play a number of songs to showcase new and old to the audience.

Opening with ‘ Better’ there is an instant need to dance and sing along, each tune better than the last. With two front men sharing the singing James Draper and Jordan Brad have an on stage camaraderie that is fun, familiar and very endearing. At times the two playfully argue about who is the leader, endearing then to everyone even more.

Having performed in various bands for the last eleven years, the duo are a well oiled machine that know how to engage a crowd. As they play songs ‘ Too Many’, ‘ Puzzle’  and ‘ Steady my Bones’ the atmosphere in the room is charged with excitement. Switching things up with a nice piano into for ‘ The Actors’ the duo prove their versatility musically and as the song launches into a dynamic chorus the room erupts into a wild dance floor.

Whilst they make mention several times that the album has been a long time coming, it is evident that this is a work of passion and this comes out in the enthusiastic performance. They know how to hold a crowd captive and have done so throughout the evening.  Winding up the night with new single ‘ Steady my Bones’ the band have done an exceptional job of entertaining the large crowd.  As everyone files out into the brusque night air, one thing is certain- we all can’t wait to hear the new album.

Words and images by Amanda Lee Starkey