Bluesnews 25 April 2009

Hello again. Here is another edition of a newsletter setting out all the blues news for South East Queensland.

The big event over the past few weeks of course was Easter’s ECBRF at Byron Bay. It was our 9th Festival in 10 years (we missed 2008) and the music was just as diverse and exciting as ever. As many have said it’s a blues festival in name only these days (with significantly, no one from Mississippi or Chicago this year) but exciting and inspiring nonetheless.

The rain and its impact on the Belongil Fields site was the big topic of discussion afterwards, and will give festival director Peter Noble plenty to think about as he plans for the move to a new (reportedly ‘swampy’) site in 2010.

Interestingly, in a post festival press release, the organizers keep their options open for the festival location next year:

Council approvals permitting, the Bluesfest team now looks very much forward to staging their 21st festival in Easter 2010 at its new home on land bought at the Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm – 10 mins north of Byron Bay.

And don’t forget, you can see this newsletter on the net. Click here

Cheers

Mark Hipgrave
0418 556048


NEWS
RADIO/TV
FESTIVALS
REGULAR STUFF AND GIG GUIDES


NEWS

Welcome to Wordfordia

At a recent Woodford Folk Festival Organizers conference, festival director Bill Hauritz proposed Woodfordia as the name for the previously unnamed site just out of Woodford where the festival is held.

We have come to the realisation that a name for our site, aside from “the Woodford Folk Festival site”, is truly necessary. Woodfordia is now what we will use for a trial period, to see if it fits, or if it spurs a new and better name in the minds of any of you. We’d ask you to use it, try it with others, and test the reactions people have to it. It may or may not be the name, but without giving it a go, we just won’t know. It would be great too if any of you have any feedback on “Woodfordia” as a name for our property that you do share it with us. We’ve put it on The Planting programme booklet as a test with our patrons. It has personally grown on me over the past few months, may it do so for you as well, or inspire you to come up with something even better.

If you have any comments, tell Bill at conference@woodfordfolkfestival.com


Peregian Originals – More

Following this recent article in the Noosa Journal, Peregian Originals organizer Jay Bischoff wrote back:

Dear Noosa Journal,

I am very grateful for your many years of consistent support for Peregian Originals and other events I have been involved with on the coast. Specifically, journalists Sue Mitchelson and Nathan Evans have been a wonderful help through the years. Referring to this week's article on Peregian Originals, "Council hit by Originals revolt" (16/04/09), unfortunately, Nathan Evans really got it wrong this time, and I must now attempt to clarify things, in an effort to rectify any misunderstandings and prevent any further damage being done through the current misrepresentation of Peregian Originals.

I am not embittered at your publication; I merely need to clarify these facts.

Firstly, we specifically chose not to forward the 'Peregian Originals letter to Council' to the press. Perceiving our event was being treated unfairly by Council and the discontented residents, it was necessary for us to stand up for our community event, to in a sense, 'draw the line', saying: enough is enough. In this way, we stand by all aspects of our 'Letter to Council'. As our event has been right on the verge of being shut down, we also felt it was important to inform the public as to what was happening behind closed doors. It is very important to clarify: as far as Peregian Originals is concerned, there has been no 'call to arms', there is no 'war', and there is no 'revolt'. As a community, we are in process of working through a few issues together, with the discontented residents, and with Council -- this is all.

We have asked all supporters of Peregian Originals to refrain from hassling Council, allowing Council the time and space to respond to our letter. We have already received an encouraging response to our letter from the Creative branch of Council. We are optimistic and hopeful that we can continue to work together with Council toward a quick resolution of the issues with the small group of discontented local residents.

Secondly, on the front cover of your paper, the caption reads: "Peregian Originals: It's War!" Though the tiny group of discontented neighbours have approached us in the past with this aggressive approach, a specific member of their group even using the expression, "It's War" amidst graphic verbal threats, Peregian Originals has never been interested in any 'war' or 'revolt', and we have certainly never used these terms or encouraged them in any way. In fact, we have gone to great lengths to meet the discontented residents and Council with community spirit. This is the only sensible approach, considering we are all part of the same community!

