As a music lover, there are lots of artists and albums that I rate highly, yet interestingly there are relatively few that occupy the status of being ‘favourites’. Among others, my favourites include names like Led Zeppelin, Soundgarden, and a little Canadian trio called The Tea Party! I’ve long been a fan of these guys, and have the great fortune of catching them play, as well as a host of other acts that front man Jeff Martin has put together, many, many times. Every time they return, I’m just as excited as the first time I witnessed them all those years ago.
It seems that at the moment, lots of past acts are either doing reunion shows or tours celebrating past releases and the like. On face value, The Tea Party seem to be doing something similar, as they tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their awesome fourth album, Transmission. But then you realise that unlike so many contemporaries running the cash-in cycle, The Tea Party actually reunited quite a few years ago after a hiatus and have released a few albums in that time too, so this tour really is a celebration; and what an album to celebrate!
Opening with the sensational party-starter Temptation, things go from strength to strength. As a big Tea Party fan, I’ve followed them on their musical journey and each album is a new path on that journey, a definite progression through the musical ether.
Transmission builds on their earlier releases, Splendor Solis and Edges Of Twilight, but is somewhat heavier with Eastern influences and more electronic sounds than we’d heard before. Tunes like the aforementioned Temptation, the mellow Eastern-progressive Psychopomp and Release, thumping Gyroscope or Babylon, and the massive epic title track still get my heart pumping two decades on.
Not only are these guys touring, but they’ve also re-recorded the album’s biggest tunes - Temptation, Psychopomp, Release, and Transmission - released them as an EP, and also produced a coffee-table book retrospective of the Transmission era. Like Big Kev, I’m excited!
The Tea Party are set to play Thebarton Theatre on Thursday November 2nd. They’ll be playing Transmission in full for their first set, and will be back for more Tea Party goodness in what is sure to be a killer second set too! See you there!
Luke Balzan
When: 2 Nov
Where: Thebarton Theatre
Bookings: ticketmaster.com.au
Matt Byrne Media. Maxim’s Wine Bar.
On the opening night of Matt Byrne’s My Kitchen Fools, Matt Byrne will celebrate his 20th year bringing performances to Maxim’s Wine Bar in Adelaide’s east.
“Twenty years ago I was looking for a venue for my first Fringe show and the former Odeon Theatre manager Bob Jesser suggested I get in touch with a Sam Savis who had taken over the Leon’s Wine Bar and turned it into Maxim’s Wine Bar,” Byrne says.
The upstairs venue overlooks the corner of Norwood Parade and George Street at Norwood.
“It was nice and central opposite the Norwood Town Hall upstairs, there’s a great atmosphere and we have been using four stools and the dance floor ever since. Maxim’s is a great Fringe venue, as it’s intimate, still holds 100 people, the bar is always open and the people always seem to come in and out with a smile on their face.” Byrne continues.
Byrne’s first show, way back in 1997, was John Godber’s Bouncers. The show was a sell out for four weeks.
After performing Shakers in 2000 Byrne turned his hand to writing his own shows, and has never looked back.
“The first was Barrackers, then came Virgins, Pricks, Over The Hill, Chalkies, Caddyshack And Other Dangerfields, WAGS, The Penis Principles, P.I.G.S., Bogans, dateless.com, Chunderbelly, and The Luv Boat and now we have Matt Byrne’s My Kitchen Fools" Byrne says.
The four handers have become a bit of an Adelaide Fringe institution; well known for their bawdy humour, overflow of dad jokes, and spoof titles. Byrne’s quick wit is always showcased and there is virtually no end to the puns on offer.
“The Fringe has grown massively over the past 20 years.” Byrne says “There were only a few shows when I first presented Bouncers back in 1998, now we have more than 1,300 shows. We’ve had some wonderful actors in our Fringe shows over the years and I’m delighted with the cast for our new show Matt Byrne’s My Kitchen Fools”
Half-baked TV cookery is now in the oven as Byrne’s latest show turns up the heat on the ridiculous array of Celebrity Chefs and the many TV shows they serve us up.
“We used to have cooking shows, now we have cooking CHANNELS!” Byrne says
The show will be hosted and judged by Gordon Ramraid (Byrne), Nigella’s Awesome (Niki Martin), Rachel Rayban (Stefanie Rossi) and Jamie Bolivar (Marc Clement).
