Sonic Mayhem Orchestra featuring + Trish Delaney Brown at BLUEBEAT Jazz Club

Groove on down to Bluebeat next Monday (21st) for our favourite jazzy jammin’ residency with the Sonic Mayhem Orchestra. You won’t want to miss this extra special date, where the hard hitting 10-piece ensemble will be joined by the sultry sounds of Trish Delaney-Brown (pictured), the versatile Australian vocalist and co-founder of ARIA-winning a capella group The Idea of North. 

The main gig will be followed by a free-wheeling jam session -  loud and live til very, very late – don’t miss it!

When: Monday 21st May, doors open 8:00pm
Where: Bluebeat Bar and Grill, 16 Cross Street Double Bay
How much: $10 + booking fee, book tickets here or on 9328 4411
More info here

With three nights of music, a gala night and kids workshops… where else would you be this weekend?

Friday’s program includes:

Old 505 Theatre 
6:30 Roger Dean, John Pochee, Jess Green, Peter Nelson and Matt McMahon discuss the Sydney Sound

Venue 505 
7pm Gian Slater w/ Christopher Hale & Nathan Slater
8:30pm Coffin Bros
10pm James Muller Trio feat Ben Vanderwal

Upstairs at The Gaelic
8pm JARA Award finalists The Cooking Club
9:30pm adam’s garden, 11pm The MFW

And dont miss the Gala Night at Tom Mann Theatre on Saturday

Festival Pass is only $75 – with access to all performances at Venue 505, The Gaelic Club and Tom Mann Theatre

FULL PROGRAM AND TICKETS HERE

READ John Shand’s article in SMH, Thursday 12 January 

See you there!

Their community of musicians, the best this city has to offer, bolstered by a couple of interstate favourites, is ready to swing, groove and rock your socks off. Their venues are primed to bring great live music, musicians and music-lovers together.

It’s all here, from their spiritual home, Venue 505, the grandeur of the Tom Mann Theatre, chilling at the Clarendon in the afternoon, a saucy late night jam upstairs at the Gaelic Club, insightful workshops at Redfern, and an opening night Q&A at the hallowed Old 505 Theatre.

They’re even catering for the next generation of jazz fans, who’ll get a kick out of their free family events at the newly renovated Prince Alfred Park and in the beautiful Redfern Town Hall. This years venues are all within a short stroll from one another, so their scandalously well-priced festival pass will get you access to more events than ever before!

Amidst all the changes, they’ve kept in touch with two great friends. Eastside Radio will be at 505 all weekend for live broadcasts, and Musica Viva in Schools are helping them out at the Sunday kiddie concerts.

For more information visit their festival homepage HERE

Starring Angry Anderson, Little Pattie, Dora the Explorer and special guest Santa

This is a relaxed, friendly, annual community event which is part of the culture of South Maroubra.

A huge marquee covers the South Maroubra Village Green so you don’t have to worry about the weather and everyone can sit on the grass under cover.

Funds from the sale of candles will go towards the AHEPA organisation’s work to feed Sydney’s needy.

Walsh’s Village Pharmacy will be open every day over Christmas from 8am until 9pm

For more information click  HERE

Ascella wine

Ascella Pure Wines are award-winning organic wine from the largest organic vineyard in the Hunter Valley.

The pristine vines are kept in check naturally, the Dorper sheep look after the weeding, the lady bugs, wasps, praying mantis and lizards take care of any unwanted caterpillars and vine-eating insects, and to help the soil stay at its best, owners Geoff and Barb plant and foster legumes, plant clover, and use natural fish oil and kelp extract.  100% Natural!

And it seems that their approach is attracting a number of fans, with Ascella Pure Wines blitzing the Hunter Valley Wine Awards and Oz & NZ Organic Wine awards recently as well as attracting a 94 point review from Australia’s wine guru, James Halliday.

So, for delicious, natural, pure, organic, and award winning wine that is better for you, grab a bottle of Ascella Pure Wine only at your local independent quality wine merchant, online at HERE or by becoming a gold or business supporter of Eastside Radio.

High Flyers Little Secret
New Years Day 2012

Following the success of last year¹s New Years Day Warehouse event at Sun Studios, Funkdafied and Dig Deep are bringing it back to you for NYD 2012,
with over five areas of quality House, live Funk & Soul, Old School Hip-Hop and Nu Disco. Catering for a discerning crowd who appreciate good music, this promises to be one of the best events Sydney has seen in a long time.

Over 40 acts including:
Crazy P (UK) Live set
DJ Maestro (Blue Note ­ Netherlands)
Katalyst (Sound System)

Sunday 1st January 2012
Sun Studios ­ 42 Maddox St, Alexandria
Tickets HERE or simply sign up and support Eastside as a gold or business supporter to get double tickets!

