Roots Reggae Shakedown
Local roots reggae legends the Jesse Morris Band are teaming up with the mighty munchkins from the Rosie Miss-chief Band for a couple of special local shows starting with the Rails on Friday from 7pm for a night of soul, roots and reggae rhythms. Saturday the Jesse Morris duo will be gracing the Sheoak Shack stage from 2pm followed by the Rosie Miss-chief Band from 7pm. And Sunday the Jesse Morris Band will be outside at the Sphinx Rock Cafe from 1pm in Mt Burrell.
Check out www.facebook.com/jessemorrisband for more details.
The Lowdown on the Byron Brewery
The newly refurbished Byron Brewery features live music Friday nights with suave Kings, fabulous Queens, cabaret and dance performances and local DJs. Saturday sees Essie Thomas take the stage at 2pm. Having just released her new album, Essie brings you her rusty soulful folk songs. Then later that evening Tess Latu brings her cool tropical north Queensland grooves with cool originals and creative renditions of your favourite tunes. And on Sunday if you’re looking for some serious beats, check out MRS at 2.30pm, straight from her set at Island Vibe festival. Full of fun and sunshine, MRS brings her beautiful energy to the stage for the Sunday DJ sessions.
Drill Hall on Wednesday
Get Folked with McElroy
Willy McElroy, formerly of the legendary Wild Zinnias, is returning to the Mullumbimby Folk Club on Wednesday 16 November. Willy is passionate, charming and charismatic, and his shows are always something special, as he shares his stories in song about life, love and all of the madness in between, with reflections on the contemporary world woven into the mythology of his Irish roots. Willy’s new band The Immigrants have recently released their debut self-titled CD and this is a chance to experience him in a rare acoustic setting, showcasing some of this new material.
Chalkboard spots will be available from 6.30pm, so if you are an original singer/songwriter and would like the opportunity to perform to a quiet, respectful audience, come along and put your name down.
Mullum Folk Club at the Drill Hall on Wednesday 16 November. Doors open 7pm, show starts 7.30pm. Entry $7.50.
Elena’s Feet in the Sand
Local musician Elena B Williams is about to release her new album Feet in the Sand.
For those of you not familiar with Elena’s music I’m sure you will be moved by the sound of her voice. With rave reviews from Donna Simpson (The Waifs) and Toni Childs, it’s easy to hear why.
The album is inspired by a trip Elena took to Uluru and her connection with the land. It’s also inspired by Elena’s personal life and you will hear that in songs such as Full Circles and Paper Boat. This is an album that plays on the heartstrings and may even bring a tear to the eyes.
With some great local, interstate and overseas musicians playing some outstanding accompaniment, you will not be disappointed with a blend of folk, soul, blues stylings and great lyrical content.
The album launch will be at South Golden Beach Community Centre on Sunday at 3–5pm, with support act Tom Francis.
$20 at the door includes the new album and afternoon tea.
Get your car-pass tickets now!
Get your car a pass to Falls!
You’ve gotta have an exit strategy. If you are heading to Falls Festival, you have to work out how to get there, and how to get home. So if you are driving, then car passes are on sale now! And hey, the more of you who share a ride, the cheaper parking gets.
Car passes were
introduced to the Lorne and Byron shows to encourage carpooling and to help reduce the number of vehicles onsite. For all the carparking options go to fallsfestival.com.au/byron-bay.
The Love Dynasty
Dynasty8 features the voices of Kathryn Walker, Janet Swain, Anita Kuhn, Brigid Kramer, Henry Pit, Barry Firth, Adrian Brett and Andrew Swain. This weekend they present a program of sweet, saucy, succulent madrigals and juicy love songs, as well as ecclesiastical music that will make you yearn to take the veil. Songs of Love, Loss & Longing, directed by Elizabeth Swain. Pure, simple and straight into your beating heart! Saturday at the Brunswick Memorial Hall in Brunswick Heads and Sunday at Jasper Corner in Federal. Both shows start at 4pm. $20/25 at the door.
Dustin at the Northern
Falling for the northern hemisphere, the notion of life in winter and the appeal of a hibernation far away, Dustin Tebbutt relocated to Sweden for two years to write and record music. The result was a tenderly sculpted album about that move to the other side of the world. The things he left or lost along the way, and the person who came back. Dustin is able to craft sublime harmonies with golden tinges, and his new single is a song of awakening; a song about falling in love, then getting up and seeing the world in a whole new way. He plays the Hotel Great Northern on Saturday.
Matty plays Falls
The votes are in and the public has spoken! Falls Music & Arts Festival promoters today announced Tweed Shire singer/songwriter Matty Rogers has scored a paid slot on the Falls Byron 2016 lineup via the Foster a Band initiative. Matty will take to the Falls Byron stage in front of a sellout crowd, alongside the likes of Childish Gambino, London Grammar, Grandmaster Flash, The Avalanches and more!
Matty Rogers has been creating and performing his original music throughout Australia for the last 12 years and his unique blend of blues, folk, and rock has seen him perform alongside some of the best in the business. His percussive guitar style and high-energy foot stomping (kick and snare) make for a big sound. His new EP Walk to the Water (produced by Aria-winning Stuart Stuart) is off to a great start with national and international radio stations already jumping on board. In his live shows, Matty is known for being highly entertaining with a soulful, rock-out, laugh-out-loud nature and loves to get the crowd rocking – perfect for Falls!
Falls Music & Arts Festival expanded its popular and long-running Foster a Band initiative to include Falls Byron this year, giving Falls fans across Australia the chance to vote for an up-and-coming northern rivers act to join the 2016 Byron lineup. Each act was nominated by a local media outlet, helping introduce local talent to the Falls community. With close to two thousand people voting via the Falls website, the running was close between Matty Rogers (fostered by Tweed Valley Weekly), Byron-based grunge rockers The Badlands (fostered by Byron Bazaar), alt-rock four-piece PTLS (fostered by Common Ground) and electronic outfit Tralala Blip (fostered by Byron Shire Echo).
‘We had an incredible range of northern rivers talent in our first Foster a Band comp and a great response from voters,’ said Falls Byron director Brandon Saul. ‘Congratulations to Matty Rogers and welcome to the lineup! We’d like to thank all the local acts, media outlets, and the community for getting behind Foster a Band’s first outing in Byron. We look forward to showcasing more local talent and growing the initiative in years to come.’
Falls Festival in Byron, running 31 December till 2 January. Local release tix coming soon. Watch this space.
Pop Crimes at Billi
Pop Crimes Festival is an intimate daytime (into the night) community event for the Byron Shire.
Featuring gothic and desert blues, outlaw country, garage punk, folk and rock’n’roll with the likes of Los Pintar, The Delicates, Rhyece O’Neill Band, Donny Love, Jim & Bob and Jez Mead & The Golden Mile and DJs Stevie Starz and Nick Taylor.
Billinudgel Hotel on Saturday 26 November.