The Scene - Local Entertainment News

S Sense

Ahhh Christmas. Many years ago, three wise guys followed a flare into the occupied territories. They travelled at night avoiding checkpoints. They were on a mission and carried secret stuff under their robes. They searched for a newborn.

Eventually, on the summer solstice, they found a barn under the glow of a searchlight as the prophets had foretold from prison. In the barn they found a young virgin mother from the North Pole and an older man who seemed confused. The couple was reviled by all because he was a tradesman. And she was under age for admittance to the tavern. Hence the barn.

The three wise guys approached the manger and there beheld the beatific visage of baby Santa. His face was surrounded by a halo of white hair.

The first wise guy leant over the portly babe, who squirmed in is his coke-red swaddling. "Praise be to plastic trees, $8 cards and bon-bons," and gave unto the babe a stick of frankincense.

The baby wiggled his boots and said, "Ho ho ho", and all who were there fell about in wonder, not realising it was meaningless crap. Except for the virgin who sprayed fake snow on the esky and the German reindeer who drank baby Santa's bottle of beer, giving him a red nose.

The second wise guy came forward and gave unto the baby Santa some myrrh and said, "All praise to consumer spending which riseth remarkably in your honour," and bowed almost to the floor.

The virgin was deep in discussion with the first wise guy proclaiming that she was the begatter but had not, you know, "done it".

Joseph turned at these words but soon went back to making a snow sled that could fly. He was poor but he had a vision.

The third wise guy bowed over the ruddy-cheeked babe and said, "I have brought you gold, oh material one, but after seeing that the others have brought you sticks of incense I fear I have overspent. Oi!"

And he broke down in uncontrollable sobs, his tears falling to the ground with the reindeer poo and the bits of cheap toys from developing markets that were breaking as they were wrapped by Santa's immigrant helpers.

New Queers Eve party

Celebrating the opening of their new club house/office in Lismore last week were Tropical Fruits committee members (l-r) Ken Beilby, Duncan Browne, Ian Gray, Erif Benham, Brett Paradise, Tyren Laidlaw, Yvonne Dengate and Brad Napier.

Tropical Fruits, a non-profit organisation that provides social opportunities and events for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community on the North Coast, has just moved into an office and community centre called the Fruit Bowl.

"This is a very exciting time for our organisation and local community - finally having a space in which we can get together and meet local gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people's needs in better ways," said Tropical Fruits chairperson Brett Paradise.

The excitement is building as Tropical Fruits is once again putting on a huge New Year's Eve party, called Show Me, at the Lismore showground. Last year over 3000 revellers turned up to party and this year, their second at the showground, promises to be bigger and better.

Show Me will feature a who's who of DJs, who will pump up the vibes from 8pm to 6am. Some of the DJs are Ruby (Sydney), Mister G (UK), Neroli (Brisbane), Mike Kelly (Sydney), Henri (Melbourne), Svetta (Sydney) and Kimo (Byron Bay). There will also be a massive light show that will spin your senses and, um, shrink your brain.

At midnight you can expect a fireworks spectacular to kick in the New Year.

Show Me also features a smorgasbord of the Rainbow Region's world-class talent - artists, opera singers, musicians, filmmakers and all sorts of performers.

And if you want to keep partying after the sun rises you can walk, crawl or drag yourself over to the Italo Club where More, the after-party, will kick off at 6am and cruise through to 11am on New Year's Day.

Then after that, (we are talking some serious partying here, folks) the dedicated rager can head off to the Klassic Lodge on Nimbin road to Wet & Juicy - a pervy, pumping pool party. There'll be a licensed bar, three DJs and a sausage and egg breakfast. It's open from 10am to 3pm New Year's Day.

There's camping at the showgrounds for $20 a site.

Tickets to the big rage are $75 for members, $85 for guests and $80 concession.

For more information or to book your tickets visit the website at www.tropicalfruits.org.au.

The 500-year plan

Xavier Rudd and Deborah Conway are some of the many performers programmed for this year's Woodford Folk Festival.

We live in a world where the short term dominates. Businesses think in 12-month blocks. Governments have three-year plans. But the Woodford Folk Festival people have a 500-year plan... That's right, 500 years! And they take it seriously. Inspiring.

