FNQ MUSICAL TALENT SHOWCASE AT TANKS UNPLUGGED – TONY HILLIER’S WORLD OF MUSIC MAY 3 2013

This weekend is the first Tanks Unplugged music event of the year – at the Tanks Arts Centre in Cairns. The Tanks combines with http://www.entertainmentcairns.com  proprietor Ray Elias to showcase some of our far north Queensland musical talent.

Cairns singer songwriter Chris Wighton is on the bill – Chris has been confined to a wheel-chair since a horrific mountain bike accident last year, but he’s still making  music. Chris has supported touring acts at the Tanks, he’s a Tablelands Folk Festival veteran and has performed at Woodford Folk Festival. He’s also been a regular performer at Rusty’s Market in Cairns. His songs are a powerful blend of humour and social conscience, energy and insight.

Dennis Rose is one of FNQ‘s best known singer songwriters. He has a knack for capturing the feel of our tropical northern home in his songs, the best known of which is Yarrabah – a song about an indigenous community just across the inlet from Cairns. Dennis performs regularly around the Cairns and Port Douglas areas.

Also appearing at Tanks Unplugged – The Hillbilly Goats. This band in action is a joy to behold — bringing new life to the old-time music re-popularised by the movie O Brother Where Art Thou. The Hillbilly Goats perform regularly around FNQ – do yourself a favour & check them out http://www.hillbillygoats.com.au/

LISTEN Click on the red arrow to hear this week’s World of Music with Tony Hillier

TRACK LIST

Chris Wighton       – Always Tomorrow

Dennis Rose         – Yarrabah

The Hillbilly Goats – Blackberry Blossom

Tony Hillier is one of Australia’s leading music journalists and a musician of long standing here in far north Queensland. His informed and insightful coverage of music features in The Weekend Australian and Rhythms magazine http://rhythms.com.au/ .

Tony Hillier’s World of Music is also available as a podcast. Search for Tony Hillier on your podcast app or in the iTunes store. And you can stay in touch with the FNQ music scene with Tony at http://www.entertainmentcairns.com/hilliers-hotline-archive.php

 

HOME SHOWS — CAIRNS TRIES A NEW CONCEPT IN LIVE MUSIC

JORDAN BRODIE LIVE AT ANDY'S SATURDAY NIGHT HOME SHOW

On Saturday night, a small group of music lovers gathered for a concert – in Andy Redhead’s living room. They enjoyed a stunning performance from 16-year-old Cairns guitarist Jordan Brodie, and they may well have been part of a historic first.

Andy Redhead has been performing music and teaching guitar in Cairns since 1981. Like many FNQ musicians, he’s watched the local music scene rise and fall – when the economy takes a down-turn, paying gigs become harder to get, booking agents take a sometimes painful slice and musicians struggle to survive.

Andy Redhead

So Andy has come up with the idea of having live gigs at home. Guests bring drink and nibbles, and they kick in a few bucks each to pay the musician. The musician gets an opportunity to perform and interact with an audience on a more intimate scale, and learns something about running their musical career as a business.

The first “home show” was a great success –  Andy says there will be more and he hopes the idea catches on with Cairns music lovers.

Click on the audio player to hear Jordan and Andy explain the “home show” idea.

More about Jordan Brodie at http://www.entertainmentcairns.com/jordanbrodie“and watch him playing at http://www.youtube.com/user/JordanBrodieMusic?feature=mhee

More about Andy Redhead http://www.andyredhead.com/