5 March 2015
There comes a time when you’re sick of seeing the mainstream performances from musicians and you want to see some good old raw and original music, the kind that is usually offered at open mic festivals. With over 150 acts across three days and nine stages, the Aireys Inlet Open Mic Music Festival is perfect for those who want some quality local music and everyone else just wanting a good time.
5 March 2015
Jordan Bailey mightn’t be a familiar name, but chances are you’ve heard him strumming at venues around the Geelong area and we’re pretty sure you’ll be hearing a lot more from the young musician. We had a chat to Jordan about his incredible music clips and his goals for the future.
5 March 2015
Fancy yourself a bit of a collectable or lover of records, comics or toys? If you answered yes to any of those, then you need to get yourself down to the Bendigo Record, Comic and Toy Fair to pump up your collection. We had a chat with organiser Peter Pascoe on what to expect on the day.
5 March 2015
Over the past 15 years they have become an institution in the Australian music scene, since releasing their breakthrough album The Calling in 2003, which featured the hit track ‘The Nosebleed Section’, they have inspired the likes of Tkay Maidza, Thundementals, Jumbla, and countless others to take to the stage and make a career out of hip hop.
5 March 2015
Nobody’s laughing at Melbourne hard-core punks Clowns these days. Years of relentless touring have earned them a well-deserved reputation as the go-to band when you’re in need of a little TLC (Total Loss of Control). But don’t confuse that irreverence with lack of work ethic – these lads put their blood, sweat and tears into the making of their latest album.
4 March 2015
Without a doubt one of the hardest working Australian rock acts at the moment is King of the North. If you have been following their pursuits on social media, you will know that they have been playing a lot of gigs in regional Victoria and down the Surfcoast over summer. Over the long weekend in March, the duo is set to return for a rocking set at the Torquay Hotel. As expected Andrew, or Higgsy as he is better known, is full of excitement to get back down to the coastal town.
25 February 2015
Even at a young age, Yvette Timmins knew that she wanted to be a florist. Often taking the time to pick things from the garden and make arrangements for her family home. “I was always wanting to pick things out of the garden and often getting in trouble for it,” Yvette says.
24 February 2015
Stepping on stage with the bright lights glaring back at you, the crowd eagerly awaiting a hilarious five-minute comedy routine might be the scariest possible idea to you. Taking the first step to becoming a comedian – aka entering in the RAW Comedy Heats – may be the best decision of your life, as Geelong born and bred Jonathan Schuster knows all too well about.
24 February 2015
Country music, utes, good grub and affordable drinks, if this sounds like your kind of good time, then Kilmore Country Music Festival is definitely worth your time. The festival are putting on one of its biggest events yet with an even better line up, Forte caught up with organiser Helen Stewart about what can be expected this year.
24 February 2015
Discover a brave new world and prepare to have your mind blown when uber hip hop producer Dan M. Nakamura, aka Dan the Automator, and the DELTRON 3030 crew crash-land in the country later this month. Join Dan, MC Del the Funkee Homosapien and the turntable wunderkind Kid Koala on a journey through time and space. “We plan to pull out all the stops – it should be pretty new to the crowd in the sense that they probably haven’t seen a show like this before.”
21 February 2015
C.W. Stoneking has over the past 20 years become an Australian icon in the blues and roots scene. From his time playing on the Blues Train and busking in Melbourne, he has with each album release had incredible success throughout the world. Last year, he released his third album Gon’ Boogaloo, which received extensive airplay. He’s playing a few final shows in regional Victoria to wrap up the Australian tour before heading back to Europe and the US.
20 February 2015
“I’m not one of those guys who can sing like a bird and play like a mofo. I’m not taking the piss here, what I mean to say is I’m not a virtuoso. I can do what I do well, but it takes me about 120 thousand percent effort just to play decently!” John laughed. As humble as pie, no wonder John Butler and the talented twosome that make up his trio are loved all over the world. In the first half of 2015 alone, the John Butler Trio will tour Australia, North America, Europe and the United Kingdom.
