The Scene - Local Entertainment News

S Sense

I'm a killer. True.

The other day I'm lying on the lounge just thinking about, um, love and that... and playing with the rubber band off my silverbeet when I spot two March flies having a rest on a window pane across the room.

Now, I respect all life - that's why I only wear leather from dead animals - but such is the distraction of pondering emotional entanglement, I took aim at the poor insect couple, unconscious of my actions, and stretched the rubber band over my thumb. Without thinking (or rather, thinking about love and that...), I somehow calculated for trajectory angles, wind drift, probably even continental drift - I don't know - but it was a perfect shot.

I took out one of the Marchies with such pinpoint force that the it just disappeared into nothingess and the remaining Marchie was so stunned it just stood there. I'd traumatised it.

I didn't feel good about it. Sure brilliant shot and, you know, I admit I did feel superior for a bit, (and it is my window) but even when I'm a bit insecure I don't really need to prove myself againt a March fly. Surely.

Okay, maybe.

But insects are not like us.Their hearts beat very quickly and they live quickly. Our time is very slow for them. Those Marchies would have seen that rubber band coming for ages. It's probably what they were talking about on the window pane while soaking up a little sun.

"Hey Jon, I'm sure that brown smudge on the horizon is getting closer. It's weird. I'm scared."

"Lisbeth, my love, I'll always be here for you -"

At this point, Jon simply disappeared in the blink of a multi-faceted eye. And each of Lisbeth's many formerly pretty eyes blackekned from the air pressure.

After a long while, even in my time, Lisbeth staggered away, probably thinking that Jon is a bit flighty for her. Not even a goodbye. And she probaly wondered where the smudge went.

Look, (and I don't know why this is important) but Jon could have saved himself. He could have looked up, seen the sign and said, "Lisbeth, let's go to my place," or "let's see if that web over there is sticky," or "let's swap places."

But no. He's was a blind lover and I'm a sharp-eyed killer.

Billy the lionhearted

Billy Jack presents a cheque to Nora Savono (president of the Mid-Richmond Lions Club). Secretary Dot Sawatzki looks happily on. The cheque is to help victims of the tsunami.

Billy Jack, as we reported in this paper a couple of weeks ago, is a young piano player, with a great name and a huge heart.

He has raised thousands for the victims of the Boxing Day tsunami by tickling the ivories and recently produced the fundraiser, Concert under the Stars, on the beach at Evans Head. He played his laidback music and raised $612.95 on the night for tsunami relief, which he presented to the Mid-Richmond Lions Club.

Who? Ray? Hooray!

Ray Essery (aka The Mullumbimby Bloke) is an award winning bush poet who wants to be a bikie.

Winners in the 2005 Australian Bush Laureate Awards were announced before a capacity audience in the Tamworth Town Hall this week. Among the winners was our very own Ray Essery, who won Album of the Year with On The Road Again (produced by Roger Ilott).

Congratulations Ray. Ray's lack of pretension and his genuine love of people have made him one of Australia's most loved (and successful) bush poets. And, as I have found out myself, he doesn't mind to wash away the dust with a refreshing ale or two. (Once, in Tamworth, it was about 10...)

A bush poet, who sadly died last year, was the effervescent Bobby Miller. He was a member, as is Ray, of the Naked Poets. (Thankfully, they didn't actually get naked. Some things are best left unseen.)

His wife, Sandy, has put together a book of his best poetry called Poems of Bob Miller, The Larrikin, which has won Book of the Year for this year.

In the Single Recorded Performance of the Year category, the winner was Not Gone by Janine Haig.

Winner of the Judith Hosier Heritage Award (named in honour of the Australian Bush Laureate Awards founder) was Kelly Dixon, a long-time writer of bush ballads.

This was the 10th anniversary year of the Australian Bush Laureate Awards, which were instigated to recognise excellence in published and recorded Australian bush poetry.

Winners receive a finely crafted sculpture of a pen in the shape of a gumleaf giving the trophy the name "the Golden Gumleaf".

The gala awards presentation in Tamworth featured performances by Beccy Cole, Travis Collins, Kelly Dixon, Pat Drummond, Ray Essery, Shirley Friend, Jim Haynes, Glenn Jones, Paddy Ryan and Brendon Walmsley.

The Butler did it

John Butler (pictured), who is riding a huge wave of musical success, has decided to give something back through a program of grants.

The JB Seed grant program, in its formation year, is one that offers support in developing genuine artistic expression. The categories are designed to explore and encourage the social, cultural and artistic diversity in Australian society. Good.

