ENTERTAINMENT
CULTURE RETURN TO THE FORBIDDEN PLANET
The Ballina Players Theatre stage will rock from 17 June as US Starship Albatross shoots through the sky, dodging a meteor shower and blasting forth with rock classics.
MICHAEL MENAGER APPEARING AT LULU’S CAFE SATURDAY, MONDAY AT BYRON FRESH AND AT THE RAILS ON TUESDAY
Live Music
and Europe in his younger years, accompanied by his venerable CONT. FROM p33 Gibson guitar.
THE ROLL OF THE DICE AND THE CUT OF YOUR JIB
In the tiny town of Candelo in the Bega Valley sits a man who’s lived a thousand lives, and he’s opened his windows and doors to sing you some songs. Michael Menager’s sophomore studio album Not the Express is about the roll of the dice, the cut of your jib and the fork in the road. With an alt-country feel and a folk ethos, Not the Express exudes pure Americana. There’s the whispered ghost-like epiphany of the opening track Unfamiliar Place with lyrics right on the mark like a classic Leonard Cohen: ‘I had power, I had pull, and everything was well on course’; to the vintage Cat Stevens flavour of Take to Wing, a heartfelt strippedback song Menager wrote about losing his partner of many years. Born in Southern California to migrant parents − a northern Italian mother who passed along her cooking skills, and a French Canadian father who had a fine voice − Menager sang his way through coffee houses and bars in various parts of the States
Nowadays he lives on a community farm on the outskirts of Candelo, a town touted by The Australian newspaper as a ‘rock’n’roll enclave’. So lay a nickel on the track, press your ear to the rail and, as Michael Menager wanders into the distance on the way down the line to his next destination, you’ll be much richer for having met him. See you down there at the station. The train arrives on Saturday 18 in Mullum at Lulu’s Cafe, Monday at Byron Fresh and at The Rails in Byron on Tuesday.
DEAR WILLOW She claimed her place in the local Sunshine Coast/Brisbane music scene as a primarily acoustic act. Now 2016 sees the rebirth of Dear Willow, including a band ensemble with a bigger, more ambient sound. With 2015 seeing Dear Willow’s EmJ release her first commercial single Father’s House, playing innumerable shows, showcasing at industry conferences, paying festivals and touring interstate, this growth is only natural. Catch Dear Willow at The Rails on Monday.
DJ SORCERESS IS HEADLINE ARTIST FOR THE MAYA WINTER SOLSTICE EVENT.
MAYA WINTER SOLSTICE FESTIVAL Electric Forest events create a unique festival atmosphere where self-expression, freedom and personal journeys can meld into a positive life-affirming experience through dance within an immersive multimedia environment. They have been creating cutting-edge electronic music events since 1996 and are the longest-running dance-music production hub in the Byron region. The forest is growing into the new millennium with the highest possible production values and the latest dancefloorfriendly tunes for the discerning electronic-dance music freak. They select some of the region’s best-known and -talented DJs who know how to keep a dancefloor pumping, and add to the mix powerful visionary art forms in many media to create a unique experience. DJ Sorceress is headline artist for the Maya Winter Solstice event. As a solo artist, Sorceress has refined her tech house style consisting of intricate rhythms and soaring melodies with a soulful and uplifting edge. Production-wise, mixes deep tech house with her Sorceress and Marta Kodo collaboration, and upcoming side project (Pastel Tones) consisting of a more eclectic lounge house style. Her sassy, sexy and sorcery spells take you on a sound journey designed to bring the dance floor to new levels, as she glides and weaves her well-recognised magic, casting smiles wherever
she spins her craft. Over the past decade The Sorceress has supported artists from across the globe including old-school techno godfathers such as Peter Juergens, Atmos and Perfect Stranger; these days performs along side touring artists such as Dosem, Christian Smith and Citizen Kain. 2011 saw her take the crown for the pioneer pro DJ Search and she hasn’t looked back! With massive support from the Australian EDM, various honourable sets have followed suit including: main act for the Half Moon Festival Thailand, opening for Rainbow Serpent in 2014, and warming up for techno giant Marc Dosem at the 2015 Maitreya Festival. Check out some of her Sorcy mixes and her production releases including extended play It Has Begun also featuring Spex Appeal via Avioground Milan, single Fader Love with LuPS Amsterdam; and stay tuned for her upcoming release Cala Vadella. Get ready to rock it on the dance floor to her soulful tech sounds, or relax to her soothing more deeply styled sets. Also on the dance card are DJ Pob who is, without doubt, a first-call DJ in the region with a wealth of experience and style known for keeping a solid upbeat vibe on the dance floor; Ben Abrahams who is is one of Australia’s seminal house and techno DJs, and Reseteser, who has been dishing up deep bass dancefloor spacetime benders for many a good year now back behind the decks with a super-fresh sound.
Thus begins the musical Return to the Forbidden Planet. All the rock favourites are there, woven cleverly into the plot and the dialogue, with Good Vibrations, Young Girl, Who’s Sorry Now and of course Great Balls of Fire as highlights. The spaceship is drawn to the Forbidden Planet occupied by the mad scientist Prospero (Graeme Speed) and his beautiful daughter Miranda (Jamaika Smith). They come aboard the repaired Starship and it takes off. Fourteen-year-old Jamaika Smith has recently been awarded a place in a prestigious two-week voice clinic in Los Angeles. A love triangle develops between Miranda, the ship’s Captain Tempest (Brian Pamphilon) and the cook, Cookie (Trevor Stone).
This leads into favourites Shakin’ All Over, Only the Lonely and She’s Not There. The ship is under threat once again, this time from a fearsome space monster. Prospero saves the situation as the Forbidden Planet disintegrates. Gloria, Prospero’s devious wife, long ago left Miranda with him on the Forbidden Planet. It is discovered that the science officer on the Starship (Yvonne Lingua) is really Gloria and the crew exposes her in the song bearing her name. She attempts to take over the ship. Return to the Forbidden Planet has fun, humour, romance, treachery and intrigue. But above all it is about the music! Directed by Clem and Shelly Halpin, who were responsible for last year’s Oliver, Return to the Forbidden Planet will be staged at the Players Theatre from 17 June till 3 July. Evening performances start at 8pm and matinees at 2pm. Book online at www.ballinaplayers. com or at Just Funkin Music, 6686 2440.
CONTINUED P35
RETURN TO THE FORBIDDEN PLANET WILL BE STAGED AT THE BALLINA PLAYERS THEATRE FROM 17 JUNE TILL 3 JULY
The Maya Winter Solstice Festival is on Saturday 25 June at Kohinur Hall.
Ballina PLAYERS
Auditions
Mon 27th June 7pm - 10pm Ballina Players Theatre Cast required 4men & 3 women
THE PATRICK PEARSE MOTEL An hysterical comedy Director Sue Belsham
by Hugh Leonard Assistant Director Paul Belsham
Show Dates: Sept 9 - 18 DEAR WILLOW AT THE RAILS ON MONDAY
34 June 15, 2016 The Byron Shire Echo
To book audition Ph: Lynn 0409 031 641
Byron Shire Echo archives: www.echo.net.au/byron-echo