Byron Shire Echo July 17, 2007 23
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Feather (choreographer, tai chi master and international man of mystery). Down in the Well elicited a passionate response in some quarters and Ireland’s enigmatic folk tunes have graced the airways on Triple J, Sydney’s FBi, Melbourne’s 3RRR and PBS, 4ZZZ in Brisbane and regional ABC stations nationwide. Ireland has toured the album extensively along the east coast and, in November 2006, travelled further afield to WA, SA and country Victoria as part of The Sweet Remedy Show with help from the Contemporary Music Touring Fund. Tim Ireland plays an arvo show at the Nimbin Hotel on Sunday and then later that evening at the Hotel Great Northern.
KIWI MUSIC There are hundreds of fantastic guitar players in the Byron Shire and there are probably also hundreds of great singers but there are not many who combine both talents and song writing to the world class standard Willie Hona does. Willie first came to prominence with influential 80’s band ‘Herbs’ as a guitarist, singer and songwriter. The legendary Kiwi band achieved platinum album sales and Willie wrote or co-wrote many of the bands hits including Long Ago, Nuclear Waste, and Listen. The band also contributed to Dave Dobbin’s international smash hit Slice of Heaven. Willie and the band toured the planet as a headline act as well as opening for bands and artists including: Genesis, Tina Turner, Split Enz and Whitney Houston. They also performed at ‘The Hiroshima Peace Festival’ in 1986 to an audience of millions. While a lot of people may associate Willie mainly with ‘Herbs’, his 40 year career includes a lot more than the 6 years he spent with that band. His music has been included on several compilation albums and used as soundtracks for the movies; Once Were
Warriors, Footrot Flats and My Boyfriend from Hell by Cheech (from Cheech and Chong) He has also played 2 shows with Bob Marley’s legendary band ‘The Wailers’, recorded an EP in Hawaii with Taj Mahal and has jammed with Stevie Ray Vaughan. Now if you ain’t impressed by that then you is hard to please. Willie Hona with Glen Morrissey (bass) and Rex Carter, (drums) at the Nimbin Hotel on Friday and The Rails on Saturday.
BOND, DEB BOND She’s been dubbed the ‘One Woman Band’, and this is way more than appropriate. This Byron Bay singer songwriter plays mandolin, acoustic lapsteel guitar, six string guitar, stompbox and tambourine. Accompanying this myriad of instrumentation are Deb’s rich, earthy vocals delivering a fresh approach to folk roots music. She first picked up the guitar at age 12 and initially played with her sister for several years. Now performing as a soloist, Deb’s songwriting has developed into an intimate and organic style, allowing space for reflection on natural surroundings. High on the Warm Dusty Breeze is Deb’s first full length album which was recorded in Byron Bay in June last year. After the album’s release, she set off touring Darwin, Cairns, Sydney and the East Coast to an overwhelming response. Deb has opened shows for the likes of Tex Perkins, John Butler, Angelique Kidjo, Deborah Conway, Jeff Lang, Archie Roach, Mia Dyson and other fantastic musicians. She plays the Rails on Wednesday with special guest Jeremiah McMahon.
PLAY IT AGAIN, RAZ BIN SAM Officially released in the USA a week ago, Raz Bin Sam’s new single Something To Remember has already reached No. 1 on the US Indie Reggae radio charts in the first week of its release.
The song Something To Remember (Mista Savona’s Chant At Dusk riddim), released on Jamaican Label Das Vibes and Hebrew Camp’s own Blaze Fire is the first single of Raz Bin Sam’s new album called Israel due out summer 2007, produced by Mista Savona. Raz Bin Sam is also featured on the Splendour bill, so come and hear their brand new song at the Beach Hotel on Thursday.
THE BEST TONSILS IN TOWN James Morrison loves her. In fact he went out of his way to laud Emma Pask with a very impressive compliment. Your mum might think you’re God’s gift, but Emma Pask, according to Mr Morrison, is ‘the greatest gift to Australian Jazz Vocals in the last decade.’ Reminiscent of the classic jazz era, her voice and style are unique. She has been a regular guest on national television shows and sung before many VIP audiences. She has performed with symphony orchestras, and big bands, sung at Nicole Kidman/ Keith Urban’s wedding and released 3 CDs. And, now, with a quintet of players including piano, bass and brass, she is appearing at the Byron Bay Community Centre, courtesy of Musica Viva Lismore. She performs on Wednesday 1 August. Tix are $35/30 and available from Dymocks Lismore, ABC Centres Ballina and Byron Bay Community Centre.
GET ROMANTIC WITH MACROMANTICS The fabulous Macromantics hit the Hotel Great Northern on Saturday. Miss Macro is like a blast from the eighties, in white boots and oversized t-shirt with a dash of fluro. After the release of her debut album Moments in Movement, who knows what will happen. Have it warm served with berries. Don’t ask me what that means, it’s
all too cryptic for someone who actually lived through the eighties. It’s in the press release.