The categories for funding are:

• Multicultural Arts. This program is for all art forms in recognition of the lack of access TPVs have to mainstream funding bodies. All applicants must have TPV status [Temporary Protection Visa].
• Indigenous Music. This is a fund dedicated to supporting an Indigenous Australian musician/band/music project.
• Social Activism through the Arts. This program is open to artists working in art forms that produce an outcome that educates the community about legislative change.
• Music Workshops and Professional Development. This supports the educating of professional skills within the music industry.
• Music Marketing. It's all about the promotion or marketing of a musically oriented project/product/event.

Expressions of interest are currently being accepted. The deadline is March 15. For further information check the website at www.thejbseed.com.

The man himself says of his program, "The JB Seed has been a dream of mine, and of the team I work with, for many years now... I received a few grants in the formative years of my career that gave me a great boost and invaluable assistance, and so I appreciate how significant this type of funding can be to an artist's development. I believe The JB Seed has enough scope to offer assistance to traditional art forms, but also to the more cutting edge/fringe ideas out there. I look forward to being able to support progressive projects."

Positive aids Negative

Lismore is one of the regional venues selected to host positive.negative, a free photographic exhibition documenting the serious problem posed by the spread of HIV/AIDS in the Asia-Pacific region.

The exhibition is an initiative of the Australian Government's Agency for International Development - AusAID.

Australians, through AusAID, are leading the fight against the epidemic in the Asia-Pacific.

The exhibition positive.negative is a collection of 55 images from five of Australia's most talented photographers, who travelled to five countries in the region to capture the positive impact Australian aid is having on the 7.5 million people currently infected by HIV/AIDS in the Asia-Pacific.

This touring exhibition will be open for viewing at Lismore City Hall from next Monday, January 31, until Friday, February 7.

For more info phone 9212 4335 or visit the website at www.positivenegative.net.au.

Angel dust

The Brewsters will show that two guitars are definitely better than one at their North Coast gigs this weekend. (And sometimes a washboard is involved...)

The Brewsters are on the road again and hit the North Coast with gigs at the Pacific Hotel in Yamba this Friday, January 28 at 9pm; at the Canberra Hotel this Saturday, January 29 at 10pm and at the Beach Hotel in Byron this Sunday, January 30 at 4.30pm.

Who are The Brewsters you ask? (Well, some of you do, because you care...)

They were actually the writing backbone of The Angels. Now that alone is a bit of cred for them. The Angels were really an icon of Aussie pub rock for many years. Remember hits like Straight Jacket, Take A Long Line, Marseilles, Face the Day, Shadow Boxer and After The Rain?

They even became famous in the USA! Guns & Roses were influenced by them. Aussie rock ruled!

The Brewster brothers come from a musical family. Their grandfather was a renowned concert pianist and composer in Adelaide. Their father was the lead cellist in the SA Symphony Orchestra and conducted his own string orchestra.

Rick Brewster followed in his grandfather's footsteps learning classical piano, while his brother John played guitar and was heavily influenced by Bob Dylan and The Beatles.

The two teamed up from separate directions to form the inventive, rebel rousing Moonshine Jug & String Band, which was a pretty famous band in the 1970s.

The Brewsters then evolved from within this and founded The Angels.

So these days, Rick (keyboard/electric guitar/washboard/vocals) and John (vocals/guitar/harmonica) have taken to the road with their huge swag of songs and their washboard and have received a very positive reception to their live gigs.

The Brewsters have also just released an EP - Any Day - which you can grab at the gigs.

A long way to the top

Rochelle looks like the real thing. And she is.

At the tender age of 19, North Coast singer Rochelle Lees has already made a name for herself on the local scene. With the face of an angel and a voice to match, Rochelle is gifted with the rare ability to stop any rowdy Friday night pub crowd in their tracks. She makes them listen, as she leans seductively against the microphone stand and belts out tunes ranging from motown to rock.

You believe she has lived the music. And live it is exactly what she plans to do, with an album on the way and plans for a tour of America in place.

"Music is my life," says Rochelle. "I can't imagine doing anything else so I will not stop till I reach the place I'm going."

Rochelle will be appearing with her band at the Metro Bar in Lismore this Friday, January 28.

Come the Raw Prawn!

Divishti (top) will lead the humour charge of the Rude Girls (with Mandy Nolan and Sandy Gandhi) when they perform at the Raw Prawn Comedy Club in Ballina next Wednesday.

