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ALL AGES GIGS IN PUBS RETURN AFTER 20 YEARS! CLIENT LIAISON AND ANIMAUX AT LEAPS AND BOUNDS MUSIC FESTIVAL

 

Attention Gigsters of All Ages!
In a special afternoon event at Collingwood’s Gasometer Hotel on Sunday July 6, Client Liaison and Animaux take to the stage for the first all ages gig in a Victorian pub for over 20 years.
 
From July 1, amendments to the regulations of Victoria’s Liquor Control Reform Act means that our renowned live music venues can now host all ages-gigs by simply notifying the Victorian Commission of Gaming and Liquor Regulation a week before the show. 
 
There are no fees and no application process, making it much easier for venues to host shows for young people, opening up opportunities for young musicians and audience members alike. Bar staff will just lock away the alcohol for the event. 
 
Previously, some under 18-only shows could be held in licensed venues under limiting circumstances, after licensees paid a fee and went through a long application period.
 
This reform brings Victoria into line with other states, and comes after two years of work by the music community, led by Music Victoria and the Push, on the Victorian government’s Live Music Roundtable.
 
Patrick Donovan – Music Victoria

‘’So many people now playing or working in the music industry first got the bug seeing an all ages show in the 80s and 90s, so Music Victoria is thrilled that today’s generation of youngsters will be afforded the same opportunities. It makes sense that young people can experience the joys – and responsibilities – of a live music experience with the support of older siblings and parents in a safe, supervised environment.
 
Peter Chellew – The Push

“Victoria has oodles of young musical talent and our youth music scenes are thriving. But young people needed access to safe venues and equipment to play and share music. I’m sure we are going to see an explosion of great new music, creativity and young enterprise coming out of our amazing live music venues.”
 

Come and celebrate with Client Liaison and Animaux  

Sunday 6th July from 2.30 to 6pm

 
At the Gasometer Hotel, 484 Smith Street, Collingwood (on the corner of Alexander Parade) 

Bring your brothers and sisters and your mums and dads!

 
Tickets $10+ booking fee through Oztix, or at the door.
 
Supported by Leaps and Bounds Festival, Music Victoria, The Push, City of Yarra, Beat and PBS.
 
Find the best live music venues, record stores, gigs and festivals near you with Music Victoria’s free Melbourne Music City app.
ClientLiaisonCoverOption 3
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Sex On Toast – ‘the Tonay Tour’ is coming to a venue near you! #SexyToasty

Since the release of their debut album of synth-funk, soul, slow-jams and hard-rockin’ shuffles and subsequent sell-out launches in both Melbourne and Sydney, Sex on Toast have been laying low in Melbourne and doing their thang…They’d now like to proudly announce ‘the Tonay Tour’ – another sexual exploration up the East Coast culminating in Melbourne with two evenings at the Toff in Town.
Frontman Angus Leslie said, “A lot of people want to know…
What do we mean when we say ‘tonay’?
To us tonay is an essence… A life-force… a beautiful woman… a stank bass line… a damn good time…
Tonay.”
Catch Sex On Toast burning down the house live at the following venues:
June 8 at The Loft in Warrnambool
July 2 at The Vanguard in Sydney
July 3 at The Bunker in Coogee
July 4 at Turner Bowls in Canberra
July 5 The Toff In Town in Melbourne
July 6 The Toff In Town in Melbourne
 
See the video clip for their latest single ‘Hold My Love’ here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPjJeA7UaqE
 
SEX ON TOAST
Sex on Toast
★★★★
How to explain Sex on Toast? Is it a condiment? A dodgy carnal practice? Or one of Melbourne’s freshest bands? The answer is C. The outrageous stage antics of this sexually charged nine-piece band have been thrilling Melbourne for the past couple of years.
Incredible musicianship, raw, nipple-in-a-skivvy-stroking sexuality, party jams, ’80s synth and sax, and lead singer Angus Leslie’s enormous charisma are all part of the mix, and they regularly pack out Melbourne venues, even on Tuesdays.
Their songs are tight, their musical knowledge is incredible, and they know how to have a good time with it. Sex on Toast plunder every musical aspect of the ’80s. Leslie’s impossible falsetto meanders through the single Hold My Love, a cruisy slow jam, but they are just as astute with jazz, R&B, synth-funk sexy jams, and ’80’s yacht rock jams. 
Kate Kingsmill – Sydney Morning Herald online, Canberra Times
 
