Music Gigs and Venues
Summer Music Festival Tips
Stay ahead of the festival pack this summer with these tips. Festivals abroad have become increasingly popular with music fans in recent years. Whether you are heading off to Sziget or planning a weekend of debauchery at Oxegen, here are a few helpful hints to make your festival fun memorable for all the right reasons. [Read more…]
Hairies to be honoured at Splashy Fen
Hairy Legged Lentil Eaters
Pietermaritzburg band, the Hairy Legged Lentil Eaters, has been confirmed as the featured act for this year’s Splashy Fen Music Festival, taking place near Underberg in KwaZulu-Natal from April 21-25. The festival coincides with the 20th year of the band’s existence, and is an opportunity to celebrate a shared history that dates back to Splashy Fen’s early beginnings in 1990. [Read more…]
ALKALINE TRIO (USA) and FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND (UK) ready to rock RAMFEST 2011:
Can you hear it? Can you feel it? RAM is coming!
RAMFEST 2011
We have had word from both Alkaline Trio and Funeral for a Friend re their upcoming performances at RAMfest 2011. Gear up South Africa, these bands are going to rock big time!
Matt Skiba, lead singer and guitarist Alkaline Trio: “Hey it’s Matt from Alkaline Trio. We’re really looking forward to coming to South Africa. Never in a million years did I think I would ever be saying that. We’re really excited and can’t wait to see you guys there.”
Matt Davies, lead singer Funeral for a Friend: “We’re so excited to be heading to South Africa, it’s an opportunity we won’t waste! Can’t wait to meet some awesome people and see some amazing places. It’s gonna be crazy!”
Ryan Richards, drummer Funeral for a Friend: “We’ve had a lot of requests from fans over the years to come over to South Africa to play for them, so we’re delighted to finally be able to make it a reality. It’s always great, after 8 years of being in this band, to take our music to new places and new fans. We can’t wait to make a whole bunch of new friends and hear some great music.”
This year RAMfest is brought to you at 3 venues in 3 cities, over 5 days, across 6 stages. Die Antwoord, Van Coke Kartel and Zebra and Giraffe are the local acts that will be performing at all three RAMfest events. For the rest of the regional line ups go to www.ramfest.co.za. Tickets available at www.ticketbreak.co.za or Musica stores nationwide.
Dates and venues:
CPT: Nekkies Holiday Resort, Worcester: 4 – 6 March.
DBN: WaveHouse: Wed 9 March.
JHB: Riversands Farm, Fourways: Sat 12 March.
Phalaborwa – Award-winning artists like Judith Sephuma, Professor, Malatji, Candy, Liquid Deep, Future Sound and Revolution, are part of the line-up at this year’s Marula Festival in Limpopo.
Judith Sephuma - Marula Festival
Held in the picturesque town of Phalaborwa since 2008, the festival will stretch over the period, 19-26 February 2011, with the main events taking place from 24-26 February. [Read more…]
IdeasTap and Old Vic New Voices presents:
EAT YOUR HEART OU
COMING UP FESTIVAL 2011
A Creative High, Free of Charge, Free of Constraint
Debut London, February 21st to March 4th 2011 [Read more…]
Big Blues Festival
The stage is set and the countdown has begun to the biggest local blues event in South Africa! On 4 & 5 March 2011 the picturesque town of Kleinmond on the Cape Whale Coast will play host to 16+ of SA’s premier Blues performers.
This is not just another music festival. So what differentiates it?
A good cause. It is coordinated by volunteers through the not-for-profit local Tourism Bureau, with the aim of attracting visitors to this beautiful region that lies within UNESCO’s Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve – an area that is wild and wonderful. Profits from the festival will be ploughed back into the community by identifying projects to the benefit of the community.
A showcase of the best of local cuisine (traditional and adventurous), paired with local wine and a family-friendly environment with a kids’ club & supporting local arts & crafts.
The setting next to the magnificent Kleinmond Lagoon, adjacent to the well-known Blue Flag beach.
The festival invites you to stay for the weekend and explore all that the region has to offer. Festival ticket holders are eligible for an array of discounts – from accommodation to attractions and activities.
Organic music, played by true master musicians of the Blues. As one of the favourite performers says: “Blues is neutral in a world of extreme ups and downs. It makes sense to me to hear and play it”.
Guitar master Dan Patlansky is returning to the festival due to popular demand… in only ten years on the music scene, Dan Patlansky is one of the busiest and most respected blues artists to ever come out of South Africa!
We are pleased to announce that not only is the impeccable Albert Frost performing, but we will also see a reunion of the Blues Broers. The legendary Blues Broers have returned to the stage after a hiatus of seven years. New drummer Tim Rankin brings his considerable experience to the rhythm section with Rob ‘Big Bob’ Nagel deftly juggling bass and harmonica. Albert Frost performs on a classic selection of electric and acoustic guitars whilst ‘Dr.’ John Mostert’s whiskey tinged vocals pour out the blues. In a corner of the stage keyboard player Simon Orange hammers a boogie-woogie for the crowd.