“But we also play the four teams who are fighting to win the right to run their own pop-up restaurant on The Parade,” Byrne continues, “We have Greek grandmother and grandson team Yia Yia and Con Moussaka, Scottish BFs Colin Justin and Justin Colin, the super bitchy Farkin Sisters Jacinta and Placinta and hippie collective Big Daddy Grassroots and his Nimbin niece Moonbeam.”
They are joined by other Celebrity Chefs, including Poo with an H, Saggy Beer, Galiano Zumba and Hester Bloominheck.
“We get to know, love and hate these people who have no cooking skills but loads of ambition,” Byrne says, “We sing and dance and give the audience an interactive taste of everything from snakes, to oysters, pheasant plucking, creamy cantaloupes and zero gravity green cheese. It’s a feast of comic ingredients but like every cooking show, it’s not about the food!”
The show will play from the 14th of February to the 19th of March at Maxim’s Wine Bar on Norwood Parade. Bookings can be made on 1300 621 255, adelaidefringe.com.au or mattbyrnemedia.com.au
Paul Rodda
When: 14 Feb to 19 Mar
Where: Maxim’s Wine Bar
Bookings: adelaidefringe.com.au
Incredible interactive art sensation House of Mirrors, US singer-songwriter Kurt Vile, US godfather of chillwave Toro Y Moi, and Aussie music legends The Bamboos are all set to rock the Adelaide Festival’s newest and most exciting venue, the Riverbank Palais and surrounding Parc Palais.
The Palais will feature more than 60 free and ticketed acts involving more than 130 artists and special guests across 18 days and nights of the Adelaide Festival, the Riverbank Palais will light up the Torrens with a full dance card of live bands, DJs, theatre shows, lunchtime forums and special events from breakfast until late night, complemented by a sumptuous selection of food, wine and roving entertainment in the surrounding Parc Palais in Elder Park.
Officially opening to the public on Thursday, March 2, the Riverbank Palais will commemorate its first night by harking back to the historic Adelaide venue that inspired it – the legendary Floating Palais de Danse of the 1920s – with a swinging concert of 1920s music by Andrew Nolte and his Orchestra.
Opening night festivities will spread onto the Adelaide Riverbank in Parc Palais, with live music from a range of local bands and DJs in the rotunda and the must-try mirror-maze House of Mirrors.
A smash hit at the 2017 Sydney Festival and Hobart’s 2016 Dark Mofo, House of Mirrors is an interactive art installation for all ages that has enthralled and amazed its Australian audiences. It has been created by Melbourne artists Christian Wagstaff and Keith Courtney from 40 tonnes of steel and 15 tonnes of mirrored glass. The walk-in maze features oblique corridors of full-length mirrors, arranged at varying angles to produce multiple reflections and kaleidoscopic-like chambers in a labyrinth of intrigue. This crazy amusement in the Parc Palais will have festival goers of all ages both lost and found - and delighted.
Delicious, affordable, theatrical and totally South Australian, Parc Palais will also offer an amazing array of food cooked by one of Adelaide’s favourite chefs, Brad Sappenbergh of Comida at Adelaide’s Central Market. Enjoy a snack, dinner before a show, supper or just hang out and enjoy the daily specials proudly showing off South Australia’s best produce, with beer and wine by SA beverage partners including Coopers and Penfolds. There’ll be Comida’s world famous Paella, a flaming fire pit with ethically sourced free range pigs and lamb on giant spits, and delicious locally sourced ingredients from whiting and chips, oysters and prawn cocktails to vegetarian delights cooked over the flames before your eyes.
Music lovers will find their home at the Palais, with a packed concert program kicking off in spectacular style with the Festival’s free opening weekend concert by music legend Neil Finn on Sunday, March 5.
You can then rock your nights away on board the Riverbank Palais seven nights a week with concerts by the raucous and rollicking Hot 8 Brass Band from New Orleans, who will get the dance floor jumping with their eclectic mix of marching band jazz, funk, RnB and hip-hop, forerunner of the “chillwave” movement US artist Toro Y Moi, and Mexican musical gunslingers Mexrrissey, putting a unique spin on Morrissey hits with their seven-piece Latin rhythms.
