Photo credit: The Sauce / Tyler Bell
Ocean Alley have announced their 2020 national tour dates have been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with all shows rescheduled for February and March 2021.
Originally due to take place from May 1 to June 5 this year, it wasn’t possible to proceed with the tour amid public health concerns and the Federal Government’s ban of mass gatherings indefinitely.
Now kicking off with two hometown shows at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion on February 6 and 7, the tour will then make its way through Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and finish at Melbourne Arena on March 24. Perth’s Psychedelic Porn Crumpets and Dulcie will both remain on the tour for all dates as support. By the time these dates come around, it will mark almost three years since Ocean Alley’s last capital city headline run.
The band released a statement on social media, sharing “The reschedule is due to the COVID-19 situation that has developed at home and abroad, and is in line with the restrictions and recommendations put in place by the Australian Government to keep people safe… Thanks for your patience and understanding through what is a difficult time for the wider entertainment industry and everyone around the world. We look forward to finally seeing you again on the road around Australia.”
All tickets that have already been purchased will be valid across the new show dates. Any ticket-holders who are unable to attend the rescheduled dates can safely and securely re-sell their tickets via the Tixel marketplace or obtain a full refund from the point of purchase.
If you or someone you know works in music and needs someone to talk to, or you’d like to donate to the services supporting artists and their teams, reach out to:
Support Act – 1800 959 500 | supportact.org.au
Lifeline – 13 11 14 | lifeline.org.au
One Eighty – 02 8322 4822 | oneeighty.org.au
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Festival Director Peter Noble OAM declares Bluesfest 2021 is on!
“We will find a way to continue and present in 2021. I am a veteran; having been in this incredible industry since the 60s I have never experienced such a dire situation. As a premier event we need to present another Bluesfest not only for ourselves but also for the entire entertainment industry to see that there will be a brighter day, and that as an industry we will come back from this. We are humbled by the incredible response we have received by the outpouring of love from our ticket-holders, music industry and importantly from our local community.
We are in discussions with all the agents representing the artists who were due to play this Easter on what has been our greatest bill ever. Whilst we currently don’t know ‘who’ all our headliners will be in 2021, we have received feedback from over 30 artists off this year’s bill confirming they are ready to reschedule for 2021. Their level of support and goodwill is inspiring and I foresee a great event to come.
2021 will be the year for everyone who cares about the arts, music and the entire entertainment industry that we all love, to come out and show their support for each other. We call on our industry, the musicians, the agents and the managers to get in touch with us and help us show the solidarity of strength that we have as a combined force. We are all in this together, and together we will go on and get through these troubled times. Since the ban was announced last Sunday we have gone from having a deep case of the blues to presenting the blues for you again in 2021. This much we know.
Time is a healer and one day this will be behind us. It has not been easy and we are still in what is a lengthy process working out the details. Representatives from our insurance companies have advised that our claim is being processed and ticket refunds or the option to roll over to Bluesfest 2021 will be available soon. We will constantly keep our patrons updated in this area and thank them all again for the patience they have shown.
In the meantime we wish you all good health and to remain strong and positive in these very trying times. See you at Bluesfest.”
Bluesfest 2021 will be held from 1 – 5 April 2021.
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 28TH 12PM-10PM
FULL LINEUP:
Theo Parrish, Sister Nancy, Mella Dee, Anastasia Kristensen, C.FRIM, Cassettes For Kids, Lord Echo (LIVE), JESSB, Mwanjeè, Pink Matter, SK Simeon, Sophie McAlister, Wax’o Paradiso
After being postponed due to the current situation regarding COVID-19, Untitled Group, Crown Ruler, Moon Dog Craft Brewery & PBS 106.7FM announce that Duke Street Block Party 2020 has been rescheduled to take place on the 28th of November.
Almost all artists have been confirmed for the new date, including Detroit icon Theo Parrish, Mella Dee for his first tour of Australia, Dancehall pioneer and vocalist Sister Nancy, Russian selector Anastasia Kristensen, & more. Mildlife will unfortunately not be able to play the new date due to previous commitments, a replacement will be announced in the coming weeks.
