Splendour in the Grass festival sideshows

Band of Horses at the Enmore Theatre

I already miss the hot and long days of summer and its balmy nights. I can’t say I’m a big fan of winter, but I appreciate its charms. With some of the best international bands in town, courtesy of Splendour in the Grass Festival, winter 2010 might just not be too cold after all. The Strokes and Mumford and Sons sideshows sold out in minutes back in April, but try your luck with some of the following:

Band of Horses will play at the Enmore Theatre on Thursday 29 July. Tickets went on sale a few days ago, and at the time of writing this blog, there were still plenty available. Florence and the Machine is back in the country, and will be playing at the Enmore Theatre on Thursday 5, Friday 6 and Saturday 7 August. Tickets went on sale this morning. The beautiful Grizzly Bear will play on Sunday 25 July. Also at the Enmore Theatre will be Jonsi (of Sigur Ros), with a very special performance on Monday 2 August.

Florence and the Machine at the Enmore Theatre

Then there are all the Metro Theatre sideshows! New Yorkers Yeasayer will play on Wednesday 28 July; fresh from their third album tour Midlake are coming to Metro on Saturday 31 July; San Francisco rockers Black Rebel Motorcylce Club will take over the stage on Sunday 1 August; Laura Marling then follows with her own show on Monday 2 August, while the Canadian 8-piece Broken Social Scene will play on Wednesday 4 August. Check out the Metro Theatre site for heaps more bands playing in the 2 weeks around the Splendour weekend.

The Temper Trap at the Hordern Pavilion

And you can find even more superstars at the Hordern Pavilion: LCD Soundsystem and Hot Chip will be bringing down the house on Monday 26 July and our own Temper Trap‘s sold-out show is scheduled for Tuesday 27 July. So there you go. Two music action-packed weeks to bring back a bit of summer heat to your chilly winter nights.

Shoot the Player: Sydney and music on film

A great way to start the new year is by getting out and indulging in the goodies Sydney has on offer this summer. If you need a break from the beach or find the weather rather unappealing, get out there and see lots of international and local gigs at the Sydney Festival, catch a movie at one of the outdoor cinemas, or, for something a bit out of the ordinary, head down to Carriageworks in Newtown for a very interesting project from the Sydney-based Shoot the Player.

Together with Carriageworks, they are presenting an interactive showing of unique one-take music videos featuring local and international artists doing things like hanging out in their pyjamas, performing on the street and buying pastries. The aim of the exhibition is two-fold: to experience the musicians in a new light by seeing them in places one wouldn’t expect them to be normally; and the evolution of the spontaneous and unpredictable one-take music videos as an art form and the ‘do-it-yourself’ concept of filmmaking.

The installation runs until Saturday 30 January, and is free.

Shoot the Player