Music News Australia

Sunday, 17 February 2013

Tropfest 2013; Sydney, Australia: Red carpet and awards update

Tropfest 2013 on tonight: Sydney, Australia; Red carpet and awards update

Not many festivals can claim the title of being Australia’s most prestigious short film festival and largest short film festival in the world at the same time. Such is the stage of Tropfest – one of Australia’s most iconic cultural events.

From its humble beginnings in 1993 as a screening for 200 people in a Sydney cafe, Tropfest has grown its audience reach to approximately 150,000 people and expanded to global cities including Abu Dhabi, London, Toronto, Berlin, Bangkok and New York.

Open to anyone who wishes to enter, the annual short film competition provides unique platforms for emerging filmmakers through its events and initiatives. Past judges include high profile film personalities such as Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett, Naomi Watts, Russell Crowe and Keanu Reeves, just to name a few. All films are made especially for Tropfest and include the Tropfest Signature Item (TSI), which changes each year. The 2013 TSI is “Balloon”.

Free to attend, Tropfest is an outdoor celebration complete with live music and entertainment, public catering and bars, red carpet arrivals and the highly anticipated film screenings followed by an award ceremony.

Stay tuned right here at Music News Australia and Media Man for a full report including winners, and be sure to check out some amazing photos of the event at the Eva Rinaldi Photography website.

News Update...

11:00am – Gates Open

12:00pm – Trop Jr 2013 starts

3:00pm – Tropfest 2013 starts

3:20pm – Live performance – Round the Corner

4:15pm – Live performance – MEG MAC

5:15pm – Live performance – Clubfeet

5:50pm – APRA Tropscore

6:00pm – Red Carpet Arrivals

7:15pm – Live performance – Kate Miller-Heidke

7:30pm – Official Festival Program Commences

8:00pm – Finalist Films

1. Great Day

2. Let It Rain

3. Time

4. Scene 16

5. Monobrow

6. Inside

7. The Pledge for Mister Bunny

8. Ca$h Cow – a 63% true story

9. Cargo

10. Taser

11. Punctured

12. Better than Sinatra

13. Remote

14. The Hustle

15. A Man Walks Into A Bar…

16. We’ve All Been There

10:00pm – Judging Time Out

10:15pm – Award Ceremony and 2014 TSI Announcement

10:30pm – Live performance by RÜFÜS

After the festival come and celebrate at the official Tropfest After Party!

Where? Cake Wines Tropfest Pop Up Bar, 77 George St, The Rocks, NSW 2000

About Tropfest...

Tropfest is the largest short film festival in the world and the first truly international film festival. It is also the world’s most exciting platform for up and coming film makers to gain international exposure.

Scores of films made for and screened at Tropfest have gone on to gain commercial distribution. And literally dozens of Tropfest filmmakers have had local and international careers launched as a result of their work being seen in front of thousands of people – including many of the most respected professionals in the film world. The festival is judged by a panel of distinguished industry professionals. Previous judges have included George Miller, Naomi Watts, Elijah Wood, Toni Collette, Salma Hayek, Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman, Baz Luhrmann, Ewan McGregor, Darren Aronofsky, Will Smith, Bryan Singer and many others!

Tropfest was established to encourage production, not just exhibition. Consequently, an annual, randomly-chosen item (known as the Tropfest Signature Item or 'TSI') must be included in each film to show it was made specifically for the festival. We believe that practice makes perfect; only by honing his or her craft will a filmmaker continue to refine their story-telling abilities.

Our mission is to continue to develop the most exciting forum in the world for audiences to come together and celebrate premium short films; and to continue to offer filmmakers a bigger and better platform from which to launch their professional careers.

Tropfest continues to expand internationally. The inaugural Tropfest Arabia was held in Abu Dhabi in November 2011; Tropfest New York and Tropfest Vegas will both be held in June 2012; and Tropfest New Zealand will be held in January 2013. Discussions are underway to bring Tropfest to more destinations around the world including Beijing, Paris, London and Singapore.

