The Scene - Local Entertainment News

S Sense

The other day I travelled north to a farming valley in Queensland. Beautiful mountains, a couple of villages and a town crammed with architectual reminders of a prosperous past. But the grasslands are dry and brown. Hills are sagging. Cattle country.

Snowy and Val have been farming the same block nearly all their eighty years. Snowy was born there. And so was his father. He married the pretty girl just down the road. You can see their old school ruins near the tourist info centre.

Everyone knows everyone's bloodline and family connections are acknowledged in conversation. "You're Allan's boy's wife's brother's kid aren't you? I knew your uncle, Jim."

Snowy (eighty-seven with jet black hair) can see the mountains not far away, but even closer by he can see the urban type sprawl which is engulfing not only his father's farm but the old community. And the social relationships are overwhelmed. The kids are gone to Brisbane.

He showed me a wind generator that his great granddad had built in the very early years of last century. It was long disused and the farmhouse now hummed on mains power.

"We used to have these big batteries - you probably don't know..."

"I know," I said, "I run my place on big batteries."

He was surprised that his grandad had something in common with me. But I am a pioneer too, farming my selection of community, connections and land. His nostalgia and my hope are for these things.

Community, connections, the land. These are our sacred things; our treasures. As they were for the new settlers, the early settlers and the original settlers.

That's a print!

One of the beautiful works from printmaker, Dianne Longley, at Lismore Regional Gallery.

From next Thursday, July 29, to August 28, Lismore Regional Gallery will be hosting an exhibition of artist books and folios by renowned Adelaide printmaker Dianne Longley. Opening night festivities for her exhibition will be held next Thursday at 5.30pm.

A famed technician, Longley has mastered most traditional and contemporary printmaking techniques and has achieved national and international recognition for her work as a printmaker and creator of books.

"Dianne's books are of exceptional quality and technique," said Bronwyn Larner, director of the Lismore Regional Gallery. "We learn so much about this artist as we journey through more than 20 years of her development and purpose."

Longley holds a Master of Arts and is represented in international collections including the National Gallery of Australia, National Library of Scotland and Visual Studies Workshop in New York.

Dianne Longley will give an artist's talk at the gallery on Friday, July 30, from 2.30pm.

She will also hold a photopolymer printmaking and artist's book weekend workshop at Piece Gallery in Mullumbimby on Saturday, July 31, and Sunday, August 1. It costs $160 for the weekend. For more info on the workshop phone 6684 3446.

In Coming

Northern Rivers has a vibrant entertainment scene with much coming soon...

TISM are on their The White Album Tour and hits the Great Northern Hotel in Byron on Thursday, August 5.

Wendy Matthews is on tour showcasing her latest album, Cafe Naturale, and will perform at the Ballina RSL on Friday, August 6.

Austen Tayshus, the comedian with the shades, performs in Byron on Monday August 9. Mandy Nolan will compere the gig,

Oh, and the Ladies Lizard Lounge delievers the gags at the One Bar & Niteclub on Tuesday, August 3.

Not happy, John...

The Whitlams front man Tim Freedman will be one of a huge line up of performers at the Rage Against Howard.

The above is the title to Margo Kingston's new book and echoes the sentiment of the the big gig that Jimmy Willing is presenting as a fundraising benefit for the local Greens - dubbed 'Rage Against Howard'.

Turn frustration into freedom, anger into attitude, with a gig that boasts the best of local performers (and special guests) at the Italo Australia Club in Lismore, on Saturday, July 31, from 5pm.

Some of the entertainers are Proem3, Red Eyed Frogs, The Re-Mains, Mandy Nolan, The Real Gone Hick-Ups, S Sorrensen, Box Monsters, Old Spice Boys, Brittle Fex, Mishful Thinking, Dave Ramsey Willie McElroy (Wild Zinnias), Cranky Hank... the list goes on and on. In fact, so many performers want to contribute to this cause that Jimmy reckons he could put on a two-day festival with all that support.

The special Rage Against Howard guest is piano man, Tim Freedman, from the Whitlams. Also coming up from down south is Lenke Muchova, the Czech puppeteer, with her G-rated Czech puppet play, Rusalka.

Watch out for the Real Gone Hick-Up's release of a Willing reworked traditonal folk song called Howard's Dead and Gone. All these people have donated their time in an expression of solidarity against the PM and a show of support for Greens.

Organisers hope that with an election imminent, this will be the last time we have to rage against Howard.

This gig is family friendly (there will be a kids' space - with activities) and is smoke free (hooray!). That's real family values.

Food is available in the club's dinning room until 8.30pm. Tickets are $15/10 for adults, $5 for teenagers and kids under 12 are free of charge.

Sounds like it will be a fantastic night of raging... against Howard.

Acre + Groove Dalley = great gig

Acre will launch their new album at the UniBar.

Byron Bay's indie rock three-piece, Acre, are launching their second album, In God's Car There's No Spare Seats, at Campus Central UniBar in Southern Cross University on Thursday, July 29.

