The Scene - Local Entertainment News

Still got his Mojo

Before going on tour with Moby in March, DJ legend Groove Terminator (pictured) is doing a number of gigs on the east coast, including one this Saturday, January 18 at the Great Northern.

Groove Terminator began DJing professionally in Adelaide at just 13 and he pretty much hasn’t stopped since, scoring himself his own radio show, a swag of DJing awards and a few ARIA nominations in the last three years. Today Groove Terminator is known as one of the best DJs in Australia, if not the world.

He has worked with many top bands in all genres, from Savage Garden to Grinspoon, and is a regular performer at the Big Day Out.

Groove Terminator will play dance music from his latest release, Electrifyin’ Mojo, which is a hard album to pigeonhole musically as it simply mashes together the best elements of his favourite punk, hip hop, techno and house styles.

Groove Terminator will be supported by DJ Slinky and DJ Scooter. Tickets to GT are $16 and the gig starts at 8pm.

A Funk Frenzy

Tickets are now on sale to see funk rockers Machine Gun Fellatio (pictured) on Tuesday, January 21 at the Ballina RSL Club. The band are great at whipping crowds into a frenzy with their unusual stage antics, not to mention their dance-friendly blend of blues, soul, pop and funk. They will be supported by Western Australian hip hop outfit, Downsyde, who recently played to crowds in Lismore. The gig starts at 8.45pm and tickets are $22. But hurry, as tickets will sell fast.

If These Walls Could Talk…

Local artist Hayley Hillis with Allan Geier, who has helped her put up the installation.

A new and exciting concept, the Lismore Art Fair, is now well underway at the Winsome Hotel, with exhibiting artists putting the finishing touches to their artworks in time for the opening next Wednesday.The fair is a unique exhibition where local artists have each established a cameo installation in one of the rooms on the second floor of the hotel.

One of these artists, Hayley Hillis from Lillian Rock, has created an installation entitled ‘Roominations’, in which she has painstakingly stencilled writing across the entire four walls of one room. The lightly stencilled phrases written are extracts from surveys Hayley left for people staying at the Winsome over the last few months.

“When you go into a hotel, particularly an old one, you get the feeling a lot of people have been there before you and that the walls have heard a lot,” Hayley said. “It’s playing on that saying ‘if only these walls could talk’ or the concept of being a fly on the wall. The installation is designed to make people feel like the wall is speaking – repeating the thoughts and conversations that have been had within those walls.”

Other exhibiting artists include Brett Adlington, Judy Anderson, Chang, Graham Deller, Amber Gooley, Melissa Hirsch, Jonathon Hochman, Fergus Binns, Tim Hoey, Cal MacKinnon, Luke Roberts, Sachiko, Des Sheridan and Brent Young.

The inaugural Lismore Art Fair will be opened on Wednesday, January 22, at 7.30pm. All are welcome.

Female Filmmakers: WOW!

A scene from one of the films in the World of Women (WOW) International Film Festival, which is being screened in Lismore on January 25.

Time is running out to get entries in for the Northern Women Film Competition, with North Coast CAMERA reminding local women that the deadline is Friday, January 17. Any films entered must be 10 minutes or under and have been made in the last 12 months. All short films must be written and directed by a woman living in the local area (66 phone area), and films should be submitted on VHS format with a $10 entry fee.

This year there is an impressive prize pool of $2500, which includes $1000 for the best film, $500 for the best first film, $500 for the best script and $500 for the Film and Television Office audience choice award.

All entrants will also be eligible for the IF Awards, based on audience votes.

The finalists of the competition will be judged by a panel of local female filmmakers including Jeni Kendall from Gaia Films (director of Nearly Normal Nimbin) and Jessica Smith from Fuseworks (winner of the recent Race Around Lismore film festival). Judging will be based on technical quality and content.

All finalists from the competition will be screened at the World of Women (WOW) International Film Festival on January 25 at the Star Court Theatre in Lismore, alongside two sessions of short films, a documentary and a feature film.

Entry forms for the Northern Women Film Competition are available from North Coast CAMERA or visit the website www.northcoastcamera.org.au. For more information phone Kate on 6622 2021 or CAMERA on 6621 5444.

Folk on the coast

After a series of gigs at the Woodford Folk Festival, folky pop trio The Waifs (pictured) are heading down the coast for a number of gigs on their way back to Sydney.

The trip will bring them to Byron Bay’s Great Northern Hotel next Monday, January 20, where they will perform a variety of their most well-known numbers, including the ARIA-nominated single ‘London Still’.