For ticket purchasers, their ticket will remain valid for the new date. Those who cannot attend the new date will be able to secure a refund via Untitled Group.
The 2020 edition will see an expansion of the event to run along Bond Street and Southhampton Crescent as well as Duke Street, meaning more room for punters to dance, move & dive into the high energy block party all-rounder.
As well as showcasing live acts and DJs from around the globe, punters can explore the nooks and crannies of Duke Street. Local legends Hub Furniture are dedicating trade to the event with tucked away delights to discover, such as a unique wine bar experience.
The exceptional Moondog Brewery will be operating on the day and serving their local craft beers as well as hosting their very own selectors stage. Food will be provided by some iconic Melbourne institutions such as Good Gnocchi, Nhu Lan Bakery, Moondog OG Pizza, Real Jerk Chicken & more.
Theo Parrish
Theo Parrish was born in Washington D.C. in 1972 and raised in Chicago, where his passion for music developed. MIles Davis, Stevie Wonder, Jimi Hendrix, Nina Simone, George Gershwin, Bob Marley, as well as his uncle, jazz musician Dexter Sims, all had strong influences on Theo’s early musical life.
He began spinning and producing tracks in 1986, at the age of thirteen. In 1994, Theo Parrish moved to Michigan where he became heavily involved in Detroit’s underground music scene. Producing music and delivering his unique and dynamic sets in venues throughout Detroit and surrounding areas, as well as abroad he has gained the attention and respect of dj’s, producers, listeners and dancers worldwide.
Sister Nancy
Sister Nancy, aka Muma Nancy, real name Ophlin Russell-Myers, (born Ophlin Russell, 2 January 1962, Kingston, Jamaica) is a dancehall pioneer and vocalist. She is known to the world as the first female dancehall DJ and was described as being a “dominating female voice for over two decades” on the dancehall scene. One of her most famous songs is “Bam Bam”, labeled as a “well-known reggae anthem” by BBC and a “classic” by The Observer.
Mella Dee
Following the breakthrough success of ’Techno Disco Tool’; reaching number 1 in BBC Radio 1’s Dance Music chart, in addition to his Warehouse Music imprint winning the ‘Best Breakthrough Label’ award at the DJ Mag awards, Mella Dee is rapidly becoming one of the most sought after names in dance music. More recently, he was named one of Mixmag’s ‘Stars of the year’ for 2018 and also put out his debut Essential Mix for the legendary BBC Radio 1 series.
Anastasia Kristensen
Always the adventurer, the Copenhagen-via-Moscow producer has been at it for a while — finding inspirations from the likes of ballet to effusively digging for records to satisfy her curiosity. With her track “Spring Ballade” released on Nous Disques in 2016 and previous work with BLD and Monasterio, she only sought to move forward and carve out a path that would only broaden the scope for her reach as time goes on. It begins with her DJ sets – Kristensen starts with tone as the foundation; she weaves a web that incorporates barreling breaks, blistering techno and buoyant electro in scintillating fashion. With featured mixes on Mixmag and Red Bull, Anastasia is determined to take even bigger chances and leap farther into the sonic spectrum of underground music – by never staying in one lane.
Lock it down for Saturday November 28th from 12pm-10pm and head over to the facebook page for full line up and more information: https://www.facebook.com/
Get connected:
https://www.facebook.com/
Untitled Group are the group behind Beyond The Valley and Pitch Music & Arts Festival, the collective also represents boutique event brands Ability Fest, Grapevine Gathering and Melbourne electronic hub XE54.
https://www.facebook.com/pg/
Between acts like soul-jazz icon Roy Ayers, Detroit house godfather Theo Parrish, and Chicago dance luminary Larry Heard, the Crown Ruler name has become synonymous with soulful underground music.
