Singing in the rain (first chorus meets emma bathgate)
September 28, 2009
It was windy, raining and cold.. but the show must go on, isn’t it!
Emma Bathgate opened this extraordinary gig at the Fairfield Amphitheatre by welcoming 8 year old Zafiya Witkoski-Blake on drums and poetry. Beats and words. There is something really moving about a child who’s able to get up and work her performance magic in front of a bunch of adults. Plus Zafiya is an amazing performer. A great way to start the show.
Several of Emma’s songs i’ve heard before, having seen her perform with Natalia Mann the incredible harpist in Shima and the Wikimen as well as solo. i enjoy the way her soulful voice jumps across various registers and tones as she searches for the most authentic sound at any moment. Great to hear Emma step away from the crowd-pleasing (crowd-horrifying?) Dilapidated Diva and sing as her own self.
.. and so it was lovely to be a part of the backing band of singers (first chorus), singing This Ancient Land, Flame Trees and Adoration – a song devoted to Emma’s singing teacher for many years. There were a few emotional moments in the show, especially when Emma was talking about her inspiration for the song about the wombats during the 2009 bushfires.
Plenty of deliberation before the show about whether to go ahead in the cold windy rain. In the end Tim the sound guy who’s had experience running outdoor gigs said, “Let’s just do it!”
i hope someone got a photo of the choir with all our umbrellas out. i’ll have to settle for these photos of the bridge at Fairfield park.
Links: myspace pages for the musioes:
Vibing it, high style
September 23, 2009
Totally feeling the vibe of the 2009 High Vibes festival.
Of course i must kick off with the very wonderful Flying Scribble, my favourite band in the whole world. Mal Webb at 303 was hilarious, doing mad things with his beat-boxing, a loop pedal and several trombones.
Then i bumped into some extremely glamorous and funky dancers from the first chorus band of singers, who’d created an impromptu dance floor outside Subterrain. Good venue! The dj was spinning plenty of funky dance tracks from the 80’s and 90’s. When i arrived it was Blondie doing “Rapture”. For a while we danced up and down the tram tracks.
Perfect and ideal, both at the same time.
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Barons of Tang had everyone dancing at the Open Studio end of town, and the Jelly Tub Rollers took the dance party back inside for a whole lotta jumping. Lovely.
Ooh look here’s some more great shots: The very talented and wonderful Les with his lighter sculptures (how did i miss that?) (Thanks michaelpickard)
Plus the no-black-keys piano that lived in the Town Hall field during the entire music feast. Yes one night we had a play along. Great idea.
More good photos over on Lonely Radio’s flickr site. (Thanks Lonely.) Plus i found on flickr you can get the most interesting photos from high vibes over the years.. here. (“interesting” according to flickr’s secret algorithm that is.)
i dream a highway.. 2nd birthday
September 14, 2009
I Dream a Highway just had their 2nd birthday gathering.
(If you don’t know yet, it’s a funky retail outlet on the Northcote Hill opposite the Wesley Anne, with clothes and cds and lovely arty stuff.)
Ben and Rhi laid on the liquor and some scrumptious Mein Leibe pizzas for all their friends, family and neighbours.
- Yum.
- Lovely glamorous lusciousness on the top of the Northcote Hill. So stylish.
- Hats and weird-stuff jewellery and crazy little punk voodoo dolls.
So of course i had to lay out a tiny bit of shopping moulah. Stimulate the local economy. It’s all about fighting the GFC you know.
In the end i bought another one of the Bohjass discs, “Chocolate Ice” (2001). Bohjass are a very cool and creative outfit from the heart of Northcote, led by Tim Pledger who also plays with The Boys, Opa.. and half-a-dozen other jazz impro bands around town.
..and this really sweet ring made out of a number 10 knitting needle.
Lynne came across too.. we danced a country jig, and then headed over the road to see Lou and gray release their first single, “animation in my head” at the Wesley Anne.
Here’s Bea the shop dog, featured on the IDAH website.
Vocal harmonies at 303
September 6, 2009
Zeena dragged me reluctantly along to an evening at Bar 303 on Northcote High Street. “Harmony on High” they called it.. and if i’d known what it was called i wouldn’t have gone because i have a strong repulsion for all the shops that call themselves whatever “on High”.
How very prejudiced and resistant of me.
Because this was a beautiful gig.