Doc John will appear on stage again with the ever entertaining and respected Boulevard Blues Band who have been rocking music lovers at venues, events and festivals in South Africa for over a decade – the Boulevard Blues band liberated their fans with nourishing soulful Blues and Rock.
Piet Botha
We have linked up with some true legends, old and new on the South African music scene such as Anton Goosen, Piet Botha, Akkedis & Valiant Swart to bring you Blues, and a twist of Rock ‘n Roll… Anton Goosen het ‘n lang pad gestap vandat hy as student per trein gereis het van Heidelberg na Oos-Londen om ‘n 15-minute “set” te doen by ‘n plaaslike verskeidenheidskonsert en sy aptyt vir vernuwing en musikale eksperimente is nog hoeka nie gestil nie. Piet Botha has been making music for over 30 years, his passion and talent combine well with Akkedis who have been performing for 10 years to present The Lyzyrd Kyngs. Valiant Swart word bestempel as een van die voorste Afrikaanse liedjieskrywers van die afgelope twintig jaar. In 2001 het kykNet hom op ‘n blues-reis na Amerika gestuur. Die resultaat was die dokumentêre TV-reeks, Veertig dae deur die Delta , waarmee kykers getrakteer is op Valiant se blues-avonture in Tennessee, Mississippi en Louisiana.
The human beat-box, Dave Ferguson’s solo show uses only harmonica, human beat-box and vocals, recorded live loops and then layering and building those loops to construct a song. Expect in-your-face dance-style grooves served up in a Deep-South style.
For energy like nothing else, the amazingly talented Gerald Clark feels that Blues has taught him much about music and life and like most bluesmen, this most mystical and magical of music genres has created in him a need to befriend the long open road.
The ladies hold a special place on our stage – we are pleased to welcome back Natasha Meister and Charlene King, the lead lady of the smoking hot Diamondback Blues Band… a young band consisting of older musicians who are passionate about the blues. Real blues, but with wide appeal. Canadian Born Natasha Meister, guitarist and singer / songwriter, has been hitting up the music scene from a very young age and has graced stages in London and Canada with the Great Lakes Blues Society.
 Dan Patlansky |
 Robin Auld |
 Gerald Clark |
Also see In the Deepend, our local Tribal Echo, Robin Auld (on tour from England), The Studerbakers and The Black Cat Bones.
Book your Early Bird tickets to the BIG BLUES MUSIC FESTIVAL now online at Computicket or at the Hangklip-Kleinmond Tourism Bureau (14 Harbour Road, Kleinmond). R200 per person includes access to the two day festival on 4 & 5 March 2011 to see 16 of SA’s premier blues artists perform on one stage. Plus we have a beer tent, local wine fair and the best of local cuisine on offer. Children under 12 enter free and will be entertained at the kids’ club.
ENLIGHTEN Canberra
Tickets are now on sale for Canberra’s exciting new event, ENLIGHTEN: See Canberra in a whole new light, which premiers in March 2011.
“I encourage people to buy their tickets early to avoid missing out on what promises to be an exciting event that will showcase the nation’s capital in a whole new light and, in conjunction with the Canberra Festival, enhance Canberra’s vibrancy during autumn by creating a ‘city in festival’,” Australian Capital Tourism General Manager, Simonne Shepherd said.
“Held over four nights in March, ENLIGHTEN will light up Canberra’s autumn nights with spectacular entertainment, amazing architectural lighting, unique after-dark experiences at national attractions and a vibrant event hub on the stunning foreshore of Lake Burley Griffin.
“Gather your friends and head to the event hub where you can see exclusive performances by music legends George Benson (Friday 11 March) and Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons (Saturday 19 March). Charismatic crooner, Chris Isaak, will take time out of his national tour to perform on Friday 18 March and a major act for Saturday 12 March will be announced in January 2011.
“See the National Gallery of Australia, the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House and the Parliament House in a new light when they open their doors after dark with special one-off activities and spectacularly lit facades.”
Highlights include: Live at the Sculpture Garden, aand entertainment event at the National Gallery of Australia plus late night viewing of the Ballet Russes: the art of costume exhibition; a tour of Spies, Leaks and Scandals exhibition at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House uncovering some of the stories that made Australia; a behind the scenes tour of the Parliamentary art collection and architecture of Parliament House followed by a banquet and live entertainment on Queens Terrace.
ENLIGHTEN tickets range from AUD$91.20* for a Gold package to $136.20* for a Platinum package, which includes an after-dark premium experience at a national attraction.
Frock Up, Jazz Up, Come Up To The Blue Mountains Region For A Festival To Celebrate ‘The Roaring 20s…And All That Jazz
Blue Mountain 20's Jazz Festival
Can’t repeat the past? Why of course you can.
F.Scott Fitzgerald. The Great Gatsby.
During February 2011 you could be forgiven for thinking the past was being repeated in the Blue Mountains region as it celebrates the inaugural ‘Roaring 20s…and all that Jazz!’ Festival, a month long programme of events harking back to the heyday period of the 1920s.
