Meet Johnny Osbourne
The legendary reggae artist Johnny Osbourne is heading to Australia and New Zealand for a tour in April alongside DJ Max Glazer of Federation Sound System, touching down at the Byron Brewery on Monday night at the reggae session with The 4’20’ Sound.
Johnny Osborne has been called the Godfather of Dancehall creating classics Buddy Bye, No Ice Cream Sound and Little Sound Boy. His song Sing Jay Stylee is viewed by many as the precursor to the Dancehall phenomenon evidenced in popular Jamaican music culture today. The evolution of this aspect in the 80s prompted an increase in sound systems around the globe and necessitated the need for dubs. As sound-system selectors in every crevice and corner of the world craved to establish dominance, the demand for dubs escalated immensely. Such were the requests for Johnny’s services as no selector wanted to enter into a clash without a special from the Dub Doctor. Today, it is the same. A string of hits dating from the late 60s through the 90s defines Johnny’s longevity and artistic ability. During this period and subsequently, Johnny’s aptitude to adapt to changes while preserving the quality of his musical output illustrates the depth of talent in his musical arsenal. He is joined by Max Glazer, co-founder (along with Kenny Meez) of the ground-breaking and taste-making Federation Sound. He has spent the last 15 years bringing dancehall and reggae to the masses. Max has worked with an almost never-ending string of artists on their rise to international fame. Sean Paul and Vybz Kartel both count Glazer as an early collaborator and supporter of their careers. Perhaps most importantly, he spent three years as musical director/DJ for Rihanna at the start of her meteoric rise to international stardom. Max has appeared on numerous television shows and stages around the globe while DJing celebrity events for Naomi Campbell, Rihanna, Usher, Gucci, Ciprianis, Diddy and many more. While releasing original music on the Federation Sound label, Max Glazer has also been tapped to executive-produce several compilation albums directed at bringing Caribbean music to the masses – Dancehall Classics on Sequence/Ultra and Miss Lily’s Family Style, the first music release from New York’s ultra-hip Jamaican eatery. The Byron Bay Brewery on Monday, 8pm. $10 entry.
The Big Splendour Bender – TIX on sale!
From Friday 22 July till Sunday 24 July, the green fields of North Byron Parklands will be vibing with the 16th annual Splendour in the Grass music and arts festival when the event plays host to more than 100 acts across the Amphitheatre, Mix Up, GW McLennan and Tiny Dancer stages. From influential post-punk trailblazers and globally acclaimed garage revivalists to producers at the top of their game, esteemed enigmas and some of Australia’s most established and promising artists, Splendour 2016 has peak singalong guaranteed! It’s an impressive lineup with The Strokes performing their only Aussie show, The Cure, Flume, The Avalanches, James Blake, At the Drive-In, Matt Corby, Violent Soho and so, so, so much more. For the full lineup go to splendourinthegrass.com. Tix are on sale this week, with phones and internet running hot from 9am Thursday via moshtix.com.au or phone 1300 GET TIX (438 849).
Music to make you bing
Ryan Bingham needed some peace and quiet. Free of the burdens that had saddled him during the writing and recording of his recent albums, he relocated to an old Airstream caravan tucked away in the mountains of California, camping out for several weeks and embracing the solitude to dig down deep and craft his most powerful album yet, Fear and Saturday Night. Bingham never really set out to be a musician, though. His mother bought him a guitar when he was 16 years old, and a neighbour taught him a mariachi tune. When he grew tired of playing the only song he knew, Bingham began penning his own music, discovering the writing process to be a therapeutic coping mechanism for dealing with the tumultuousness of his upbringing. His first performances were informal affairs in the back seats of cars with friends on the way to rodeos, where he was competing professionally on the weekends. Every now and then Bingham’s friends would convince him to break out the guitar in a bar, and before he knew it, he had more gigs playing guitar than riding bulls.
Bingham faces down his past with a poetic grace throughout his album, singing about those hard-learned lessons, through both good times and bad, Fear and Saturday Night is the most authentic, personal, and deeply moving portrait of that man we’ve heard yet. Bingham plays the Byron Theatre at the Community Centre on Friday 29. Tix at the venue.
Celebrating the spirit
Join the Byron Spirit Festival after party at the Byron Bay Brewery on Thursday.
Featuring some of the headline international performers and presenters, this will be a night of ceremony, celebration and dance.
Jemma Gawned of Naked Treaties will open the evening with Sacred Sonicss, followed by a Yogarhythms dance journey with DJ R.I.A. from New Zealand, who will warm you up for the main act – Lulacruza – South American electro-folk medicine trio! The fun continues with Bali’s ecstatic dance maestro DJ Riao, and Byron’s own ecstatic dance priestess DJ Dakini, wrapping up the night in fine style. 7pm. $25/30.