Tickets on sale now:
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/
| Kwame and his team are devastated to announce the cancellation of Kwame’s ‘Please, Get Home Safe Tour’ Australian Tour. With the recent developments surrounding COVID-19 we have no choice but to cancel the upcoming shows which were due to take place in venues over 500 cap.
Current ticket holders can apply for a refund from their place of purchase. We are working to announce some new shows in the future and will make an announcement about this once they are locked in. So many artists are affected by this and we send our best to everyone doing it tough at the moment. From Team Kwame “One of the leaders of the New School” “He’s the movement’s youngest by age, but arguably its most visible by virtue…” “Kwame has long been on our radar of international MC’s to watch.”
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PHOTOGRAPHY: LUCAS PACKETT
30 Years and Rippin! Southern Californian gods Lagwagon returned to Melbourne for a night of legendary punk singalongs.
Hailing from Sydney, Jordan F creates a distinct style of retro synth driven electronic music with a modern fidelity. While his sound could be easily likened to the soundtracks from Stranger Things, Drive or Blade Runner, his knack for retro flair without the limitations of genre create a unique sound that is instantly recognisable as him.
He released his debut album Slipstream in 2014, which racked up a very impressive 3.5 million streams on Spotify alone. This was followed up in quick succession with the release of his sophomore album Timelines in 2016 on NRW Records, which again impressed the scene with a whopping 4 million plus online Spotify streams.
2017 saw his music featured in the Netflix psychological thriller ‘Death Note’, while also releasing a collaboration EP with Sydney duo Vast Hill. In the wake of 2018 he released his third full length album Oblivion – an adventure into spacey, ominous sounds and Lovecraftian horror.
Returning today with a brand new single, Jordan is over the moon to present ‘Without You’ (feat Gryff) out via GD FRNDS. The tune follows on with vibe we’ve best come to know from Jordan F – splashy drums, big verbed out snare hits, beautiful arps and those lovely pad like synths.
Taken from his upcoming fourth record ‘Memory Collision’ , Without You sees Jordan team up with QLD swooner Gryff, who delivers a retro style of vocal delivery that is reminiscent of a blue light disco in the summer of 1988. A track filled with uplifting scenes that give inspiration of being confident with ones self. Jordan F describes how the track came about;
“Without You (feat. Gryff) was one of the first tracks I wrote for the new album. I wanted the track to complement a scene to an 80’s heartbreak movie that existed only in my head. It’s about letting go and just being happy and confident by yourself. I approached Gryff with a finished instrumental and he came back with all the lyrics and recordings. We were pretty much done after one take. His Phil Colins and David Bowie inspired vocals really transformed the track into an upbeat state of euphoria.” – Jordan F
Friday 29 May | Baderhaus, Berlin
Saturday 30 May | Golden Krone, Damstadt
Saturday 06 Jun | Underbelly Hoxton, London
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What’s been happening recently?
We’ve been working on new tracks for our live show, had a small tour in germany and recorded a nice live-video which will be out soon.
You’ve recently collaborated with Cristian Vogel to create COEXIST EP, how did this partnership come about?
The festival “fm riese” in wattens (tyrol/austria) invited us (elektro guzzi) to choose a musician that inspired us in creating our music to collaborate for a concert and cristian vogel came to mind as he was a big influence when we started the band. Please describe how you went about working together?
We basically just met in our studio in vienna, set up our gear, pushed record and started playing. since improvisation is a big part of our musical practice it developed very naturally. Actually one of the tracks on the ep (plenkel) is taken from the very first jam we recorded.
What influenced the sound and songwriting for the EP?
We realized that we could create very similar sounds with both the acoustic instruments of elektro guzzi and the electronics of cristian vogel and that they interacted in very interesting ways.
How did the songwriting take place?
We took the parts of our improvisations that already had a “song” structure and refined them in the mixing process.
Where and when did you record/produce? How did this take place?
