Bluesnews 15 May 2009

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

There is not much true “News’ to report, but plenty of great local music. This weekend there are choices to be made (unfortunately) between the Brisbane Blues Festival and another great Palmwoods Got the Blues lineup at the Palmwoods Hotel. Details on both are below.

But there’s more……..Next weekend we have the Lifeline Blues Cruise, here in Brisbane, followed the weekend after by Blues on Broadbeach, and Wintersun, both on the Gold Coast. The weekend after that (5-7 June) we have Greenfest at the Botanic Gardens, with an excellent blues lineup.

I was in Melbourne last weekend and went along to the Patti Boyd photo exhibition at the Silver K Gallery, in High St Armadale. It’s free and runs till late June and well worth a visit if you are down that way.

Finally, an interesting item from Fasterlouder.com.au yesterday:

When Splendour In The Grass went on sale yesterday, 75,000 hopefuls dashed to get their hands on the hottest ticket in town. The 17,500 tickets available sold out in a record one hour and 17 minutes - that is a staggering 3.78 tickets a second. What recession?

Indeed!

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
Well none really ……….


Press Articles – Various

Bob Dylan’s New Album All About Mexican Pig-Flu Pandemic Plague, from Wonkette
Seasick Steve, from Time Off Media
Asa Broomhall, also from TOM
Stephen Bruton, Guitarist-Writer, Dies at 60, from NY Times
Eugene Smith, a Sparkplug of Gospel Music, Dies at 88, also from the NY Times
WC Handy – Book Review, also from the NY Times
30th Blues Music Award Winners Announced, from The Blues Foundation
From the valleys to Venice – John Cale, from The Guardian
Too old to rock? Summer concert scene dominated by sixtysomethings, from Pop Matters
Happy birthday to Pete Seeger, also from Pop Matters
Dylan Live In London, from New Statesman
Struggling birthplace seeks government aid to build museum for Man in Black, from Chicago Sun Times
Singers want cut of revenue radio stations collect when playing their songs, also from Chicago Sun Times
BB King - Still King of the blues, from the Telegraph
Como's Mississippi Fred McDowell from Birthplaceofamericanmusic blog
Did Robert Johnson Exist? – Part 1 and Part 2 and Poison Didn’t Kill Him, all from the Delta Blues blog


RADIO/TV/YOU TUBE

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

In the 20 May edition, there’s music from a range of artists including Buddy Miller, Cloudstreet, Alison Brown, Lucie Thorne, Heidi Talbot, Si Kahn, Donovan and more.

The blues hour features acoustic blues from Phil Minissale, plus music from Johnny Copeland, Walter Trout, Watermelon Slim, the Insomniacs, Ash Grunwald, Dutch Tilders and others.


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.

Listen especially to Eilen Jewell’s great new album on the Weekend Planet site and performances from the recent Port Fairy festival on the Music Deli site


Video Selections

D.L. Menard sings The Back Door with L'Angelus
Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup - So Glad You're Mine (Live 1973) – courtesy Bob Corritore


FESTIVALS

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.

The full music lineup is here and is as good as you will ever get at a free festival. It includes Ash Grunwald, Jeff Lang, Marshall & The Fro, Kevin Borich, Mason Rack Band, 8 Ball Aitken, Ange Takats, Mark Easton, Jimmy Watts, Banawurun, Laneous & The Family Yah, Kate Meehan & Skip Landy, Tijuana Cartel, Ryan Murphy, Sunshine Reggae Band and Neil Murray.


REGULAR STUFF AND GIG GUIDES

Palmwoods Got The Blues – Sat 16 May at the Palmwoods Hotel

Unfortunately, on the same evening as the Brisbane Blues Festival, at the Jubilee ….

