The Kings Fool

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Source - Official Press Release

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Thursday November the 6th draws ever nearer, and planning for the Awards night is in full swing! Last year’s winners The Seabellies will open the show, and the evening will be hosted by Libbi Gorr and 1233’s Breakfast presenter Aaron Kearney…. and many more acts will be announced soon. It’s a great evening of music and entertainment, and certainly worth coming to, if only to support the many great local original musicians in our region.

Tickets will be on Sale from Monday the 22nd of September from the Ticketek website and the Civic Box Office of course.
www.abc.net.au/newcastle

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Source - Official Press Release
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The Frontier Touring Company and Roundhouse Entertainment are thrilled to confirm the return of R&B superstar Alicia Keys to Australian and New Zealand shores this December. Alicia will return for her biggest shows to date Down Under, and will also perform a series of winery shows. Special guests on this tour will be Jordin Sparks and Lowrider (AUS only).

With 30 millions album sales, 11 Grammy Awards, 4 US #1 albums, a name-check from Bob Dylan, and most recently being awarded the prestigious honour of recording the Bond theme with Jack White, Alicia Keys has set herself apart from her contemporaries. Selling almost 20 million singles, Alicia has created instant classics with the likes of ‘Fallin’, ‘A Woman’s Worth’, ‘Karma’ and ‘Superwoman’, and has become one of the brightest stars of this decade.

The release of her fourth album As I Am received a rapturous response from fans, as they sent it sailing to a #1 debut on the US Billboard chart, achieving the highest first week sales of any female R&B artist in history. ‘No One’ received two Grammy Awards, as the single peaked at #2 in both Australia and New Zealand. The media have been just as taken with what is, arguably, Alicia’s finest work to date.

Spin announced that: “On her melodically powerful third studio album, she matures into the matriarch of her genre,” and Billboard mirrored their sentiments: “The strong stories that Keys spins are complemented by deft musical arrangements that integrate more rock and pop into her enriched old-school vibe.”

Blender were awestruck, offering: “The music is dizzying, even mesmerizing.” The New York Times pronounced that “As I Am radiates not just confidence but also experience. On the whole it’s her strongest effort yet.” And People Magazine declared that Alicia continued to “scale artistic heights on As I Am” ranking the album their #1 for the year.

Those witnessing the live shows have been similarly wowed. The Independent enthused that “Keys proves she’s still in a league of her own,” while the Manchester Evening News gushed “Despite lyrics bursting with attitude and huge critical acclaim the performing arts school valedictorian remarkably remains more dignified than diva. And it is that, teamed with her ability to both silence and excite her audience through her performance at the piano that secures Keys’ place among modern R&B royalty.”

Alicia’s special guest at all shows will be the esteemed Jordin Sparks. Winner of American Idol in 2007, it took Jordin little time to establish herself as one of the stars of 2008. Capturing a worldwide audience following the release of her debut album Jordin Sparks and single ‘Tattoo’, it wasn’t until Jordin handed the reins to her fans, that things really took off. Allowing them the privilege of choosing her second single, they settled on ‘No Air’ which saw Jordin hit #1 around the world – including Australia and New Zealand. Playing her first live shows in Australia and New Zealand as part of this tour, there’s no doubt that those before her will be left in awe.

Hip-hop funk enthusiasts Lowrider will open all Australian shows for Alicia on this tour. Lowrider drew major attention upon securing the opening slot for Christina Aguilera’s Australian 2007 tour. 2008 saw more milestones achieved as they toured nationally with the Big Day Out and released their sophomore record Diamond Amongst The Thieves (out now through Illusive). Boasting radio favourites ‘Be Bad’ and ‘Friend’, Diamond Amongst The Thieves introduced Lowrider to a new audience, and drew rave reviews. Inpress described the album best, writing: “The foursome are not bound by where their sound goes or what path their sound follows. Instead they appear to have free rein to let their sound, style and range develop.”

On her last Australian and New Zealand tour in 2004, Alicia Keys sold out every show. There’s no doubt tickets to see Alicia live this December will sell fast. Secure yours when they go on sale this Friday 22 August. Please visit frontiertouring.com for pre-sale details.

ALICIA KEYS

with special guests Jordin Sparks

Lowrider (AUS only)

AUSTRALASIAN TOUR - DECEMBER 2008

Tickets on sale Friday 22 August

Saturday 6 December Vector Arena, Auckland

Ticketmaster 09 970 9700 or www.ticketmaster.co.nz

Sunday 7 December TSB Arena, Wellington

Ticketek 0800 842 538 or www.ticketek.co.nz

Wednesday 10 December Brisbane Entertainment Centre

Ticketek 132 849 or www.ticketek.com.au

Friday 12 December Acer Arena, Sydney

Ticketek 132 849 or www.ticketek.com.au

Saturday 13 December a day on the green, Bimbadgen Estate - Hunter Valley

Ticketmaster 136 100 or www.ticketmaster.com.au

Sunday 14 December a day on the green, Centennial Vineyards – Bowral

Ticketmaster 136 100 or www.ticketmaster.com.au

Wednesday 17 December Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne

Ticketek 132 849 or www.ticketek.com.au

Thursday 18 December Adelaide Entertainment Centre

Ticketek 132 849 or www.ticketek.com.au

Sunday 20 December an evening on the green, Sandalford Wines – Swan Valley

Ticketmaster 136 100 or www.ticketmaster.com.au

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Source - official Press Release