Again, we would like to be absolutely clear: Peregian Originals harbours no bitterness or feelings of aggression toward the discontented residents or the Council members we have been working through the issues with. We have walked a long journey together with Council, and we remain committed to working together, provided we are treated fairly and with the same respect we are committed to maintaining in communications.

Nathan Evans did not misrepresent me in quotes from our letter to Council; rather it is the tonality and terminology of his piece that are misdirected; the hyped 'Us against Them' framing of the piece is simply inaccurate as a representation of our perspective.



Kate Miller Heidke

I am a big fan of Kate, who is not just a poppy princess, as this recent email attests:

‘In late April I will be performing the role of Baby Jane in Jerry Springer the Opera at Sydney Opera House. My character is a woman who enjoys dressing as a toddler, soiling her nappy and getting her arse smacked. Yes, I know what you're thinking... I've been utterly type-cast... guffaw. My favourite Australian actor, David Wenham, is playing Jerry. The music is great. It contains a fair hunk of swearing and blaspheming. Is your curiosity piqued? You can check out the tap dancing Ku Klux Klan here.

Late April/Early May, the band and I are hitting the road again, to play shows in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide. It will be our last Australian tour for quite some time.’

The Brisbane gig will be at the new Hi Fi Bar in West End on Sat 2 May


Interesting News from The Detonators

The Dets song, Throttle Jockey Demon was used during the Underbelly episode shown last Monday night - Underbelly 2, episode 11. It was used as some crooked guy copped it.. Top job fellas. The episode can be downloaded from the Underbelly site


Online Australian Festival Guide 2009 - who what where when

Matt Moline, from 7th Dimension in West End, reminded me that after taking a year off in 2008, they are back in business with their On Line Australian Festival guide:

There are over 350 festivals listed for 2009 so far, covering music festivals, writers festivals, community festivals...

Browse the Online Australian Festival Guide
http://www.7thdimension.com.au/festival/index.cfm

For Festival organisers and promoters, a quick and easy online form
http://www.7thdimension.com.au/festival/index.cfm?fuseaction=SubmitFestival

It's free


Press Articles – Various

Welcome to Mali, from Head Butler
Ted Jarrett obit: Musician, label-owner and producer who brought R&B to Nashville, from The Independant
Noel Mengel's top 150 songs of all time, from the Courier Mail
Saving Folk History, One Recording At A Time, from NPR Music, and the relevant website
Bob Dylan on Barack Obama, Ulysses Grant and American Civil War ghosts, from Times OnLine
Phil Spector: murder, madness and shocking hair, also from the Times OnLine
Attendance Strong at Coachella Despite the Economy, from NY Times
Chapman wins artist of the year at gospel awards, from the Chicago Sun Times
Derek Trucks still on the road, 18 years later, also from the Chicago Sun Times
Jimi Hendrix's boyhood home torn down, also from the Chicago Sun Times
Lots of Interesting Articles about the New Orleans Jazz Fest, from the Times Picayune
Bad music? It's all in the jeans, from The Guardian
Robert Johnson’s Boyhood Home, from Delta Blues Blog



Here is a collection of press articles relating to the ECBRF:

Seasick Steve
Blind Boys of Alabama
Festival General
The Specials (play Newcastle UK) from The Guardian)
Timeoff’s Review
…and balanced reviews from Faster Louder:
Friday
Sat
Sun

For the technically minded, a friend sent me these links which describe the use of Microsoft’s Seadragon technology to create an interactive visualization of Last.fm users and the music they like.

The ‘six degrees links’ display all the different artists on the Last.fm web site as differently colored circles of different sizes. The colors relate to the genre of music – rock, pop, metal, rap, classical, hip-hop, electronic, etc. Two search boxes at the top of the map let you enter in either an artist’s name to see where they fall on the map or the name of a Last.fm user to see what sort of music they like. Doing either search will actually place pushpins on the colored circles for easy identification.

