It was Country Music’s night-of-nights on Thursday, March 15th, with the biggest local and international acts flocking to The Star on the Gold Coast to celebrate the largest fan-voted awards in the southern hemisphere.
An Interview with Shelby J
Shelby J is an American singer, songwriter, entrepreneur and social activist, who has toured nationally and internationally with her band Blackgypsy and as leading backing vocalist in Prince’s The New Power Generation.
Nothing Compares 2 Prince is a celebration of Prince’s life and career, making it’s world premiere in Australia a week after the anniversary of Prince’s passing (April 21st 2016), and features twelve performers (including Shelby), musicians, singers, producers and composers who, at various times, were directly involved in Prince’s incredible career.
What more can you tell me about the Australian show? What can audiences expect?
It’s going to be everything epic, amazing, fantabulous and awesomeness personified to the one hundredth power [laughs]. We are so excited about the collective of musicians that are coming together for this, it’s like a super group and Prince is the purple thread that binds us. To have us all coming together, bringing all of those different experiences that we have with him to Australia and playing music from so many different decades – I mean the set list is crazy. I’m not supposed to say what’s on it but I can tell you this, it’s bananas because it covers so much of his repertoire.
An Interview with Ghouls’ Benedict Goold
UK Alt-Punk Rockers Ghouls are heading down under for their first Australian co-headline tour, sharing the run will be Australia’s own Foxblood. Starting in 2013, the band consists of Benedict Goold (Lead Vocals and Guitar), Sam Mussell (Bass), Ben Maz (Saxophone), Russel Spencer (Trombone) and Jay Swinstead (Drums).
You’re soon to be in Australia for your co-headline tour called No Better Place To Be. Looking at the schedule, you’re very lucky because the tour covers a wide part of the country, which not all local artists even get to. Meaning, you’ll get to see a lot of differences in the Australian way of life – from sand to surf to city. What are you most looking forward to seeing while you are here?
When you put it like that it makes me feel extremely lucky. It still doesn’t seem real that we are even going to Australia, let alone getting to see a whole lot of the country. This tour came about after tweet got out of hand and somehow ended up with us having a whole tour out there so it all seems surreal!
Thoughts on bare – the Musical
What: bare – the Musical
Where: Chapel off Chapel, South Yarra, Melbourne
Performances run until 15 April, 2018
For more information, please visit www.stageart.com.au/bare-2018
STOMP Ticket Giveaway
The Broadway, West End and international sensation STOMP is back, and it’s better than ever! Following a sell-out visit in 2013, STOMP returns to Australia with its unstoppable energy and ‘pure stage magic’.
Eight performers use an array of ordinarily mundane objects, from which they create musical magic; an exhilarating soundtrack inspired by the commotion of everyday life. Everything from Zippo lighters, bin lids, and even the kitchen sink are used to hammer out an explosively feel-good rhythm enjoyed by audiences of all ages.
An Interview with Brodie Rainbird from The Wolfe Brothers
With a new album set to be released next month, a new single out and two CMC nominations, the Wolfe Brothers have much to smile about. The new single ‘Ain’t Seen It Yet’, from their upcoming fourth album Country Heart, is a celebration of home and displays a more mature sound for the band. Catching up with one-third and guitarist Brodie Rainbird, we spoke about the evolution of the Wolfe Brothers and connecting with fans.
Earlier this year, the band released the single ‘Ain’t Seen It Yet’ off the upcoming album Country Heart, sporting a different sound to what people associate with the Wolfe Brothers. How does this new single represent what we can expect of the new album?
This new album, I see it as the next evolution of the Wolfe Brothers. It’s different to what we’ve done before and it’s us pushing our boundaries. Everything we’ve done with this album has been different. The process was turned completely on its head. We wanted to get a little bit uncomfortable. We wanted to sound way more modern than we’ve sounded before. We didn’t want to do just another Wolfe Brothers album; we meant for it to be different.
An Interview with Casey Barnes
With the release of his catchy third single “Ain’t Coming Home”, off his upcoming new album The Good Life, Casey Barnes’s star continues to rise. Nominated for a prestigious Golden Guitar Award earlier this year, I spoke to the Tasmanian-born now Gold Coast-based country music artist about his latest release ahead of his performance at the sold-out-in-one-hour CMC Rocks Festival.
In a sense, a lot of people first came to know of you when you made the top 12 of Australian Idol in 2009. With Idol contestants Anthony Callea, Casey Donovan and current season’s Shannon Noll also competing in the reality series I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! Would you ever follow in the footsteps of your fellow alumni and go on the show?
I’d love to do it, but I reckon I’d struggle with those food challenges. [Shannon] is doing great. People are getting to see a different side to him and it’s going to be a huge positive. He seems like a decent guy and I really like his latest single. I think he’s going to have a good year.