Websites

Tropfest (Australia)

www.tropfest.com/au

Tropfest

www.tropfest.com

Music News Australia

www.musicnewsaustralia.com

Eva Rinaldi Photography

www.evarinaldi.com

Thursday, 14 February 2013

RONAN KEATING ‘FIRES LIVE 2013’ AUSTRALIAN TOUR WITH SPECIAL GUEST BRIAN MCFADDEN NEW SYDNEY DATE ADDED

Due to overwhelming demand, McManus Entertainment is thrilled to announce that a new Sydney date has been added to the Ronan Keating ‘Fires Live 2013’ Australian Tour. Owing to the sell-out success of the previously announced concert at Sydney State Theatre on 4 March, a new show has been added at Chatswood Concert Hall on Tuesday 5 March 2013. Sydney audiences will now have three opportunities to see Ronan Keating live in concert, with the tour also including a date at Evan Theatre, Panthers Penrith on 9 March.

Tickets for the new Sydney date go on sale through Ticketek on Monday 18 February at 9am.

Ronan Keating will begin a national Australian concert tour on 1 March with very special guest, good friend and fellow Irishman, Brian McFadden. Along with three Sydney dates, Ronan and Brian will also play Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast and Perth, with tickets for those venues now on sale through various outlets.

As a solo artist Ronan Keating has sold more than 25 million records worldwide, alongside 30 million records with Boyzone. Add this to Brian McFadden’s sales of 40 million records worldwide and that’s a serious amount of records the two artists have sold between them.

Ronan’s soulful pop voice has won him millions of fans around the world and Australia is no exception. As one of the X-Factor’s most popular mentors, he considers Australia a second home.

Apart from Ronan’s incredible work with Boyzone, he has had an extensive solo career. After Boyzone’s 1995 number 2 hit in Australia with Father and Son, Ronan burst back onto the Australian charts in 1999 with the Top 3 smash When You Say Nothing At All. This was followed with more hits, including Life Is a Rollercoaster, Lovin’ Each Day, If Tomorrow Never Comes and his latest single Fires. In 2009, Ronan released the poignant Songs For My Mother (recorded in memory of his late mother), which debuted at number 1 on the Australian ARIA album chart.

Brian McFadden is another Irishman who also considers Australia a second home. The popular judge from ‘Australia’s Got Talent’ will join good friend Ronan on his “Fires” tour. Australia first got to know Brian through popular band Westlife. Since leaving the band, Brian has gone on to carve out a successful solo career, reaching the top of the ARIA singles chart with Almost Here and Just Say So. In 2008 Brian released his top 5 album Set In Stone. Brian will release his brand new studio album through Universal Music in on March 1^st titled, The Irish Connection. The album will include some of Brian’s favourite tracks with some of his favourite artists, including his very good friend, and touring partner, Ronan Keating!

Proudly presented by McManus Entertainment, Empire Touring, TV Week and Mix

Tickets on sale via the below outlets

AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL ‘FIRES LIVE 2013’ TOUR DATES: RONAN KEATING AND BRIAN MCFADDEN

Friday 1 March Melbourne Palais Theatre www.ticketmaster.com.au 136 100

Monday 4 March Sydney State Theatre www.ticketmaster.com.au 136 100

Tuesday 5 March Sydney Chatswood Concert Hall www.ticketek.com.au 132 849

Thursday 7 March Brisbane Riverstage www.ticketmaster.com.au 136 100

Saturday 9 March Sydney Evan Theatre at Panthers Penrith www.penrith.panthers.com.au 02 4720 5555

Sunday 10 March Gold Coast Jupiters Hotel and Casino www.ticketek.com.au 132 849

Tuesday 12 March Perth Crown Perth Theatre www.ticketek.com.au 132 849

The Addams Family broadway musical comes to Sydney, Australia

Broadway Legend Jerry Zaks

The Addams Family Broadway musical comes to Sydney, Australia...

This morning The Addams Family (the musical) held a media call and rehearsed at the ABC Studios.

Dozens of news media including Music News Australia turned up and covered the highly acclaimed show.

From what we saw it looks like the musical lives up to the hype and this may be the best international musical which tours Australia this year.

Fun, quality and brings back memories from when many Australians used to watch the show in its television format. Mark it in your diaries.