GET THE FUNK OUT OF HERE Carola Christensen and the Dirty Funk Affair hit the Lennox Point Hotel on Friday. Recently Carola’s funk rock fusion track Think About It danced for three weeks in the ‘Triple J UnEarthed’ Top 25 Pop Chart, receiving fantastic response. Weaving a fresh approach into her music by succumbing to affairs with dirty funk, pop, rock, blues and groove Carola Christensen and the Dirty Funk Affair create a web of sound that is dynamic and expressive. Generating a repertoire that is provocative, infectious and alive her songs are strong and catchy with resounding lyrics of universal meaning. Carola is sounding better than ever!
AND THE RISTENSEN CAROLA CH FUNK AFFAIR DIRTY FRIDAY INT HOTEL • LENNOX PO
COZY MUSIC WITH WARM FUZZY PEOPLE! The Temple of Melodious Sound presents an intimate,cosy, fireside, acoustic concert with new and old compositions by Tarshito and Christine Lee. Paul Kimmel (maestro flautist) and Tarshito (prolific world music composer/musician on guitars and vocals) are joined on vocals by Christine Lee (from Voices of Gaia, Love and Passion and Tane) and percussionist Peter Cuming (has played with Stoneground, Mud Crab Boogie, Visions of a Nomad, The Blue Hulas, Mook and Shanto, Lisa Hunt, Alex Lloyd, Oka and Eric Bogle and is currently playing with Waz Porter and Yantra de Vilder). Expect music that is passionate, melodic and interactive with Latin, Afro, Eastern, Mid Eastern, Classical, Jazz, Folk and Ambient influences. There are limited places available so come early and bring a cushion. Tuesday by the fire at 6 Goolara Court in Ocean Shores, 7.30pm.
DEB BOND ESDAY WEDN THE RAILS •
CLEGS FLYNN AND REST FO PI TI THE R R THIS YEA SPLENDOU
[ culture ] * POETRY WORLD CUP OF WORDS This year Nimbin Performance Poetry World Cup is celebrating its fifth year, providing an opportunity for poets all over Australia and internationally to come together for a fabulous weekend of Spoken Words. This year’s event on the 4th
and 5th of August is already generating a lot of interest. Applications are open for poets to perform one or more of their original works in eight minutes at one of the cafes in the village of Nimbin.The heats are run on the Saturday with semi-finals on Sunday and the Grand Final on Sunday evening in the Nimbin Town Hall. $5000
prize money in total – $2000 for the outright winner with runners up each receiving $300 and Summerland Credit Union People’s Choice Award of $500, there is also opportunity to take away one of the encouragement awards of $25 & $50 during the heats. For any information see the web site at www.nimbinpoetry.com or telephone Gail on 6689 7424.
THEATRE BIG ASSESSMENT: HSC LIVE
RE EGE LISMO HOLIC COLLDENTS U TRINITY CAT ST A HSC DRAM SS’ IN ON STAGE ET PROGRE ‘WORKS INUDIO • BRUNSWICK STRE ST A AM DR + SATURDAY AY ID FR , THURSDAY
Lismore’s Trinity Catholic College is renowned for both its academic and artistic excellence. For the 14th year HSC Drama students at Trinity Catholic college in Lismore are showcasing their ‘Works in Progress’ in On Stage in the Drama Studio in Brunswick Street.
The candidature this year is the largest ever with 30 individual performances and 7 group devised pieces. These have been divided into two shows. The works range from extracts by Caryl Churchill, Berkoff, Stoppard and Lorca to Patrick White, Fo, Jeffries, Fugard and Woody Allen. The group pieces are original devised 12 minute pieces from the HSC topics Glasshouse, 1815, Sweet and Sour, Comfort Zone , Scrap It, Is it a Bird? And Gladly with a wide range of performance styles including physical theatre, social theatre, Butoh, farce, political satire, Bollywood, naturalism and surrealism. Head of Drama Peter Derrett and Senior Drama teacher Genevieve Lewis have developed techniques and approaches to performance which challenge and bring out the best in
student ability. Tickets are $12 and are only available at St Mary’s site office from Trinity College. Performances are on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7pm with a matinee on Saturday at 2pm.
THE BRIGHT LIGHTS ARE ON Bright Lights Performance School, Byron’s leading performance school for 8-16 year olds, is about to embark upon its busy production schedule, with 4 separate shows to present before the end of 2007. This week they will present their Year 9/10 production ‘The War of Words’. The show is all about noble kings and queens, brave knights, beautiful princesses, foolhardy jesters and aspiring sorcerers. The war began in the market place over the trifling matter
of a carrot and a zucchini. A boast and a matter of pride compelled two brave knights to uphold the honour of their noble kings. The result leads to two broken hearts. The Princess, Talisa, from the House of Cedric is given as a reward to the noble knight Beauregarde. While in the house of Louis, young Prince Phillip is required to forsake his love of the dark and mysterious gypsy girl, Priscilla, to marry Elanora and cement an alliance. Understandably, both Talisa and Phillip rebel against the wishes of their parents. With the assistance of a dubious magician and a naughty witch’s apprentice they set out to follow their hearts and woo their true loves. Performances will be held on Friday at Byron Bay Community Centre at 11am