By playing a simple, acoustic format with just two guitars, one harmonica and a tambourine, the trio – sisters Donna and Vikki Simpson and guitarist Josh Cunningham – let the lyrics and passion of each song really shine through.

This simple formula has served the band well to date, having gained them a huge following in the US and regular festival gigs in Australia.

Tickets to see this talented trio are just $21 and the gig kicks off at 9pm.

Jazzing it up

Jazz artists Thierry Fosmale and James Sherlock, who helped develop the Advanced Diploma in Jazz Studies now offered at the Northern Rivers Conservatorium.

The Northern Rivers Conservatorium is now offering a new course, an Advanced Diploma in Jazz Studies, which is the first of its kind in a regional area.

Renowned jazz artists Thierry Fosmale and James Sherlock have helped develop the new course and are part of the excellent teaching team, which also includes Sharny Russell, Greg Sheehan, Rick Nankivell, Scott Hills and Scott Tinkler.

The course boasts a highly practical structure, focussing on practical and stylistic elements of jazz playing and improvisation.

“It’s very exciting to develop a specialised jazz course like this,” Northern Rivers Conservatorium acting director, Gabrielle O’Shannessy, said.

“We believe it is unique for the area, and we are able to draw upon and highlight the great talent and musicianship we have in this region. For the players too, it’s a great opportunity to be so involved in the development and running the course. We are very lucky to have them on board.”

For more information phone the Conservatorium on 6621 2266.

A Feast of Fine Film

The 2003 Flickerfest International Short Film Festival, one of the most highly acclaimed short film festivals in the world, will be screened in Byron Bay this weekend.

This is the fifth year the Island Quarry Arts and Eco Centre has screened Flickerfest, and this year the program features 17 films representing 14 countries. The films will be shown on 35mm film over two nights and people are welcome to attend one or both of these nights.

Whether amateur or professional, funny or tragic, the films are all cleverly made and will appeal to most. Plus seeing as none of the films are longer than 21 minutes (most are shorter in fact) there’s no chance of getting bored.

The 2003 Flickerfest screening will be held this Saturday and Sunday, January 18-19, at the Byron Bay Scout Hall at the end of Marvel Street.

Doors open at 8.30pm each evening and tickets are $12/10 for a single night or $20/18 for a weekend pass. People should bring a cushion or beanbag to make themselves comfy and food and drinks will be available all night.

For a complete 2003 Flickerfest program visit www.IQ.org.au or for more information and bookings phone Shane on 6685 9999.

Freebie: The Echo still has two single tickets to giveaway to the 2003 Flickerfest screening. To go in the draw to win phone 6622 2888 between 11 & 11.10am tomorrow, January 17, and cross your fingers.

New Film Club

The Bizarre Film Club’s opening night next Thursday, January 23, will be a tribute to pioneer female filmmaker Doris Wishman, who died last year.

First up there’s a documentary about Doris herself, followed by her 1965 classic Bad Girls Go To Hell, about a single girl in New York and her perspective on the darker side of the swinging 60s.

The second movie is her mid-70s film Double Agent 73. The film is about double agent Chesty Morgan and her outrageous 73” bust, which is equipped with special gadgets to help her save the day.

The film night starts at 7pm, and tickets are $5. For more information or bookings email bizarrefilmclub@hotmail.com.

Dance Camp

More than 160 swing and lindy hop dancers will converge on Lismore on the Australia Day long weekend, January 24-28, for the third annual Lismore Swing Dance Camp.

Steven Mitchell and his partner Virginie, the world’s top exponents of Afro/American swing/lindy hop dancing, are among the host of dancers coming to the camp.

“Steven and Virginie are renown for their innovative approach to lindy hop and for reviving the dance as a living art form,” Brian Whelan, from Lismore Swing Connection, said. “They are incredibly versatile and creative - they make everything they do their own. They just have so much energy for teaching the heart and soul of the dance.”

The Lismore Swing Dance Camp will feature swing dance bands, performances, a friendly ‘Jack and Jill’ dance competition and social dancing each evening for anyone who wants to join in. The camp will run over five days and nights, from January 24 to 28, at Lismore City Hall. For info visit www.swingconnection.com.au or phone 6622 3633.

Drummond up a Storm

Australian drumming sensation Pete Drummond will hold a clinic in Lismore next Friday, January 24.

As well as the usual program, Pete will also demo the use of electronic drums, sampling and looping on his acoustic/electric set up.

Pete’s clinic will be held at the Tatts Hotel (backroom) from 7pm and tickets are $5. Children are welcome if accompanied by an adult. Bookings are essential from Nicholas Music, or phone 6621 7784.

Use the form below to search through the Northern Rivers Echo Newspaper web site.

Matt's Script Archive