Currently they're in year 19. Eight years at the Maleny showground and now 11 years at the Woodford site (which they now own). 50,000 trees planted, roads constructed, sewerage dug and connected, a three megalitre water tank being constructed for this festival - it's all happening.

The word is well and truly out. Tickets sales for this year's festival are huge and much planning and construction is taking place to comfortably host the punters when they come.

Regular venues are all increased in size with some new ones - The Club will host cabaret and the now-famous nightly Woodford Comedy Club; the Red Star is a food and jazz venue; The Globe will feature music concerts.

The amphitheatre has been totally remodelled. I saw it last weekend. The turf has been laid and it is definitely the most impressive outdoor venue I have ever seen. It will hold about 30,000 people.

And then there are the performers - The Cat Empire, Missy Higgins, The Waifs, Vince Jones, Jeff Lang, Monsieur Camembert - the list goes on and on.

There are 13 licensed bars, 45 food venues, 116 craft and merchandise stalls, and programs including Children's, Murri, Film, Concert, Dance, Ecology, Health and Wellness, Political Awareness, Comedy, Theatre, Circus and Craft.

Oh, and the fire event.

The festival runs from Monday, December 27, through to Saturday, January 1.

For more information or to order tickets visit the website at www.woodfordfolkfestival.com or phone 07 5496 1066.

See ya there.

Rock against cyanide

Ganga Giri blows hard to protect Lake Cowal at a fundraiser this Saturday.

This Saturday, December 18, Durrumbul Hall will groove to local band Mystic Beats, didge-wielding groovster Ganga Giri (just back from an European tour) and DJ Launchpad. Some of the money raised from the evening of music will go to the Lake Cowal campaign. Yep, another bit of nature under threat from the careless and callous.

"Lake Cowal is the largest inland lake in New South Wales and is threatened by a large scale cyanide leach gold mine," said Ruth Rosenhek, spokesperson for the Coalition to Protect Lake Cowal. "Many people are down at Lake Cowal right now to pressure the miners to halt their activities." Good on them. This lake is an important wetlands system. Australia has lost 89% of its wetlands in the last 100 years. Well, not exactly lost - destroyed.

The gig starts at sunset and entry is $13 (with $3 of that going to the campaign). There will be munchies available.

Free tickets not an unfortunate event

Violet and Sunny are two of the three orphans in the new film Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events, now showing at the Lismore Cinemas.

Lismore Cinemas is showing Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events, a film for children exploring the attraction children (and the child in us all) have for horror. Fairy tales have always been a bit grisly and this story of three orphans being bandied around from one relative's dubious care to another's is a humorously scary experience.

It's not a horror flick but a darkish look at misadventure aimed at the children's market, with laughs aplenty.

The movie is based on a very successful series of children's books by Daniel Handler.

With a strong cast (Jim Carrey, Billy Connolly, Jude Law and Meryl Streep) and a Dickensian feel to the production, director Brad Silberling has created a darker alternative to the sugary Christmas productions that fill the cinemas.

• Freebie: The Echo has 10 double passes to giveaway to lucky readers. To go in the draw to win phone 6622 2888 between 10 & 10.15am next Monday, December 20, and tell us who played the role of the Cable Guy.

Ballina RSL Chrissie for the kids

The Ballina RSL Club is having its Members' Kids Christmas Party this Sunday, December 19, from 4-6pm in the club's auditorium. Members' children and grandchildren (aged 12 years and under) are invited to attend this special party.

Every child will receive a special Ballina RSL Christmas bag full of great goodies and vouchers from local businesses. There'll be a disco and jumping castle, along with prizes and giveaways. And of course, Santa will be there!

Parents will be able to enjoy entertainment by Luke Vassella on the wharf while the kids attend the Christmas party upstairs. Waves Bistro will also be open from 6-8pm so the whole family can dine together afterwards. Become a member and enjoy festivities like this.

Tickets for this special Members' Kids Christmas party are $6.60 and can be booked (by members) through the RSL Club Bottleshop or phone 6686 2544.

