Music

With a legendary lineup of Australian talent, featuring James Reyne, The Beautiful Girls, Kingswood, Dragon, Ash Grunwald, Sunny Coast Rude Boys & more, KickAss Festival have announced the addition of another Australian mainstay, with iconic rock band The Choirboys joining the lineup. With 3 x ARIA Top 30 charting albums between 1983-1991, The Choirboys amassed a cult-like following of adoring fans, with 1987’s single ‘Run To Paradise’ a track reminisced by audiences of all ages, even today.

It wasn’t just the depth of sound from a full orchestra playing live. And it wasn’t only the richness of voice from the two soloists who were guests with the Victorian Concert Orchestra which performed at the Rex last Sunday. It was also about the story of music’s connection to each generation and the part it plays in shaping lives.

In the 1980s, Iconic Australian synth-pop band Real Life earned widespread recognition and international success with their 1983 chart-topping synth-pop single 'Send Me an Angel'. And next Saturday 5 August, you have the chance to hear them perform live as part of the Goldfields Gothic Festival.

The Australian rock legends will take the stage for Passion of the Pilbara alongside a great line-up of events including the Culinary Showcase hosted by MasterChef’s Andrea Puglisi. Passion of the Pilbara (POP) is returning to Onslow on Friday 18 and Saturday 19 August with Jebediah, events and activities, live entertainment, food trucks and more for all ages to enjoy. 

The grand finale of NAIDOC Week in Tennant Creek today promises to be a memorable event, with the winner of the 2023 Australian Idol competition taking the stage. Royston Noell, a 24-year-old Thanakwith and Wagadagam man from Mapoon in far north Queensland, was crowned as the first winner of the series since 2009 back in March.

Two buses and a small truck are carrying the 70-member Sydney Youth Orchestra and an ensemble of assistants on a 10 day – 6 town tour, beginning in Dubbo, then Wilcannia, Broken Hill, Mildura, Deniliquin and finally Cowra.

Rhea Pfeifle. It felt as though the music from the Orenda Trio and the Sarabande Early Music group was overflowing from every nook and cranny of 5 Payne Road ... With their expert rendition of complex and evocative works by female composers Clara Schumann and Luise Adolpha Le Beau, and a captivating finale featuring Brahms, the Orenda Trio brought each piece to vibrant life to the very appreciative audience.

The Grong Grong School of Arts hosted a successful fire circle session at the Royal Hotel over the weekend ... "We ended up with 17 musicians, many of whom didn’t know each other, playing at the pub all day… they came from Griffith all the way to the border and just drove up for the day, it was great": Gemma Purcell.

With One Voice Riverina was thrilled to be joined by Western Sydney conductor Dr Sarah Penika-Smith in at the CRC Theatre in Narrandera last week. She is working with the Cad Factory on an art project at the Parkside Cottage Museum and has invited Peter Anthony and With One Voice to collaborate on a song.

Legendary music icon Paul Kelly is heading to Alice Springs this October to headline an exciting new event, The Warm-Up ... His performance will complete a program of activity for The Warm-Up, which will celebrate one-year-out from the return of the 2024 Alice Springs Masters Games.

Renowned printmaker and Castlemaine-based artist David Frazer identifies with rock n’ roll. He even tried to be a musician before realising his strengths were more in fine art than music ... he’s created a very small run of handmade books titled More than Flesh and Bone featuring his signature wood engraved prints inspired by the lyrics of three of his favourite Tom Waits songs.

Araluen Arts Centre. On the Good To See You tour Henry Rollins will faithfully recount the events of his life in the brief pre-Covid period since the last tour and when things got even stranger over the last several months. It's been an interesting time to say the least and he's got some great stories to tell.

Patrick Goldsmith. Celebrations have commenced to mark the 2023 Kernewek Lowender Copper Coast Cornish Festival, now in its 50th year. Locals and visitors will have the chance to soak up traditional Cornish events and displays throughout the week (Monday to Sunday, May 15-21).

Natasha Hall. My guitarist and lead vocals Jarron Hall, guest vocals Indiga Hall and bassist and vocals Timothy Marshall played as the group Delicscape at the Wimmera Steampunk Festival.

The Kimberley’s Ultimate Festival is back in 2023. The Boab Metals Ord Valley Muster will be held 19 - 27 May 2023 in Kununurra, Miriwoong and Gajirrabeng country, in Western Australia’s northwest ... A curated program of special events, from big concerts to lunchtime sessions, station luncheons, comedy, Indigenous culture and arts and family-friendly festivities kick off the East Kimberley’s tourism season.

Young leaders from across the Buloke Shire met at the Juke Restaurant in Sea Lake on Wednesday night to review the Buloke FReeZA program, “Music, Mates and Multiformity” auspiced by the Birchip Neighbourhood House.

Local band ‘Artifact’ based in Wagga Wagga have progressed onto the grand final of the Wacken Metal Battle. The competition sees metal bands from all over Australia and New Zealand compete to win a once in a lifetime chance of performing at the largest Metal Festival in the world, Wacken Open Air.

Georgina Swan. As stockwhips woke the echoes, they gathered at Banjo’s Block to celebrate the tradition that gave rise to the Man From Snowy River festival - bush poetry and music. For the audience, it was a chance to pay homage to Banjo Paterson’s iconic poem, to hear favourite classic verses and to discover new poets and works...

Are your dreams of becoming the next Jimi Hendrix tucked away in a cupboard collecting dust? One man’s vision, along with his supporting wife, amazing connections and generous donors is changing the lives of people across the world through an initiative called Noteworthy.   

An estimated record number of spectators tartaned up and headed to the riverside community of Maclean on April 7 and 8 to experience a jubilant, colourful, and cultural celebration of all things Scottish during the 118th Maclean Highland Gathering. Amidst the dominant humming of bagpipes, Chief Peter Smith from the Lower Clarence Scottish Association declared the crowd was the largest he had seen in more than 20 years...

A smorgasbord of chamber music combined with a chance for students to be mentored by the masters and a world premiere is in store for Border audiences in May. Murray River Fine Music present the Inventi Ensemble and pianist Benjamin Martin live in concert across three iconic venues – The Cube, Wodonga, Peregrines, Table Top, and Albury Public School Hall, Albury – on May 6-7.

Vocal duo Adam Bartlett and Roger Davy are TenorUS and they performed at Mallanganee Memorial Hall on Sunday, April 2. The audience of more than 100 people loved the performance and gave the duo a standing ovation twice.