Tix on sale for Falls festival
Byron Parklands | 31 Dec, 1 & 2 Jan
Flying past the quarter-century mark and making a fearless leap into its 26th year, Falls Festival lets loose with another ecstatic excuse to join thousands of friends old and new at Australia’s best New Years party! With an all-star lineup landing among the glittering sunsets, cobalt coastlines, and disco docklands of Australia’s heartland, artists from across Australia and around the world are primed to transform our rolling natural amphitheatres and inner-city stages this summer.
Underneath the Falls hood you’ll find: world-class music, creative installations, visual-arts performances, pop-up bars and beer gardens, passouts all festival long, thoughtful camping facilities, comedy clubs, daily beach access, glorious gourmet fare, makers’ markets, local traders, beauty parlours and even a bit of downface dog with holistic yoga! Headline acts are Anderson, Pa ak & The Free Nationals, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Vance Joy, ChVrches, Hilltop Hoods, Toto, Interpol, 88Rising feat Rich Briani, Joji, and a whole heap more.
From 31 Dec till 2 January at the Byron Parklands. To find out what’s on offer go to fallsfestival.com and get in fast to get your ticket! Sales are open from 8am on Thursday. Get on, otherwise you might just miss out!
Matt Hanley Menaissance album launch
Court House Hotel | Saturday 15 September | $20
Former top session guitarist turned singer/songwriter and producer Matt Hanley is about to release his debut Album Menaissance on 15 September at The Court House Hotel in Mullumbimby. The opening Track Cobs of Corn was written while Matt was living in Coorabell and was nominated as Australian best blues song (Chain Awards) in 2017. Matt has been nominated as Independent Country Music Association of Australia Record Producer of the Year 2018 for Kevin Sullivan’s multi-award-winning album Belonging, which was recently the National Number 2 iTunes Country album edging out the likes of such artists as Taylor Swift and Keith Urban. Rhythms magazine has compared Matt’s acoustic guitar playing to Ry Cooder’s and Taj Mahal’s. His electric work has been described as ‘Beautifully expressive Jeff Beck style, rock meets jazz meets blues guitar that shines throughout’. Joining Matt for his launch will be some of his fellow mates and musos, Dave Sanders, Thierry Fossemalle, Belle Hendrik, and Glen Muirhead. After the album presentation this fine ensemble will perform a funky rhythm and blues party set to finish off the night. Local musician Mark Heazlett will also be appearing.
Tickets are $20 from venue or TryBooking.com
The Shire Choir
Bangalow Hotel | Thursday | 7pm | Free
Three musos, a music therapist, and a DJ walked into a bar… and Shire Choir was born! Yes, singing at the pub! We all sound better after a few drinks so why not gather around for pub choir! Be part of the pub choir phenomenon that’s bringing the joy of singing back to pubs around the country.
Directed by local musician Melia Naughton (Scarlett Affection) and her team of musos, Shire Choir is your chance to shine. Bring your friends. Make new ones.
Sing your heart out as we learn and perform a classic pub song at the Bangalow Hotel from 7pm Thursday. $10 on the door. All voices, all ages, all abilities. Like TheShireChoir on Facebook to find out more.
Normie Rowe
Ballina RSL | Sunday | 4pm | $35
Few performers can match the career Normie Rowe that he has established since his King of Pop days were cruelly taken from him. Through re-training, persistence and self-belief, he has turned himself into a music-theatre superstar, television performer, actor, cabaret specialist and big-band entertainer. It’s the smile, skill, voice and determination to push into new territory. As shown with his current project showcasing legendary composers whose songs shaped a whole generation.
Normie Rowe performs on Sunday, 4pm at the Ballina RSL. $35. www.ballinarsl.com.au.
Whitebear
Byron Brewery | Thursday | 7pm | Free before 7pm, $10 after
Whitebear’s sound is a blend of mid-tempo breaks and foot-to-the-floor stompers, drenched in psychedelia and futuristic sound design. Pioneering a new breed of mid-tempo progressive beats, he is at the forefront of this hybrid monster, and his own unique brand of slow and low psychedelic beats is guaranteed to get any dance floor moving.
Whitebear has a particular addiction to mangling samples into twisted sounds, coupling and contrasting them with infectious arpeggiations, and finally setting the mood in stone with an earthy, groovy bass. Come on the journey with
Katchafire headlines Island Vibe
Stradbroke Island | 25–28 October
Island Vibe host more than 80 shows over four stages. Headline act NZ power band Katchafire released their highly anticipated fifth studio album Legacy this year and within hours it hit #1 on the New Zealand iTunes album chart and #1 on the USA iTunes Reggae chart! This latest album is exciting and fresh with messages of love, hope, togetherness, and family, featuring 12 brand-new songs that the boys worked on over their extremely busy touring schedule, bringing you vibes, sounds, and harmonies you expect from the brothers of the ‘Fire with some brand-new feels and flavours sprinkled in the recipe’. Catch the all-Maori reggae band with their pure classic sound delivering hands down one of the most authentic reggae shows around.
Island Vibe at the glorious Stradbroke Island, 25–28 October. For full program and ticket information go to www.islandvibe.com.au.
The Stained Daisies
Hotel Great Northern | Saturday | 9pm | Free
The Stained Daisies are doing an Australian tour and are playing at the Great Northern Hotel in Byron on Saturday.
In celebration of their new single Try To Relax, The Stained Daisies are once again traversing the east coast of Australia playing at a number of their favourite stomping grounds and watering holes.
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