This app is also featured in the Seadragon Gallery over on the Live Labs site, but that one isn’t searchable. If you’re into visualizations, though, the Live Labs Seadragon gallery is worth checking out –there are some pretty amazing visualizations embedded over there.

http://on10.net/blogs/sarahintampa/Visualizing-Lastfm-with-Seadragon/
http://blogs.sun.com/plamere/entry/visualizing_last_fm
http://sixdegrees.hu/last.fm/index.html
http://sixdegrees.hu/last.fm/technical_details.html


And finally, Rhythms Magazine’s Brian Wise is off to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival via Memphis and Clarksdale - as well as a preliminary excursion to the Wild West and Death Valley by motorcycle. His blog is here


RADIO/TV/YOU TUBE

Arthur Elliot reports on his upcoming Sidestream shows– for Brisbane listeners 99.7 FM, Wed 7pm to 9pm.

The 29/4 edition of Sidestream includes world music from Ancient Future, a new release from Scotland’s Paul McKenna Band, Fred Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Australian duo Matt Walker & Ashley Davies, and more.

Then in the 8pm blues hour, the range of artists includes Geoff Achison, Mississippi Shakedown, Littlewolf, Kate Meehan, Southside Johnny, and some vintage blues from Sun Records.


Between The Lines

Shaun Bindley (who presents Blues With A Feeling, from airing 8.05pm-midnight on M ondays on radio 98.9fm) has started producing and presenting a show on QCTV (formerly Briz31)

It’s called "Between The Lines" and airs wed night at 9pm and then is repeated a couple of times over the next few days

Its an interview show not a music show but he does intend to slip in the occasional top quality musician. Doug Macleod was the guest a few weeks ago, and Hat Fitz will be on in the next few weeks.

We will let you know of other interesting topics as they become available.


The Daily Planet, Weekend Planet and Music Deli (ABC Radio National)

The Daily Planet website, the Weekend Planet website and The Music Deli website all have links to shows broadcast over the past few weeks.



Video Selections

From Bob Corritore:
BB King at Sing Sing Prison, New York, 1972: How Blue Can You Get and Guess Who/Outside Help
Muddy Waters Live at Newport 1960

From Head Butler
Miles Davis – Kind of Blue



FESTIVALS


Ipswich Festival – 15-26 April

There’s a free ‘Jazz, Wine & Blues’ concert commencing at 3pm Sat 25 April, as part of this festival. The lineup includes Wiley Reed, Barb Fordham, Mojo Webb, Renee Geyer and Chase the Sun.

Here is the festival flyer.


Urban Country Music Festival

The sixth annual Urban Country Music Festival returns to the Caboolture Showgrounds on from 1 -4 May, with:

‘over 500 artists on 11 stages in 16 different venues. Best of all 15 of these events are FREE, yes free! So bring your family and friends down to Caboolture and help us celebrate our fifth birthday.’


Brisbane Blues Festival

Festival promoter Rob Hudson writes:

The final act is confirmed for the 17th Annual Brisbane Blues Festival happening Saturday, May 16 at The Jubilee Hotel in Fortitude Valley. Texas guitar slinger Steve Lott and his new band LittleWolf (with Paul Cheesman) have been added to the bill. Steve has spent the last few years back in Texas but on his last extended stay in Australia, won Best New Artist and Male Artist of the Year at the Australian Blues Awards for his album, West Texas Refugee. The complete line up is now LittleWolf along with Mama Voodoo, Coojee Timms, Big Kitty & the Scaredy Cats, Johnny Hucker, Natural Ball, Blind Lemon, The Asa Broomhall Band and Mojo Webb and Band. More information at www.brisbanebluesfestival.com/ or 3252- 4508


Wintersun 2009

Australia's Leading Rock & Roll Nostalgia Retro Event....

Wintersun 2009 starts on Friday 29th May and ends with the huge Best of Wintersun Concert on Monday 8th June. Wintersun is Australia's leading annual Retro Nostalgia Festival. Featuring almost 1500 Hot Rods, Custom and Classic Cars, more than 100 bands and performers, dancing, movies, and competitions.

The festival is held in the border coastal towns of Coolangatta and Tweed Heads on the New South Wales & Queensland border. Many events are free, some are in the streets while others are in the local clubs and shopping centres.

The lineup is now available here.

International headliners include Sonny Burgess and the Legendry Pacers, The Vargas Bros and pinup model and burlesque star Sabrina Kelley.


