Canberra LOCALITY lovingly delivered to you by Ruth O’Brien
Oh hi! How goes it?
It’s been a few months since we’ve been able to touch base about all things Canberra fun stuff, i.e. music, arts and the like. Lockdowns will do that kind of thing to one’s social life. Bet you’re super keen to get out of the house now that we can, right?
Well, you’re in luck. There’s a huge amount of stuff going on in the territory over the coming weeks and months so, let’s jump into it.
First up, WOLO is the newest (and coolest) Canberra acronym to get wrap your coconut around. Also known as What’s On? Lots On. WOLO is the brainchild and result of the hard efforts of MusicACT and BMA. Yup, throughout this year, we’ve been working alongside some of Canberra’s most talented and hard-working people in the music scene to bring together the most awesome gig guide this city has ever bloody seen!
Now, venues, promoters and individuals across town are able to upload event info which enables the gig-goer to quickly and easily find out what’s happening in and around our beautiful city, all in one hit!
Does that mean this entire column has just been made redundant? Nope! There’s still loads to chat about, so stick with me.
Between the 10th-18th of December, the Australian Dance Party (ADP) will be presenting their most recent work, Less, at the Dairy Road Precinct in Fyshwick.
The show boasts live music performed by Alex Voorhoeve (cello) and John Mackey (sax), with members of ADP activating their architectural surroundings. With a calibre of artists this high, this performance will truly be a fine example of how less really is, more.
To book tickets, go to events.humanitix.com/less
The fantastic Canberra venue that is Gang Gang Cafe and Bar has a whole host of events coming up in the weeks ahead of us.
On Saturday, 27 November at 7pm, Burntout Bookings present their inaugural live show with an amazing line-up to kick things off. That is Nina Leo, Lost Coast and Betty Alto.
Just a few short weeks later on Sunday, 12 December at 6pm, Creswick (aka Liam Budge) and his band will be taking over the venue to bring you some original tunes.
This will be Creswick’s first show since returning to Australia after living in New York for several years.
Tickets can be booked via Oztix, or you can simply go to the events link at linktr.ee/ganggangcafe for all the juicy info.
Heading over to the UC Hub now and Lucy Sugerman will be performing on Saturday, 11 December to celebrate the release of her eagerly awaited debut EP hurt that’s man made.
The EP is an ode to your inexperienced heart taking over your inexperienced head, and explores the tedious process of trial and error in taking back control over your life post-first love. Lucy will be supported by Parklands and Zuko. Tix via Moshtix.
For those of you not quite ready to head into the great outdoors just yet, Mustard Flats have just released a documentary about the much loved Academy nightclub and its history called, The Academy Story. Ah yes, I have many a hazy memory of that place… so many good times.
The endlessly talented Nic Vevers, director, filmmaker and the creator of Mustard Flats, has brought together an incredible collection of footage and insights from some of Canberra’s industry icons including Jim Medcraft, Chris Fraser, Ashley Feraude, Mikah Freeman and Frank Condi. Featuring never before seen footage, The Academy Story tells the unknown history of Canberra’s first superclub and the incredible impact it had on local music culture. To watch the doco head to linketr.ee/mustardflats
And finally, MusicACT is hosting the next Music Chats event on Sunday, 28 November at 3:30pm, at Canberra’s newest bar One22.
Australia-based international booking agencies Select Music and Raida Artists will be leading a discussion through Vienna Bradley (Teenage Dads, Columbus, Sputnik Sweetheart) and Jimmy Kleiner (Yours Truly, Teenage Joans, TOWNS). They’ll be sharing their wisdom on the art of booking great gigs. A great chat full of juicy tips awaits. To book your free ticket go to musicact.com.au
And don’t forget, if you’re a muso or industry professional, make sure you subscribe to Upbeat – the music industry newsletter I curate and email out every second Wednesday. This free resource is full of all the latest professional opportunities, jobs, competitions and grants I come across that ACT-residents are eligible for. To sign up head to eepurl.com/g2T5iz or upbeatcbr.com
That’s all folks! Catch ya soon.
Ruth O’Brien – Singer | Songwriter | Writer | Lover of all things artsy and creative – email: ruth@bmamag.com
