Marmalade on Sunday
On the eve of their eleventh tour of Japan, Wild Marmalade present a free winter solstice celebration of epic proportions at the Hotel Brunswick this Sunday. Joined by guitarist Paul George from Tijuana Cartel and percussionist extraordinaire Matthew Ledgar, they promise a full-power dance experience for young and old. They are pioneers of the didgeridoo-and-drum dance concept that is now a global phenomenon. Formed on the streets in Byron Bay in the late 90s, they have gone on to tour the world many times over with a strong following, particularly in Europe and Japan. Sunday from 4pm.
Pizza Mimosa
Mimosa is an exciting Sydney-based duo consisting of Morgan Haselden (guitar) and Phoebe O’Shea (violin) that has performed all around the world. Their repertoire is a colourful array of music that inspires them. They began performing their own arrangements of their favourite classical pieces and have broadened their musical influences and repertoire to consist of many world genres, in particular the music of Django Reinhardt ‘Gypsy jazz’. Phoebe has studied in Havana with musicians from the Buena Vista Social Club and played with Angus and Julia Stone at the Big Day Out. They play Pizza Paradiso in Suffolk on Saturday from 6.30pm.
It’s The Wolfe
The Wolfe Brothers’ debut LP It’s On spawned three Top 10 singles, including their first number one song and number one video The Girl, The Bottle, The Memory. The album entered the ARIA charts at number two on the country chart and number 18 on the overall chart. It also earned them the recognition of their peers and saw the band nominated for four Golden Guitar Awards at the 2014 Australian Country Music Awards held in Tamworth. ‘Just to be nominated was amazing for us,’ says drummer Casey Kostiuk. ‘To be nominated in four categories blew us away, especially being one of the finalists for Highest Selling Album of the Year.’ They play the Ballina RSL on Friday at 8.30pm. Tix at the club.
The Poison Uke
At this month’s Uke Night at The Court House Hotel on Thursday 25 June, Miss Amber and Stukulele entice you to celebrate your favourite libation. The Name Your Poison songbook is rich with songs about reefers, coffee, cigarettes, red red wine, blow, and beer-drinking women. Bring your uke and bawdy singing voice or just enjoy the show. Adults $10 and kids under 16 $2.50. From 6.30pm.
The Full Brazilian
Get your first finest on this week for Festa Junina (Brazilian Folkloric Celebration) with two live bands – Trio Mandala and Malagueta – at the Byron Brewery on Saturday.
The event is a taste of Brazil’s mid-year folkloric harvest celebration festival, a very popular event all over Brazil with the biggest celebrations in the northeast. Dress in ‘country-style clothes’ (quite fun and silly!) Luiz Gonzaga is king and the folkloric sounds of Brazil’s northeast rule the party (Forro, Baiao, Xote). 7–11.45pm. Free entry.
Hard Core Title Fight
In the summer of 2014 Title Fight decamped to Studio 4 in Conshohocken, PA, where with producer/engineer Will Yip they had made their last three records to make Hyperview – the follow-up release to the band’s Spring Songs EP (Revelation Records, 2013). Hyperview is a massive leap forward from previous releases. The vocals are remarkably muted and lovely when compared to the blood-curdling caterwauling of earlier work. The lyrics are almost defiantly opaque. And when it comes to the music, this is an album that renders futile the exercise of conceiving bands as sums of influences, and of dutifully itemising those influences. Joined by Paper Arms, they play the Byron YAC on Sunday. Tix at www.oztix.com.au.
Dusty Preview
They are hairy, they sing in Russian but they don’t speak the language, and they love vodka. These are Dustyesky, 26 of the best men men Mullumbimby has to offer. This Russian chorale will hit the road to Bellingen, where they’ll perform at the inaugural Bello Winter Music festival (2–5 July) bellowintermusic.com – but first they need to get into the zone. To warm up for the coming winter occasion, and raise funds for their travel and vodka requirements, the boys will be previewing their live set with brand-new songs. They are joined by Andrew Morris and Two Lions at the Court House Hotel in Mullumbimby on Sunday at 4pm.
Earth Music
The talented partnership of Prem and Jethro, known worldwide as the musical duo Sacred Earth, present a special concert to celebrate the release of their newest musical offering – the album kuTumba. The name kuTumba is the Nepali word for family, commemorating the unique connection between community and kinsfolk. This beautiful album features divine mantras floating on rich earthy tones overlaid with lush harmonies, soaring flutes and acoustic guitar. Sacred Earth are at the Mullum Civic Hall on Friday from 7.30pm. Tickets/info: www.spiritfestival.com.au, or at the door.
Cooking with Chris
Fronted by namesake Chris Cook, the Chris Cook Band play energetic country guitar, skilful and toe-tapping fiddle and highly polished bluegrass/hillbilly banjo.
Chris Cook possesses an almost innate ability to play the most appropriate music to suit his audience. He is particularly loved for his Johnny Cash numbers, which sell a lot like the Man in Black himself. He is backed by Rob Renfrew on double bass and vocals with Jamie Cantwell on drums and percussion, and this combination presents a high-energy performance, interesting variations of familiar tunes with tight harmonies delivered at sensible sound levels.
The Rails in Byron on Sunday.
Dancing in the Forest
Electric Forest has been around creating cutting-edge electronic music events since 1996 and is the longest-running dance music production hub in the Byron region. The forest is growing into the new millennium with the highest possible production values and the latest dancefloor-friendly tunes for the discerning electronic dance music freak.
Electric Forest presents the 2015 Maya Solstice celebration, Friday at Kohinur Hall, featuring DJ Magu, Pumpernickle and Leoch. 6.30pm until midnight.
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