Jamming to Jakarta
Brissy indie rock crew Jakarta Criers are stopping by the Byron Bay Brewery as part of an east coast tour in support of their new EP Regal Twin. The EP’s singles Medicine and All Been Done see the band proving that good old straight-up rock isn’t dead.
Their recent teaming up with Australian producer Jean-Paul Fung (Birds of Tokyo, Bluejuice, Silverchair) has definitely affected their band’s sound, enabling them to focus on their strengths, bringing new elements to the creative process. No strangers to belting it our live, they’ve toured with some of Australia’s finest acts (British India, Kingswood, Spiderbait, Stonefield) as well gracing the stages of Big Day Out, Valley Fiesta and the Caxton Street Festival, so it’s safe to say they know what they’re doing.
They play the Byron Brewery on Friday at 8pm and are joined by Velshur and Dangerpenny. Free entry.
Carols by the sea
Byron’s beloved Carols by the Sea is back. Supported mainly by Byron’s churches, and organised by a band of volunteers, this festive community event will be held on Friday 11 December at Apex Park in Byron Bay. A night of Christmas songs and entertainment for all the family under the stars right on the foreshore of Byron’s beautiful Main Beach. Once again, the program will include the very popular children’s entertainment troupe The Toads, who delight with their big animal costumes and highly energetic performances, and of course an appearance by Santa.
Featured artist, along with his little daughter Imani, will be Dan Hannaford – local Byron-bred blues artist who has recorded in Nashville. Dan has opened tour shows for the likes of Grammy-winning bluesman Charlie Musselwhite and Australian icons The Black Sorrows. He is busy gracing hundreds of stages around Australia including showcasing his talent at Byron Bay Bluesfest, Falls Festival, National Folk Festival and the Gympie Muster. Dan recently released his brand-new 2015 album I Cried Bullets – a record tinged with a who’s who of seasoned session players who have played and recorded with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Keith Richards, Ray Charles and Michael Jackson, to name but a few. Imani Hannaford has only just turned eight years old and recently celebrated her birthday travelling overseas with her family to Los Angeles and Nashville. Imani was delighted to sing Amazing Grace for the world-famous American gospel/R&B music family The McCrarys. Also appearing will be the Yuletide Uke Band – a collective of up to 12 of the region’s best ukulele players, especially formed for this event by local uke master Stu Eadie. Carols artistic and music director Sharny Russell is always excited to have plenty of children onstage and is thrilled to present some stunning young local singers. There is wonderful young talent in our shire, and apart from performances by Byron Public School and Hinterland Christian School, who will both be bringing a flood of Christmas joy to the stage with their songs, also performing solo will be Alaska and Zion Jarvis, and Kyah Michaels. There will be opportunity to give to a chosen charity on the night, with donation buckets provided.
Free carol word booklets will be available, flameless candles will be for sale, and all you’ll need is a rug, a chair, and your voices to join in the carols singing. The first carol will burst forth with Byron’s famous drumming sounds right on 6.30pm. The Rotary Club is putting on a sausage sizzle before the event.
Blowing out the Bay
Bay Blow Out is a new mini-festival happening at the Byron Bay Brewery this Saturday. Kicking off the first weekend of summer in style with 13 bands, DJs and solo acts performing across two stages.
Brisbane four-piece The Cairos will be headlining the first Bay Blow. Since early 2008 they have shared the stage and toured with Julian Casablancas, Powderfinger, The Temper Trap, You Am I, Custard, Jet and many more.
The Brissy boys will be bringing their pop-infused party rock ’n’ roll and adding it to the summer vibes of the Bay Blow Out alongside Tropical Zombie, Pro Vita, The Badlands, Bleach Girls, El Bravo, Nick Cunningham, Kit Bray, Jiordy, Jesse Pumphreys, Roger Grassi, Twitch, Wadeep.
Tickets just $15 online: http://bit.ly/bayblowout. Limited tickets available on the door. Kicks off at 3pm.