Thredbo Blues Festival

The Thredbo Blues ‘Party’ cranks up for a huge one this coming January.

The Thredbo Blues Festival January 2012 promises to eclipse its predecessors once more with a line up of artists representing the top shelf of the Australian Blues scene – young bloods through household names, acoustic through electric and horns.  Plus a great duo from the United States!

When asked to nominate the headliner for the festival, Stewart Wauchop, one of the artistic directors from Jazz and Blues Downunder, said, “It’s a really hard call. Jeff Lang and Kevin Borich would be the obvious choices, but when you look into the list of artists the depth of talent is amazing and covers a great breadth of the genre. I believe there is something ‘sweet’ in the line up no matter what your taste in Blues.”

Kevin Borich, Mighty Reapers including Dave Brewer, Jeff Lang, Blue heat, Darren Jack Band, Jeff Duff Band, Jed Rowe Band, Nick Charles (with special guest Pete Fidler), Jim Finn Band, Hat Fitz & Cara, Continental Blues Trio, Pete Cornelius Band, Luke Dickens & Matt Ross, Harry Brus Band, Joe Robinson and band, Lisa Otey & Diane Van Deurzen (USA), Rory Ellis, Jo Jo Birgit, Blackwood Jack

More info and tickets can be found HERE or simply sign up as a gold supporter to enter the draw to win double passes PLUS three nights accomodation at the beautiful Denman Hotel

Beach Lodge

Beach lodge offers holidays on absolute beachfront at stunning Coopers Beach, to help you to either to relax or explore the Far North of New Zealand.

When on your private deck at Beach Lodge, you get the feel of total seclusion, yet it is close to the beautiful historic village of Mangonui with excellent restaurants, cafés and only 500m away from the local shops.

You can plan a trip to NZ and book in at Beach Lodge HERE or simply sign up as concession, full, gold or business supporter to WIN a 6 night getaway at Beach Lodge, PLUS flights with TravBiz and massage and facial treatments from Natural Therapies.

Eastside Live at 505 with Mucho Mambo!

For latest edition of Eastside Live at 505, we are proud to be bringing 15 piece Latin Orchestra Mucho Mambo to the stage this Thursday 8^th of December at Venue 505.

Mucho Mambo is one of Australia’s premier Latino Big bands, providing a unique and explosive musical experience. Featuring some of Australia’s best Latin and Jazz musicians, Mucho Mambo fuse the timeless sound of Cuban Orchestras of the 1950’s and 60’s and the Mambo movement in New York to create a truly authentic style. Mucho Mambo builds on the classic rhythms of Mambo, Cha Cha Cha, Son, Pachanga and Salsa and reinvents them with a funky edge and a distinctive new sound.

Since their formation in 2002, Mucho Mambo has continuously wowed audiences across Australia, gracing some of the countries most prestigious venues such as The Basement and The Sydney Opera House. Their combination of Latin Big Band arrangements, brilliant musicianship and distinctive style provide a uniquely explosive viewing experience.

Dust off your dancing shoes and let your hair down and join us to welcome in the holiday season with a truly unforgettable night. Grab some friends and head in for a meal before the show.  Doors open at 7:30pm and tickets are $15 at the door or $10 for Concessions or Eastside supporters.

Eastside Live at 505, Thursday 8th December 7:30pm, music starts at 8:30pm. Come early for delicious food and good seats!

Eastside Live at 505 January 12 – Hobo Bordeaux!

Tired of overcrowded music festivals where line ups are about selling tickets and not promoting amazing musicians, and where drugs and alcohol are essential for enjoyment; Bellingen sounded like just the ticket on an October long weekend.

I should be ashamed to say that much of the Bellingen Global Carnival line up was completely unfamiliar to me. The main tips I received were from Kat, the lady in the know here at Eastside FM. Her not to miss list included The Dirty Dozen, Mama Kin, Jon Cleary and Public Opinion Afro Orchestra. So off I went, with a highlighted printout program and little to no expectations, except for a lovely break from Sydney craziness and some chilled out hippies in a showground listening the Tabla (Kat had only recently informed me that Tablas are amazing Indian drums – essential knowledge for any Global Music lover I’m told).

Day 1: Friday!

People of all ages from all walks of life were at the Bellingen Global Carnival, ready with a smile and a dance. We soon realised that our campsite would not be the highlight of this festival, as spaces were pretty cramped with little to no tree cover outside the edges of the camping space. Whilst at previous festivals this would have been a disaster, we all agreed that this must mean that the music would be AMAZING! Perhaps we would never even want to chill out at the campsite – with lovely grounds and a chilled out atmosphere, the festival was just as nice a location to have a nap in.