Blues on Broadbeach

The lineup for this festival, at Broadbeach on the Gold Coast from Wed 27 May to Sun 31 May has been announced


The Dreaming – 5 – 8 June at Woodford

‘The Dreaming is a vibrant, exciting and a valuable destination where local, national and international audiences look forward to their annual ceremony time along with the most comprehensive showcase of Indigenous arts from across the country and around the world.

This three day and four night festival will have performing arts venues, bars, Ceremony grounds, traditional healing, galleries, rituals, campfire story circles and a mass of stalls, workshop avenue and food outlets.

Presented by the QFF, and under the artistic direction of Rhoda Roberts, the program will also feature film & literature components, performing arts, New media and Digital technologies, food & wine fare, comedy, ceremony, exhibitions, performance artists, physical theatre, Visual arts, craft workshops, music program, street performers, musicals and a youth program.’

The program is now available here…


Noosa Long Weekend

The Noosa Longweekend will be held over two weekends, from 19-28 June (about two weeks earlier than 2008). The programme is available here.

The main blues interest will be a gig from Kevin Borich on Tues 23 June.

If you missed Sam Cutler’s book launch at the State Library last year, you can also catch him talking about his life with The Stones on Mon 22 June.


Greenfest

Greenfest (5-7 June Brisbane Botanic Gardens) presented by Brisbane City Council, is Australia's largest free green festival and place for fresh energy! Commencing on World Environment Day Friday 5th June 2009 to Sunday 7th June.

Our 2009 program will be launched 11:30 on Sunday 26th April at the BCC Community Fair, Perrin Park Josling St Taringa. The Boat People and Bunna Lawrie are playing a free concert in support come along and enjoy all the fun.

Even though the program is not yet available, Mark Easton and 8 Ball Aitken hve the event listed on their own schedules – (see below)


GreazeFest

Festival founder Lori Lee hinted a few weeks ago that she had booked an international headliner for this year’s 10th Anniversary Kustom Kulture festval. I had my fingers and toes crossed for someone interesting, but leapt out of my leopard skin jocks when the big news came from the GreazeFest camp last week that USA rockabilly star Marti Brom has been inked as headliner for the three day festival which runs from 30 July to 2 Aug.

More on Marti here.

Tickets will sell fast. Get in quick.


Caloundra Music Festival

Dates for the above have been announced as 23-25 Oct. This little festival is now in its third year – the first two were great and this one should be too.

The website doesn’t announce much yet, other than that the organizers are providing a camping option this year.


And finally, the Redlands Bluegrass Convention will be held from 10-12 July.


REGULAR STUFF AND GIG GUIDES


There is blues on at the Jubilee Hotel in the Valley, every Sunday afternoon (but note not May3), commencing 1pm, but also look out for:

· Sat 2 May 09 Even Divas Get The Blues - featuring all your favorite lady blues singers, singing their favorite lady blues singers. Kate Meehan (Koko Taylor and Mama Thornton) Natural Born Lovers (Etta May), MamaVoodoo (Renee Geyer), Kath Butler (Louann Barton), Blond On Blue (Janis Joplin)
· Sat May 9 BASEQ Blues Bash, bands tba
· Sat 16 May Brisbane Blues Festival (details above)

And mark your diary for:

· Fortitude Valley Festival of Blues Sat. 25 Jul 09, with Muddy Waters' Number 1 Boy Child - Mud Morganfield, Mojo Webb, 8 Ball Aitkin, Asa Broomhall, Mick Hadley and the Atomic Boogie Band, Mamavoodoo, J B Lewis, Natural Ball, Natural Born Lovers, Sly Jack, The Medicine Show, Jam Stage + many more.


At Joes Waterhole, Eumundi

Look out for:

· Fri April 24 Stylus (The first white band and only Australian band to be signed by American Soul label Motown Records)
· Fri 5 June Bob Evans
· Sat 13 June Ash Grunwald


At The Tivoli you can catch

· Thurs 7 May Bob Evans


At the Cooly Hotel

· Fri 8 May The Gin Club, plus others
· Sat 9 May Bob Evans
· Sat 23 May The Black Sorrows
· Fri 12 June Ash Grunwald


And at The Judy.