Also on the music program are Australian music royalty Dave Graney and the Coral Snakes and iconic Melbourne soul groovers The Bamboos, Colombian nine-piece salsa band La Mambanegra (The Black Mamba), Sydney Argentinian tango outfit Tángalo and indie folksters, All Our Exes Live in Texas, local electronica sensations Electric Fields and Urtekk, and a late night program of local and international DJs including Total Eclipse, Nickodemus, Frank Booker and Adelaide’s Late Nite Tuff Guy that will keep the Palais swinging into the small hours.
Theatre will also take centre stage on The Riverbank Palais program with two shows - The Duke, a funny, poignant and playful show from writer/performer Shôn Dale-Jones, with half proceeds going to Save the Children’s Child Refugee Crisis, and Who Am I?, former Castanet Club member and Sale of the Century champion Russell Cheek’s funny and heart-warming account of his attempt to scale the summit of Australian quiz shows.
Join journalist and commentator Annabel Crabb in The F Word, a series of early evening conversations with prominent women from across the Adelaide Festival and Adelaide Writers’ Week. Guests include award-winning author Kate Grenville, acclaimed filmmaker Lynette Wallworth, celebrated Australian chef Christine Manfield and lauded columnist and self-confessed “loud woman” Lindy West for fascinating tête-à-têtes about those other F words – female, feminist, fun, food and festival.
With a range of exciting day time events and activities, the fun isn’t just restricted to when the sun goes down.
Begin your day on board the Riverbank Palais with Breakfast with Papers where you can enjoy quality coffee and light breakfast from CIBO Espresso and copies of The Advertiser, along with lively discussions on current affairs and Festival news with Festival artists and some of South Australia’s top journalists.
Weekday lunchtimes will see a series of free Festival Forums, hosted by one of Australia’s most influential commentators, David Marr and selling fast are the already announced six weekend Riverbank Palais Long Lunches, each helmed by a different iconic Australian chef: Cheong Liew (Neddy’s, The Grange) and Christine Manfield (Paramount, East@West, Universal), Cath Kerry (Petaluma, Art Gallery Restaurant at the Art Gallery of SA), Mark Best (Marque, Pei Modern), Michael Ryan (Range, Provenance) and Karl Firla (est. Restaurant, Oscillate Wildly).
Adelaide Festival Artistic Directors Neil Armfield and Rachel Healy are thrilled to unveil the debut program for their new venue, set to be the jewel in the Festival’s crown for the next three years.
“We have such pleasure in delivering to you the heart and hub of our festival, our stately pleasure dome, the floating Riverbank Palais,” says Mr Armfield.
“Whether you're hungry or thirsty, in need of a thrill or a thought or a moment's respite, on the Palais or in the grounds of the Parc Palais that surrounds it, there's a place for you from dawn through dusk, to the small bewitching hours of the night. Come and join us. And come again. And again!” Ms Healy adds.
The Riverbank Palais and Parc Palais are open from March 2 to 19, 2017. Entry to Parc Palais is free. Entry to the Riverbank Palais is both free and ticketed according to programming; please check the guide for details. Tickets to all Adelaide Festival shows, including the Riverbank Palais program, are on sale through BASS on 131 246 or via www.adelaidefestival.com.au.
Adapted from a Media Release by Petra Starke
Trepidation as to what may follow on from the rare, lengthy David Sefton era of the Adelaide Festival of Arts was quite a reasonable feeling ahead of the 2017 program announcement.
No other Artistic Director in its history has served so long, No other Artistic Director has so strongly championed new work created by local South Australian artists for the entirety of his tenure. No other Artistic Director looked so powerfully to the future, as did Sefton, without losing sight of foundations of time past.
With a budget stripped of $1 million and the loss of key staff who powered the Adelaide Festival of Arts most successful regeneration after a series of lacklustre years, there was a very great deal to be worried about.
Could Neil Armfield, that much lionised Australian director responsible for some of the most important developments and creations of the Australian theatrical canon, with his equally capable management side kick Rachel Healey who supported his greatest achievements, salve any worries one might have?
Yes.
Their imaginings, fuelling the first of three programs, finds its real strength in the creative reasoning behind the recreation of 1920s Adelaide nightlife glamour venue, The Floating Palais, to be known as The Riverbank Palais. Resurrecting the magic and mystery of the past, its stories anew is something Healey has spoken publicly of, something she, born of Adelaide and Armfield, a much loved honorary son are both keen to explore. This club anchors that for the next three years.