S note

Next edition of The Echo is our bumper last edition for the year and we all have a week off. That's right folks, there will be a week without your Echo. Don't panic. If you have a gig or event or news that's happening during the Christmas and early January period, get it into the The Scene in the next edition of The Echo.

Young Drums workshop

Murray Wade of the Young Drums gives the big gong a big bash - subtly of course.

I've seen the Young Drums many times over the years (they formed in 1990) and have watched them develop their distinctive style incorporating a growing wealth of knowledge and experience into their performance. To watch them pound those drums (and sophisticated electronic percussive gear) from all over the world, creating a huge wall of interlocking rhythms (and loud!) is exciting.

This year they benefited from the skills of Artist In Residence, Steve Langton, who inspired the amazing thongaphone and other instruments that were used in the local production of The Flood and other performances.

Young Drums are keen to attract more members in 2005 and a good way to start is with their annual holiday program. This year it's called Fun Drums.

The program runs from Monday, January 10, until Friday, January 14. Participants will experience a week of intensive workshops in percussion and will get to have a go at hand drumming, tuned percussion, Japanese Taiko drumming as well as contemporary rock styles and the conventional drum kit.

This program caters for all abilities and all ages. Not just for the young. It costs $200. For more information phone 6621 4888 or visit the website at www.youngdrums.org.

The Bluesfest shapes up

Desmond Dekker, king of ska, will be providing some uplifting backbeat at this year's East Coast Blues and Roots Festival.

Michael Franti and Spearhead, George Clinton Parliament/Funkadelic, George Thorogood, Solomon Bourke, Kasey Chambers, The Cat Empire, Bebel Gilberto, Bo Diddley, John Lee Hooker Jr, The Frames, The Whitlams, Desmond Dekker, Janis Ian, Eric Bibb and Anne McCue - that's just some of the artists that have been booked for the 16th annual East Coast International Blues and Roots Festival in Byron Bay. (The bigger the event, the bigger the name gets...)

Anyway, sounds like a great line-up already. Earlybird tickets are on sale now for a limited time or until sold out.

After 15 years Keven Oxford, director and founder of the festival, has announced that he is off to pursue other interests. (Like having a rest...) His partner, Peter Noble, is continuing with new partners.

The festival began as a four-day indoor event in 1990 and drew a capacity audience of 6000 people at the Arts Factory in Byron. It moved outdoors in 1993, and has developed into one of the grooviest events on the Australian and international festival calendar.

The 2004 festival, held in April this year, has just been nominated in the category of International Festival of the Year for the prestigious Pollstar Concert Industry Awards, to be held in Los Angeles in February 2005. The festival is nominated alongside such world-renowned music festivals as Glastonbury, The Montreux Jazz Festival and London's V In The Park.

"This year we've got some terrific innovations," said Peter Noble. "The Saturday night will be huge with our Super Dance Band extravaganza on the main stage. The world's greatest hip shaking grooves will be on show with the music travelling from Barcelona to Brazil, from Havana to Kingston Town. Then on the Sunday night, we'll feature an all Australian party, where the Aussie artists will wow audiences all night long."

The 2005 East Coast Blues and Roots Festival will take place next Easter, March 24-28, at its usual location - Red Devil Park, Byron Bay.

For tickets go to the website at www.bluesfest.com.au.

Composers galore for gala event

The Northern Rivers Conservatorium has announced the finalists of the Composing for Screen Competition. They are Paul Archer (Lismore), Gene Peterson (Casino), Werner Pramschufer (Brisbane), Brad Redden (Modanville), Martin Van Veluwen (Moonee Beach) and Sam Vaughan (Sydney).

Congratulations, but where are the women?

There will be a gala screening of the finalists' films with the announcement of the winner (who will receive $1500) at the Byron Community Centre this Saturday, December 18, at 7.30pm. There will also be a screening of short films by local filmmakers Andrew Bambach, Tristan Bancks, Frank Coorey and Barbie English.

The winner will be judged by a panel including cinematographer Geoff Burton, whose credits include Lawrence of Arabia, The Sum of Us and Bastards from the Bush. Peter Martin (composer and head of composition at SCU), Murray Burns (film score writer, composer for All Saints, music producer) and Kate Ingham (manager of Screenworks) are also on the judging panel along with others involved in film and music. Tickets are $10/8.

