The Scene - Local Entertainment News

S Sense

The other night I was looking at the river, our river, resplendent with little lantern-lit craft bobbing away under the fireworks, when I nearly got river fever again.

During my last bout, I bought an old 20ft river boat from an old alcoholic who used to live on it in South Lismore. I paid a bottle of scotch and a carton of Coopers. He did all right. It wasn't his boat.

I spent many months and much money on it until I had myself a proud lady of the river with a huge old Chrysler outboard on the back.

I had no end of willing crew. We'd pack it up with essentials (it took a lot of juice) and see how far we'd get to Ballina - before that bloody big outboard would break down... again. And again...

The NRMA won't come to you if you're on the river. Wouldn't matter anyway. You don't know where you are. There are no signs. It's dangerous. One wrong turn at Coraki and you could end up in Casino.

But sometimes the motor wouldn't break down.

The prop fell off. The split pin was wrenched out by nitrogen-crazed river weed and... there you are. Drifting until you bump into the bank. Then you, because you're the captain, have to go ashore, find a house, with someone home, who has a boat, that they will launch, and will tow you to the nearest ramp. You have to rely on Australians' kind response to people in boats who need help. Gulp.

And then, because your car is in Lismore, and you're not, and your keys are in your pocket, you have to ring a friend, who is home, who has a big car, with a tow-ball, who will come down to Coraki and tow your big, stupid, broken-down, Huck Finn fantasy to Lismore.

Actually, once, on one of my trips, for fifteen minutes or so, with the sun setting, it was, well... tolerable. Then came the sandflies.

But there are magic moments - like when I auctioned it at the Tender Center (that really should be Centre, cobbers) and got $65. Great day.

Gospel truth

Sensational singing siblings Vika and Linda (pictured) will sing gospel at the Great Northern Hotel in Byron Bay this Sunday, June 27.

Born of a Tongan mother and Australian father, Vika and Linda grew up in Victoria but maintained close links to the Tongan community. As children they were always around music and enjoyed singing with the family and also at the Tongan church they attended. That church singing was a sign of things to come...

Their big musical break came in 1988 when Joe Camilleri took the girls into The Black Sorrows as backing singers. In 1994 they left The Black Sorrows and exerted control over their musical direction.

Six months after leaving the Black Sorrows, they brought out their first CD, produced by Paul Kelly, which they called Vika and Linda. This was the start of a line of albums over the next ten years with the latest, Tell The Angels, released last month.

"Recording live was a really interesting process," says Vika. "We love singing gospel music. It makes you feel good in a physical sense as well as a spiritual one."

Check out Vika and Linda in Byron and feel that spiritual bliss.

Lucie sells the bud in Lismore

Lucie Thorne (pictured) will celebrate the release of her new album, the bud, at the Tatts Hotel in Lismore next Tuesday, June 29.

After growing up in Tasmania, Lucie is now a Melbourne-based singer/songwriter who has been performing her contemporary folk/roots music around Australia for several years. She also toured Canada, USA and England during last year.

Lucie writes compelling songs of people and places, which she delivers with energetic, passionate performances. Her new album, the bud, showcases her deep, lush voice and the delicate arrangements of her songs.

This is mood music with lyrics that linger with you.

Lucie performs with a variety of line-ups - from a guitar duo to five-piece band - but usually appears solo, accompanying herself on acoustic guitar.

Also performing on the night will be Natalie Gay. Entry is $8/6 and the show starts at 8.30pm.

I thought I thora...

ThoraZoo - three men and a wet spot...

Visiting dance band ThoraZoo will play the Nimbin Hotel this Saturday, June 26, from 8pm.

ThoraZoo is an all originals band playing dance music that incorporates salsa, electro-funk, hip hop, house and every other dance form known to mankind... but these guys have two guitarists. That's right two, which means, um... they rock!

Nigel Harrington formed the band in 2003 with two Dutch guitarists who all now live in the beautiful town of Thora, west of Bellingen. This project is the culmination of three years of writing original dance music by the band. They are now enjoying their live shows and are scoring good gigs. They supported Endorphin late last year in Sawtell.

Go dance to some world music from Thora.

Write stuff

Novelist Marele Day (bottom right) with budding novelists (clockwise) Lisa Walker, Betsy Roberts, Michael Hunt and Jane Jago.

Four local writers, with works in progress, spent a productive week at Coopers Shoot Guesthouse last week fine-tuning their novels under the guidance of award-winning author Marele Day.

Marele said the mentorship offered by the Northern Rivers Writers' Centre and funded by the Ministry of Arts was highly competitive and only writers showing exceptional ability were selected.

The successful writers were Betsy Roberts (Banora Point), Lisa Walker (Lennox Head), Michael Hunt and Jane Jago (Lismore).