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MELODY POOL AND MARLON WILLIAMS – PART OF LEAPS AND BOUNDS MUSIC FESTIVAL – FRI 18 JULY – FITZROY TOWN HALL #lbmf

MELODY POOL & MARLON WILLIAMS
JOIN FORCES FOR CO-HEADLINE TOUR
Two of Australasia’s most exciting young musicians will join forces this July and August for a co-headline tour across the country.
Singer-songwriters Melody Pool, hailing from the Hunter Valley, NSW and Marlon Williams originally from Christchurch, NZ will treat audiences to their outstanding individual talents for a run of shows that are certain to captivate audiences everywhere.
Melody Pool sings Marlon Williams’ ‘Heaven For You (Prison For Me)’ http://youtu.be/PvLcUyyce4o
Marlon Williams sings Melody Pool’s ‘Pretty Little End’ http://youtu.be/UOhTDPQ8QdM
“The Hurting Scene is one of the most accomplished debuts by an Australian singer-songwriter for many years,” wrote Iain Shedden about Melody Pools’ debut album in The Australian.
Melody has spent the last 12 months touring the World including a sold-out tour of the UK and Europe with The Milk Carton Kids, and also the Americana Music Festival in Nashville. In  June Melody will join Gabrielle Aplin on her Heavenly Sounds shows in both Brisbane and Sydney.
 Described as “the impossible love child of Elvis, Roy Orbison and Townes Van Zandt”, Marlon Williams is a 2-time New Zealand Music Award winning singer-songwriter touted by Rhythms Magazine as the “Artist To Watch” in 2014.

Living up to the hype, Williams featured on SBS’ Rockwiz last week and has been announced as main support for the First Aid Kit tour in July. He also performed at the Sydney Opera House in April for TEDx Sydney alongside Megan Washington and Lior.

‘Strange Things’ (released 28 May) is the first single from Williams’ debut solo album, due for release in October. Lilting, quirky, beautiful and haunting, ‘Strange Things’ offers a taste of Williams dark sense of humour, and ability to find magic in the morbid.

Background info Melody Pool 
Melody Pool is a young artist with an old soul.
Her debut album, The Hurting Scene, sends the listener time-travelling to coffee houses in the late ’60s, with songs reminiscent of early Joni Mitchell and Jackson Browne.
Crowdfunding enabled Melody to make The Hurting Scene in Nashville with producers Jace Everett and Brad Jones. 
After releasing the album independently, Melody signed to Mushroom Music Publishing & Liberation Music who re-released The Hurting Scene in July 2013. 
Tales of lost love, infidelity and asserting independence, The Hurting Scene contains a dozen original songs that are beguiling and bittersweet. “I’m in love,” Melody sings, “and you’re to blame.”
Jace Everett said simply: “The Hurting Scene will break your heart.” Melody dedicated the album “to anyone living on the hurting scene”. 
Background info Marlon Williams 
Williams first came to recognition in New Zealand at only 17, fronting acclaimed alt-country band The Unfaithful Ways. They supported Justin Townes Earle and Band of Horses, featured on an internationally released Townes Van Zandt compilation and were nominated for the Critics Choice award at the 2011 New Zealand Music Awards. Showing a willingness to push boundaries, Williams then joined Delaney Davidson for a series of duet albums titled “Sad But True – The Secret History Of Country Music Songwriting”, winning the New Zealand Country Album and Country Song of the Year in 2013. 

Relocating to Melbourne in July 2013, Williams built a word of mouth following performing a 2-month residency at the Yarra Hotel and supporting the likes of Robert Ellis (US), Jordie Lane and Wagons.  