Jew remember the enclave?

British actor Stephen Israel performs in Shtetl - a performance about life in a Jewish enclave. Well, he has the right name...

Pietro Fine, who plays with local band KaOZ Klezmer, has unearthed some unrecorded music from and about Bialistok, which was a Jewish enclave in Poland destroyed by the Nazis.

Pietro's great grandfather was a resident there and this has inspired Pietro to arrange the found music and to write some new music for a performance piece called Shtetl.

Stephen Israel, an accomplished English actor, will read from selected works. Shtetl is about the struggle and the humour of the oppressed Jews.

Shtetl debuts at the Rochdale Theatre in Goonellabah this Thursday, December 16, at 8pm and at the Byron Community Centre this Friday, December 17, at 9pm. KaOZ Klezmer will also present a special performance of East European music. Tickets are $15/12 at the door.

Takes the cake!

Glennys Rae Virus, moonlighting from The Toe Sucking Cowboys, will play with Mick Daley from The Re-mains and Grant, also from the Toe Suckers.

Mick, Glennys and Grant are The Puddin' Thieves (the title of a famous Norman Lindsay book) and will debut at the Gollan Hotel in Lismore this Friday, December 17. This will be an interesting combo. Anyone who has seen the Toe Sucking Cowgirls will know what a good-time, rollicking (sexy) outfit they are and Glennys' piano-accordian, violin playing and party party attitude will add a distinctive flavour to The Puddin' Thieves.

Mick Daley, front man for local country rock band The Re-mains, loves his country ballads and doesn't mind the odd bit of rollick neither.

Showtime is 9pm.

Hip hop battle

Aussie Battlers is a hip hop, MC, break battle where entrants can fight it out with fellow competitors at the PCYC Lismore on Australia Day, January 26, from 1pm. The categories are Breakdance, MC, DJ, Graph-Art and hip hop/non-Break Sequences. I'm not exactly sure what that is but you can find out more by phoning 6622 3279.

It costs $5 to see the competition and enjoy beatboxer Bex Beckett (who gave a fabulous performance at the recent Dolphin Awards) and DJ Noodles - one of the most sought after DJs in the area.

To be a part of the battle you must register by January 19. To register or get more information check out the website at www.norpa.org.au or email emma@norpa.org.au.

The season to Flourish

Jet Burgoyne and Bruce Brown are local designers who have opened a studio, called Flourish, in Magellan Street, Lismore.

Jet Burgoyne creates original clothing embellished with lace and hand-dyed fabrics which have been sold worldwide. Bruce Brown has been handcrafting leather bags for over 20 years and has been featured in Vogue magazine. For more info phone 6622 6977.

New Years Eve at Kohinur

Kohinur Hall is a beautiful country hall in Main Arm. It, like a lot of the remaining halls on the North Coast, has a long history of raging gigs. Furthering the tradition, Kohinur Hall will host a New Year's Eve party featuring the music of Shuffle, The Mighty Pragmatics and DJ Booth.

The Mighty Pragmatics is a 10-piece band with a big horn section, tight rhythm section and a funkiness that demands dancing. Along with the DJs and the famous Kohinur Hall organic BBQ, soul and stomach should be well satisfied.

For more information phone 6684 4028. The gig starts at 8pm on New Year's Eve.

Carol celebration

The choir rehearses under Warren Whitney's discerning eye for the Nine Carols gig this Sunday.

A special Christmas celebration will be held this Sunday night, December 19, at St Andrew's Anglican Church in Zadoc Street, Lismore.

This will be the Celebration of Nine Lessons and Carols, based on the traditional Service of Nine Lessons and Carols made famous in recent years by the Choir of Kings College, Cambridge (as seen on ABC television every Christmas Eve).

The celebration consists of readings that tell the story of Christmas, carols for all to sing and special Christmas carols and anthems sung by the choir.

The music for the celebration will be provided by the combined choirs of St Carthage's Cathedral and St Andrew's Anglican Church, directed by Lismore organist, Warren Whitney.

This is an ecumenical church celebration in preparation for the Christmas season, and all are invited to attend. The celebrations start at 7.30pm and entry is free.