Richard in Your Mind
Sydney’s beloved psych-pop mainstays, Richard In Your Mind, are at it again, announcing a run of tour dates in celebration of new music and a refreshed lineup – the Ecstatic Electricity Tour, which accompanies their new single of the same name. For nearing a decade and through a staggering six releases, RIYM have created a kaleidoscope of psychedelic-pop, made manifest in their fourth album – the critically acclaimed, meticulously crafted, joyous and bizarre Ponderosa (released on Rice is Nice in 2014). From sitars to synthesisers, Ponderosa sees RIYM traverse a sonic landscape as comfortable in the world of modern hip-hop and electronica as it is neo-psychedelia.
Following a hugely successful tour in mid 2015, which saw the band sell out shows in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, longtime drummer Pat Torres relocated to NYC and was replaced by Carlos Adura (ex-Deep Sea Arcade) who began work immediately with the band on new material. Says RIYM frontman Richard Cartwright: ‘From the darkness came new light, new songs. Ecstatic Electricity is one of a bunch of new material that started flowing really quickly and freely. It sounds like how we’ve been feeling – lots of energy and lots of guitars. It’s like the dark emperor shooting lightning bolts from his finger tips trying to kill you but it just makes you stronger and feels good.’ The Ecstatic Electricity tour will see RIYM showcase material from their entire catalogue marrying it with the new batch of songs that will no doubt become the jump-off point for their fifth album. Richard in Your Mind, supported by local bands This Old Sunn, Chesta Hedron and Sunrose. At the Hotel Great Northern on Saturday.
The Incredible Kasey Chambers
Fresh from her triumphant US tour in August and the success of her first solo album in four years, Australian singer/songwriter and storyteller Kasey Chambers takes her Bittersweet tour back out on the road in regional Australia for her last shows of the year. The tour is especially sweet as Chambers has this year undergone and made a full recovery from vocal surgery. Audiences and reviewers of the recent US tour have commented that she is in better voice than ever before in her illustrious career. Kasey will perform songs from Bittersweet, the album that has won her the 2014 ARIA Award for Best Country Album and a swag of Tamworth Golden Guitar awards, as well as play all the classic Kasey tunes that have made her one of the most loved Australian touring artists of the last decade and showcase a few brand-new tracks that got standing ovations throughout the US recently. Kasey Chambers plays the Ballina RSL on 7 January – tickets at the club.
Get Your Lime Cordiale Straight Up
Sydney’s Lime Cordiale have been storming through 2015 off the back of two emphatic single releases and a string of capacity shows throughout the country. The band are now proud to cap off an enormous year with the release of their third EP, Road To Paradise, accompanied by their most ambitious run of Australian shows to date. The Road To Paradise tour is set for thirteen dates across the country, including separate U18 and 18+ shows at Northcote Social Club in Melbourne, appearances at Soundscape Music Festival and Lost Paradise Festival in NSW, and their biggest hometown venue to date at the Metro Theatre. Inspired by a string of influences from Charles Bradley to Daft Punk to The Roots, Lime Cordiale’s forthcoming EP features brand-new track Not That Easy alongside previously released singles Hanging Upside Down and Feel Alright. Lime Cordiale’s emphatic live show has graced countless local and international stages over the last 18 months across two separate twenty-date tours of North America and in Australia alongside The Delta Riggs (sold-out national tour), Ball Park Music, The Griswolds, Dispatch and Cosmo Jarvis. The five-piece from Sydney’s northern beaches have previously sold out a sizeable list of Sydney venues including the Metro Lair (twice), Newtown Social Club, The Standard and Oxford Art Factory. The band have also performed at numerous Australian festivals over the last eighteen months including Bigsound, Homebake, AWME, Deni Blues, Bluesfest, Caloundra Music Festival and Marmalade Skies. Hotel Great Northern on Friday supported by local act Jman and The Pigs.
Alice Night and Love in the Time of Capitalism
An eve of power and grace is set to light your heart, confront your mind and envelope your senses.