MELODY POOL & MARLON WILLIAMS CO-HEADLINE TOUR DATES 
JULY / AUGUST 2014
Tickets on sale Wednesday 28 May from www.melodypool.com or www.marlonwilliams.co.nz  
Thu 17 Jul   Beav’s Bar | Geelong, VIC    (18+)
Fri 18 Jul Leaps & Bounds Festival | 
Fitzroy Town Hall, Melbourne, VIC     (18+)
Sat 19 Jul  Caravan Music Club | Oakleigh, VIC (18+)
Sun 20 Jul  Major Tom’s | Kyneton, VIC  (18+)
Thu 24 Jul  Grand Poobah | Hobart, TAS (18+)
Fri 25 Jul Royal Oak Hotel | Launceston, TAS  (18+)
Sat 26 Jul  The Wheatsheaf Hotel | Adelaide, SA (18+)
Sat 2 Aug Newtown Social Club | Sydney, NSW  (18+)
Sun 3 Aug Lizotte’s | Newcastle, NSW (18+)
Wed 6 Aug Armidale Club | Armidale, NSW (18+)
Thu 7 Aug  Black Bear Lodge | Brisbane, QLD  (18+)
Fri 8 Aug  St Martin’s Parish Hall | Mullumbimby, NSW (18+)
Sat 9 Aug  No. 5 Church Street | Bellingen, NSW   (18+)
Sun 10 Aug  Lizotte’s | Central Coast, NSW  (18+)
Tue 12 Aug  The Front Gallery | Canberra, ACT (18+)
Thu 14 Aug   Ararat Hotel | Ararat, VIC  (18+)
Fri 15 Aug  Harvester Moon | Bellarine, VIC  (18+)
Sat 16 Aug  Baby Black Café | Bacchus Marsh, VIC  (18+)
Sun 17 Aug Bridge Hotel | Castlemaine, VIC  (18+)
Sat 23 Aug  X-Wray Café | Fremantle, WA   (18+)
Sun 24 Aug  Settler’s Tavern | Margaret River, WA   (18+)
Tue 26 Aug Ellington Jazz Club | Perth, WA  (18+)
 marlon:melody
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SMITH STREET DREAMING – ONE STREET, MANY MOBS, ONE COMMUNITY – PART OF LEAPS & BOUNDS MUSIC FESTIVAL #lbmf

Smith Street Dreaming
One Street, Many Mobs, One Community
A special event as part of the 
Leaps and Bounds Music Festival 
Saturday 19 July from 1.00pm to 5.00pm
Smith Street cnr Stanley Street, Collingwood
Smith Street Dreaming is about celebrating all that is good about the local community.
It is about promoting awareness of Aboriginal culture and building strong relationships with each other. It is about one street, many mobs and one strong and connected community.
The incomparable Archie Roach will perform live in the heart of Collingwood to help Smith Street Dreaming celebrate its second year. Archie will be joined by MC Uncle Jack Charles and a line up including Joe Geia, Deline Briscoe, Nikki Ashby and Crystal Mercy.
Smith Street Dreaming is a collaborative effort shared between community members and local organisations based on and around Smith Street. Supporters include: Neighbourhood Justice Centre, City of Yarra, Victoria Police, the Salvation Army, Co-Health, Department of Justice, Smith Street Business Association, Eastern Health and Charcoal Lane.
Other features include a Welcome to Country and traditional dancers, a streetscape, seating, wet weather cover and a ceremonial fire. A free BBQ will also be provided.
No alcohol will be available for purchase and Smith Street Dreaming has a no alcohol policy.
In 2014, Leaps and Bounds Live Music Festival runs from 4th – 20th July with a program that showcases Yarra’s iconic live music venues. The festival will include talks, tours and workshops, an all ages’ event, and gigs in numerous participating venues.
We acknowledge the Wurundjeri as the first owners of this country. Today they are still the custodians of the cultural heritage of this land. Further to this, Council acknowledges there are other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have lived, worked and contributed to the cultural heritage of Yarra.
 
Leaps and Bounds Music Festival is proudly presented by City of Yarra, Music Victoria, Beat Magazine & PBS 106.7 FM with the support of the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation.
 
Archie Roach Pic
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IT’S TIME TO LET THE WOLVES OUT – DAMON SMITH AT LEAPS & BOUNDS MUSIC FEST – 10 JULY, YARRA HOTEL #lbmf

 

Damon Smith is deliriously happy to finally launch ‘It’s Time To Let The Wolves Out’, the debut single and from his shiny new soon-to-be released album on Thursday, 10 July from 8pm at Yarra Hotel in Abbotsford, as part of the Leaps & Bounds Music Festival.

‘It’s Time To Let The Wolves Out’ enters the room with strut and swagger, all souled-out and funked up with righteous backing vocals set against the backdrop of a hugely contagious melody.  It’s a fitting opener to an album filled with those rare things – intelligent pop songs, 10 of them all up.

Here’s a listening link to the single:

https://soundcloud.com/quality-lightweights/its-time-to-let-the-wolves-out

Since his 2011 alt country release, ‘I Thought I’d Be Someone By Now’, potential candidate for a celebrated contemporary songwriter award but winner of none, Damon Smith has had 5 teeth pulled and has enjoyed the battle of a perpetually changing hairstyle due to a bastard receding hair line.With a new life in a new home as a stay at home dad and with weekend work around the country as a boogie woogie blues piano player, Smith says of his last few years with a baby girl in tow, “what the hell happened?”

