The Byron Bay Guitar Festival
Byron Brewery | 6 & 7 October
The Byron Bay Guitar Festival (BBGF) is returning on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 October 2018 at the Byron Bay Brewery for its second year. Amongst the incredible lineup are British India, Ash Grunwald, Jeff Martin (The Tea Party), Lloyd Spiegel, Hussy Hicks, Opal Ocean, The Fumes, Dallas Frasca, Steve Edmonds, Joel McDonald, Nathan Kaye, Tullara, Minnie Marks, Shai Shriki, and many more. SAE Qantum Byron Bay is presenting a series of intimate theatre-style masterclasses and workshops with some of Australia’s masters of the six-string, and featuring some of the world’s moist celebrated guitar brands. This is a not-to-be-missed opportunity for beginners and advanced players alike. Jeff Martin will be talking through guitar ‘alternate tunings’ that he has created and used throughout The Tea Party and solo works. These alternate tunings have been used to create the multi-faceted soundscapes that have become a signature of Jeff’s music. Jeff will run through some of The Tea Party’s most intricate songs and discuss the method behind the music. Join Lloyd Spiegel (AU blues legend) and Warwick Porter (Wazinator Stompbox founder) in this rare discussion and demonstration of acoustic guitar technique. Lloyd will reveal his secrets to playing rapidly, singing loudly, and his methods of connecting to the audience. Warwick will introduce the range of Wazinator acoustic stompboxes and their different features. This workshop will be fun and informative and offer an up-close-and-personal experience with one of Australia’s greatest blues players. Joining these two legends are flamenco freaks Opal Ocean presented by Yamaha, Angus Marshall, presented by Fender, and a special workshop by Pro Music.
Tickets are $50 for one day or $90 for two days. www.byronbayguitarfestival.com
Mullum Festival Opening Night
Thursday 15 November
Every year the hottest ticket in town at Mullum Music Festival is the Opening Night Gala. This separately ticketed event kicks off the festival in style on Thursday 15 November at the beautiful Civic Hall. Featuring short performances by top festival acts the Opening Night Gala offers a thrilling taste of the wonders of the weekend to come.
This year’s Mullum Opening Night Gala will serve up a feast of festival acts with performances by Husky, William Crighton, China Bowls, Lior, Hat Fitz and Cara, Jordie Lane, Doa of Dylan, Wanderers, as well as a performance by one of the winners of the Youth Mentorship Program (winners will be announced in late October). The entire evening is raucously emceed by comedian and festival favourite Mandy Nolan.
‘We are so rapt and overjoyed to be a part of Mullum’s Opening Night Gala,’ said Hat Fitz and Cara. ‘ Last time we had the pleasure of being a part of this fantastic festival we made sure we did not miss the opening-night show. It’s a captivating taste of some of the top talents melded together by the tease and wonder of Mandy Nolan. It had us pumped and in hysterics, setting us up for the rest of the festival perfectly.
‘Mullum is a festival I love to play because it supports music and art from a grassroots level and it is run by people who are genuine music lovers,’ says William Crighton. ‘Opening night is always special because you get a taste of what’s to come over the festival in a wonderful venue.’
Mullum’s Opening Night Gala sells out each year so make sure you grab your tickets early to be part of the party at www.mullummusicfestival.com
Uke Night w Aine Tyrell & Clelia Adams
Mullum Ex-Services | Thursday 27 September | $2.50–15
Uke Night this month is themed 90s. The songbook is well underway. Featuring the talents of Aine Tyrell and Clelia Adams, come and grunge it up.
Get on board with a bit of teen spirit at the Mullumbimby Ex-Services Club. Thursday 27 September Club Mullum. Entry adult $15, youth 5–17 $2.50. www.ukemullum.com
The Church
Kingscliff Beach Hotel | Friday 8pm | $45.85
A ringing 12-string guitar introduction. A dreamlike lyric that seems to hold the cosmos in its hands. It’s still the most recognisable, covered and widely beloved song in the catalogue of a band that’s released a remarkable 26 albums. The song is Under The Milky Way from The Church’s most successful album, the undisputed classic Starfish. And it’s 30 years old this year.