Giving it a nudge is good for us all, wink wink
April’s long weekend is the perfect reason to give it a nudge!
Cunning Stunts present Nudge Nudge, Wink Wink at the Billinudgel on Sunday, raising money for Headspace. DJs playing are Al Royale, Dale Stephen, Flashdance and Lord Sut, all Byron Shire-based favourites. Also featuring the music of the Cunning Stunts. 3pm.
Gone Not Forgotten
Special guests at Thursday 28 Gone Not Forgotten Uke Night are Belle Hendrick and John Hill. Catch them with Miss Amber and Stukulele to present two big sets of the best tunes from fallen stars including: David Bowie, Michael Jackson, Elvis, Janis Joplin, Buddy Holly, Nina Simone, Roy Orbison, Bon Scott, Amy Winehouse, John Lennon, Kurt Cobain, Jo Cocker and more. Thursday 28 April at Club Mullum in the Ex-Services Club from 6:30pm. Adults $10 kids under 15 $2.50. Sign up to the mailing list at www.ukemullum.com for the monthly song books. Uke on!
The Spy who loved me
For people who get The Spys, it is more than a trend or a lifestyle accessory, and stands for more than lining up a shot at super stardom; it means something. The band’s iconic high-energy rock, with hard-edged ska/reggae influences and a strong social conscience, give the band and its songs an integrity and life force that have proven difficult to kill. They have enjoyed a salubrious long-term career. They are a household name in Brazil, and are the flag-bearers of Aussie music. They are in high demand in Brazil, headlining many of the country’s biggest festivals. But for the most part, The Spys’ career in Australia has been fuelled by the true believers. Slogging it out on the Australian pub circuit for nearly 25 years, the band have stayed in touch with its fans, and never sold out. Friday at the Ballina RSL, tix $25 at the club.
Rize up
Nattali Rize (of Blue King Brown) collaborates with Julian Marley, son of the late great Bob Marley, on new deep reggae track, Natty Rides Again – a first-of-its-kind release for any Australian singer.
Accompanying the new release is a rare video clip filmed at Bob Marley’s house and surrounding areas in Kingston, Jamaica. The video premiered on Europe’s huge online reggae community, Reggaeville, and has already become one the most popular videos of the year to date. In Australia, Triple J premiered the track nationally, and global love for the song is growing daily. Nattali moved to Jamaica in 2014 to develop her new solo project; in August 2015 she dropped an EP in collaboration with cutting-edge Jamaican production team Notis.
The new track with Marley comes off Nattali’s upcoming solo album due for May 2016 release through Baco Records (Europe), Village Again Records (Japan), and Roots Level/Lion House Records (ROW). The release will drop ahead of her international summer tour dates, which will see her performing in Japan at the much-loved Greenroom Festival (plus sideshows), and in the USA and Europe on some of the world’s largest roots and reggae stages, including the mighty California Roots Festival and Summerjam Germany. Ahead of her world tour dates, Nattali is playing a select run of special Australian east coast shows in May. She’s named the run the Community Rizing Tour and shows will include multiple local hall performances with one at her old home base, Mullumbimby Civic Hall on Friday 6 May. Tickets & info: www.nattalirize.com or in actual hard-copy form at the Mullum Bookshop.
Devon & Dowling
Born to hippy parents near Kingston, Ontario, Devon Sproule spent her childhood on a 465-acre, 100-member eco-village in rural Virginia. After moving between private, public and home schooling, she eventually left high school, recorded her first record, and began touring nationally—all before the age of eighteen. Last year she recorded songs from a new collection, The Gold String, in Yukon and Nova Scotia. Catch her with Jimmy Dowling as support at Club Mullum (Mullum Ex-Services) on Sunday at 7.30pm. Tix $20 at the door.
Tom Lee-Richards at the Treehouse
Infectious island rhythms, sophisticated synth hide’n’seek and the harmony to bring you home: As Far as India, the new single from Tom Lee-Richards, is a nostalgic celebration of life.
With a childlike lens As Far as India moves through imagery of growing up and calls out to the memories that shape us. Now calling Melbourne home, Tom grew up in New Zealand, beginning with pots and pans, mouth noises and imitating things some time before starting school. At 14 he was experimenting on the guitar, gigging, and had developed a colourful beat-boxing language.
Join Tom Lee-Richards on an alt-pop Calypso journey with As Far as India and sample his idiosyncratic vocal stylings. Thursday at the Treehouse in Byron Bay.