Okay. There's Mandy Nolan - big, quick talking and busting right out of her clothes. She can make people laugh about pap smears.

There's Sandy Gandhi - she's Indian, lives in Byron and her head wobbles when she talks.

And then there's Divishti - she's redheaded, fiery tempered, in-your-face funny, very LOUD and has a singing voice that sends shivers up your spine.

Add a few surprise guests and you have Rude Girls, which is the theme for this show - the last Raw Prawn Comedy Club in Ballina.

The Raw Prawn has been a regular monthly gig in Ballina for 12 months now and has showcased some fantastic Australian comedy. Unfortunately though, the numbers, though regular, were not great enough to sustain the gig through these economically rationalist times. Sad. But still, I'm glad there's at least one more show.

So be there and experience the Raw Prawn go out with a bang as the Rude Girls step up to the mike and attack the issues next Wednesday, February 2, at Paddy McGintys in Ballina. For bookings phone 6686 2135.

The laughs start at 8pm.

Diamond Way is forever

"Searching for happiness through our possessions or the impressions of our senses is like trying to move something from a long distance with a wobbly pole. It is very imprecise and often brings unwanted results."

These are the words of Tibetan Buddhist Lama Ole Nydahl who, in passing on authentic Buddhist teachings, teaches Diamond Way Buddhism, which, he says, offers the most skillful methods of the Buddha to the modern world.

In comparison to the monastic traditions of Buddhism, which focus on scholarly learning, the yogic strands of Buddhism, such as the Diamond Way, emphasise personal transformation. Time saving.

By applying Buddha's teachings to the situations and interactions occurring in our everyday life, Lama Ole says that it is only a matter of time before we achieve a steady state of joy.

Okay. No wobbly pole. Sounds good.

If you want to hear this man speak, Lama Ole will give a public talk at the Star Court Theatre next Wednesday, February 2, at 8pm.

He will also promulgate the teachings of Marpa, one of Tibet's yogic masters, at the Ballina Beach Resort, in East Ballina next Wednesday, February 2, from 2-5pm, and Thursday, February 3, from 2-5pm and 7-10pm.

The cost is $20/15 for the public lecture and for each of the course sessions.

For more information contact the local Diamond Way Buddhist Centre on 6628 7002, 0414 621 975 or visit www.diamondway.org.au.

Climate change action!

The Climate Change Action Network (CCAN) presents the film End of Suburbia at The Channon Café this Saturday night, January 29, at 7pm. This is a great film highlighting the unsustainability of modern urban life.

Following the film, guest speaker Alan Roberts will introduce the aims of CCAN and host a public forum aimed at finding local solutions.

All that for only a gold coin donation to the cause.

For more info phone 6688 6166.

Guitar boys slide into Bangalow

Jeff Lang (left) is the only slide guitar player in Australia without dreadlocks. Ash Grunwald has the dreads to go with the sliding hot licks.

Blues, Roots & Beyond - Vol 1 is the first compilation from Triple J's Roots 'n All program. It showcases some of the best roots artists from the last 12 months. After listening to the album one thing is immediately apparent - Australia is full of roots - I mean talent. Full of talent.

To celebrate the album's release, Jordie Kilby and Triple J have invited Jeff Lang and Ash Grunwald (who are on the album) to participate in a national tour.

Jeff and Ash are delighted to join forces on the same bill. Both are fans of each other's work and both have also just been nominated in this year's Australian Blues Music Awards - Jeff for Song Of The Year (The Save) and Album Of The Year (Whatever Makes You Happy); and Ash for Album Of The Year (I Don't Believe) and Male Performer Of The Year.

Jeff is undoubtedly one of Australia's maestros of music and Ash is considered something of a maverick with his unique blend of blues, roots and hair conditioner.

They will perform at the Bangalow A&I Hall next Friday, February 4, from 8pm. Tickets are $16/14 and available at the door only.

Special guest is Jez from Byron. Good.

Roots 'n All host, Jordie Kilby, will be hosting and DJing a mix of new and classic roots tracks. (Not during the live performances...)

Extra show for the Barron

Carl Barron, sold out in Ballina on February 4, now has an extra show in Lismore next Thursday, February 3.

Carl Barron has touched the hearts of thousands of people with his gentle, awkward, self-conscious, relaxed and original approach to comedy.

Since winning Comic of the Year and Best Up and Coming Talent in 1993, Carl has established himself as one of the most accomplished comedy performers in Australia and around the world. He actually makes good money from stand-up! I guess he's good.