Their works range from an evocative account of Australian rural life in the 50s, to an epic tale of two warring empires set in the distant future.

"It was very rewarding to see the works develop over the course of the week. Each of them has tremendous potential for publication," Marele said.

And now, folks, the Splendour Comp winners!

This is the moment we have all been waiting for. The moment that has hung like a lamp of hope to those of us that didn't manage to get a ticket to the now sold-out Splendour in the Grass weekend, July 24-25, at Byron Bay.

The Echo's Splendour Comp has been flooded with entries and, boy, some people are desperate for a ticket.

Anyway, the lucky winners are Mitchell Cox (on behalf of his parents) and Susan Laine. They will be contacted by phone to receive their double passes for the weekend. Lock'em in a safe place. Congratulations.

Sweet Things to sweat

The Sweet Young Things and a little smiley face. Ahhh...

The Gollan Hotel in Lismore is where The Sweet Young Things will showcase their particular brand of acoustic-based music when they play this Friday, June 25.

"What is acoustic-based music?" I hear you asking. Well it's acoustic music with just a snare and hi-hat providing the back beat. And a bit of electric power for the bass. And a microphone...

These local guys create their own sound with their individual arrangements of covers from the likes of Merle Travis, Taj Mahal and Violent Femmes. (That's a pretty wide range.) They are semi-acoustic but very, and irresistibly, danceable.

See them from 9pm.

Luck of the Irish

Friday night is a great night for...Guinness. Some of the Irish types enjoying the last Northern Rivers Echo Irish Night at Mary Gilhooleys.

The first Friday of every month is the Northern Rivers Echo Irish Night at Mary Gilhooleys and a perfect wind-down from the working week. You can listen to live music, win prizes, eat free Irish snacks, sing long meaningless songs and network with friends and colleagues over a few cold brews.

The next night of the leprechaun will be next Friday, July 2, after work.

Vital visions

An image by Lindy Lee, who will be a guest at 48 Hours of Visual Arts next weekend.

Everyone knows that the North Coast is full of artists of all types. We have musicians aplenty and a big music festival. We have writers and a big writer's festival. We have some amazing visual artists... and, um, where is the visual arts festival?

Well, now there is one!

48 Hours of Visual Arts is a two-day event encompassing and encouraging the talents and possibilities of visual arts on the North Coast. The action takes place at the Byron Bay Community and Cultural Centre on Saturday and Sunday, July 3-4.

"I am working with people like the regional arts development officer, Lois Randall from Arts Northern Rivers and an advisory group from the visual arts community to provide a practical, informative and entertaining forum for the visual arts and its audience," said Dee Tipping, coordinator of the event. "In a similar way that the Byron Bay Writers' Festival is now an inspiring focal point for the literary community, I would like to see 48 Hours of Visual Arts achieve a similar result for all genres of the arts."

With the aim of establishing an even more vibrant and successful creative industry, 48 Hours of Visual Arts will be dedicating part of its program to the gritty business of art. Practical panel discussions and workshops will inform the audience with topics on marketing, legalities and the practicalities of making a buck from your art.

Special guest will be Lindy Lee, one of Australia's leading visual artists and former deputy chair of the Visual Arts Board of the Australia Council. Over the weekend she will present both her striking images and informative sessions on creative and professional practices in visual arts.

Other guest speakers include Nikki Fuda, Guido Dettoni and Digby Moran.

A highlight of this inaugural two-day event will be the celebration of Surfing as Art with all its associated imagery. This will embrace 70s visual arts footage from films like Morning of the Earth (which features local surfing legend Rusty Miller) along with posters and publications from the era.

For more information and tickets visit the website at www.tikitiboo.com.au or www.buttery.org.au - or phone 6685 5214.

Top Brass

Shrewd Brass looking down their horns...

As part of its local concert series, Musica Viva presents Shrewd Brass next Wednesday, June 30, at St Mary's Anglican Church in Ballina.

Having already offered us the musical treats of Harold Brown in March and Duo Sol in May, the Musica Viva program sets us upon another musical course with Shrewd Brass. And there is a lot of brass involved. Take two trumpets, a French horn, a trombone and a tuba and you have a... lot of brass!

This quintet formed in 1990 at the Victorian College of the Arts and has played for Musica Viva for the last ten years, entertaining audiences throughout Australia and Singapore with their relaxed style and their very wide ranging repertoire.

They are a diverse bunch in Shrewd Brass - members have performed with state orchestras and the Australian Chamber Orchestra as well as on television (Hey, Hey It's Saturday and In Melbourne Tonight) - and that diversity is a key to the group.

Shrewd Brass hit the high notes in Ballina next Wednesday from 7.30pm. Tickets are $28/24 (students $14). Book on 6686 2436.

