Whats Your Neem?
Four-piece Gold Coast band Neem deliver a mixture of folk, blues, country and a hit of rock. With more than 60,000 hits on Sound Cloud on their first single Ray of Sunshine they have proved to have created a captivating sound that has attracted thousands of fans to admire their innovative and soulful songwriting.
These musical wonders are currently recording their debut EP with Aria-winning producer Govinda Doyle, and with the combination of Sally’s earthy passionate vocals, Nathan’s tasty drum beats, Rick’s kicking it on the bass and Nim’s soulful sound and guitar hooks, the results are sure to be unbelievable.
Friday at the Byron Brewery from 8.30pm. Free.
Doublin’ No Trouble for Youth Fest!
For the past three years Byron’s Yackrockcafe has been putting youth music on the world map.
This Saturday and Sunday will see many of the bands who have played on the YAC stage play two massive shows, the Metal United Down Under – Byron Bay event and the Which Way Festival.
Metal United Down Under is a national event happening in 16 locations across Australia, all on the same day, that aims to celebrate the diversity of metal bands and genres that Australia has to offer. The Byron show is a special one, being that it will be an all-ages event, mainly showcasing young metal bands.
The Which Way Festival is set to become an annual event. This is the second Which Way Festival, the first having happened in January 2013. This special event will also showcase regular Yackrockcafe bands, across all styles and genres, but with a focus on hardcore, punk and pop-punk. Both events have 11 bands each day and will run from midday to 9pm at the Byron Youth Activities Centre Amphitheatre.
They are all-ages and drug- and alcohol-free events and tickets are just $10 at the gate. These two events are the major fundraisers for the weekly youth music program that happens at the Byron YAC each Friday night, the Yackrockcafe, and will help to kick-start the program in 2015.
Over the past three years, the Yackrockcafe has had more than 400 separate performances, with young bands coming from all across Australia, to perform on the YAC stage. Yackrockcafe coordinator Nicqui Yazdi said, ‘The Yackrockcafe is a great stepping stone for many young bands who are just starting out. It gives them a space to perform for live audiences, build up their fan bases and connect to other bands and the music industry as a whole.
We’ve been very blessed to be able to help so many bands to get a foot in the door to their chosen careers, with a number of our bands even recently having tours to Indo, which has a massive hardcore scene. It’s a great program that we’d like to see continue long into the future.’
A full lineup of all 22 bands playing in both events can be found in the events page on the Yackrockcafe Facebook page
Young, Talented and Velshur
Velshur are a four-piece funk, rock and pop band from Byron Bay. A young band with an abundance of talent and a strong gut-wrenching rhythm section, tasty licks and radical frontman antics, they’ll keep you entertained and up and dancing for days.
Anything goes with these guys. Off the back of a UK and European tour last year, these young fellas know how to rock hard.
Velshur give their single a very belated but much-anticipated launch show on Friday at The Northern.
Notes to Self
This Saturday the Lismore-based chamber choir Vox Caldera will present their final concert for the year in the A&I Hall in Bangalow, a venue favoured by choirs owing to its bouncy, reverberating acoustics.
They will sing the sublime Bach motet Jesu, meine Freude (Jesus, my Joy), along with spine-tingling works by Monteverdi, Josquin and Bruckner, and the whimsical work Ab Estatis Foribus (At the Gates of Summer) by Australian composer Ross Edwards.
And there will be a repeat performance of Britten’s Hymn to St Cecilia owing to popular demand! 7.30pm. Tickets: $20, $15 and $5, available at the door.
Ginger Pob
The connection between DJ and dancefloor can become perpetual motion. It’s an ancient thing in modern form and Pob continues to be inspired by it. The music evolves and the dancefloor changes but ultimately everyone knows when it hits the mark, you’re in a groove and you feel the affinity.
As a DJ, Pob has a wealth of experience and style known for keeping folks on the dancefloor. He’s impossible to pigeon-hole and seamlessly weaves the finest house, tech, techno, grooving electronica and alternative beats to create rich and captivating sound environments.
