I know that Splendour in the Grass is usually a great opportunity to combine camping, drinking and the cold, as well as like music or something, pshht, but there's a way that you can go to Splendour now even if you don't enjoy any of these things! None of them!

You can be part of Splendid, because you're an artist. And you're under thirty. You get to be part of a two-week long workshop/arts lab in Lismore, you get some mentorship, and then you get the opportunity to be commissioned to present your work at Splendour in the Grass, and create site-specific works and installations that may involve audience interaction. Also you get to go to Splendour in the Grass but I understand if you're not interested in that side of things. Cough.

Applications for this are downloadable here and due on Tuesday the 6th of April at 5pm. The Arts lab is from the 29th of July until the 13th of August. If you're gutsy and creative and exciting and artistic and young and looking for a new and exciting way to get your work out there... then we can't help you. Wait no, this is perfect for you. Do it.

Posted by amelia in Art, Daily

Tags: 2010, Art, arts lab, lismore, mentorship, splendid, Splendour In The Grass

It is because the talented and knowledgable Stu Buchanan does important, valuable, great work, plebs like me can listen to the top quality experimental and progressive music in Australia. Without him, we would be lost in the world of the avant-garde with no guide, no motivation, no language to speak in. Thanks to him I'm going to listen to "Vorad Fils (new solo project from Seekae's John Hassel), Justice Yeldham, Gail Priest, Crab Smasher and Peace Out! (featuring Milo Kossowski from The Emergency), Mookoid, Dot.AY, Burning Palms, The Atlas Room, ///▲▲▲\\\, Kate Carr, Duns, Caught Ship, Ripples and Blake Freele". Do you think I know any of those bands in anything other than a vague passing manner? Not at all! They could be the names of awkward disfiguring diseases for all I know! But I trust in Stu and I trust in New Weird Australia.

NWA Volume 5 is available to download from the website. Be ready to feel your brain tickled via your ears, like some long, thin device has snuck its way in there and wiggled around. Ahem.

Posted by amelia in Uncategorized

Tags: blake freele, burning palms, caught ship, Crab Smasher, dot.AH, duns, gail priest, justice yeldham, kate carr, mookoid, new weird australia, nwa vol 5, peac out!, ripples, Seekae, Stu Buchanan, the atlas room, the emergency, volume five, vorad fils

Runway magazine, which features contemporary artists and art writers, is looking for contributions for its upcoming issue which is themed 'Disappearance'. "Lateral" approaches to the theme are encouraged - as opposed to literal, wherein you might steal art and write about said art 'disappearing' (don't do this)(it's illegal). Think laterally! What kind of things disappear? Fireworks? Dignity? Left socks? Also you should write about art, because that's what the magazine is about. There are some good segue opportunities there! Some nice metaphors open to you! It's an opportunity to really stretch your writerly wings. Do not do anything like that last sentence. If you're an artist, you can submit your work too, if it fits the theme... even laterally.

Submissions close on the 5th of April. For more details and guidelines for both artists and writers, click here.

Posted by amelia in Art, Daily

Tags: artists, contribute, disappearance, runway, runway magazine, submissions, writers

You may not know much about Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells unless you’re really in to 70s experimental multi-instrumental arrangements. Which you just might be, hey, I shouldn’t generalise. That’s a lovely moustache you’ve got, sir, yes. You might however know The Maple Trail or Dan Leonard, two wonderful Sydney projects featuring musician/songwriters Aidan Roberts and Daniel Holdsworth respectively. Or at least you’ve probably heard them play more times than you’ve seen or listened to Tubular Bells, despite your lovely moustache, sir.

It’s the combination of Aidan and Daniel’s talent as well as the fantastic piece of music itself is going to make their second performance of Mike Oldfield’s famous Tubular Bells - ‘Tubular Bells for Two’ in this instance – at The Vanguard quite a treat. Having arranged, rehearsed, workshopped and even custom built their own tubular bells, Aidan and Daniel will perform their arrangement of the piece at The Vanguard this Saturday the 13^th of March. I spoke to them both about performing the piece for a second time (after their successful 2009 shows), their process of arrangement, building bells, multitasking and more. Read more for that more and more.

Posted by amelia in Features, Music

Tags: aidan roberts, dan leonard, daniel holdsworth, mike oldfield, the exorcist, the Maple Trail, the vanguard, tubular bells, tubular bells for two, war of the worlds

Did you know that a poodle and a pug crossbreed is called a puddle? How great is that? Turns out that an art show crossbred with a fashion show is called a 'Being Born Again', which is the name of the mixed breed child Emily Fitzgerald and Davina Reichman have given birth to - a collaboration of ten artists and ten designers, working together to create a beautiful and fascinating array of garments. Some unexpected traits in the breed include live music (Washington, Jack Colwell and the Owls, Guineafowl) and a beautiful venue (an old gaol building).

We spoke to Emily and Davina about being the proud parents of Being Born Again. Read more for the full interview.

Posted by amelia in Art, Features

Tags: bba, being born again, cell block theatre, d&em, davina reichman, emily fitzgerald, fashion, guineafowl, jack colwell and the owls, liverpool street gallery, MCA, NAS, national art school, roslyn oxley9, Washington

WAIT WAIT WAIT, I'MA LET YOU FINISH JONATHAN BOULET, BUT I'M JUST SAYIN, THIS VIDEO IS GOOD AND ALL BUT THE FIRST VIDEO WAS THE BEST VIDEO OF ALL TIME.

What I mean is, this is the new Jonathan Boulet video for 'North South East to You' (also does that mean you are standing in the West? Just a thought.) It features people running and jumping at each other in slow motion in a big empty gray non-space. It's a great song (it's a great album, and they're incredible live) and the video captures that sense of youthful excitement that the album is all about. It's created and directed by Special Problems. Plus I just love slo-mo. Who doesn't? We await Kanye's verdict.

Posted by amelia in Daily, Music

Tags: Jonathan Boulet, Kanye West, north south east to you, video clip

Photos by Natalie Connolly.

Posted by amelia in Festivals, Your Face

Tags: erskineville town all, festival, launch, tiny stadiums