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The hardcore troubadour returns to tour Australia and New Zealand with his latest studio masterpiece
‘Washington Square Serenade’ under his belt (album released September 2007) and his beautiful songstress
wife Allison Moorer to open the shows.
This time around, Steve has chosen to perform solo in the special intimate setting of fully seated theatre venues.
Steve Earle’s recorded music career has to date delivered twelve studio albums and five live albums.
Steve has also written books both story and poetry and a stage play. In amongst all of this he does what we
love him for best; travels the lengths and breadth of the world performing his music live.
Asked how he would like listeners to respond to Washington Square Serenade, Earle, characteristically, is
ready with a bold answer. “If you feel like you don’t know what America is all about right now, and you want to
reorient yourself to what America should be about, it’s a really good time to come to New York City,” he says. “I
needed really badly at this point in my life to see a mixed-race, same-sex couple holding hands in my own
neighborhood. It makes me feel safer.”
“I’ve been pretty heartbroken about the way things have gone politically in this country the last few years, and I
seriously considered moving someplace else,” he concludes. “Then I figured out that I didn’t have to leave the
country. All I had to do was come to New York.” Washington Square Serenade – in its commitment, its values,
its musical intelligence and, finally, its very American optimism about the possibilities for a better world –
demonstrates why. - Anthony DeCurtis
Allison Moorer is releasing her new album ‘Mockingbird’ in Australia through The Planet Company
Saturday September 6th. Moorer together with producer and acclaimed roots artist Buddy Miller - has conjured
a rich pastiche of the phases of women’s hearts, lives, needs and yearnings. Whether it’s a dervish take on Patti
Smith’s “Dancing Barefoot,” a stoic, proud embrace of Kate McGarrigle’s “Go, Leave,” a winking nod to the
naughty that is Nina Simone’s “Sugar In My Bowl” or the elegant survival of her sister Shelby Lynne’s “She
Knows Where She Goes, the lithe songstress demonstrates diversity, eclecticism and the range of the XX
chromosome set.
Since their last trip to Australia, Steve and Allison have relocated to New York City and have settled in
Greenwich Village.
Steve and Allison now live on the very Greenwich Village street on which the famous cover shot for The
Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1962) was taken. In that photo, Dylan and his then-girlfriend Suze Rotolo huddle
against the cold as they walk along a snowy New York street. It’s an indelible romantic image that captures the
idealism of the folk revival that was gathering momentum in New York at the time.
Steve Earle’s gripping new album, Washington Square Serenade, is a loving tribute to that era, that movement,
that music and the city that gave them all a nurturing home. “That period changed pop music,” Earle says. “It
made lyrics much more important. Rock & roll could have become a subgenre of pop if it hadn’t been for that
literary aspect, which completely came out of a four-block area in New York City in one brief instant of time.”
Steve Earle brings his ‘Washington Square Serenade’ World tour to Australia in November 2008.
STEVE EARLE
with special guest ALLISON MOORER
NOVEMBER 2008
Sunday 2nd Regal Theatre, Perth
Tuesday 4th Norwood Concert Hall Adelaide
Thursday 6th Forum Theatre, Melbourne
Saturday 8th Enmore Theatre, Sydney
Monday 10th Tivoli Theatre, Brisbane
All venue tickets are seated. Tickets for all shows on are on sale on Tuesday August
26th through www.ticketek.com.au or phone bookings through 132 849.
For further information both current and historical about Steve Earle and his current release Washington Square
Serenade visit www.steveearle.com or www.shockrecords.com.au
For further information about Allison Moorer, visit www.allisonmoorer.com. Her new album; Mockingbird is
available through www.theplanetcompany.com.au in Australia.

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Source - Official Press Release

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MGMT – the super cool Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden – are touring Australia for the first time ever this December. The band will perform headline shows in Perth, Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

Whilst MGMT might seem like an overnight success, they’re not. Goldwasser and VanWyngarden have been performing together since their freshman days at uni back in 2001. After their graduation in 2005, the band took their hyped live show on the road and following a brief hiatus, secured a record deal through SonyBMG.

From there things snowballed, with the band exploding onto the international music scene earlier this year. The duo’s hit song ‘Time To Pretend’ was added to radio the world over, used on the hit UK TV show ‘Skins’ and the USA’s ‘Gossip Girl’ and earned the pair appearances on Letterman and Conan O’Brien.

THE buzz band at this year’s SXSW, MGMT’s psychedelic debut Oracular Spectacular caused a wave of excitement amongst critics and fans alike upon its release in May.