We recorded and mixed the tracks in our studio in vienna, cristian did the mastering in his studio in copenhagen. there was a period of almost five year in between recording and finishing the tracks though, because we were all doing loads of other stuff in between. But we are all very happy we got around to mixing the material and get it released after all. What programs/instruments did you use?
Cristian uses a software called “kyma” and elektro guzzi use drums, bass and guitar with a lot of effect pedals.
recording/arranging/mixing was done in ableton live.
What do you have planned for this EP?
For us it was important to present this collaboration to a bigger audience since only the few people at the concert heard the music yet. maybe it will be also bring an opportunity to perform live together again.
What did you find most challenging and rewarding during the creation of COEXIST EP?
The most challenging part of creating this EP was to choose the right parts from a lot of material and to arrange and mix it. The most reward part in the collaboration was playing together an having fun in the studio.
Please tell us about any future collaborations:
We have two interesting collaborations coming up: one is our composition “inner scope” with 16-piece a string orchestra. the piece had it’s premier last year and we will recorded it this summer and bring it to the stage again in autumn 2020 and spring 2021. Secondly we will perform with the piano player Ingrid Schmoliner at “Musikprotokoll” festival in Graz/Austria in October.
Any shows coming up? If so, when and where?
We have a few trio shows coming up in spring but are not sure at the moment if they can go ahead because of the corona virus. in summer we hope to be back on the road for festivals across europe. Check our website for dates.
What’s planned for 2020?
Make more music.
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MELBOURNE JOINS ELEVEN CITIES WORLDWIDE TO PRESENT WORLD-FIRST VIRTUAL SCULPTURES CREATED BY NEW YORK ARTIST KAWS
Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria will join 11 iconic international sites, including The Louvre Pyramid in Paris, Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, Brooklyn Museum in New York, and Tokyo’s Shibuya Crossing, to unveil an augmented reality (AR) sculpture created by celebrated contemporary New York artist KAWS, from 13 to 27 March 2020.
EXPANDED HOLIDAY, a global art experience presenting monumental KAWS sculptures in 12 international locations, is produced in collaboration with Acute Art and KAWS.
Public sculptures will be located in Doha (MIA Park – Museum of Islamic Art), Qatar; Hong Kong, Statue Square; London, Millennium Bridge; Melbourne, National Gallery of Victoria; New York, Brooklyn Museum; New York, Times Square; Paris, The Louvre Pyramid; Sao Paulo, Ibirapuera Park; Seoul, Dongdaemun Design Plaza; Taipei, National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall; Tanzania, Serengeti National Park; and Tokyo, Shibuya Crossing.
As part of this project, the NGV will provide access to KAWS’s monumental 10-metre long virtual sculpture in the NGV Garden. Depicting KAWS’s popular character, COMPANION, the AR sculpture will act as the starting point for the discovery of the range of KAWS’s works in his survey exhibition at the NGV.
EXPANDED HOLIDAY will demonstrate the enormous potential of AR technology, which provides virtual perspectives on real-world environments, and conveys KAWS’s mischievous humour through the juxtaposition of physical and virtual worlds.
These virtual sculptures will be accessible via the Acute Art app and can be experienced in conjunction with the NGV’s exclusive exhibition KAWS: Companionship in the Age of Loneliness, a comprehensive survey of 25 years of KAWS’s oeuvre and his largest solo survey to date. Full of humour, hope and humanity, the exhibition features more than 100 works including iconic paintings reappropriating pop-culture figures to more recent largescale, layered works, and an impressive collection of KAWS’s celebrated sculptural figures.
“It’s incredibly inspiring to be harnessing the potential of AR to bring my work to life in a virtual context,” said KAWS. “Creating public art using new technology opens up so many exciting possibilities where people can respond, experience and feel in a new way.”
“Melbourne and the NGV are joining some of the world’s most extraordinary locations in teaming up with KAWS and Acute Art to provide new and innovative ways of experiencing art that push the boundaries of what people consider an art experience” said Tony Ellwood AM, Director, National Gallery of Victoria.