So we ventured in. After an 8 hour drive from Sydney we were ready to be impressed. And we were! From the first chicken thigh at the African food stall and the first dance to Soulman O’Gaia we were sold. Soulman O’Gaia’s happy nature was infectious. Any remnant of stressed out Sydney siders dissipated with one song from this multi instrumental genius. Somehow Soulman managed to play guitar, harmonica, stomp on a drum and even play didgeridoo – all with a pearly white smile and grounded wisdom in between songs. The crowd was enthralled with serious dancing and a moment of serious emotion when Soulman shared the story of his mother followed by a deeply moving serenade.

We left the Star Bar on a high, and followed the music to the Bazaar tent, where Linsey Pollak was amazing viewers of all ages with his incredible instruments. A trumpet of glass, a carrot stick clarinet, a hose oboe, Linsey Pollack astounded with his handmade musical instruments and skilled use of sampler.

From the Bazaar stage (with a little break for more delish African cuisine) to the Main Stage for Armandito y su Trovason where holy moley it was time for a serious shimmy. I admit that I did break out the stomping and clapping while a friend and I circled our partners with wildly enthusiastic hand (and hip) movements. I even managed to convince my (very talented dancer) and partner to swing me around for a while. I am told by my Mexican friend that my partners moves even challenge some of South Americas finest – and he sure had the music to inspire. The rhythm was pumping and there was not a single stationary figure in the sea of salsa and swinging hips.

We stayed at Main Stage to hear Public Opinion Afro Orchestra (one of Kat’s recommendations) and they were AMAZING!! My goodness, the dancing ladies were envied and admired with such intensity that it was at times difficult to decipher which emotion was stronger. The music was good too. Who am I kidding – the music was GREAT! It was such a treat to see that a band like this is from Australia! How lucky we are to have a country that holds so many incredibly talented artists from so many varied backgrounds.

And with that, it was time for sleep. Highlight of the campsite: we could sleep! No loud techno blaring from cars, no bongo drums, just peacefully sleeping masses and the occasional baby stirring. Bliss.

Day 2: Saturday!

Yep. The flue I’d been dodging for months finally stuck. Perhaps the idea of drinking and dancing enough to forget about head colds on Friday night was not the best of ideas for Festival Longevity. However, a trip to Bellingen town (another awesome thing about Bellingen Global Carnival is that it is SUPER close to Bellingen town – so it’s not all gumboots and porta-loos – you can escape for coffee and vintage clothes shopping!) I indulged in both.

Returning revived (and with some lovely vintage clothing items) we were warned that the rain and thunder was on its way. It had been raining overnight and was looking a little concerning, so it was time for a tent afternoon tea party before we ventured out.

We made the trip from our tent to hear the sweet sounds of Mama Kin. Promising to drive the rain away Mama engaged with the audience creating a sea of rainbow umbrellas and gumboots swaying with Mama and her vibrant red dress. Half way through the set Mama did drive the rain away with the help of Michael Caruana and George Servanis. Her partner John Butler even stepped on stage for a few tunes. Mama provided just the right vibe for a rainy (and then not so rainy) afternoon. Her touching and gutsy tunes were scattered with amusing anecdotes. You couldn’t help but feel the warmth coming from the stage.

And the warmth came! Band of Brothers arrived on Main Stage with the sun shining through scattered clouds. Joseph & James Tawadros and Slava & Leonard Grigoryan did not disappoint. They provided the perfect low key soundtrack for a lazy afternoon in the sun. The skill and diversity of this group of musicians was a joy to behold. Their presence was unassuming and humble, with a collection of 4 chairs to the right hand side of the stage. There was no glitz and glamour, just beautiful soul nourishing sounds to rock me slowly to sleep while the sun warmed me up from the inside out.

Awakening from my slumber I had a brief rendezvous with Bandaluzia Flamenco, with fast thumping rhythm and impressive flamenco dancing re energized and awoke the senses.

Following a campsite break (and little nap) we ventured back into the festival to catch Lotek – a charismatic London native with some serious ska and hip hop attitude. Lotek shook up the Star Bar with some serious booty shaking and grinding on and off stage. Lotek kept us entertained with his engaging tunes and amusing dialogue – including the tip toe skank “for when you get home late after your curfew” (for this I got a sideways glance from my partner who decided he should learn this new dance move quick smart – clever guy). Lotek’s five piece brass band provided a humming backdrop, but his lady offside was unreal – breaking out with a solo that showed some off serious vocal skills.

