Seaside Carols
There’s nothing like coming together for Christmas carols. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of the songbook, but I love the nostalgia – that it somehow feels like that magic time as a child when we were getting ready for Christmas. A childhood just ain’t the same without holding a candle in a paper cup in a high wind while trying to sing along to Little Drummer Boy. Apparently, new improved Santa will be coming twice! First in the afternoon on the sea kayak and then at the end of the carols on a big red metallic Harley Davidson.
(Although I’ve often fantasised about Aussie Santa being a bloke in a ute with a dog.) Bring the kids, a blanket, and rub shoulders with your beautiful community for Carols by the Sea at Apex Park in Byron on Friday, 6.30–8.30pm.
Hear it on the Deidi Vine
Having recently been nominated for four NCEIA Dolphin awards and taken away the blues trophy, Deidi Vine is back on the gig horse again for a regular Saturday night at the Court House Hotel in Mullumbimby with special guests, belting out soul, blues, reggae and pop tunes. From 6.30pm.
Opiuo for your ears, eyes and thighs
The Opiuo Band is a feast for the ears, the eyes, and your dancing thighs. The perfect blend of the raw and the beautiful, the organic essence of live instrumentation and the powerful rocketship-like adventure of electronic music. Having sold out shows right across North America and Australasia, Opiuo and his band of funkadelic friends are onto something extremely exciting and extremely fresh.
With loads of brand-new music and a completely new show, this five-piece band is ready to lock in, let loose and funk the party.
Opiuo play the Hotel Great Northern on Saturday.
It’s no Burden at the Brewery
Fergo & The Burden (formally known as JaFFer) are an exciting funky band hailing from Byron Bay. Fronted by local bass legend Fergo, who not only plays the bass like a demon but also possesses a soulful five-octave vocal range! Fergo has played bass for many of Australia’s top artists including Pete Murray, Nicky Bomba, Marshall O’Kell, Jasmine Rae, Lisa Hunt Andy Jans-Brown & Cosmic and many more.
Backed up by the funky fingers of Dan Brown on keyboards and the Amasian Jamie P on drums. Fergo & the Burden play a mix of their own soulful tunes as well as their own take on popular tunes from 1960s to the present day. Byron Brewery on Friday at 8pm. Free
Significant Others presents: Groove
Significant Others, a well respected Sydney house and techno crew is hosting a brand-new weekly Sunday event at the Byron Bay Brewery showcasing local and intestate DJs from around Australia. Expect to hear quality house and techno music by the hand of resident DJs LeOCh and Magu + weekly guest DJs.
Come experience it for yourself. Groove is free entry every Sunday from 3pm till 10pm at the Byron Bay Brewery.
Palm wine, African food, soulful music
Palm Wine Ambassadors plays music from west Africa with a strong influence of the traditional 21-string kora and percussion. They have a full weekend booked in the Bay, starting on Friday at Cafe Oska in Byron and Saturday at Byron Eco Park located on Grays Lane in Tyagarah. Eat African food, try the real palm wine and enjoy soulful music.
Cyber Tribal Summer Solstice
It feels like only last week we were welcoming the winter solstice, but Electric Forest presents the Maya Summer Solstice Festival 2015 Cyber Tribal Gathering at Kohinur Hall, Upper Main Arm, on Friday 18 December. The fourth local electronic music event on the 2015 calendar, the Maya Summer Solstice Festival has evolved over many years into one of Byron’s best-kept secrets. With a stellar lineup of local and interstate DJs this event is not to be missed.
Electric Forest events create a unique festival atmosphere where self-expression, freedom and personal journeys can meld into a positive life-affirming experience through dance within a world-class immersive multimedia environment. Featuring DJ Pop, a fixture on the outdoor electronic music scene for decades; DJ Kamos aka Alex Brine started Djing in 2003–2004 mixing house music and hip-hop, playing at school parties and socials after listening to his first psytrance album. Also featured is PsyPhi, DJ/producer and founder of Electric Forest
Chillambient grooves. Tickets are $25 at the door or $20 presale at Main Arm Store. www.facebook.com/ElectricForestProductions
Happy Xmas to Uke
It’s always a surprise when Christmas comes around again… what to do… what to do? Why not have a Wilde Xmas?
This year the Christmas Uke-tacular will be a CAROL-FREE ZONE. Miss Amber and Stukulele will be presenting an evening of bawdy, swingin’ and rockin’ Christmas tunes including songs by CW Stone King, Chuck Berry, Ertha Kitt and more. Stay tuned for the book. Thursday 17 at the Mullum Ex-Services.
The Kelly Gang
Polka Dot Productions present their final show of the year, featuring Dan Kelly with his fabulous cousins, Madeleine and Memphis Kelly (Paul Kelly’s daughters), Ben Ely (Regurgitator) in solo acoustic mode, our own Ilona Harker and Brisbane’s DJ Scorpio spinning great tracks between sets!
Dan Kelly grew up in Queensland and formed his first band in 1990. He moved to Melbourne in 1996 and played solo shows as Dank Alley, not wanting to trade on his famous uncle’s name.
This year’s Leisure Panic! was recorded in multiple locations, including a Nimbin porch and around the world, and incorporates solo and band songs, featuring Kelly’s trademark falsetto and sonically lush, dreamy psychedelic grooves. ‘I’m playing the album Leisure Panic, which is all about northern New South Wales, deep in the heart of the whole story at the Mullumbimby Ex-Services Club! Plus all the hits! With my cousins Maddy and Mem on backing vox it’s a total Kelly mind adventure with music, comedy, deep reasonings, underwater guitar solos, bells and whistles and the whole kitchen sink!’
Joined by spiritual guru Ben Ely playing songs off his Hello Machine album just out on Valve Records and local mystic Ilona Harker with the golden voice and a face that could sink a thousand paddle boards. Kids under 10 get in free.
Mullumbimby Ex-Services on Friday at 7.30pm. Pre-sale tickets: $23.00 + bf www.trybooking.com/168393. Tickets at the door: $25.
Breakfast at the Rails
Forever Since Breakfast have members scattered from Sydney to Alstonville – created during a series of songwriting and recording paroxysms in a north coast house between 2011 and 2013. The result of all this was a four-album box set released before the band had ever played live. Since mid 2014 the band have been delivering classily crafted melodic pop.
Catch out this chaotic, psych-laden power pop at the Rails in Byron on Saturday.