About KAWS
KAWS engages audiences beyond the museums and galleries in which he regularly exhibits. His prolific body of work straddles the worlds of art and design to include paintings, murals, graphic and product design, street art, and large-scale sculptures. Over the last two decades KAWS has built a successful career with work that consistently shows his formal agility as an artist, as well as his underlying wit, irreverence, and affection for our times. His refined graphic language revitalises figuration with both big, bold gestures and playful intricacies.
KAWS often appropriates and draws inspiration from pop culture animations, forming a unique artistic vocabulary across mediums. Admired for his larger-than-life sculptures and hardedge paintings that emphasize line and colour, KAWS’s cast of hybrid cartoon characters are the strongest examples of his exploration of humanity. As seen in his collaborations with global brands, KAWS’s imagery possesses a sophisticated humour and reveals a thoughtful interplay with consumer products. With their broad appeal, KAWS’s artworks are highly sought-after by collectors inside and outside of the art world, establishing him as a uniquely prominent artist and influence in today’s culture.
KAWS has exhibited extensively in renowned institutions including solo exhibitions at — The National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia (2019); Fire Station, Qatar Museums, Doha, Qatar (2019); Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, Michigan (2019); Contemporary Art Museum of St. Louis, Missouri (2017); Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Texas (2016), which travelled to the Yuz Museum, Shanghai, China (2017); Yorkshire Sculpture Park and Longside Gallery, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom (2016); Brooklyn Museum, New York (2015); Centro de Arte Contemporáneo, Málaga, Spain (2014); Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Overland Park, Kansas (2013); Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia (2013); High Art Museum, Atlanta, Georgia (2011); and Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, Connecticut (2011). He will be the subject of a major survey exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum in the spring of 2021.
About KAWS: Companionship in the Age of Loneliness
This exhibition is the largest survey to date of internationally celebrated contemporary artist KAWS and is exclusive to the NGV. Across more than 100 works including paintings and sculptural figures, KAWS engages with universal feelings of isolation and loneliness in response to the turbulent world we live in today. His larger-than-life sculptures are playful, toy-like figures, however at closer look, they reveal a fragility and darkness in the vulnerable poses of the characters. At the entrance to the exhibition, visitors can also experience the newly commissioned GONE 2019, which is currently KAWS’s largest bronze sculpture. Accompanying this exhibition is KAWS: PLAYTIME, a free kids’ exhibition filled with sensory rich activities inviting children to interact with KAWS’s iconic character BFF.
About Acute Art
Providing access to cutting-edge technologies, Acute Art is a production house fostering close working relationships with the world’s leading artists, including Marina Abramović, Olafur Eliasson, Cao Fei, Antony Gormley, Jeff Koons, and Nathalie Djurberg & Hans Berg. For more information visit the Acute Art website.
EXPANDED HOLIDAY is unveiled at the NGV from 13 to 27 March 2020. To experience the virtual sculptures, download the Acute Art app via the Apple Store and Google Play and simply point your phone at the designated areas.
KAWS: Companionship in the Age of Loneliness is on display until 13 April 2020 at NGV International, 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, Australia. Tickets and information are available from the NGV website.
Social media
#KAWSNGV @ngvmelbourne @KAWS #KAWSxAcute #EXPANDEDHOLIDAY @acuteart_
A.Swayze & the Ghosts have unleashed ‘Mess of Me’, a rollicking punk anthem that’s as fun and bold as their theatrical live shows. The track received its world premiere by Matt Wilkinson on Beats 1 and is accompanied by a groundhog-day inspired video, directed by Nick Green.
In further exciting news, A.Swayze & the Ghosts will embark on their first North American tour across April-May, including Shaky Knees festival as well as headline shows across the East & West Coast. Following the US, the band have announced a UK/EU run of shows, returning home in May for a three-night residency at the Old Bar (Melb), a three-night residency at The Grand Poobah (Hobart) and Big Pineapple (QLD).