Elephant (mojo) men

Elephant Mojo take a breather before their Byron gig.

Brisbane band Elephant Mojo will be bringing some funkin' city rock to the Great Northern Hotel in Byron Bay this Saturday, June 26.

The band evolved from the suburbs of Brisbane in early 2003, where they quickly became popular on the local live scene with their overall sense of fun on and off stage.

They will be playing with Missy Higgins, a 20 year-old singer/songwriter who won Triple J's Victoria Unearthed competition while she was still at school.

Sirens' Songs

Local community radio station, 2NCR-FM, has put together a unique compilation CD, entitled Female Uni Tunes, showcasing 15 original tracks from some of the best female musical talent to come out of Southern Cross University over the past few years.

To launch this album 2NCR-FM has decided to showcase these performers at the Live in Concert, Siren Songs Concert Series starting on Saturday, July 3, with performances by Proem3, Shelly Hughes and Julianne Jessop.

The venue is the very comfortable and intimate Rochedale Theatre in Goonellabah.

Following concerts on July 10 and 31 will feature Deb Bond, Felicity Clifton, Virginiaflame, Leigh Carriage, Liz Marsh and Natalie Gay.

The Female Uni Tunes CD will be launched at the National Conference for Women Students to be held at Southern Cross University on Tuesday, July 13.

Tickets are $12/$10 for each performance or $27 for the three nights from Caddies in Lismore or from 2NCR-FM. For more information phone 6624 4618.

Writer's program out now!

After much anticipation, the 2004 Byron Bay Writers program is now available and tickets for the festival are selling fast.

This year the festival offers two very different literary lunches. Roy Masters and Mick O'Regan will talk sport and its place in the Australian psyche, while Mary Delahunty will interview Kirsty Sword Gusmao about her transition from undercover activist to First Lady of East Timor - as described in her story, A Woman of Independence.

For more info visit the website www.byronbaywritersfestival.com or phone 6685 6262.

Music career opportunity

The Musicoz Awards competition, Australia's premier music awards for unsigned artists, has officially opened and is calling for all unsigned and independent artists and musicians around the country to send in their entries. Winners in each of the 18 categories will walk away with some phenomenal prizes and gain the attention from those in high musical places.

There is no age restriction to enter in one or all of the categories.

Entrants have until July 31 to get their entries in and be part of Australia's premier music awards for unsigned artists. The winners will be announced at the Musicoz Awards ceremony in December.

For more info or entry forms visit the website at www.musicoz.org or phone 1800 002 955.

Quick! Prizes for poetry!

The deadline for entries for the annual Byron Bay Writers Festival Poetry Prize has been extended until next Thursday, July 1, at 4pm.

Not only do the three finalists win cash prizes, they also have the opportunity to perform at the prestigious festival. People can submit up to five poems and a panel of judges will choose the winners by Thursday, July 8.

Guidelines and application forms are available from the website at www.byronbaywritersfestival.com or phone 6685 5115.

Holy Trinity

A trilogy of concerts focussing on sacred music will be held over the next few months. The series will feature an ecumenical choir of 80 saintly voices presenting a varied selection of sacred anthems.

The first concert will be held this Sunday, June 27, at St Andrew's Church in Zadoc Street, Lismore, from 2pm. A donation of $5 is suggested with the proceeds going to a local charity.

The other concerts will be held in Murwillumbah on September 26 and in Tweed Heads on October 17. For more info phone 66215529.

Correction

Okay. It's a mistake. In the story about Dynamic Life Drawing last week the drawing in the accompanying photo was wrongly attributed to someone who was not the artist. I blame everyone here at The Echo for that.

That lovely drawing of the human body was in fact created by Clare Twomey.

Sorry...

Local films

North Coast CAMERA will present Youth Media, a project where diverse groups produce their own video while learning the craft of film production.

In the last four months Byron Bay UNCLE, Casino High School and the Lismore Light n Up group have all been busy creating videos. These films investigate the human landscape of their respective local communities in styles that range from fantasy (Casino High) to animation (Light n Up).

This diverse range of videos will be screened at the Byron Bay Cinema next Wednesday, June 30, at 6pm and at the Star Court Theatre in Lismore next Saturday, July 3, from 7.30pm. $5 gets you in.

Art House films

The fifth Art House Screening of the Byron Film Club is on this Sunday, June 27, in the Cotton Club at the Arts Factory in Byron. Lights down at 7.30pm and entry is $10/7.

Groovers rule

They're local, they're funky and they're going to play Splendour in the Grass next month. They are, of course, Groove Dalley and they will be groovin' next Monday night, June 28, at the Great Northern Hotel in Byron Bay.

They will be supporting LA-based hip hop group, Ugly Duckling.