Carl Barron's non-threatening observational style of comedy appeals to everyone. He is so popular that his show at the Ballina RSL Club on February 4 is sold out!

That's right, folks. But before you go crying like little babies who want their weet-bix, take note that, due to popular demand, there is another Carl Barron show at Lismore City Hall next Thursday, February 3, and at the Ballina RSL Club on March 2. Tickets are on sale now, but sshhhh... don't tell anyone.

Tickets for the Lismore show are $34.90/29.90 and are available by phoning 6621 5600.

To book for the Ballina show in March, phone the Ballina RSL Club bottleshop on 6686 2544.

Celebrating light and life

An untitled piece by Andrew Chiomey, which is a part of Requiem: My Way at the Roxy Gallery in Kyogle.

The Roxy Gallery in Kyogle will be hosting a special exhibition from a private collection of artworks produced by the late Andrew Chiomey. He died at 34.

Requiem: My Way will be on show at the gallery until Wednesday, February 9.

Andrew Chiomey studied painting at Sydney Arts College before going on to work in a gallery in Paddington. His brief but productive time in art making saw him work predominately in oil paints, however, he produced a large body of works using other media such as pencil, charcoal and crayon.

Andrew was interested in exploring the structure of human and landscape forms. In many ways he saw human forms in the landscapes he painted and drew and believed that all mountains were creatures laying down.

Incorporated into this exhibition are works from Carl Kauffman, a personal friend of Andrew's. Carl is one of Australia's leading tattoo artists and played an influential role in Andrew's artistic development.

High fliers flying in for Mara Music Awards

The Herbillests, a marijuana inspired rap band from Philadelphia, USA, will fly out to the Nimbin MardiGrass to be a part of the Global Marijuana Music Awards.

This year's Global Marijuana Music Awards will play host to American and Australian artists at the Rainbow Café, in Nimbin on Saturday, April 30, and Sunday, May 1, during the annual MardiGrass festivities.

As well as the very popular American rap group, the Herbillests from Philadelphia, the awards will also host Rich Hardesty from Indiana, USA.

Nimbin is attracting the greenest of performers from all over...

Also performing are the 2004 Marijuana Music Awards winners from Australia, Doug Johnson and Herb Superb.

Closing the event is the dynamic Assyrian band from Sydney, Azadoota.

Heats for Best Live Performance will be held on Saturday, April 30, at the Rainbow Café.

Closing date for Best Recorded Track is March 1, 2005.

For more info visit www.rainbow-records.com.

Blues & Roots update

Michael Franti will be there (with Spearhead) as well as a smorgasbord of acts. Yes, we're talking the East Coast Blues & Roots Festival happening over the Easter long weekend.

The East Coast Blues & Roots Festival in Byron has added even more acts to its line-up for this year. Get a load of these new confirmations - Jack Johnson, the Dave Matthews Band, Angelique Kidjo, Sarah McLachlan, the John Butler Trio, The Wailers, The Beautiful Girls, Fred Eaglesmith, Roy Ayers, Ernest Ranglin, The Waifs, G. Love & Special Sauce, Violent Femmes, Michael Jerome Browne, Missy Higgins, Nessa Morgan, Cubanismo, Los Mocosos, Gomez, Eugene 'Hideaway' Bridges, Jeff Lang, Steve Arvey, Mia Dyson, Bomba, Butterfly Boucher, Bright Eyes, Ian Moss, Jimmy Barnes, Fruit, Pilate, Joel Turner & The Modern Day Poets, Chris Whitley, Ash Grunwald, Sonia Dada, Vassy, Monkey Boy, The Others, Guy Davis, Wiley Reed, Andy Cowan, Pura Fe, George Higgs, Willie 'Sonny' King, Albert White and Beverly 'Guitar' Watkins.

Five and three day passes to the festival are selling quickly and one-day tickets will be available from next Tuesday, February 1.

So here's the blistering array of blues, soul and roots legends already announced back in December 2004 - George Clinton Parliament/Funkadelic, Solomon Burke, Bebel Gilberto, John Lee Hooker Jr., Bo Diddley, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Eric Bibb, Kasey Chambers, Anne McCue, The Cat Empire, Janis Ian, The Frames, George Thorogood, Luka Bloom, and The Whitlams.

Yes, that's a lot of cool acts. For more info regarding the festival or to make bookings visit the website at www.bluesfest.com.au.

Theatre auditions

The Tweed Theatre Company will be holding auditions in February for two productions - Over the Back Fence (an Aussie comedy) on Sunday, February 6, and Man of La Mancha (you know the one) on Sunday, February 27 (with orientation on February 20).

