Festival News

Applications now open!

Melbourne, Australia – Youth music organisation The Push returns with the second-intake for their Electronic Music Accelerator, a free program developed for young aspiring producers and artists who identify as female or gender non-conforming.

Facilitated by one of Australia’s most exciting multifaceted electronic music producers and artists Beatrice Lewis (Haiku Hands, Kardajala Kirridarra) who provides valuable tips and insights from her own creative process, in addition to helping students master a variety of production techniques using Ableton Live.

The eight-week course is aimed at young Victorians aged 16-20 years, and will equip students with tools and knowledge to help find success in careers within the music landscape, bolstered by support in practical areas such as growing their professional abilities, building relationships and mastering a variety of techniques using Ableton products.

Delivered in partnership with Ableton – the world-leading brand of electronic music-making software and hardware – and Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation, the Electronic Music Accelerator program launched in late 2020 with a mission to support Australia’s next generation of electronic music-makers and performers.

The program and partnership also seeks to increase diversity within the local electronic music landscape by creating a safe space for young people of different backgrounds and experiences to connect together while building their skills and confidence.

This free training and development program will be delivered from The Push’s new home in Collingwood Yards running for eight weeks from 26 April to 16 June. Apply now!

The Push Electronic Music Accelerator is supported by Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation and Ableton.

Important Dates

• Term Two applications open: 10am Thursday 25 February 2021
• Term Two applications close: 5pm Wednesday 25 March 2021
• Applicants notified of outcome: Monday 29 March 2021
• Term Two class dates: Monday 26 April – 16 June 2021
• Term Two graduation & presentation: June 2021

ABOUT THE PUSH
The Push is Australia’s leading youth music organisation. At the forefront of emerging trends, delivers a range of programs that are responsive to Australia’s future music industry leaders, artists and audiences. For over three decades, our organisation has engaged more than 700,000 young people. Our program alumni include Courtney Barnett, Alex Lahey, Alice Ivy and Angie McMahon — who have each progressed onto successful, global careers. For more information, visit: thepush.com.au.

Karnivool have regrettably cancelled all shows outside of Western Australia on their scheduled national tour. The Decade of Sound Awake Tour will be replaced by a ticketed live stream event, with details to be announced soon.

STATEMENT FROM KARNIVOOL:

We are sick to our stomachs to announce all Decade of Sound Awake shows outside of Western Australia have to be cancelled.

When we were forced to move the tour for a second time, we were optimistic that shows would be able to proceed normally, safely and in the way we had envisioned them. With further rounds of border closures, limited capacities and other show restrictions it is clearly, regrettably, no longer viable to put on the events we want and you deserve for holding onto your ticket for all this time!

This album means so much to us and the tour warrants full production, epic visuals and sweaty singalongs, things that just cannot happen in the middle of a pandemic. Believe us, we have looked at more options than an Aldi shopper.

The sold out Fremantle shows can and will happen, albeit in a slightly altered format on March 12 & 13.

In response to cancelling the East Coast shows, we are going to be presenting a live stream event of the Decade of Sound Awake which means folks in the rest of the world will get to see the show as well.

For everyone at the East Coast shows, your ticket agency will be in contact with your refunds.

Live stream tickets will go on sale soon.

Please accept our unreserved and heartfelt apology we could not make this tour possible, we honestly tried everything we could and hope to make it up to everyone in the future

Until then, stay safe and stay well.

Karnivool’s Sound Awake captured a moment in time when circumstance, influence and individuals collided, restructured and, with a lot of time, pain and joy became elevated above the sum of the parts. A decade and platinum sales have passed the landmark moment in the career of this band who have always gone their own way – meandered when they could have rushed, explored a sonic roadmap forward, then sideways, then backwards. And then forward again. Sound Awake is an album heavily informed by the art and science of Cymatics and questioning of an ever changing world. From the structured rage of ‘Set Fire to the Hive’, the monster riffing of ‘Goliath’ and the single that was never a single ‘New Day’, Sound Awake is a record full of fan favourites that Kenny, Drew, Hoss, Steve and Jon see as their benchmark. Attaining worldwide success over this last decade, it launched Karnivool to an intensely loyal, passionate audience that lifted them from an opening act with some interesting tuning to international festival headline act with, well, more interesting tuning in more interesting places… Youngstown, Istanbul, Glasgow, Helsinki, Pune, Bratislava, Auckland, Cape Town, Moscow, Wiesbaden and some place they were told was Chicago, but clearly wasn’t.

