Melbourne music week
The second annual Melbourne music week has been confirmed and will run from November 18-26. It’s basically where music industry people and music fans will gather for a week of forums, talks and of course performances across the city for nine whole days.
This year’s international keynote speaker will be Brent Gulke who might not sound familiar to many of us but is the man responsible for the world famous South by Southwest Music festival (SXSW) held every year in Austin, Texas. This premier music festival, which started as a small gathering 25 years ago, has grown into the world leading showcase for bands to get noticed and music company representatives to come together and share ideas. From what we hear it’s also one hell of a party.
No doubt organisers of Melbourne’s music week will be listening closely to Brent on how they can turn Melbourne into the Southern Hemisphere’s version of SXSW.
Hunters and Collectors and fast cars
Hunters and Collectors, John Farnham and V8 Supercars all in one place! The inner bogan in us is about to be unleashed. Hunters and Collectors have only played together once since they called it a day in 1998. The last time was in 2009 for the Victorian bushfire relief concert at the MCG.
This time they’ll be breaking out the tunes for 80,000 or so revheads as part of the Sydney leg of the championship in December where really big cars race around a track (or something like that).
Over two nights, H&C will headline a list of bands including Noiseworks, James Reyne, Jebediah and of course Farnsie. Who isn’t making a comeback… or is he? In fact did he ever retire? Then, by day, the really big cars will race around the track (or something like that).
Either way, it’s going to be a big two days of music and cars and no doubt a stage for the age old question, are you a Ford or Holden person?
Classical music heavyweights come together
No, it’s not a Pavarotti impersonator convention. The heavyweight reference is for the depth of Australian talent returning back home to perform in 2012. The big draw-card is Danielle de Niese, an Australian born singer now residing in the States, who is everyone’s favourite Opera singer at the moment. Born to Sri Lankan parents in Melbourne, keen train-spotters would recognise her as the youngest winner of former talent contest ‘Young Talent Time’ when she took it out aged nine.
All grown up and with looks to match she is bringing sexy back to the world opera scene. No longer do we have to put up with fat old men filling up the stage. De Niese will headline a first time collaboration between the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Sydney Dance Company as well as swag of Australian classical pianists, singers and musicians.
On top of that the musical group will also hit the road mid next year for a road trip of performance, music writing and film making through remote parts of Western Australia.
Is 2012 the year of classical music? Look out Australia, you’re about to find out.