Parallel to the sass and irresistible swagger of the track is a deep dive into the attitudes and habits we develop from childhood. Described in the words of frontman Andrew Swayze:
“This song discusses inheritance. Not the conventional heirloom, but the type of negative trait you may learn as a child voyeur of your surroundings. Hendrik brought the song to us with the chorus “you’re always trying to make a mess of me”. Since I don’t have any saboteur but myself, I changed his lyrics and wrote the rest around the new chorus.”
The Hobart natives have amassed a fierce live following thanks to their raw, bold and at times, wild shows – heightened by the notably charismatic and enigmatic lead singer, Andrew Swayze.
Over the last 18 months A.Swayze & the Ghosts have performed at Falls Festival, Splendour in the Grass, The Great Escape, BIGSOUND (in many ‘best of’ lists across STACK, triple j, Double J, The Music), A Festival Called Panama and Boogie Festival. As well as shows alongside Shame, Total Control, Nude Party, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, West Thebarton, Jet, The Vines, Batpiss & The Stems to name a few.
A.SWAYZE & THE GHOSTS
North American Tour
Sun Apr 26- Washington, DC – DC9
Mon Apr 27- Allston, MA – Great Scott
Wed Apr 29- Brooklyn, NY – Baby’s All Right
Thurs Apr 30 – Philadelphia, PA – Milkboy
Sat May 02 – Atlanta, GA – Shaky Knees Music Festival
Tues May 05 – Los Angeles, CA – The Echo
Wed May 06 – San Francisco, CA – Bottom of the Hill
UK & Europe
Sat May 09 – Hamburg Germany, Molotow
Sun May 10 – Cologne Germany, MTC
Mon May 11 – Paris France, Le Pop Up
Tue May 12 – Lille France, Aeronef
Sat May 16 – Birmingham UK, The Sunflower Lounge
Sun May 17 – Leeds UK, Golden Sounds Festival
Tue May 19 – Glasgow UK, Broadcast
Wed May 20 – Manchester UK, Gullivers
Thu May 21 – London UK, Pinups
Australia
Wed May 27 – Melbourne, Old Bar
Thur May 28 – Melbourne, Old Bar
Fri May 28 – Melbourne, Old Bar
Wed June 3 – Hobart, The Grand Poobah (Kissing Room)
Thur June 4 – Hobart, The Grand Poobah (Kissing Room)
Fri June 5 – Hobart, The Grand Poobah (Kissing Room)
Sat May 30 – The Big Music Pineapple Festival
For all ticket information, head to www.aswayzeandtheghosts.com
LISTEN TO ‘MESS OF ME’ HERE
facebook.com/A.SwayzeandtheGhosts
Twitter @ASwayzeTas | Instagram @aswayzeandtheghosts
The Under the Southern Stars spectacular Rock Carnival Festival Series has been postponed.
UTSS features +LIVE+, BUSH and
Under The Southern Stars promoter, Andrew McManus has issued the following statement.
Producing Under The Southern Stars music festivals each summer is a privilege and our fans and patrons have become part of the family. In light of the current global health crisis, we feel that it is imperative to protect the Under The Southern Stars family and proceed in a clear and calm manner.
We have been closely monitoring the situation as it develops and following directives from the Chief Medical Officer of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC). With the increase of travel bans and lock downs, in an effort to stop transmission of the virus, and with the safety of our patrons, artists, staff and crew in mind we have no other alternative than to postpone our April 2020 festival tour dates.
We’ve been in consultation with all UTSS2020 artists in regard to their touring schedules and we plan to announce revised festival dates for Under The Southern Stars next week. It is expected that our festival will be postponed until February/March 2021.
All tickets already purchased will be valid for the new festival dates in 2021.
Go in rock and stay healthy.
Andrew McManus
Further information concerning rescheduled dates will be available in the coming days.
www.underthesouthernstars.com.
FOLLOW UTSS
Web | Facebook | Instagram
Live | Bush | STP
#UTSS2020
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