The Australian paisley underground pioneers are enjoying a year of unique celebrations, which started with a sold-out appearance at the Meltdown Festival in London on the personal invitation of curator, The Cure’s Robert Smith. The sound of Starfish is open and uncluttered. That was a change for the band after the dense orchestrations of the previous album, Heyday. All 10 songs are individually memorable, yet speak to one other, making for an entirely cohesive, satisfying listening experience.
The band are touring their iconic album nationally and in the US, with a gig locally at The Kingscliff Beach Hotel on Friday from 8pm. $45.85. Tix oztix.com.au
Moo Oz Festival
Cudgen Leagues Club, Kingscliff | Sunday 9am–late | $50
Moo Oz Festival presents twelve hours of music and entertainment to raise funds and awareness for the homeless at Cudgen Leagues Club in Kingscliff this Sunday.
Following the success of last year’s Moofest, where over $6,000 was raised to support people affected by the 2017 floods, Moo Oz 2018 presents 40 acts over six stages with funds raised going to services for the homeless in the northern rivers.
Activities will include workshops for children, a Youth Buskers Competition, and market and food stalls.
Local musicians have given their time and talent to support this worthy cause and to also raise the profile of music culture in the area.
Kicking off at 9am there will be a stellar lineup of acts, including Killer Queen Experience, Round Mountain Girls, The Mason Rack Band, Living in the 70s, and many more.
www.trybooking.com/book/sessions?eid=392695
Goozebumps & Superglue
Byron Brewery | Thursday | 7pm | $5/10
The Street Level crew are once again bringing high-calibre touring acts to the Byron Bay Brewery. This Thursday, Aussie artist Goozebumpz and Canadian act Super Glue are set to perform as part of the biweekly event.
Goosebumpz is an electronic music producer and live act, with roots in the Australian outdoor dance party scene. Known for his eclectic assortment of original bass-heavy broken beat jams and party antics at festivals around the world, Goosebumpz continues to push the envelope sonically, blurring the lines between the mainstream and underground scene. Goosebumpz will be supported by Canadian bass-heavy artist Super Glue. Expect a mash of sounds from drum and bass, grime and bass-heavy grooves.
www.byronbaybrewery.com.au/events/
Carmada at the Brewery
Byron Brewery | Saturday
What happens when two great forces of inimitable talent collide and morph into one?
Carmada, of course. Upon finishing their 2014 Splendour in the Grass show in front of a crowd of 10,000, L D R U and Yahtzel, two of Australia’s most talked-about young producers, decided to go beyond their B2B set and previous collaborative efforts by merging their mad production skills and sheer talent to officially form Carmada.
What’s next on the cards for Carmada? They’re on their way to perform at Byron Bay Brewery this Saturday. Local crew Roofless Records have lined up a bunch of locals to jump on board the show. Tickets are moving fast so don’t miss out.
www.byronbaybrewery.com.au/events
International Peace Day Concert & Peaces of 8 Meditation
Byron Theatre | 7pm | $20
Celebrate International Peace Day, with the music of Kim Banffy, The Songbirds, Julie Hayes, Amir Paiss, Murray Kyle, and Shai Shriki. The event will start with a guided audience meditation to raise the vibration of the planet, concentrating on world peace for about 15–20 minutes. The evening will culminate in the whole audience singing a song. The event is much more than just a concert; it’s a significant group meditation session for peace. Groups of eight (as per Lynne Mc Taggart’s book The Power of Eight) will commit to continue to meet throughout the year to keep the frequencies high.
FourPlay
Brunswick Picture House | Saturday | 7pm | $25/30
FourPlay put the ‘eclectic’ back into ‘electric string quartet’ with their second new single Wish, a powerful, haunting ballad about living in a climate-changed world. FourPlay, who have been wowing audiences around the world for over 20 years with both their radical reinventions of pop songs and their wildly eclectic original material, have often had environmental and political themes in their music. Wish takes this to the next step: a haunting ballad with tones of Not Drowning Waving and 70s folk protest songs, with powerful lyrics delivered passionately by Tim Hollo and Lara Goodridge, intricate viola lines from Shenzo Gregorio, and a soaring, poignant cello solo from Peter Hollo.