We invite you to place yourself in presence of these timeless artists, and allow the layers of their craft to revive your dreams, and re-design your curiosity of love. Alice Night has written a series of new songs under the title Love in The Time of Capitalism, looking at the ways cultural and societal systems impact on our intimate lives. The show will feature the single At The Corner, exploring suburbia, neglect and the power of unconditional love. These songs examine different kinds of love: the bond between a parent and child, romantic relationships and heartbreak, and issues of self-love and self-respect. Working with double-bass player Robert Davidson (Topology) and featuring other special guest musicians, Alice Night will be touring Love in the Time of Capitalism down the east coast from the Sunshine Coast to Falls Festival in Lorne this December to feature at Rancho Relaxo stage for up-and-coming artists. This Sunday, 7pm at the Drill Hall in Mullumbimby.
Cave in the Sky
Cave in the Sky is the creation of multi-instrumentalist/sound artist Cye Wood. His live performances are renowned for being a deeply meditative and sonically rich experience, drawing listeners into uncharted inner worlds of cinematic proportions.
For this performance he will be drawing from material from the album Songhellir and upcoming new works.
Tickets available here for $22 or try your luck on the door for $25. Sunday at the Drill hall in Mullumbimby from 7pm. Tea and cake on sale. www.evolvesphere.yapsody.com
Reece Mastin is Down to Earth
This has been a huge year for Reece Mastin – new record label, new management, new album and, to celebrate turning 21, Reece has announced a short run of special Christmas/New Year acoustic shows with Nashville-based Sunshine Coast singer/songwriter Alys Ffion. Alys and Reece first met earlier this year for a songwriting session that went on to produce the haunting ballad Down to Earth, which was included on Reece’s latest longplayer, Change Colours. Down to Earth is about letting someone you love go and giving them the space to make their own choices and mistakes. Alys and Reece have performed the song at recent instore appearances around the country and it’s quickly become a fan favourite.
Alys Ffion is highly regarded for her refreshing natural style, unique pop sensibilities and beyond-her-years compositions and is determined to create her own lane as an artist and avoid the comforts of conforming. At 19 she has chalked up some significant achievements including landing a publishing deal, supporting Tina Arena on her national tour and being endorsed by Martin Guitars. With the release of Change Colours earlier this year, Reece Mastin’s true music-making journey finally began. The songs were all written by Reece with a little help from some friends including Alys, Chris Cheney (The Living End), producer Ben Rodgers, Mark Lizotte (Diesel), Michael Paynter and his manager, Mahalia Barnes. Onstage is where Reece shines and, if you’ve been fortunate enough to see any of his performances over the past 12 months, you’ll have found a confident, natural-born rock star with a stage presence to match his massive vocal range.
Tickets to the Down to Earth tour featuring Alys Ffion are on sale now! Sunday 27 December at the Ballina RSL. Ticket Price: Pre-sale; $35 One hour to doors: $40. Tix at the club.
From New York to New Years!
International master of stage and screen, Alan Cumming, will take to the NORPA stage at Lismore City Hall on 29 and 30 December 2015 as part of the Tropical Fruits Festival. Alan Cumming: Sings Sappy Songs will bring down the house with eclectic, wildly entertaining and intimate stories and witty reinterpretations of pop songs and stage classics. Alan Cumming, Olivier and Tony-winning Scottish actor-singer-author, is a versatile performer who won many accolades for his turn as the emcee on Broadway’s Cabaret directed by Sam Mendes and famously held post-show parties in his dressing room that became so renowned they even garnered an alcohol sponsor. Mr Cumming was named one of the most fun people in show business by Time magazine and the multi-award-winning actor, singer and author has garnered a legion of fans through an impressive career, including his acclaimed turn as Eli Gold on CBS’s The Good Wife, and his work as a columnist and author of the NY Times best-selling memoir, Not My Father’s Son. Direct from a sold-out residency at the legendary Carlyle Hotel in New York, Lismore is his only regional stop on the Australian tour that will visit Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
The production will be one of the highlights of the Tropical Fruits Festival. The festival opens on 29 December with a parade through Lismore. The parade will finish up at Lismore City Hall, where there will be a free community party from 5.30pm till 7pm, immediately prior to Mr Cumming’s first performance. For ticket info call 1300 066 772 or norpa.org.au.