The 20s was a ‘roaring’ time in the region, as it was around the world. To holiday-makers and honeymooners, Katoomba was the holiday capital of the state. The motor car had revolutionised tourist activity and already there were some 270 plus holiday rental cottages. People spent the days touring the sights and promenading to put ‘roses’ in their cheeks in the mountain air; souvenir crockery with images of the Three Sisters and Leura Cascades was a popular purchase and in the evenings visitors danced, roller-skated and attended the latest moving pictures. The village of Lithgow was enjoying the prosperity of its industrial heyday and many visitors were already travelling to Jenolan Caves, near the township of Oberon to discover the delights of the underground.
Flamboyant 1920s fads around the world included flagpole sitting, goldfish swallowing, dance marathons and crossword puzzles. Whilst none of these will be in the calendar during The Roaring 20s…and all that Jazz! Festival, visitors who frock up, jazz up and come up to visit will be able to re-live this golden era.
If you want to do the dances of the era – the Black Bottom and the Shimmy-or even the dances of today, book your tickets for the 1920s Ball in the Grand Dining Room of The Carrington Hotel (Saturday 12 February).
Gather in the grounds of Everglades Historic House and Garden, Leura on 14 February for a Great Gatsby themed Valentine’s Day Lunch.
You can even re-live the 1927 royal visit of the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth) to Jenolan Caves. On Saturday 5 February there will be special cave tours commemorating the visit, a vintage car display and a royal dinner in the evening at Chisolm’s Restaurant in Caves House where the original Royal menu will be recreated including Lobster Neuberg, Chicken Chartrouse and Wild Duck in Brigarade Sauce.
Or sit at the flicks at the 1920s movie festival being screened at Lithgow Valley Community Cinema (Friday 25 and Saturday 26 February). Movies showing include ‘Buddy’ – the true story of Gertrude ‘Trudy’ Lintz, an eccentric socialite in the 1920s likened to a modern day Noah, and her relationship with Buddy the gorilla.
And what would a 1920s festival be without the invitation to ‘frock up’ for this was a decade of fashion innovation? Dress hem lines rose, women started to wear their hair short and men started to dress in ‘sportswear’.
Visitors to the region in February who don attire from the era and attend any of the festival events and submit a photo will be in the running for a best costume prize, judged by Charlotte Smith, the curator of the famous Darnell Collection, considered the largest private vintage clothing collection in Australia.
The 1920s was certainly a high time in the Blue Mountains region. Come and re-create the past during the month of February 2011 at The Roaring 20s…and all that Jazz! Festival.
Singapore is set to take the chill out of winter when it brings the UK’s largest Singaporean film festival, [SIN] eFest, as well as the British premiere of a new operatic musical “Raffles of Singapore”, to our shores this November.
London will roll out the red carpet for the inaugural edition of [Sin]efest, Britain’s biggest Singapore film festival, which will take place between 11th-13th November 2010. The independent film festival will showcase five feature-length Singaporean films and several shorts over the course of three days, including the UK premieres of Ho Tzu Nyen’s innovative experimental film Here and documentary Invisible City by Tan Pin Pin.
[phpbay]films festivals, 1[/phpbay] [Read more…]
BrisFest 2010 was a huge success with record crowds of an estimated 18,000 people attending the event and enjoying performances from over 500 bands, dj’s and entertainers across nine stages, two boats and eleven nightclubs.
The new layout of the amphitheatre site was well received with the turfed meadow in the main arena adding to the atmosphere and allowing happy festival goers the chance to relax on the grass and watch the bands.
Other highlights included the RFID dome supported by Fenchurch, with 360 degree visuals from the likes of Anti-Vj, BBC Performing Arts Fund Flash Choir with a 60 strong choir, Rave on Avon, the expanded Early Years Catering Kids Area, the Gala Casino Bus, and the new for 2010 outdoor Lab stage complete with quadraphonic funktion one sound system.
Organised by the Bristol Festival Community group, a registered charity run almost exclusively by volunteers, BrisFest 2010 has set the standard for well organised and innovative events and provides hundreds of volunteers the opportunity to gain experience working in all areas of event management. The accounts are still being settled for 2010 but it’s predicted that a breakeven was achieved with any proceeds ploughed into next year’s events and year round volunteer training from Health and Safety qualifications and fork lift licenses, to fundraising and management training.
Poppy Stephenson, Project Co-ordinator said ‘It’s been a brilliant year, and as with the past two years none of this would have been possible without the hard work and dedication of hundreds of local people, working together to stage this fantastic showcase of local talent. We would like to extend a massive group hug and thanks to all the artists, performers, programmers, stage teams and volunteers involved who have been instrumental in making BrisFest such a huge success, and something to be very proud of. And a big thank you to everyone who came down and enjoyed the spectacular party, which went off without incident. Bristol rocks!’
BrisFest 2010 certainly delivered on the BFCG’s promise to produce an urban spectacular music and arts festival that would bring the excitement of a summer festival to the heart of the City.