His sufficient stockpile of issues, predicaments and complications have been discharged through his latest batch of songwriting, coming up with a record named:

‘It’s Time To Let The Wolves Out’.

From the opening title track, Smith invites you inside his home. It’s warm (and often stinky) in there and there’s a sense of intimacy and a hint of the man who creates in his home studio, behind his house where he autonomously worked on these10 maudlin yet jaunty new songs.

Damon says of the single: “The chorus lyrics for Wolves are, ‘It’s time to let the wolves out, and time to let the love back in. You’ve built yourself a crumbling wall and now it’s time to climb it.’ meaning: take control of your actions, don’t be selfish and be sensitive to others while taking your rage and aggression by the scruff of the neck and throwing it out the window violently…you know, like an action movie, with glass and stuff flying everywhere!”.

Smith is an independent artist in the literal. He’s the man in the driver’s seat, from composition to production and with help from producer Fraser Montgomery on mixing duties this time around, he delivers a record of substantial listening quality.

With an unrestrained desire for spitting out his tales of ordinary life while ruminating on thought-provoking subject matter, ‘It’s Time To Let The Wolves Out’ revolves heavily around the idea of relationships.

He dances provocatively with his own issues throughout this record, breathes life into these troubles and woes and then punches them square in the face, revealing his ability to evoke emotion in the listener while the music itself unravels, layer after layer, melody after melody.

Accompanied by The Quality Lightweights during live shows, Smith has built a solid reputation in his hometown of Melbourne.
Don’t miss the single launch for ‘It’s Time To Let The Wolves Out’ on Thursday, 10 July from 8pm at Yarra Hotel in Abbotsford.  Support TBA, Free Entry.
 

Leaps and Bounds Music Festival is proudly presented by City of Yarra, Music Victoria, Beat Magazine & PBS 106.7 FM with the support of the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation.

 Damon Live
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BAKEHOUSE OPEN DAY & STREET PARTY – A CHANCE TO LOOK INSIDE A MELBOURNE MUSIC LANDMARK – #lbmf

Don’t miss your chance to look inside a ‘Melbourne Music Landmark’, Bakehouse Studios!
 
11am Saturday July 12th
 
If you’ve always wanted to look inside the studios where your favourite musicians hone their craft, here’s your chance. A secret place where The walls of drip with the history of Australian music, where the likes of  Nick Cave, Paul Kelly, Missy Higgins, the Drones and thousands of bands have called home. Bakehouse is the headquarters of SLAM (Save Live Australia’s Music) and where the SLAM rally, “Australia’s largest Cultural Protest” was born.
Bakehouse will open their doors to the public for the first time ever and to celebrate the Leaps and Bounds Music Festival are throwing a street party in Little Hoddle Street!
Featuring Bakehouse favourites Harmony, ‘the mongrel concoction of gallows blues balladry, and soaring Gospel vocals and splatter jazz quartet The Impossible No Goods featuring BJ Morriszonkle take to the stage from 11am.
To coincide with their first ever public open day, Bakehouse will reveal a very special collaboration with some of Australia’s leading Contemporary Visual artists and artisans. Contributors presenting new works include Patricia Piccinini, Emily Floyd, Veronica Kent and Dirty Three guitarist and painter Mick Turner. In a world first, visual artists have been let loose in some of the smallest and grungiest rehearsal rooms to create installations especially for musicians in this working studio.
You’ll see installations made of Icing from the darlings of NGV’s Melbourne Now, the Hotham Street Ladies, Taxidermy from vegan artist Julia deVille, a metal room by jeweller Cass Partington, Early Punk images from photographer Peter Milne, a bespoke ”backstage’ by design duo Brustman + Boyd and a homage to pulp fiction by screen printer Stewart Russell. Tours will run through the afternoon.

Leaps and Bounds Music Festival is proudly presented by City of Yarra, Music Victoria, Beat Magazine & PBS 106.7 FM with the support of the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation.

#lbmf

www.leapsandboundsmusicfestival.com

BHF2

 

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THE MYTH BEHIND THE RIFF – MUSIC VICTORIA WORKSHOP #lbmf

 

Leaps and Bounds Music Festival and Music Victoria presents

 

The Myth Behind The Riff – metal and hardcore workshop

 

What do you need to do to take your band to the next level? Join some of the most dynamic players on the Victorian metal and hardcore scene in this not-to-be-missed information session. Topics cover everything you need to know about: getting a gig, making the right contacts, what Soundwave Festival is looking for in a local band, getting airplay, streaming, sponsorships, social media, artwork, media coverage, and touring overseas.