Opening the show from 5.30pm and playing the first of two shows at Palmwoods is the multi award winning, multi talented Tom Richardson. Tom’s new release “Evolution” has just hit the stands and the esteem with which he is held across the country is just recognition of his outstanding talent. Since hitting the southern festival stages in 2007, Tom has been acknowledged as one of Australia’s brightest new artists. And as an added bonus Tom will be joined by another outstanding young talent Luke Watt

www.myspace.com/tomrichardsonmusic

www.myspace.com/wattluke

Taking the stage right after Tom and Luke, Anni Piper has been wowing audiences across Australia and more recently, the US. A recent signing to the US based Blues Leaf records, Anni’s a knockout performer, a rock solid bass player and a sultry, reach down deep in your soul singer with talent, looks, commitment and attitude to burn. Her last show at Palmwoods was one of the gigs of the year in 2008 and its highly likely that this gig will shake the joint to its foundations

www.myspace.com/annipiper

Seems like it might be hard to top that but the best is yet to come. Mason Rack has been a featured artist at Palmwoods since 2006 and in that time, he has become one of the most sought after festival performers in the country. Disappointed fans have been ringing the phone off the hook since the cancellation of the recent Dingo Creek festival and with Mason set to tour Canada in July and Europe in September, opportunities to see the Mason Rack band up close and personal are becoming few and far between.

www.myspace.com/masonrackband


On Sunday, it’s Peregian Originals again

What: Peregian Originals (Free Open-Air Community Concert)
Who: Jig Zag (Sydney), David Flower Band, Brian Martin and Friends, Noosa Community Radio ('Sound Waves' Vol. 2 Album Launch) artist t.b.a.
Where: Peregian Beach Surf Club
When: Sunday May 17th, 1:15-5:00 pm


The Lifeline Blues Cruise is back again on Sun 24 May

The Port of Brisbane Lifeline Blues Cruise is back and ready to cruise with some new Blues bands coming on board to show their support of depression and to entertain you – our guest!

Lift your spirits and the spirits of the Brisbane community by being part of a grand fleet that will cruise the river, drawing much-needed attention to the issue of depression and how Lifeline helps the community combat this debilitating illness.

Enjoy the sunset beauty of the Brisbane River – take in a splash of blues music, food, drink and camaraderie. What better thing to do on a Sunday afternoon?

The Fleet…6 Cruise Boats and 6 Brisbane Bands coming together to battle the Blues…
1.
BOAT: Kookaburra River Queen 1
BAND: Angela Fabian
2.
BOAT: Brisbane Cruises (Lady Brisbane)
BAND: Blonde On Blue
3.
BOAT: Brisbane Star Cruises
BAND: Black Cat Band
4.
BOAT: MV James Cavill
BAND: Panga and the True Blues
5.
BOAT: MV Mirimar
BAND: MamaVoodoo
6.
BOAT: Aquarius Charters
BAND: Jimmy Beavis and the 385’s


At Joes Waterhole, Eumundi

Look out for:

· Fri 22 May Reggie Watts
· Fri 5 June Bob Evans
· Thurs 11 June Renee Geyer
· Sat 13 June Ash Grunwald

(Renee Geyer is also appearing on Friday June 12 at Full Moon Café, Sandgate; and Saturday June 13 at The Carindale Tavern)


At the Cooly Hotel

· 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.

However (and I forgot to mention this last issue) the Judy is hosting a lot of gigs as part of the Valley Jazz Festival – see details here.


At The Soundlounge, Currumbin

· 29 May: Black Market Rhythm Co. & Cool Calm Collective
· 12 Jun: Mick Thomas & The Sure Thing & The Killjoys
· 19 Jun: Afro Moses


At the Powerhouse …..Women in Docs

Our favourite venue in the whole of the world! If you enjoy a nice glass of wine, a comfy chair and a bit of music and a laugh, join women in docs at the Brisbane Powerhouse Theatre on Sat 16 May.

We have special guests, local folkies 'Little Creatures' joining us to open the night. www.myspace.com/littlecreaturesduo


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

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 look out for Lori Lee’s next outings:

Rockabilly Bop #2 – Fri June 26 at the Holland Park Bowls Club, with a great lineup:

· Ezra Lee - New CD Launch
· Pat Capocci Combo
· The Sugarshakers

More details here