Music NT News
Welcome to the Music NT news page. Here you can keep up to date with whatever is happening musically throughout the Northern Territory as well as getting the latest info on the industry across Australia and Internationally.
Happy Yess co-founder Kris Keogh is asking Territory music fans to sign a petition to help the venue... Happy Yess is currently undergoing negotiations to relocate to the Courtyard Room at Browns Mart. There are many benefits to the plan, including a stable lease arrangement for the venue (currently on month-to-month) and developmental benefits, including staging larger gigs - thus supporting original music in the Territory on a larger scale - and an increased audience capacity. Happy Yess is one of the few NT venues entirely dedicated to supporting and fostering original music - and artists - in the Territory. Visit the online petition.
Spread the word! Fist Full Of Films Festival has announced it will add a new 'Music Clip' award category to its 2010 Competition. Project manager Dixi Joy says that the entries "must be produced wholly within the Territory" with the majority of the crew NT residents. Clips should be 4 mins or under, with the deadline for entry May 4, 2010. The clips will be screened during the Fist Full of Films Festival June 3-6, 2010 with the winner announced June 5. More info at the Fist Full of Films website or email Dixi on fistfullofilms@bigpond.com.au
The Regional Arts Australia Volunteer Awards recognise, reward and encourage regionally-based artists and cultural volunteers who have made a substantial contribution to the arts in regional communities in Australia. Nominate yourself or someone you know who has made a difference in your community. Young people are particularly encouraged to apply. Nominations open 19 February and close 26 March 2010. Visit the website for more info.
The 2009 Woodford Folk Festival (Dec 27 - Jan 1) will play host to three Northern Territory bands this year: Leah Flanagan Band from Darwin, Dr. Strangeways from Alice Springs and Iwantja Band (pictured) from the Indulakana Community 360 kms south of Alice Springs. (Although technically from NW SA, the ties to the NT are close and Territorians like to claim Iwantja Band as their own! See this year's Bush Bands Bash at this year's Alice Desert Festival.)
Iwantja Band reckon NT singer Shellie Morris might have had something to do with their selection, spruiking their talents after the Dreaming Festival. They write on their MySpace "Iwantja were invited to the Dreaming Festival and became a 'must have' item for this year’s Woodford Folk Festival. Shellie Morris reckons they were her favorite act at the [Dreaming] Festival."
"I like to think that we are vulgar or raw"
- Lachlan (above), Crassic Park
Music NT Forum members Crassic Park will launch new EP this Friday December 4 at Brown's Mart. Supports include a veritable royal roll-call of heavy-duty Darwin bands including Slaughtertoall, Semishigure, ZEDMAJOR, newcomers Hooch (ex-Moses) and Blastcorp. Read an interview about their CD launch in this month's Off The Leash online, and also a feature article about this young NT band on the Music NT Forum.
Fairfax newspapers published an article this week about Gurrumul's tour to Europe. Having had his biggest international touring year yet, Gurrumul's friend, musician Michael Hohnen (both pictured), told Fairfax the Elcho Island superstar is homesick and wants to come back to the NT and his family. While the tour has been incredibly successful - boosting sales of Gurrumul's debut album to in excess of 250 000 copies - Hohnen says Gurrumul prefers "sitting eating stingray, singing songs, telling stories, just being social". A recent duet Gurrumul recorded with Sting of the Police hit 'Every Breath You Take' will air on French television on December 16. More here. Read more about the duet by The Oz music writer Iain Sheddon, here.
Alice Springs band Super Raelene Bros will team up this Friday December 4 with Western Arrarnta and Luritja musicians known as "The Little Sisters Collective", to release single 'Wiya! Angela Pamela'. The song is performed in Luritja and Western Arrarnta, with a smattering of English scattered across a deeply funky dance groove reminiscent of 90’s hit, ‘Treaty’.
The single launch will take place on the Alice Springs Council Lawns. The free event is supported by the Arid Lands Environment Centre and will feature performances by various local artists, speeches, information stalls and a Nuclear Free BBQ. More here.