Zeena’s friend Matt is in a band called Vocal Agents. They started the night with some lovely and innovative harmonies. Some of the arrangements were better than others. The crowd loved their version of Mad World.. it wasn’t my favourite. However, even though it wasn’t to my taste, i had to admire their talent and strengths.. and risk-taking. Really good voices, blending well. The bass guy had a solid deep line going throughout. Different people led various songs. They were a good intro to the night.
The Hazelman Brothers were delightful. 2 out of the 3 brothers made sweet harmonies together, and captivated the audience. Nice lyrics too, although i couldn’t tell you what they sang about now. Relationships and stuff.
Cadmium Waking have changed their name to Aluka.. they’ve been snapped up by Clare Bowditch’s management to tour with her, and i’m not surprised. Sweet strong voices, wonderful harmonies and really, really good arrangements. When the timid blonde girl next to the wall hit her bassy lines in the final song, i was thrilled.. why didn’t she sing in that lower register all along!! Enchanting sounds.
Could have stayed for the stars of the night, but we skipped away to catch the final number from Woohoo Revue at Open Studio. Ooh they were good. We walked in and the crowd was dancing like kids in a jumping castle. Fun.
i wish i could have been at both gigs really.. and i heard the Wesley gigs were good too: missed The Boys (clarinet jazz), but will try and catch them next Saturday evening. Apparently there were 4 part harmonies on the Wesley stage too.
Music music music.
Cross the river if you have to.
Yum.
gray kicks bass !! (updated now with video)
September 3, 2009
Extraordinary moments.
For the Melbourne hall of fame 2009, i would nominate the Flying Scribble percussion artist gray taylor for her one-armed drumming set at the Wesley Anne, sunday 28th June.
Not only did she valiantly play with her left arm out of action, she played one song blindfolded. Go gray! You are a star and a legend. We love you.
Oh and Louise was good too. You both rock.
PS
Ooh look here’s Lou and gray again playing at Anytime Place in July, filmed by the Qua on his mobile phone. Video is lame.. get closer man, but it sounds good. This was a really good set. Many people dancing.
And guess what! Update! They’re having a CD launch (single) next Thursday evening 10th September at Wesley Anne.
Woo hoo. Can’t wait.
PPS:
yes Flying Scribble was magnificent:
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- Fab to see gray double-armed again.
- And Louise’s new fully electric hot red mini-organ sounds just as good as the 6-ton-slider.
- The Bon Scotts were fun too.
Here’s a review of the single already over at Mess and Noise where you can listen to the song.. in one piece if your bandwidth will do it. Oh and read the comments as well as the review.. you’ll find a funny NZ story and Ben Butcher’s shoot of the ladies gettin glamorous on a Northcote monkey bar.
Fly scribble fly.
Amazing Northcote artist
August 1, 2009
Ahmarnya Price comes from Brisvegas originally.. and now she’s joined the community of Northcote. Hooray for the artists of Northcote!
She’s just put a bunch of her work up on a blogspot thing. Totally worth a look.. luscious, beautiful, surreal images. I especially like the collection on “Water and Air“.
Visit her blog site thing. Feast your eyes, drink in the sumptuous-ness.
Scribble-folk fly again
March 16, 2009
How much delight can a melbourne music goer bear?
On a night when the rest of the world was huddled around the s/MCG watching everyone from Kylie to Wolfmother and Split Enz, Annie and i headed for Northcote’s Wesley Anne to see the ethereally magnificent Flying Scribble with Pikelet playing solo.
Louise and gray are in very fine form; their new magic shines wonderfully just like the old numbers. gray’s drumming always astonishes and Louisie somehow manages to play 15 instruments at once, pumping out eg bass, organ, accordion and macbook samples.
Yes i was transported again by their beautiful rhythmic genius.
Here they are caught on video back in ‘07:
Great News: they’ve finished recording the new album!
Bad news: Shame the wesley still shuts down sound at 11pm.
Who’s Flying Scribble?
Lou and gray are one amazing melbourne duo. Find out more:
relief concert at northcote church
February 23, 2009
Daryl the lovely minister at Northcote’s heathen / community church, has pulled together a bunch of performers for a big event in support of bushfire sufferers.
3-8pm this Sunday 1st March at- Northcote Uniting in High St.
- Heidi’s choir Expressive Women
- Kavisha Mazella
- Rod Quantock as MC.
$10/15 money goes to uniting church Victorian bushfire appeal.
Daryl says: “Please come and have a great time with us in solidarity with those who have not only lost so much but now contemplate a long physical and emotional rebuilding process.”