 

Moderator:

Stu Harvey – radio presenter, short.fast.loud

 

Speakers:

Matt Young – musician, King Parrot

Phoebe Pinnock – musician, Heaven the Axe

Chris O’Brien – General Manager, Soundwave Festival

Cael Johnston – National Events Manager, Destroy All Lines

Guy Palermo – publican, The Bendigo Hotel

 

Venue: Fitzroy Town Hall Reading Room

201 Napier St Fitzroy

Date: Wednesday 9th July 2014

Time: 6.00-7.30pm

 

Cost: Music Victoria members free, non-members $10

 

Bookings via TryBooking – trybooking.com/87936

 

Leaps and Bounds Music Festival is proudly presented by City of Yarra, Music Victoria, Beat Magazine & PBS FM with the support of the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation.

www.leapsandboundsmusicfestival.com

Twitter: #lbmf

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MIKELANGELO IS THE BALKAN ELVIS – GRAND OPENING OF COLLINGWOOD TOWN HALL FRIDAY 11 JULY

 

Acclaimed around the world for his voice, charisma and quiff, award winning singer Mikelangelo is The Balkan Elvis!

Join him at Leaps and Bounds Music Festival for the grand opening of Collingwood Town Hall on Friday 11 July for what will be an incredible tour de force!

Speaking from his luxurious estate on the shores of the Black Sea yesterday, Mikelangelo said, “I am honoured and delighted to play in this splendid ballroom.  It is truly a venue fit for The King.”

Imagine, if you will, that Elvis had grown up in the Balkans and that his musical instrument of choice, aside from an impossibly lush voice, was the piano accordion.

Backed by a seven piece brass Balkan band and Eastern Bloc Go-Go Dancers, Mikelangelo sings the hits as you’ve never heard them before, sprinkling hilarious tales of his rags to riches story throughout the show like so much glitter.

This is Elvis as you’ve never seen or heard him before, overflowing with emotion, romance and animal desire, telling the history of the birth of rock’n’roll behind the Iron Curtain.

Mikelangelo is thrilled to be the first artist invited to perform at the Collingwood Town Hall, which has recently had a once-in-a-century refurbishment that has revealed and restored the art-deco delights of the ballroom.

This iconic building’s ballroom was playing host to live music long before punks were thrashing about on the floor of the Tote.

The crowds that arrived for the weekend dances in the mid-20th Century ensured that the ballroom’s well-worn timber floor became the fastest dancefloor in Melbourne.

Live music continued to light up the town hall’s stage until the 1990s.

The stage is set for a musical renaissance and who better to usher in the new era than our very own Balkan Elvis, the aptly named Mikelangelo!

Leaps and Bounds Music Festival is proudly presented by City of Yarra, Music Victoria, Beat Magazine & PBS FM with the support of the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation.

mikelvis

 

For further information please email Karen@karenconradpublicity.com.

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Kelly Menhennett releases ‘Small Dreams’ – a big album – through MGM / The Planet Company – 6 June

South Australian singer songwriter Kelly Menhennett is excited to present her big, beautiful new twelve-song album ‘Small Dreams’, out through MGM The Planet Company on the 6th of June and launching on the 31st of May at The Promethean, Adelaide and followed by more national tour dates in July and August.

After early days performing at a local club in South Australia where she called out meal orders between songs, Kelly left her job as a winemaker for busking in Europe and eventually found her way back to Oz, where she performed gigs small and large, including Woodford Folk Festival.  She went on to win the national 2011/12 “Telstra Road To Discovery Songwriter” award and performed at the 2012 Americana Music Festival in Nashville.

The resulting album, ‘Small Dreams’ was recorded at Mr Lemons Studio, Nashville, by producer, Neilson Hubbard (Mathew Ryan, Kim Richey, Mathew Perryman Jones) with an all-star Nashville band featuring Carl Broemel of My Morning Jacket on electric guitar, Michael Rinne on bass, Evan Hutchings on drums, Kris Donegan on electric guitar and lap slide, Dan Mitchell on the keyboard and flugelhorn, Eamon McLoughlin playing the violin and David Henry on cello.

Kelly said, ‘Small Dreams’ was recorded live in the studio over 3 days and most songs were recorded within 2 or 3 takes but some songs such as ‘Small Dreams’ were recorded in one take, which is pretty impressive considering that these musicians had only been introduced to the songs 20 minutes prior!  I just gave them the charts, played it to them, we discussed it and then we went to our positions to give it a go. It was a terrific experience.”
 