Promo...

THE ADDAMS FAMILY, Broadway's musical comedy based on the bizarre and beloved family of characters created by legendary cartoonist Charles Addams, will have its Australian premiere in Sydney on Saturday 23 March 2013 at Sydney's Capitol Theatre.

Playing the lovable and bizarre characters Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester, Grandma, Wednesday, Pugsley and of course, Lurch will be John Waters, Chloë Dallimore, Russell Dykstra, Teagan Wouters, Ben Hudson and Meredith O'Reilly. The cast playing the members of the "other" family are Tony Harvey (Mal Beineke), Katrina Retallick (Alice Beineke), & Tim Maddren (Lucas Beineke).

THE ADDAMS FAMILY features an original story and it's every parent's nightmare. Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family. For parents Gomez and Morticia, it's a shocking development that turns the Addams house upside down when they are forced to host a dinner for the young man and his parents.

THE ADDAMS FAMILY is directed by Broadway legend Jerry Zaks.

THE ADDAMS FAMILY Opens 23 March in Sydney.

About the show...

The Addams Family, Broadway’s smash hit musical comedy brings the deliriously delightful world of Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester, Grandma, Wednesday, Pugsley and Lurch to spooky and spectacular life.

Starring John Waters, Chloë Dallimore and Russell Dykstra, The Addams Family will make its Australian premiere in Sydney in March 2013 at the Capitol Theatre.

The Addams Family features an original story and it’s every father’s nightmare. Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family. And if that weren’t upsetting enough, she confides in her father and begs him not to tell her mother.

Now, Gomez Addams must do something he’s never done before – keep a secret from his beloved wife, Morticia. Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his parents.

Running Time

2 hours and 35 minutes (including one 20 minute interval)

Age Appropriateness

The Addams Family is appropriate for children ages 7 and up.

Websites

The Addams Family musical official website

www.addamsfamilythemusical.com.au

Eva Rinaldi Photography

www.evarinaldi.com

Eva Rinaldi Photography Flickr

www.flickr.com/evarinaldiphotography

Music News Australia

www.musicnewsaustralia.com

Wednesday, 13 February 2013

Ringo Starr & his All-Starr Band - Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, Australia

Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band - Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, Australia...

Ringo Starr (Richard Starkey) has finally returned to Australia to perform in a professional capacity... yes, sorry no Beatles, but if you didn't know already... he was an original.

Surprisingly still in shape and agile, Starr looks like is back to his 1964 fighting weight. The world famous drummer brings not only the big beat but also a nice set of songs.

It's not all about R.S, and nor should it be. His ever-evolving All-Starr Band now includes Todd Rundgren, Steve Lukather (Toto), Gregg Rolie (Santana and Journey) and Richard Page (Mr Mister), Mark Rivera and Gregg Bissonette.

Starr told media: "We have such a mixed bag," "There's people my age and there's kids who are interested in the players. I just want everyone to turn up."

Starr's playlist includes Beatles favourites as well as his solo hits; Yellow Submarine, Matchbox, Honey Don't and It Don't Come Easy.

The group is back at the Hordern Pavilion again tomorrow night, so for some, that will be Valentine's Day delight.

Rather than just play his rockabilly-fuelled highlights from early Beatles' albums (Honey Don't and Act Naturally), Starr also went with his singalong from the White Album, Don't Pass Me By.

Other Starr highlights included a cover of The Shirelles' Boys, which he'd also sung in his pre-Fab Four days as a member of Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, Yellow Submarine and a ragged I Wanna Be Your Man.

A top evening, Starr's show is essentially an evening of two parts. There are FM radio hits from some familiar faces that hold the show together and comprise a great band. Then there's Starr - why most of the crowd turned up in the first place. The Hordern seemed to be about 75% full, which is pretty good, with Starr being the 4th Beatle and all, plus the fact that many groups are currently touring at the moment - all after the entertainment dollar.

Sydney gets Ringo and his mates again tomorrow...then its Melbourne, Saturday and Sunday; Adelaide, February 19; and Perth, February 21.

Special thanks to Ringo, his promoter and everyone else who helped make tonight's show such a great success.