Karnivool @karnivool_official @karnivool

 

Australia’s indie-folk darling Julia Stone will be bringing her soulful tunes to the Mornington Peninsula on Labour Day long weekend with Portsea Hotel announcing the singer-songwriter’s performance for Sunday, March 7. 

A casualty of Melbourne’s snap five-day lockdown, the rescheduled show is ‘take two’ on the revival of live music within regional Victoria, with Portsea Hotel set to release a stellar lineup of acts over the coming months. 

Portsea Hotel General Manager Felicity Muller said Australian musicians will play a pivotal role in reigniting the entertainment industry and boosting regional economies as international acts remain off the cards for the foreseeable future. 

“Following the extended shutdown of hospitality venues last year, we’re gearing up for an eventful year full of live music and entertainment and what better way to kickstart it than with the much-loved Julia Stone. 

“We have such talented artists within Australia and we’re excited to be able to spotlight both established and emerging talent at Portsea Hotel,” she said. 

Presented by local brewery Colonial Brewing Co, the show coincides with the upcoming launch of Julia Stone’s new album, Sixty Summers. 

Following the debut of Unreal, Break and Dance in 2020, a broody and smooth track featuring that video clip starring Danny Glover and Susan Sarandon, Julia Stone’s latest album marks her first solo record since she dropped By the Horns in 2014. 

No longer content to merely explore the wildernesses of folk and indie-rock, Sixty Summers, Stone’s third solo outing, finds the celebrated songwriter diving headfirst into the cosmopolitan, hedonistic world of late-night, moonlit pop. 

Tickets are available to purchase via 

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/julia-stone-presented-by-colonial-brewing-co-at-portsea-hotel-tickets-138202115247 with each ticket purchased to receive a free Colonial Brewing Co can. 

Those who had purchased tickets to the original show have automatically been transferred to the new date. 

Award-winning mental health music charity Listen Up Music will host 12 artists during a day festival at Brisbane’s West Room on the 10th of April.

Arts Centre Melbourne is excited to announce that the break-out musical FANGIRLS, from award-winning playwright Yve Blake will make its Melbourne debut at the Playhouse Theatre from 28 April – 9 May as a part of a national tour.

This energetic musical will be showing in Melbourne for the first time following sell-out crowds for Belvoir’s season at the Seymour Centre.

“We’ve been dreaming of coming to Melbourne for years. When we premiered in 2019, some industrious teens started a petition to bring the show to Melbourne and I’m so happy that we can finally deliver on that wish,” says the creator of FANGIRLS – Yve Blake.

“Even though this show is called FANGIRLS, it’s not just about fans or girls. It’s a show for anyone that has felt the sweet torture of a first crush, or who knows what it’s like to be obsessed with something that isn’t ‘cool’.”

The prolonged intermission between shows at the Playhouse Theatre will add an extra element to this performance, mirroring the excitement around the show as Arts Centre Melbourne create offerings for audiences to embrace the arts once again.

“It’s incredible to have FANGIRLS as a part of our re-opening of the Theatres Building at Arts Centre Melbourne. This has been made possible thanks to the generous support of all those who donated to our Recovery Appeal,” says Arts Centre Melbourne’s Creative Producer, Theatre & Contemporary Performance – Daniel Clarke.  

FANGIRLS  follows the uproarious story of Edna, a plucky misfit scholarship girl who believes that she alone can win the heart of the world’s biggest pop star: Harry. Sure, he has 38 million other fans, but for Edna, that’s merely a hurdle. Because there’s nothing she won’t do to prove to Harry that she’s the one.

With a dazzling cast including AYDAN from The Voice, Danielle Barnes, Chika Ikogwe, Shubshri Kandiah, Ayesha Madon, James Majoos, Karis Oka, Tomáš Kantor and Shannen Alyce Quan, this critically acclaimed show is captivating and will leave you wanting more.