There’s not much of interest until 30 July, when diesel plays.


At The Zoo

· Sat 2 May The Wilson Pickers and others


At The Soundlounge, Currumbin


· 30 Apr: Afro Dizzi Act & Oka
· 01 May: The Wilson Pickers & The Perch Creek Family Jug Band & Jason Lowe
· 07 May: Alex Lloyd
· 29 May: Black Market Rhythm Co. & Cool Calm Collective
· 12 Jun: Mick Thomas & The Sure Thing & The Killjoys
· 19 Jun: Afro Moses


Leah & Pearly @ The Brisbane Jazz Club – 23 May

After 20 years of long, leisurely conversations about their love of songs and singing, Leah Cotterell and Pearly Black are ready to present their distillation of what they find beautiful in the magical combination of words and music.

The songs they’ve chosen come from all the wonderful musical landscapes they have explored: classic blues and jazz vocalise, passionate Latin and traditional ballads. And right alongside their favourite songwriters, Cole Porter and Jimmy Van Heusen, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello and Lou Reed, they will present their own recent originals.

But this is no post-modern pastiche. Leah and Pearly never waste their breath on
meaningless melisma. The glue that holds this concert together is a vision of beauty – plain and simple.

The outstanding quality of their piano trio led by Marc Hannaford (Melbourne) is an attraction all of its own - with Sam Vincent on bass and Will Eager on drums. Please join us at the Brisbane Jazz Club on Sat 23rd May 7.30 – 11.00pm.

Book tickets through bookings@brisbanejazzclub.com.au



Mark Easton is back in SEQ in May:

· May 16 2009 8:00 PM
Miami, QLD, AU
Shark Bar Miami Tavern

· May 23 2009 1:00 PM
Goodna, QLD, AU
Royal Mail Hotel

· May 24 2009 1:00 PM
Goodna, QLD, AU
Royal Mail Hotel

· May 30 2009 11:00 AM
Broadbeach, QLD, AU
Brannigans Tavern

· May 30 2009 6:00 PM
Broadbeach, QLD, AU
Blues on Broadbeach Festival

· Jun 5 2009 1:00 PM
Southbank, QLD, AU
Greenfest

· Jun 6 2009 1:00 PM
Southbank, QLD, AU
Greenfest

· Jun 7 2009 1:00 PM
Southbank, QLD, AU
Greenfest



8 Ball Aitken

8 Ball Writes:

We are just back in Australia from a two month tour in USA and Canada, taking in SXSW and playing Canadian Music Week. It was hard work, but it was just the best fun!

We even got to meet George H Bush. Hopefully next time we will get to meet Obama. Who knows what can happen in the USA?

Next up for us is the release of my new single 'Outback Booty Call'.

We are hitting the road in Australia for the next two months, and then heading back for more shows in UK, Denmark, other parts of Europe and America again.

Upcoming SEQ gigs:

· May 22 - Beach Hotel, Byron Bay, NSW
· May 23 - Royal Mail Hotel, Goodna, QLD, 1:30pm
· May 24 - Harrigans, Calypso Bay, Gold Coast, QLD, 1:00pm
· May 28 - Blues On Broadbeach - Brannigans Tavern Lounge Bar, 7pm - 9pm
· May 29 - Blues On Broadbeach, Sails Stage Broadbeach Mall, 6pm - 7.40pm
· June 5 - Greenfest, Brisbane City Botanical Gardens, Brisbane, QLD
· June 6 - Greenfest, Brisbane City Botanical Gardens, Brisbane, QLD

And while we are talking about 8 Ball, there was a touching moment a few weeks ago at one of the Blue Monday Sessions at the Jubilee Hotel in The Valley, when 8 Ball’s younger brother Dillion James was on stage just about to commence his set. His phone rang, and he took the call to find it was his mum wishing him ‘happy (25th??) birthday’.


And look out for Lori Lee’s next outings:

· Sat 2 May The Vaudevillains cd launch at The Step Inn with The Jim Rockfords and more.

More details here