‘Oracular may be a complex effort, but the verdict is simple – it’s brilliant.’ Alternative Press

‘You’ll be hard-pressed to find a record with more musical depth and warmth all year.’ New Musical Express

‘A sugary feast for the senses.’ Uncut

Now with another hit song ‘Electric Feel’ flooding the airwaves and a wealth of live experience (including Glastonbury, T in the Park and Lollapalooza of late), MGMT will be the concert of the Summer.

Enigmatic Sleepy Jackson frontman Luke Steele will warm up the stage for MGMT. Steele will perform a mix of Sleepy Jackson songs and new material from various projects in solo-acoustic mode.

Psychedelic Perth rockers Tame Impala will open the shows. Fresh from inking a deal with Modular, it’ll be worth getting down early to see music’s next big thing in full flight.

Perth fans will also be treated to a cracking set by DJs Anton & Andrei Maz from Death Disco. Get ready to dance!

Tickets on sale August 19. Don’t miss out.

MGMT – AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES

www.myspace.com/mgmt

Tickets on sale August 19 through Ticketek 132 849 or www.ticketek.com.au

Tickets for Perth show only also available through Heatseeker www.heatseeker.com.au

Frontier Touring pre-sale from 3pm EST on August 14

December 6 - Belvoir Amphitheatre, Perth

December 9 - Enmore Theatre, Sydney

December 10 - The Tivoli, Brisbane

December 11 - The Palace, Melbourne

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Source http://www.fatasbutter.com.au/

http://www.myspace.com/fatasbutter
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Fat As Butter is where the love spreads easy and the fun just rolls of the tip of your tongue. Committed to brining you some of Australia best dance & hip hop acts on offer. The table setting just can’t get any better, placed just opposite Nobby’s Beach & around the corner from your home, you will be satisfied in every single way. So if you can’t beat them then join them on Sunday 2nd November at Camp Shortland, Nobby’s Beach in Newcastle.

Dandy Warhols (USA) Faker, The Potbelleez, Regurgitator, Butterfingers, Ajax, Grafton Primary, Bag Raiders, The Seabellies, Beats Working, Gameboy Gamegirl, Tenzin and Timmy Trumpet, with more to be released… Sunday 2nd November General Admission $77+bf 15+ Age limited, children under 15 must be accompanied by an adult Gates open 12pm – 9pm TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLINE- mothershipmusic.com.au / Ticketek / PROticket Or available in store from Abicus, Ramjet and The Rock Shop.

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This is the David Bridie you know but with a bigger sound of edgy guitar, whirling keyboards and anthemic vocals alongside his trademark textures, Pacific percussion beats and lyrics of wry social observation.” David Sly

“No wonder Bridie is feeling better this year. He’s made what might be the best record of his career, 24 years after making his debut with Not Drowning Waving.” Noel Mengel

At first inspection, Succumb is a startling departure from David’s previous solo recordings.

It’s more lean and direct, almost abrasive for its confronting guitars and urgent rhythms. But listen closely and familiar signatures abound; lush, textural beds of intricately layered and densely overdubbed sound tapestries.

Not surprisingly, given David’s deep social justice concerns, many poignant songs were written in the wake of the 2007 federal election, and some earlier lyrics were adjusted after the election result. “After 12 years under the social conservatives, I see this as a time of possibility, an opportunity to move forward rather than be overwhelmed by despair,” says David. “A lot of the questions remain the same, but the beam of light shone upon them is brighter.”

While deliberately political, David resists being overtly dogmatic. Rather than chanting slogans or being polemic, he voices concerns that we should all be sharing, though it’s not only political intent that piques the album. Narratives embrace themes that are inherently Australian, in both character and geography, understanding our place in the Pacific, reaching across cultures, seeking ways to stretch across the divide. And always there’s a faint reminiscing of an older Australia, of more simplistic times that shaped the country we grew up in. He says we need to look at where we’ve been to figure out where we’re going, that the old stories and images are important stuff. “It’s too easy to get wrapped up in the here and now,” he warns. “There are so many other good stories to tell.”

The upbeat, positive sound of Succumb is a consequence of the people David worked with and the energy they brought; friends he trusts and respects, none more than guitarist Phil Wales, who has been among David’s closest musical allies over many years. Many other mates dropped in and contributed: Bart Willoughby, Alan and Stephen Pigram, MFTTC cellist Helen Mountfort, Rob Craw. “I loved going to work each day. It was like this long, continuous dinner party.”

And there is This Year Is Better Than Last Year – co-written with the Oils’ Jim Moginie – which Bridie says reflects his personal frame of mind as well as his response to the change of federal government.

Ultimately, Succumb is the album of a working band, with dynamic contributions from PNG drummer Airi Ingram, Adelaide bass player Paul Cartwright and producer Chris Scallan adding keyboards. David is now looking forward to taking this vibrant song set on the road. “This sound straddles anything else that’s currently happening in music. And to me, that’s important.”

David Bridie will be touring Australia from October 4 including performances at the Australasian World Music Expo in November, which will showcase the region’s finest indigenous, folk, roots and world music artists.

Succumb is out on August 9.