Groove Dalley will support them on the night, bringing together two top local bands that are featuring at the upcoming Splendour in the Grass festival.

Acre are having a musical dream run. In the last three months they have received high rotation airplay on Triple J with the track Fading Light; signed a distribution deal with Shock Records and will be the opening act at Splendour In The Grass.

Acre formed in 1998 and released their debut album, The Vision Splendid, in 2000. Since then, they have built a solid fan base both locally and in the cities. They're very excited now at the release of their second album - a marker of their development as a band.

Groove Dalley are a North Coast 8-piece outfit, drawing inspiration from bands such as St. Germain, D.I.G., Daft Punk and Jurassic 5. This band has established a large and diverse following in local circles, owing to their fat mix of original electro-jazz and progressive funk tracks and to their deliverance of a killer live show.

They have just finished recording their debut EP, Welcome To The Garden, which is due to be launched in the next few months.

Check out a little bit of Splendour with Acre and Groove Dalley. Tickets are free to students and only $5 to guests. Doors open at 8pm.

Smokers in the Grass

Over 32 billion cigarette butts are discarded in Australia each year. Most of these flow from the streets and gutters, where they have been inappropriately disposed of, and into our waterways.

Unmindful smokers can cause environmental havoc.

Aside from the obvious litter, pollution and fire risks, it also presents serious threats to marine life.

Aquatic creatures mistake cigarette butts for food and can die from the toxins contained in the tobacco. There is an epidemic of lungfish cancer.

To counter the habit of smokers throwing their ciggie rubbish just anywhere at Splendour In The Grass, the organisers have called on a solution developed by the Byron Environment Centre and introduced to Lismore's CBD last year - the Binyabutt program. The Binyabutt is a free pocket ashtray made from recycled film canisters. The Binyabutt can store a smoker's stash of butts until it is emptied into an available bin.

And then it can be used again.,, and again.

These Binyabutts will be available at Splendour In The Grass from bars, food outlets and sponsor stalls.

If you're a smoker please be responsible and respect the environment at Splendour In The Grass either by swallowing your butts or by using the cool Binyabutt canisters on site. (Um, swallowing is not a good idea.)

Window Dressing

Rubbish can fly in Krinkl Theatre's latest production.

Four performers, waist high in newspaper and encased behind a shop front window at 14 Carrington Street in Lismore, will set the scene for Krinkl Theatre's latest project, Suit Yourself.

Multi award-winning Krinkl Theatre crinkle, wrap and tape newspaper, plastic bags, coloured paper and other discarded objects to create delightful visual images and puppets behind the glass where passers-by can see this creation of fantasy objects from the reality of rubbish.

Suit Yourself is a performance reflecting the business world in our major cities (like Lismore). How rushed, rubbishy and unrelenting it all can be. So these four performers utilise the medium of newspaper and plastic to create a living cityscape by incorporating puppetry, object manipulation, movement and clowning skills.

The show is on Saturday, July 31, at 11am and is free. But you can give feedback to the performers as they rehearse in the Carrington Street space (the old Shaws Office Supplies shop) from next Monday, July 26, until the next Friday between 10.30am - 3pm daily.

For more info phone 6633 3380.

Smart Covers

The Smart Artists play with their favourite instruments before the Gilhooleys' gig.

Local band, Smart Artists, will play Mary Gilhooley's Pub in Lismore this Saturday, July 24, from 8pm.

Radio ZZZ FM describes Smart Artists as "the region's No.1 cover band".

So this cover band with the big raps is sure to have the Lismore punters stomping and hollering for more as the Smart Artists trawl their way through their repertoire of classic rock. These seasoned (not pickled) middle-aged rock athletes are particular not to regurgitate the same old stuff peddled by your less inspired covers band.

Tunes from U2, Matchbox 20, Supertramp, Bob Seeger, the Eagles, Peter Frampton, Genesis and others display the diversity of the set list.

Let's face it, Smart Artists love to rock.

The Kelly Gang Debut Album

A cup of the country's most seasoned musicians, a table spoon of hot young talent, a dash of artwork from a legendary Australian artist, inspiration from a well known outlaw and a sprinkle of live shows...it's a recipe for a hearty, home grown sound that fills the ears and leaves listeners healthily satisfied.

It's the debut album from The Kelly Gang, Looking For The Sun...and it's coming to your CD player in the coming weeks.

The Kelly Gang are Jack Nolan on guitar and vocals, Rick Grossman slapping the bass, Rob Hirst hitting the drums and Scotty Aplin on keys.

Looking For The Sun is out on GAP records, through MGM dfistribution, now! It's available through the band and record stores.

The band will perform at the Great Northern Hotel in Byron on Friday, July 30, and at the Beach Hut on the following Saturday, July 31.

Please note that Jim Kelly, local famous guitarist is not in this line-up despite the band's name.

The man, the band, the gig and the signing...

Kurtis plots his future.