Jazz and more jazz

There are many jazz highlights this week.

First of all Jim Kelly will present a night of jazz and Latin standards by the fireplace at the Pioneer Tavern in Wollongbar accompanied by Natalie Gay's beautiful voice. This gig kicks off at 4.30pm this Sunday, June 27.

Then on the following Wednesday, June 30, the jazz night at Mary Gilhooleys features Little Flame - a jazz outfit with an emphasis on original composition and hot live performance.The show starts around 8pm and costs $5.

Don't bag the bilum

Lismore Regional Gallery will present Bron's Bilum Show from next Thursday, July 1. The opening (I hope there's jatz, cheddar and wine) starts at 5.30pm and everyone is welcome. This exhibition will showcase Bronwyn Larner and Andrew Kilvert's bilums. The bilum is the hard working string bag from both East and West Irian. It can carry up to 45 kilos!

And... more jazz

The Lismore Jazz Club presents Good Time Jazz this Sunday, June 27, at the Lismore RSL Club, featuring Jazz on the Move, the Unity Jazz Band, Gold Coast All Stars, Methylated Spiritualists, Roo, S Sorrensen (that's me - jazz god) and other cool guests. The horns get warm at 2pm and the suggested $8 donation will go to helping Lismore Jazz Club in hosting the 60th Australian Jazz Convention in Lismore in late 2005.

Enviro event

Ruth Rosenhek will speak and show slides from her eastern Europe tour of forest and goldmine campaigns and her participation in deep ecology workshops in Europe.

John Seed will also premiere Katkari, the new film he made with Neil Pike about the plight of an indigenous nation in Maharashtra, India.

Keep up to date and relate next Monday, June 28, from 6pm, at 13 Wotherspoon Street, North Lismore.

Fun and games

The free fortnightly theatre sports night that has been happening recently in Lismore, Fun and Games, will be held again at its new venue, the Tatts Hotel, next Wednesday, June 30.

The night will feature a variety of interesting and entertaining theatre sports, with the night being filmed by LINC TV for a special show called Twisted Wits.

The night runs from 6pm to 8pm and entry is $3.

Juggling in Byron

Embracing experimentation, improvisation and risk, Circa: Rock 'n' Roll Circus Ensemble returns to the Byron Community and Cultural Centre premiering their new show - A Man in a Room, Juggling - next Wednesday and Thursday, June 30 and July 1.

Steeped in traditional circus language, Circa mixes improvised circus tricks, physical performance, music and video projection.

Tickets are now on sale at the centre ($15 for advance sales, $22 at the door and $12 for children). For further information phone 6685 5659.

NORPA presents Teatro del Mundo's

La Guerra
Produced by Nexus Multicultural Arts Centre
Venue: Star Court Theatre, Lismore
Dates: July 9 & 10, 8pm
Prices: $20/$15 + booking fee
Bookings: Northern Rivers Ticket Centre 6621 5600 or www.norpa.org.au

Wild eyed. Heart beating. Staccato drilling rhythms in Cuban heels.

Teatro del Mundo's passionate Flamenco Dance Theatre production - La Guerra - dives into the highly political and devastating events preceding the Spanish Civil War. These events brought massive upheaval to the daily lives of Spanish people, in particular, working class women who participated in and witnessed great changes as the old order of Church and domestic culture were swept away by social revolution and war. La Guerra is the story of one day during this period.

Artistic director and internationally respected Flamenco dancer, Liana Vargas, leads the 'Free Women of Spain' group as they confront and are then captured by the notorious Spanish dictator, General Franco. The words of the executed poet, Federico Garcia Lorca, are used throughout the piece, complementing and connecting the racing beats and contra tempo of Flamenco dance, live guitar, percussion and the lament of Flamenco singer Maria Olivarez.

First performed in December 2002 in the Adelaide Festival Centre's Space Theatre, La Guerra was proclaimed one of the most successful works presented that year. The company boasts an impressive collection of fresh, exuberant performing artists of the highest international standards. The flamenco guitarists are the finest masters of their instrument, and, as do the dancers and singers, travel to Europe frequently to hone their skills and gain valuable performance experience with internationally respected artists.

La Guerra is a work so electrically charged one can't help but be swept up in the art of Teatro del Mundo.

Flamenco Workshop

NORPA will host a workshop with Teatro del Mundo on Saturday, July 10, at Lismore City Hall. The workshop will cover traditional flamenco dance with an up to date, European flair. The workshop will be accompanied by a flamenco guitarist and percussionist and participants are advised to bring heeled, covered shoes and comfortable clothing. Bookings are essential. For more information contact Emma Newman at NORPA Dance Action on emma@norpa.org.au, 6622 3279 or visit www.norpa.org.au.