For more info phone (07) 5536 2556 or visit the website at www.tweedtheatre.com.au.

The Con's future

So part of the old Conservatorium building is going to be demolished.

Sad, but get over it.

It's the gifted teaching staff, the quality of the programs offered, the creative and supportive environment that really make up the heart and soul of this valuable community organisation - not bricks and mortar.

Single study lessons, group classes, bands, ensembles, early childhood music classes, dance and drama classes will all keep happening. The full-time Certificate and Diploma courses are all going ahead.

Whilst a part of the Conservatorium building is to be demolished this year, the staff and students will vacate the building and move to various locations close by to ensure that disruption to classes is minimal.

Planning is well advanced. The Music Department will move to 'C' Block, which is the building opposite the library.

Michael Hennessy will again head the Dance Department, which will move to the excellent dance facilities at Lismore City Hall.

The new Acting for Stage and Screen course will run at the Lismore Masonic Centre on Magellan Street due to the generosity of the Theatre Theatre group, who offered to share their space.

Offers of space and assistance have been made by many organisations and individuals. Conservatorium director, Gabrielle O'Shannessy, and the staff have been touched by the community's concern and are grateful for their help and support.

Roxy calls women artists

The Roxy Gallery in Kyogle is calling for expressions of interest from women in the arts to be a part of an exhibition celebrating International Women's Day.

The Art Of Women will run from February 11 until March 9. This exhibition is aimed at highlighting the strong creative presence of women. Expressions of interest forms can be obtained from the Roxy Gallery, Kyogle, or by phoning 6632 3518. The closing date is next Friday, February 4.

Taste the music

Jim Kelly, gun guitarist and genre-jumping musician, will spray the Blue Tongue with adagios and hot licks.

The Blue Tongue Café in funky North Lismore (you can tell it's funky, the roads are crap) will be starting off a new season of music on Fridays and Saturdays, from 6.30-8.30pm (ish) in February.

This weekly musical showcase will be presented by Jules Kelly of Jules' Music Jungle and Jazz In The Countryside. Jules has been responsible for many of the gigs in the area promoting local talent and giving local exposure to talent from elsewhere.

The music at the Blue Tongue will run a gamut of styles - jazz, blues, soul, folk, world (there are many musical genres in the new universe).

Some of this musical talent will come from the staff and exceptionally talented students from the Contemporary Music Department of Southern Cross University, with the occasional interstate guest or two.

One of the giants of the guitar world and a music teacher at SCU, Jim Kelly, will perform his Latin and jazz standards this Saturday night, January 29, from 6.30pm. If he's feeling good, you may be lucky enough to hear him play one of his own compositions. He loves his nylon stringer.

The night before, this Friday, January 28, Shannon Beaumont and Shannon Forrester will conduct their own musical experiments with jazz and blues as a duo. The show starts at 7pm.

The first interstate guest will be Ivan Waters performing on Saturday, February 5.

Ivan Waters is a songwriter in the classic sense - encompassing the traditions of story telling and melody, commonly associated with folk but also drawing on his many and varied influences from funk to electro.

So, the Blue Tongue is the place to be - eat fine food and listen to world music - every Friday and Saturday night.

You can call Llan on 6622 0750 to secure a table for dinner - cake and coffee is a go too, if that's all you fancy.

Dance studio is pulsing

Daniel Nisbet is a local dance teacher who was raised in the Northern Rivers. He studied dance in Ballina under Therese Clifford and attended the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA).

He has taught dance in many schools but now, inspired by the wealth of talent on the North Coast, he is opening up his own dance studio, Pulse One, at Planet Music on the corner of Molesworth and Woodlark streets in Lismore.

Pulse One will offer a range of styles and classes for different ages - from hip hop, jazz/funk, contemporary, fitness, performance, and even one for littlies 3-5 years.

Classes start on Monday, January 31.

For more information or bookings phone Daniel on 0400 088 007.

Aurora's new CD

Aurora Jane have announced February14 as the release date for their new album what is it? Well, I know what it is. I've heard the album. And... I reckon it's great. Having really enjoyed the band live, the CD captures that Aurora Jane sound featuring everything from funk to folk, from roots to reggae to rock, from jazz to world... and also includes the incredible short film there4.

what is it? will be available in Australia through MGM distribution at all good record stores, or directly from www.aurorajane.com.

As the launch date approaches, tracks from the album have already featured on Triple J.

Aurora Jane will be performing on the North Coast in March. More about that later.