Arts and Entertainment Archive

In my early twenties, I lived in a flat with my (much hipper) cousin David. The music that wafted from his room was an education in itself. To my Glam-rock gilded ears the exotic and alien sounds of jazz and Prog were …

Sydney’s favourite prehistoric party, Jurassic Lounge, will return from extinction at the Australian Museum to celebrate the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead on November 1. Programming consultant Lupita Feint explains that the festival traditionally gathers family and friends to remember those …

Whirling dervishes may not commonly be associated with the baroque chamber repertoire, but the versatile Brandenburg Orchestra invited a troupe from Southern Turkey to tour Australia as part of its project to explore the musical traditions of other cultures across the 16th, …

If classical saxophonist Amy Dickson’s new album was a Hollywood movie it would be set in the 1960s on the Mediterranean and its leading lady would be lounging by the pool in a long gown with her hair done and a cocktail …

The Antenna Documentary Festival launched its fourth edition with the premiere of the most fascinating and crazy documentary seen yet, Bugarach. The year’s festival motto is “you couldn’t make this up…” and we certainly couldn’t when we take a look at the quality …

Stephen Sondheim is one of Broadway’s most influential and prolific musical playwrights, certainly of the twentieth century, and arguably of all time. Squabbalogic’s production of Sondheim on Sondheim is a celebration of the life and work of the proclaimed musical God. The …

Words and music. Iconic Australian songwriter Richard Clapton has celebrated 40 years of writing and making music with the simultaneous release of his autobiography together with a three CD (plus DVD) set. Iconic is a lazy word, overused in the relentless sales …

Willow Beats may not defy genres but they certainly use them as decoys. With references to alchemy, the primal elements and soundscapes rich with ocean and forest sounds, you’d be forgiven for calling them New Age, until the breaks, heavy vocal modulation …

Toby Schmitz has a killer script in his hands with Mark O’Rowe’s no holds barred knockout of a play, Howie the Rookie. Returning to his Sydney stomping ground, the Old Fitzroy Hotel, Schmitz directs a blistering 80-minute tale of revenge, redemption and a …

Queensland musician Ben Craven describes himself as a cinematic progressive-rock singer-songwriter-performer-producer. But internationally he is regarded as a true Prog Lord. His last album – Great and Terrible Potions – was entirely created, performed and recorded by Craven. Great and Terrible Potions …