(Some moments of reflection involved.)
PS: i caught Heidi’s choir, and they were really good. Heidi sang solo and she was fab. Then Zeena and i fled the choir scene, over to Wesley Anne where “The Tiger and Me” were playing. They Were Good. Alt-Country-ish.
plus: get your Flyer here: Northcote-Concert-Flyer(pdf)
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photo credit: alana jonez
hi vibes completely mental, fun
September 23, 2008
What a beautiful day.
i am completely blessed .. as the wonderful Louise invited me to a delightful brekkie in the wilds of westgarth, only moments from the action.
Yes this is the first year i’ve been an off-world visitor to planet northcote during the high vibes festival. i was feeling a bit sad, but being rescued with French Toast and Fruit Salad is such a good way to build up your spirits and get ready for a day of pleasure.
as i arrive, gray is tapping away on Renato’s drum kit, in time with Bessie Smith. Life is deliriously gorgeous.
The sun is shining, there are thousands of angels pouring gigalitres of love into the whole festival, and i’m filled with joy, as we wander up the hill to join the throng.
Everything is so packed, and the weather is so gorgeous that we don’t actively listen to much music .. but i dance to a couple of Tzigas numbers outside Open Studio; and Gerard has a funky dj in his backyard next door. That was fun.
The gig that i really savour later on is the magnificent spoonbill at 303 .. who plays a very enjoyable set. Listen here to his version of Gum Tree:
It was a bit weird when he invited dj drizzle on stage to do some MC work, and this guy just wouldn’t let go of the microphone. Some of the crowd shouted at him to get off so we could enjoy the spoon .. but mr bill was too polite to grab back the mic.
Ah madness. Oh fun. Potato cakes and broken yellow buckets. Huge sunglasses and crazy thongs made out of rubber LP shapes. Lots of wonderful people from the Northcote tribes.
.. and i forgot my camera, so only mobile phone photos. Will post if i can get the blue teeth to work.
Later in the week, i read in the local paper that there were 100,000 people at the event .. 30,000 more than last year. Big !!
Ciao.
Emma Tonkin plays the northcote feast
September 9, 2008
This Saturday night looks fantastic on the Northcote High Street.
Emma Tonkin is playing the Uniting Church .. but not alone; she has a choir behind her to really stretch the beauty of her songs. (Have a listen here, or visit her space.)
Competing with “Girl, interpreted” which is a celebration of Auslan song interpretation. Oh, why are they on at the same time.
Boo.
getting used to Brunswick
June 9, 2008
i have to say, it’s quite an adventure moving across to the other side of the Merri Creek. Time seems to move more slowly now because there’s so much newness to absorb.
- “Sparkly Square” is a much more fun than Northcote Plaza;
- Walking distance to miles and miles of parkland – but i’m walking, not jogging yet;
- Hundreds of new restaurants within minutes of home ..
- many more cheap variety stores, with all manner of precious junk (which i am not thinking about buying, at all! Too much junk in my life already, which i still haven’t cleared out.)
Sydney road has a different character from Northcote High Street .. can’t quite describe the difference just yet. Larger range of ethnic diversity? More established cafes and hotels?
But all these new cafes, i need a local tour guide ..
and where are all the musicians madly improvising?
Thank Evans i’m still cycling distance from the Northcote hill.
mm, delightful Angie Hart
December 17, 2007
Sat 8 Dec – Angie Hart, Skipping Girl Vinegar
i know barely anything about Angie Hart’s music, so i could enjoy this without expectation.
The band is really something .. she has Cam Butler and Dan Luscombe both on guitars, keyboard etc. I don’t know who the drummer and bass player were, but as an ensemble they created a warm and vibrant soundscape for Angie to shine on vocals.
She doesn’t dance or perform really, just sticks to singing the songs in a simple and engaging style.
A lovely evening.
flying scribble jaunty up the northote social club
October 30, 2007
Sat 27 Oct – Mountains In The Sky, Qua, Flying Scribble
Lou and gray were utterly astounding, although they won’t admit it.
This was a pearler of a night, with Flying Scribble, Qua and the Mountains In The Sky. Gray’s (FS) Drums stood out as really superlative, with inventive and original rhythms. They couldn’t see the crowd, because of the lights, but the crowd totally appreciated them. There were many cries for more.
Qua and MitS hit the straps with the crowd, but hey FS just booted their wicked beats into the stratosphere.
i’m glad i saw this gig. What a joy.
Drums and versus amazing sound systems.