20 February 2015
Christie Lamb is one of the biggest names in Australian country music and on the back of her debut album, All She Wrote, Lamb has been touring around the country. Having launched the disc at Tamworth this year, she is set to make her mark on Geelong as part of the country line up at Motor City Music Festival over the Labour Day weekend.
20 February 2015
Think back to the best horror movie you’ve seen. There would have been blood, and lots of it, rusty weapons, creaking doors and a masked figure lurking in doorways, but did it all unfold created right in front of your eyes on stage like in Live, Live Cinema?
20 February 2015
After interviewing Dan Sultan, if I had to describe him using only one word I’d have to go with authentic. He comes across as grounded and comfortable in his own skin, even as he references his own insecurity. And when one of my questions isn’t conducive to an easy answer, instead of manufacturing a polished, publicity-friendly reply, he struggles to find his own unique truth and comfortably embraces the ambiguity that emerges.
20 February 2015
Julia Stone sips coffee in a Melbourne café on her way to plan a game of tennis with a mate. “Not a bad way to spend the day,” she says with a smile. Not to be mistaken for a lady of leisure, we caught up with Julia on the eve of their Summer Tour 2015.
20 February 2015
In 2005 in Adelaide, having a beard was shunned upon, yet a group of four guys took it upon themselves to turn that ideal around. Now 10 years down the track The Beards are about to celebrate a decade of spreading the good word about the beard to the world. 2015 is year of the beard and when I got the opportunity to speak to Nathaniel Beard recently, he was excited about what 2015 has in store.
20 February 2015
Nikko Hurtado was born in the San Fernado Valley in 1981. Son of a Mexican welder and a Hispanic homemaker, Nikko grew up in the high desert drawing cartoons and characters for fun. His love for art transformed when at the age of 16 his longtime friend, Mike DeMasi, got a car. He and Mike then had the means and ways to take classes at the Art Center of Pasadena where Nikko took classes for several years but decided to give up on art to do construction.
20 February 2015
After releasing their debut in 2012 they played Groovin the Moo festival in the same year and now three years later will be releasing their sophomore with a performance at the festival to share their new tracks. It may seem like the band have come full circle, but there’s been a lot of growth in those few years and if anything, it’s a good comparison of how much the band have changed.
19 February 2015
While you might hate to admit it, there are times in life when your closest friends know what’s best for your life. In the case of the girls from All Our Exes Live in Texas, they can thank their friend for even existing. “A friend of ours was putting on a gig and he just booked us and said, ‘I think you four should start a band’. So he booked us and we had to think of a name and start learning how to play our instruments,” Hannah says.
19 February 2015
Last year was a pretty big year for Melbourne band, British India. The guys put the finishing touches on their fifth album, played one of the biggest shows of their career to date opening for The Rolling Stones and released their debut single from upcoming album Wrong Direction, which landed number 83 spot in this year’s Hottest 100.
18 February 2015
Having just played at Rainbow Serpent Festival at Beaufort over the Australia Day weekend, Ganga Giri is definitely full of colourful stories about the event after playing a highly energetic set. Standing in the international departure lounge en route to New Zealand to play at Luminate Festival in Nelson, NZ, G remembers what a great festival Rainbow Serpent 2015 was. “It was such a thrill to get back to Rainbow Serpent to play. I’ve taken two years off from playing there because there are so many other gigs going on. There was a really good vibe, and old Bunna Lawrie from Coloured Stone joined us on stage. We invited all our friends and it was a very colourful experience.”
18 February 2015
The Castlemaine State Festival is one of the greatest arts festivals seen in Australia and it is about to celebrate its 20th program! The biennial festival has been running over 40 years and has been steadily growing each time. This year looks to be no exception, so we spoke to Director, Martin Paten, about what to expect from this milestone celebration.
17 February 2015
Jairo Zavala’s thick Spanish accent crackles through the phone as he paints me a picture of his view: a quiet village just outside Madrid; surrounded by snow-capped mountains, on a misty winter’s morning. As he’s describing this, I can see it clearly: he has a real knack for transporting a listener, and his music is a true testament to that.