With inventive mixing, wit, a gracious attitude and sensitivity to the dancefloor, Pob maintains a loyal and eclectic underground following.
DJ Pob spreads the Good Vibes on Friday at Ginger Pig, 9pm – midnight. Free entry.
Falling for Art Camp
Byron’s Falls Festival is calling out for local volunteers to get involved in a five-day Art Camp being held at Mullumbimby Showgrounds over Dec 15–19 to help create large-scale puppets and parade floats for the festival.
Participants will learn building and design skills under the direction of local artists Daniele Poidomane, Joey Ruigrok, Martin Pedder and Kellie O’Dempsey, and will then become part of the performance team for the parade on 2 January at Falls Festival.
Each participant will receive a complimentary four-day ticket to Falls Festival and be provided with meals during Art Camp. Applicants who have a creative background in visual arts and/or physical performance will get the most out of the Art Camp.
Please send a short bio and a few sentences about why you would like to be part of this event to [email protected] by Monday.
Broad at the Brewery
Broadfoot is a three-piece from Mullum and Byron who combine electric funky blues with rock and jazz elements. Broadfoot’s award-winning music has been rapturously received over the north coast and beyond since the band’s formation in 2007.
The music is up tempo, up in mood, and this usually results in getting the dancers up too.
Saturday at the Byron Bay Brewery, 8.30pm start, free entry!
Club Lennox Gets the Bleed
Acid Bleed is a unique six-piece band playing a virtuoso blend of hot gypsy swing with a latin groove.
All local to the northern rivers, the band members are accomplished musicians who have been playing together for four years making their mark on the north coast jazz scene. Lead vocalist Gerri Loong is a sultry chanteuse with a honey voice that brings back nostalgic memories of Piaf and trips on the Orient Express.
They play Club Lennox on Sunday at 4pm.
Shakin’ in the Middle
After a weekend of alt-country folky stuff, Mullumbimby is ripe for a welcome dose of pub rock from local guns Shake Appeal.
Featuring Jason Matheson belting them out like only he can, Mick Lonsdale grinding the riffs and slaying the solos, and rhythm section Karl Perske and Greg Buckman laying it down behind them, these guys serve up cool rock and roll hits from all eras guaranteed to get you all shook up.
Free from 7.30pm this Saturday at the Middle Pub.
Dallas Frasca’s Beautiful
Melbourne riff rock trio Dallas Frasca have launched their controversial new single You Are Beautiful via The Music and have embarked on a 17-date national tour.
The clip for the new single drew upon the power of social media, with frontwoman and band namesake Dallas Frasca putting out the call for participants online and receiving a massive response.
‘You will see the diversity in the people who believe in the message and are in the clip,’ she said of the video in a statement. ‘We all got our kit off for the cause and we hope this song will inspire people to be more aware of what they are reading and to feel beautiful the way they are.’
The single is the first to be taken from the band’s impending full-length Love Army, which is due out early next year.
Well before that’s in your hands, though, the three-piece will be setting off for their 20-date national tour in support of You Are Beautiful, proudly presented by The Music.
They play the Hotel Brunswick with CC The Cat this Sunday from 4pm. Free.
The Greatest Hits of Uke
The votes are in: this month Miss Amber and Stukulele present a compilation of the best songs from all the Uke Nights from 2014.
Uke Nights at The Court House Hotel have had great turn-outs each month with awesome songs, lots of strumming, laughter and spontaneous eruptions of dancing in the aisles. Don’t miss one the best fun nights in Mullum town with special guest vocals from Chris Mallory, Rex Carter on drums, Rod Coe on bass and Al Park on keys.
Sign up to the mailing list at ukemullum.com for the music. Bring your ukulele or just show up with a smile. Great meals from around 6pm.
Entry is $10 for grownups and $2.50 for kids under 15 years – Thursday from 6.30 till just after 9pm
