All posts tagged: live music

Free Opera in the Bowl 2014

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Ooh! Free opera! This Opera in the Bowl event at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl on the 13th will feature five singers performing a selection of chorus pieces and arias from popular operas including Madame Butterfly, Carmen and The Pearl Fishers.     These free events are always incredibly popular so turn up early if you want a spot on the grass. Gates open at 4pm so I’d recommend taking a picnic and a good book and arriving as early as possible. As we all know, opera tickets are far too expensive in this country so if you enjoy classical music it’s really worth taking advantage of this rare free event under the stars.   Mazda Opera in the Bowl Date: 13 December 2014 Time: 8pm start (doors open at 4pm) Venue: Sidney Myer Music Bowl  

Melbourne Music Week 2013

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If you love music, you’re in the right place. Not only is Melbourne the nation’s undoubted live music capital, with great live music happening all year round, but, for the next week, musicians from all over the world will converge on the city for Melbourne Music Week 2013. Starting today and winding up on the 24th, the festival includes acts from Norway, Germany, the UK, the USA and New Zealand, plus a tonne of home-grown talent.     On Saturday evening, Panthu Du Prince will work some magic on the Federation Bells at Birrarung Marr in the free event Panthu Du Prince vs Federation Bells. Another undoubtedly entertaining evening will be the free No Lights No Lycra dance class to be held in the art-deco Campbell Arcade on 21 November. (Read more about NLNL here.) For full line-up details, visit the MMW 2013 programme, which includes a bunch of free events.   Melbourne Music Week 2013 Dates: 15–24 November Tel: 9658 9658 Email: melbournemusic@melbourne.vic.gov.au  

Introducing Chris Mulhall

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    Who are you? My name is Chris. I live in Fairfield. I am a musician. I guitar, I sing, write, produce. I eat food, love to cook it, get inventive with it, shop for it, smell it, feel it, share it, think about it, plant it, watch it grow. Work a casual retail job. Passionate about the environment, sustainability, ethical produce, conservation, awareness, family, friends, music, life. A city-dwelling, sport-playing, Rudolf Steiner–influenced spiritual being. How long have you lived in Melbourne? Twenty-seven years, three months – minus travel times. Why Melbourne? Difficult… I was born here and haven’t yet been scared away. I suppose if you’ve been shown the secret laneways, bars, pubs, festivals, coffee hang-outs, live music venues, markets, gardens, suburbs (north, south, east and now even west all have lovely places to spend a day) then you have cool friends and you’re lucky! That’s the ‘Melbourne’ that we Melbourne folk miss when we’re anywhere else in the world. The fresh and vibrant farmers’ and community markets are without a doubt simply wondrous! …

home of little heard music

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– – There’s nothing that puts me on edge quite like those annoying commercial radio jocks who think fake laughing at unfunny jokes qualifies as entertainment. And then, just to tip me over the ledge, they follow up by playing some grating bubble-gum pop probably written by a poor jaded muso who now pumps out formulaic tunes from nine to five just to pay the rent. Depressing stuff. But then I discovered PBS. If you like listening to a wide variety of music, from the past as well as the present, tune into 106.7FM. Here you’ll find PBS, a community radio station run by over 200 volunteers as well as a small handful of pros. These folks love their music and generously give their time to produce over 80 specialist music programs, from hip-hop and soul to jazz, funk, Latin, gospel, folk, metal, world music and everything in between. PBS is a big supporter of the local Melbourne music scene and often showcases tunes by local artists. You’ll also hear the announcers spruiking gigs around Melbourne, so tuning in can be a good way …

bar etiquette

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–   This must be one of the most underrated bars in Melbourne. Or at least the bar furthest under the average Melburnian’s radar. Nobody seems to know about it –  even many locals who live in the area are oblivious. It’s true that Bar Etiquette isn’t particularly noticeable from the outside; the street-front is tiny, and it seems almost to blend in with the shops around it. It’s a bit like that hide-out house in the Harry Potter books – the one that’s jinxed so that humans (sorry, muggles) can’t see it. The eye runs up the street and somehow slips over Bar Etiquette without even registering its presence. This particular jinx doesn’t just affect the bar’s exterior, either. When you step inside, what looks like a small watering hole magically keeps on growing and growing. Out the back is a small beer garden, but if you wander upstairs you’ll feel as though you’ve rudely stumbled into someone’s share-house. There are three rooms up here, each filled with comfy couches – all a bit dingy and scroungy, but …

the forum

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  The eccentric Forum Theatre on the corner of Flinders and Russel Streets is one of Melbourne’s premier live music venues and architectural icons. The exterior is strange enough, but inside things just get weirder with Greco-Roman-style statues and columns decorating the main auditorium, which also features a bright blue ceiling that glitters with thousands of stars. You can take a virtual tour of the theatre on the Forum’s website; otherwise, the only way to see inside is to buy a ticket to its various upcoming shows.   Forum Theatre Address: 154 Flinders St, Melbourne Vic 3000  

go green

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V What is it about The Brunswick Green that makes it so damn cool? Maybe it’s the red velvet couches. Or the Persian carpets. Or those beautiful wrap-around windows overlooking the beer garden. Or the bar, covered in bottles and photos and random knick-knacks. Or that front band room, with its stage and lamps and framed pictures… Or maybe it’s the refreshing lack of pretentiousness. Nobody seems to be trying too hard here. This place epitomises everything good about the Melbourne bar scene — including, of course, live music. Apart from featured gigs, there’s a regular free jazz night on Thursdays (from 8.30pm) and blues on Saturday afternoons (2pm till 6pm), also free. Visit. Enjoy. Maybe I’ll see you there.   The Brunswick Green Address: 313 Sydney Rd, Brunswick Vic 3056 Tel: 9381 2413 Opening hours: Tues-Thurs 4pm-12am, Fri & Sat 2pm-1am, Sun 2pm-11pm V