Kelly’s critically aclaimed debut album ‘World Of Mine’ quickly established a devoted audience and found critical acceptance. The songs on the album were all self-penned, including ‘Spanish Harlot,’ which was lifted from the album and used on the ‘Sounds Like Cafe’ compilation album.  ‘World Of Mine’ was named one of the top 10 albums for 2011 by Rhythms magazine’s Sue Barrett. Kelly’s songwriting and performance skills  also won multiple SCALA (Songwriters, Composers And Lyricists Association) awards, in 2010 alone taking out 4 awards.
 
Over the past 4 years Kelly has discovered her love of co-writing, especially, she says, ” …working with artists I admire.”  Of the 12 songs on the album, ten are co-writes with fellow artists including the title track, which was a co-write with Charles Jenkins.  Felicity Urquhart, Sarah Humphreys, Neilson Hubbard, Harry Hookey, Kevin Bennett and Kim Richey also contributed to songs throughout the album and Richey shines on background vocals on her contribution to the album, the lovely, wistful “Fly Away”.  
 
Four years, two trips to Nashville, inestimable work hours and a fair few bottles of red wine later, Kelly is finally ready to launch her big new album ‘Small Dreams’.

You can catch Kelly launching at these upcoming shows:

 

Wheatsheaf Hotel, Adelaide, SA
Sunday June 29th.
Tickets $10 at the door.
 
Banrock Station Wine & Wetland Centre, Kingston-On-Murray, SA
Friday July 4th
Contact Banrock Station on (08) 8583 0299
House Concert, Byron Bay, NSW
Thursday 10th July
The Treehouse, Byron Bay, NSW
Friday 11h July
The Clarendon, Katoomba, NSW – with Felicity Urquhart
Sunday 13th July
Tickets $20, http://www.clarendonguesthouse.com.au/whats_on.html
The Vanguard, Sydney, NSW – with Sarah Humphreys
Tuesday 15th July
Tickets $15/$20, http://www.thevanguard.com.au/shows/2014/07/15/kelly-menhennett/12241
The Front, Canberra, ACT – with Alice Cottee
Wednesday 16th July
Tickets $10 at the door.
The Pizza & Wine Club, Kyneton, VIC
Northcote Social Club, Northcote, VIC – with Monique Brumby
Saturday 19th July
http://northcotesocialclub.com/
Darwin Railway Club, Darwin, NT
Sunday 20th July
Visit Kelly at www.kellymenhennett.com/ or on facebook at www.facebook.com/kmenhennett
 kellypic
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MELBOURNE BODY ART XPO 2014

mbaxBody Art aficionados rejoice! The annual non-profit MBAX Melbourne Body Art Xpo is back for their 6th huge year in 2014 with the theme “Out of the Ashes.”

Artists are invited to share their creative visions by painting whatever associations they make within the “Out Of The Ashes” theme onto human canvases.

It’s free to watch the artists work during the day time and sponsor stalls will also be open for business.

Competitors will have a maximum of six hours to paint their models and this year’s categories include airbrush, brush and sponge, special effects and a novice and fluorescent section.

Medals and certificates are presented for all artists and trophies for victorious participants as well as special prizes for best model performance.

Like other grass roots forms of creative expression such as cosplay, body modification, tattoo art and street art, body art is at the cutting edge of the cultural revolution that has come from our people, from our cities and from our sensibility of the world today.

And yet, its roots are ancient. Indigenous people the world over have been decorating their bodies in ritual and celebration since before recorded history.

Founder and director Ria Clauss started the inaugural showcase in Melbourne at “The Spot” in Brunswick in April 2009.

After such an amazing response to the first competition, in subsequent years

it was held at the Carlton Brewhouse in Abbotsford. This year the event has morphed into the Melbourne Body Art Xpo, hosted by the underground venue Revolt in Kensington.

“I’ve changed it to an expo because it’s become so huge and we’ll be having terrific local live music this year, so we want people to be able to move around a bit, dance, socialise.” Ria says.

Applications are now open for both performers and artists through the website or by emailing ria.clauss@bigpond.com

The 2014 Melbourne Body Art Xpo

Saturday 16th August at Revolt, 12 Elizabeth Street, Kensington, from 10am to midnight.

Tickets for the public are on sale from 12 May at Revolt Art Space website from www.revoltproductions.com

Entry: $50 Family of 4 Single $30 Concession $25 Early Bird tickets $5 off

For more information please visit

www.mbac.net.au