Wednesday 24 April 2013

BABY ANIMALS RETURN TO THE SPOTLIGHT IN 2013 WITH A NEW ALBUM & EAST COAST TOUR




You heard right, the Baby Animals are back with their third studio album, the first in twenty years. This Is Not The End will be released on Friday 31st May via Social Family Records.  To celebrate the release of the album the band have announced today that they will tour the East Coast of Australia this June, with tickets going on sale from Monday 29th April.

It’s been two decades since their last full-length studio album and the Baby Animals strike a familiar pose with their enigmatic singer Suze DeMarchi and her talismanic guitarist Dave Leslie returning for action. They’re joined by rhythm section comprising of two familiar faces in Dario Bortolin on bass and Mick Skelton on drums.

This is Not the End is a genuine rock album with a return to classic Baby Animals form that their fans will love.  The Perth-born singer and guitarist Dave Leslie have either penned or co-written all songs on this album, some of which draw on the break-up of Suze’s marriage with guitar hero Nuno Bettencourt. The album was produced by ARIA award-winning producer David Nicholas (INXS, Ash), and Nick DiDia (Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots) also lent his considerable skill on the record’s first single Email.

“I’m really, really proud of this album. I love every track and I can’t wait to perform these songs on tour. I love playing live; gigs really are the pay off. We want to go wherever this record takes us,” enthuses Suze.

This Is Not The End is the start of a new beginning for the band.  They are thrilled to be releasing new material in this day and age, where the music industry has changed so dramatically since their last release. 

“We feel more driven than we were when we were younger,” says Suze. “We decided to buck the system with this record and put it out independently. The music business is so stale right now, we wanted to do it differently. We’ve been able to really reconnect with our fans on social media.”

The path tread by Baby Animals has had some incredible high points. There were the many memorable hits which have included Early Warning, Rush You, Painless and One Word. The band’s eponymous album spent six weeks at No. 1 in Australia, converting platinum sales and selling over one million albums worldwide. There were ARIA Awards, international touring and friendships with Van Halen, Robert Plant, Paul Rodgers, and Bryan Adams. Suze has enjoyed the induction into the Western Australian Music Industry Association’s (WAMI) Hall of Fame.  More than two decades have passed since the Baby Animals exploded onto the scene and today the band are standing taller, feeling more empowered and sounding even stronger than ever before.

AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES – ON SALE FROM MONDAY 29th APRIL 2013
              Friday 14th June           Sydney: Factory Theatre
Saturday 22nd June         Melbourne: Hi Fi
Saturday 29th June         Brisbane: Hi Fi

Baby Animals, This Is Not The End available Friday 31st at http://thebabyanimals.com

RISING MEZZO-SOPRANO FIONA CAMPBELL PLAYING THIS WEEK - CHATSWOOD, CITY AND PENRITH



REMEMBER ME
Rising star Australian mezzo-soprano Fiona Campbell along-with other leading singers are heading to Chatswood, Penrith and Angel Place in late April
 Fri. 26th April, 7pm, Concert Hall, The Concourse, Chatswood
Sat. 27th April, 2pm, Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, Penrith
Sun. 28th April, 5pm, City Recital Hall Angel Place

Rising star Australian mezzo-soprano Fiona Campbell will perform her first complete Dido alongside some of  Australia’s best young and experienced singers, Anna Fraser, Penelope Mills, Richard Butler, Tobias Cole,  Alexander Knight with Sydney Philharmonia’s Chamber Singers and period instrumental ensemble, conducted by Brett Weymark.
Australian born mezzo soprano Fiona Campbell is an accomplished international performer, recitalist and recording artist.  Vocal winner of the ABC Young Performer of the Year Award and the Opera Awards, in the prestigious Australian Singing Competition, Fiona has consistently received wide critical acclaim for her powerful performances and exquisite musicianship.
"We have so many truly great singers in Australia but when we were discussing Dido for our 2014 season only one artist came to mind, fiona campbell" said music director Brett Weymark. " I cannot wait to start rehearsing this tragic work With her. A great queen undone by love. Fiona will not only bring a total commitment to the role but a fresh insight as it will be the first time she has performed the role in context - her first complete Dido in fact. I am thrilled to be sharing this experience with her."
Sydney Philharmonia will perform its first-ever concert at the Concourse in Chatswood  in addition to a performance at City Recital Hall Angel Place and we will continue its  inaugural Western Sydney season with a performance at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre in Penrith.
The program includes Henry Purcell's sole opera Dido and Aeneas which is considered as the greatest operatic achievement of 17th century England and the first great English opera.  Music inspired  by  flowers will also be performed including Britten’s  Five  Flower  Songs, Ross Edwards’  lively  Flower  Songs  and  Paul Mealor’s Now Sleeps  the Crimson Petal.   Mealor’s music was heard by an  international audience at  the Royal Wedding of Prince William.
 Tickets $45 - $90 (plus applicable booking fees) 02 9251 3115 or www.sydneyphilharmonia.com.au

Coachella’s Hottest Bands Play the Soho House After-Party



DJ sets from Alt-J, Grimes, Foals,  Twin Shadow


CALIFORNIA, April 2013: Following their successful hit on the soundtrack for Oscar-winning Silver Linings Playbook, British indie rock band Alt-J continue to set alight the music world with an electrifying DJ set, at BACARDÍ’s Coachella after party.

The 2012 British Mercury Prize winners DJ’d at the exclusive after party, which was attended by some of the industry’s hottest names including: Foals, Grimes, Twin Shadow, DJ Whitney Fierce, Jamie Jones, La Roux. 

Set within the striking backdrop of the Californian desert, guests including Foals were brought to the party in style. BACARDÍ over the past 150 years has been bringing the good and the great to its parties, and this party was no exception. VIP guests arrived in retro 1950s classic Cadillac cars, ensuring they made a true Hollywood entrance.

This exclusive web video features interviews with Alt-J and Foals, talking about the music industry as well as their performance at the festival.

Coachella is a three day music and arts festival held in the city of Indio, California, featuring various musical genres including rock, indie and hip hop. Established and up-and-coming artists travel from far and wide to perform at Coachella; in the past luminaries such as Paul McCartney, Madonna, Oasis and Prince have graced its stages.