WHATS ON: LIVING FOR THE WEEKEND
By Brad Martin
It seems almost impossible that we are already a month into 2016. With New Year hangovers well and truly gone, and Mardi Gras hangovers looming on the horizon, it’s the best time to fill in time with live music! With festivals working their way through Sydney there is Side Shows galore, free parties at the Opera House, and the return of the iconic Imperial Hotel, SO MANY OPTIONS! Check out my picks;
The legendary Imperial Hotel has once again risen from the ashes and is open for business. The Erskinville venue, famous for it’s role in Priscilla; Queen of the Desert, and as the home of Sydney’s drag scene for many years, has had a troubled time of late. Now in new hands, and a refreshed outlook, it’s the best time to reacquaint yourself with the historical venue. Saturday nights “The Sweet Escape” featuring resident DJ duo Paul Mac and Jonny Seymour aka Stereogamous, and guest hosts and selectors, taking over the back room from 9pm every Saturday night, it should be your new local for the Inner-West.
However, if weeknight dancing is more your thing, Redfern uber-cool Queer hangout the Bearded Tit has handed over the Wednesday Night reigns to Jonny Seymour. With performances each week, and the best music to be found on a Wednesday night, Queerbourhood is the best way to get celebrate making it halfway through the week.
WHAT: The Sweet Escape/Queerbourhood
WHERE: The Imperial Hotel/The Bearded Tit
WHEN: Saturdays 9pm/ Wednesdays 7:30pm
HOW MUCH: FREE
Vice Magazine has been around for years now, and has the whole free gig thing on lockdown. This time it is no different, teaming up with Samsung and the Sydney Opera House to present “Sound + Vision” an event set to team up cutting edge musicians, with cutting edge artists. From New York, and signed to the seminal XL recordings, Solo singer Empress of will be teaming up with Parisian Light artists NONOTAK, Banofee and Oscar Key Sung with photo-surrealist Prue Stent, and Future Classics, Charles Murdoch with tin&ed. Taking over the whole of the concert hall, this is a pretty, huge, special gig, weaving light, music, and art together to create an experience like no other.
WHAT: Vice & Samsung present: Sound + Vision
WHERE: Sydney Opera House
WHEN: Sunday 31st January
HOW MUCH: Free with RSVP Via Vice
Arguably the most interesting thing, and dare I say, the only still relevant, offshoot of the Odd Future collective, The Internet, will be hitting up the Oxford Arts Factory for their own show whilst in town for the Laneway Festival. Led by singer/producer Syd tha Kid, and co-producer Matt Martians, the six-piece live band will be bringing tracks from the LA outfits third album “Ego Death” to life. Continuing the evolution between 2011’s “Purple Naked Ladies” and 2013’s “Feel Good”, “Ego Death” eschews the oft-overused, Alt-R&B tag, rather sticking with straight up R&B, with touches of Jazz, Soul, and Hip Hop littered throughout the album. The Kaytranda assisted single “Girl” is a standout, and Syd Tha Kids lyrics of love, lust, and ladies sound irresistibly smooth and silky. Supported by Melbournes Jaala, it’s the perfect way to ease your way into the Laneway festivities.
WHAT: The Internet (LA) + Jaala (Melb)
WHERE: Oxford Arts Factory
WHEN: Thursday February 4th 8pm
HOW MUCH: $46 + bf via Moshtix
Sydney duo Collarbones are almost impossibly cool, since forming over the internet in 2007, Marcus Whale and Travis Cooke have been making some of the freshest music to come out of Australia in a while. Whilst their solo ventures and side projects are becoming more prominent, the boys are still coming together to make sweet sweet music. Taking over the Oxford Arts Factory this Saturday, along with the legendary Seekae in DJ mode, and Alba. Come for Marcus’s dance moves, stay for the banging tunes.
WHAT: Collarbones + Seekae (DJ) + Alba
WHERE: Oxford Arts Factory
WHEN: Saturday 30th January 9pm
HOW MUCH: $10 Via Moshtix
The absolutely legendary girls behind the Sexual Violence Won’t be Silenced movement will be taking over 107 projects in Redfern on Friday night. Bringin you “Shameless” a celebration of all things loud and female. Featuring a great line up of local, female bands, Lupa J, Dweeb City, Morning TV and Scabz, all proceeds from the door donated to “Hey Sis” an initiative working against rape and domestic violence against indigenous woman. It’s a great cause, and a great opportunity to check out some of the amazing female talent that unfortunately goes overlooked too often in this city.
WHAT: SVWBS presents Shameless
WHERE: 107 Projects Redfern
WHEN:Friday 29th January 7PM
HOW MUCH: $22 via Eventbrite