This balance of past and future manages to find expression in much of the program, be it a production or the inclusion of a company. Most powerfully with the the big ticket Saul which was universally celebrated on announcement earlier this year given everyone wanted a Kosky return to Adelaide, to the inclusion of local companies Restless Dance Theatre’s Intimate Space and Gravity and Other Myth’s Backbone.
Especially of note are works from Sydney Theatre Company/State Theatre Company of SA, The Secret River, Neil Armfield’s award winning work based on Kate Grenville’s novel, Israeli dance company L-E-V’s OCD Love which surges forward to the future in its smashing together of poetry, techno and indie band The Knife’s work, and a blazing production of Richard III by Schaubühne Berlin.
Take your pick of the music and visual arts content and this same reflection on things past in context with the present and with future tonalities will be found. It’s a grand program. Sefton’s shoes were huge ones to fill. So far, challenge met.
Full details and program available on the Adelaide Festival website.
David O’Brien
When: 3 to 19 Mar 2017
Where: Adelaide Festival Centre and surrounds
Bookings: adelaidefestival.com.au
Bulldozers and wrecking balls are about to start ripping into the Adelaide Festival Centre environs to regenerate the public space and buildings, as long foretold. There’ll be rubbish everywhere and there’s going to be venue issues and all that to boot.
What difference has it made to Adelaide Festival Centre’s 2017 plans?
A crafty lot of good!
The biggest hint being the inclusion of a number of Adelaide Fringe 2017 shows, particularly UK production Trainspotting (Andrew Kray and Associates/AFC/King’s Head/In Your Face.) It’s based on Irvine Welsh’s novel and references the film.
The venue? A secret CBD location. Then there’s Adelaide Fringe punk cabaret An Evening with Amanda Palmer, at Her Majesty’s.
This kind of thing is not ‘the usual’ for the Adelaide Festival Centre. What there is of ‘the usual’ for 2017 - wonderfully rich in content as it is - such as Dusty, The Look, The Legend, The Musical does not diminish the fact the 2017 program is distinctly focused on a sense of regeneration right across the board.
Most telling, is the fact the inSPACE program now offers three full new works, along with eight works in development. All 11 works involve cutting edge artists and small companies who’ve made a mark either in the Adelaide Festival of Arts - during the grand era of David Sefton’s Artistic Directorship - Adelaide Fringe, or Melbourne Fringe, as well as major European Festivals.
Venues vary for work in development. The three full works will show at Her Majesty’s, Plant 1 Bowden and The Space; again, not really ‘the usual’ biz for Adelaide Festival Centre.
They created inSPACE back in 1998. Collaboration happens with State Theatre Company now, but this is a quite a shift.
There should be such a shift; to meet pressures of ‘renovating’ as much as reinventing possibilities for a completely new physical environment.
Things change, thinking changes.
Having successfully brought Adelaide to embrace OzAsia Festival’s presence not just in theatres, but the Centre's grounds bedecked with food and song, as much as Adelaide Guitar Festival’s Guitars in Bars ‘mini festival’ pushed the joy of the instrument as a culture to the furthest pub possible, 2017 will be the year we see AFC consolidating a capacity to reach beyond its grounds, even as they are being shaped most especially to invite Adelaide’s people in.
David O’Brien
The AFC 2017 season will feature:
Dusty The Musical
Matilda The Musical
The On Stage Summer School
Operation Ouch! live on stage
Deadly 60 Live! Pole to Pole Tour
SAUL
David Bowie: Nothing Has Changed
Scotland The Brave
Long Tan
1984
Rabbits
Big Bad Wolf
Beep
Butterfly Ladies Band
Nouvelle Vague
Ludovico Einaudi
Tubular Bells For Two
An Evening with Amanda Palmer
Sun Rising
Trainspotting
The Whitlams 25th Anniversary Tour
The Something on Saturday program
Herman and Rosie with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
The GreenRoom program
DreamBIG Children’s Festival
The Adelaide Cabaret Festival
The OzAsia Festival
Frame of Mind
inSPACE: Developmentprogram
Morgan’s International Piano Series
World of Cultures
Our Mob
Christmas Proms
The CentrEd schools program
Morning Melodies
The Overture program
and much, much more, 2017 at Adelaide Festival Centre will be brimming with events and activities for all South Australians.
For full program details including co-presenters visit adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au