The night was perfectly capped with The Dirty Dozen. Even with a raging head cold it was impossible to not enjoy every minute of their set.  With an effortless stage presence that only true music veterans seem to possess, The Dirty Dozen entertained, amazed and astounded with their sweet funk and bebop sounds. These guys had class, confidence and finesse – as my friend said “anyone who can get on stage in a full tracksuit and still own it like that is a serious bawler”.

Rodger Lewis and Leyroy Jones owned the stage – dancing, hollering and booty shaking with the best of them. Mini trumpets and MAXI tuba (I don’t even know if it was a tuba – it actually fitted around this player – and he was no small guy) were aplenty, with an assortment of tantalizing big brass sounds to get excited about. And we got excited! The encore was a Rodger Lewis special, singing ‘I’m a Dirty Old Man’ while dancing dirty with young ladies who jumped up on stage. What a night! We left the show grounds on a high – with time for a quick pop in to see Public Opinion Afro Orchestra belt it out in the Bazaar tent – I think they were even better the second time!

Day 3: Sunday!

I’m not going to lie. I left on Sunday morning – sickness and rain finally got the best of me – but like any good reporter I called up my friend to get the hot gossip about the last day of Bellingen Global Carnival.

These were her reviews:
Jon Cleary and The Philthy Phew: “Great, awesome dancing tunes, Jon Cleary played piano. Kinda like a bluesd up jazzy version of Jim Morreson.”
Public Opinion Afro Orchestra: “Awesome! The last time was even better – wicked dancing”.
Highlight? – Grace Barbe – “Beautiful vocalist from Seychelles – amazing”

All up Bellingen Global Carnival was an incredible niche carnival with good vibes and great music. The only downside was the weather – but I reckon when that is the only downside, you’re looking at a pretty darned good festival. Congrats to the organizers for another amazing year of beautiful music and soulful surrounds. I’m in for next year!

For more images check out our Facebook album HERE

Five Eliza has been happening at number 5 Eliza St Newtown for over a week now – and what a week it’s been! Eastside Radio has been incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to present a showcase of some of our favorite Soul, Jazz, Blues and Funk performers for the Sydney Fringe, and the response has been incredible.

The fun began on Saturday 10 with The Sluggs – and after hearing their catchy intro song “We Are The Sluggs” a few times, you will be sure to never forget this talented trio and their improvised sound. The crowd were swaying and shaking to the skilled stylings and casual banter between John Maddox, Julian Curwin and John Hibbard.  Cocktails ran like water and the gritty jazz of The Sluggs provided just the right mood for some serious speak easy shimmying.

Lily Dior took to the stage on Thursday 15 with her pianist, Brendan St Ledger. Lily was a sight to behold on the beautiful 1930′s themed stage of Five Eliza. The crowd was humming, with many young pilgrims from the local University Of Sydney turning out to experience the soulful serenades of Lily Dior. Lily engaged with the buzzing crowd,  capitalizing on the incredible atmosphere and enthusiasm of the audience. By the second set the dance-floor was full, with swing moves and spins as far as the eye could see. After the begging audience received their encore, Lily stayed back to chat to some of the punters, selling some copies of her latest album to some of the lucky crowd.

Five Eliza was treated to the talents of Susan Gai-Dowling supported by Bob Bertles and Carl Dewhurst on Friday 16. Jazz firecracker Susan had all eyes on stage with her heart stopping highs and sweet soulful lows. Solos by Bertles and Dewhurst showcased the strength of this ensemble, comprising of three of Sydney’s most sought after Jazz musicians. A collective gasp was heard from the audience when Susan belted out her final tune – pausing all chit chat and stilling all movement.

The Sluggs completed their term at Five Eliza in true style on Saturday 17, with three sets and encore. The Sluggs had the audience captivated and the dance floor moving once again with their eclectic mix of covers and originals.

Eastside Radio has plenty more for all at Five Eliza until October 1st – this beautiful venue is still to witness shows with Taline, Lily Dior and Susan Gai-Dowling.  With stunning drinks, talented bar staff and a community vibe, Five Eliza provides the ultimate live music venue for Sydney Fringe. Be sure to head down to 5 Eliza St to see it for yourself.

Eastside Radio is a proud media partner of the Sydney Fringe Festival.

When: 16 – 24 September
Location: The Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre

Book online HERE or call 9351 7940

As an Eastsider, you could WIN a double pass to MOSAIC or EDDIE BRONSON ROMANCE this weekend, just email sponsor@eastsidefm.org with SIMA as the subject. Only winners will be notified.

SIMA is a proud sponsor of Eastside Radio