This show is founded in Blake’s fascination for the way that society can see a mob of screaming fans as “embarrassing” if they’re female and at a pop concert, but “passionate” if they’re male and at a footy match. She set out to write the show she wished her 14-year-old self could have seen: a comedy all about the ways that the world tries to convince young women that they’re not as worthy as their brothers.

“The response from audiences so far has been unreal. I’m so shook by all the fan art, the memes, and the crafts! I’ve seen people bring handmade signs like it’s a pop concert, and even make custom jewellery,” says Blake.

“People should see this show because it’s a love letter to the awkward teenagers that we have all been, and also it’s the perfect antidote to 2020. This show was designed to feel and sound like a thrilling pop concert, and after a year of no concerts, it really does hit differently.”

Yve Blake is a decorated performer and playwright, awarded with the Inaugural Rebel Wilson Theatre Maker Scholarship (2016) and has been widely recognised for FANGIRLS with the Sydney Theatre Award for Best Mainstage Musical (2019), Matilda Award for Best Musical or Cabaret (2019) and AWQGI AWARD for Music Theatre (2020).

Tickets on sale from 12pm, Wednesday 23 February via artscentremelbourne.com.au

It was 12 years ago that RocKwiz saluted the Sidney Myer Music Bowl as part of its 50^th anniversary celebration but now RocKwiz’s Really Really Good Friday makes its triumphant debut at the iconic venue as part of Live at the Bowl on Friday 2 April.

“We’re all flooded with memories of rock concerts we’ve seen there, but of course inspired by the big show we did there in March 2009; a sweltering night when Melbourne was getting over a hot summer of bushfires. We came together as a big, rowdy family for music, quizzing and pure fun to shake off the sadness of recent events. Sound familiar?” asks co-host Brian Nankervis.

After four years of their hugely popular Good Friday performances at Hamer Hall, co-hosts Brian Nankervis and Julia Zemiro could not be more excited to take the fifth instalment to the Bowl. They will be joined on stage by the beloved RocKwiz Orkestra and The Wolfgramm Sisters.

“To say I have missed performing with my RocKwiz brothers and sisters would be an understatement! I will be holding back tears when I step out on stage to a beautiful audience once again at the magnificent Bowl! Get ready to Rock!” says Zemiro.

Despite the cancellation of last year’s performance due to the pandemic, this highly anticipated Easter weekend staple returns better than ever. With the Bowl’s new COVIDSafe layout of private decks, the venue is perfectly set up for music trivia tragics to gather their brains-trust and enjoy everything they love about pub-quiz trivia in safety.

“Putting on our traditional Easter RocKwiz extravaganza at the Bowl is very exciting – a tonic for the RocKwiz gang to be back there! To have the opportunity to step out from the salubrious and sophisticated Hamer Hall, venture across St Kilda Road, through the gardens, up a hill and into the outdoor wonderland that is the Sidney Myer Music Bowl is a huge thrill!” says Nankervis.

“Come on people, join us in this magnificent space for a very special night. We need this!”

Tickets will go on sale from 11am, Thursday 25 February via liveatthebowl.com.au

We’re excited to be welcoming visitors back to our venues in line with the most recent Victorian Government guidelines on COVID-19. We have opened our outdoor café Protagonist, the Sunday Markets as well as the Australian Music Vault. These openings coincided with the Live at the Bowl season, which officially kicked off on 8 January 2021.

While the ghost lights will stay on a little longer inside our venues, we will continue to offer audiences the chance to experience the wonder of the performing arts via our digital hub – Together With You. For more information including: our opening plans and related health and safety policies; bookings for free and ticketed events; and other digital content and experiences, please visit artscentremelbourne.com.au.

Coopers Brewery in partnership with The Zoo are excited to announce the addition of Boo Seeka to the popular Live, Loud & Local gig series, aimed at helping pubs and live music rebound from the events of 2020.

The indie-electronic duo will play Brisbane’s The Zoo on Thursday, March 11, 2021. Tickets are on-sale now via Oztix here.