Byron Bay local lad, Kurtis Rettenmaier, has teamed up with long-time mates, Sam Shine on guitar and Brooke Rees on bass, to form the nucleus of the six-piece outfit called, imaginatively, Kurtis.

Kurtis will play The Rails in Byron Bay, this Friday, July 23, from 7pm.

Kurtis' music is soulful and funky reflecting the spirit of the North Coast - a desire to lift the audience's hearts to a giddying happiness by getting their bodies down and raging.

Roadshow Music has just signed the band and their first album, Foundations, will be released on August 16.

Their current single, Ain't Going Your Way, is from the forthcoming album and is Kurtis' first offering to the Aussie media.

It's a good introduction to Kurtis - the man, the band and the music.

Sleek Geeks of Science

You probably know them as the country's most famous science geeks. Adam Spencer and Dr Karl are two comic know-it-alls who are coming to Byron to present their Sleek Geek show - an exploration of the mysteries of nature, nurture and everything in between.

This Friday night, July 23, at the Byron Bay Bowling Club, you can expect something very different when the Triple J megastars team up with Mandy Nolan for an evening of educated mayhem.

For the past three years Adam Spencer and Wil Andersen have performed in Byron on the eve of the Splendour in the Grass festival. The shows have been packed to the proverbials, with punters lining up to get some one-to-one time with their gag gurus.

This Byron show has gained a cult following for its shooting from the lip, comedic, chat-show approach - something that Adam has decided to continue even though Triple J breakfast co-host, Wil, is in Montreal selling his comedy to the Canadians.

Adam has bagged Dr Karl for some banter with the fans. It's rumoured that Triple J personality, The Stink, will also be turning up on the night, along with some special surprise Splendour guests and comedians.

Tickets are only $10 and as every show sells out, punters are urged to book early. For bookings phone 6685 6202 or get them directly from the Byron Bay Bowling Club.

Make money at home!

The Fellowship of Australian Writers (Far North Coast Regional) presents the 17th Anniversary Literary Competition 2004. There are four catergories - short, short story (up to 1000 words), short story (up to 3000 words), poetry up to 24 lines and poetry up to 80 lines.

And there are prizes! All categories receive $250 for first and $100 for second place.

The Northern Star Literary Award, a hand-crafted pen, pencil and letter opener in a box of North Coast red cedar, will also be awarded for best entry overall.

So, if you are of a literary bent, you can make some bucks as well as a creative impression in your community by entering this competition and honing your writing skills.

For more info and entries, write to Competition Secretary, FAW Far North Coast Regional, PO Box 5093, East Lismore, NSW, 2480. Entries close on July 31.

Kasbah at Ewingsdale

Kick up your heels to the sounds of the Kasbah at Ewingsdale Hall on Sunday, July 25, when Sydney band Azadoota steam up the winter chill with their blazing Assyrian vocals, hot, hot dancing and lots of spicy Latin percussion.

Azadoota's music will get you on the dance floor wiggling that tushy (Is tushy a word?), and no doubt you'll go home singing some catchy phrase in a language you've never spoken before.

Azadoota will be supported by local luminaries Shahnaz. Led by Yuval Ashkar, Shahnaz combines Eastern and Western instruments to bring you lush traditional Middle-Eastern music layered with jazz, folk, classical and contemporary influences.

Shahnaz features one of Israel's top belly dancers, Ayelet, who creates in her dance a combination of authentic oriental expression and traditional Egyptian techniques. A feast for the eyes as well as the ears...

Tickets are $15/12. Refreshments by Open Table will be available and the gig starts at 5pm. For more info phone 6688 2284.

The Channon exhibition

After extending the last exhibition, Weaving Winter Warmth, for the school holidays, local artists are preparing the next exhibition at The Channon Teahouse Local Artists' Gallery.

The new exhibition (which opens this Friday, July 23, and runs until the end of August) will feature photography by two young artists, Libby Humphries and Megan McInnes, and paintings by Colin Eley, Brigitte Havan, Wayne Kane and Sergio Torrez. Sculptural works include traditional forged iron by artist/blacksmith Gilbert Louttit, basketry and fibre art by Annie Heitmann and Vanessa Morris, and Roz Lokollo's bead-work jewellery.

The Artists invite you to an Exhibition Viewing and Music Night on Friday July 30th at 6pm. Dee and Glen of the Teahouse, will offer a selection of soups and supper, plus their usual array of teas, coffee and cakes.

The Channon Teahouse is open daily from 11am to 4pm. For more info phone 6688 6234.

Ice cream, therefore I am.

A life-long passion for dairy food is the inspiration behind the exhibition on show at the NORCO Art Space (the old NORCO factory) in South Lismore that runs until (and includes) this Saturday, July 24.

The exhibition, titled Milk, Two Sugars, features a unique combination of acrylic, coffee and cocoa, representing graduate artist Amber Gooley's relationship to food. Yum, paintings that make your mouth water.

"These paintings represent the role that dairy food has had in my life," the artist said. "I find dairy foods like ice cream and milky coffee comforting."

Check it out before Sunday. For more info phone 6622 2209.