Tag Archives: Enmore Theatre

Splendour in the Grass festival sideshows

Band of Horses at the Enmore Theatre

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

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

The Temper Trap at the Hordern Pavilion

And you can find even more superstars at the Hordern PavilionLCD Soundsystem and Hot Chip will be bringing down the house on Monday 26 July and our own Temper Traps 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.

The Strokes in Sydney

The Strokes

With a major winter music festival only months away, there’s a wave of really awesome bands already announcing sideshows around the end of July. Pencil in Thursday 29 July kids if you’re keen to see the NYC darlings, The Strokes. With the highly anticipated fourth album due to be released in September, the band is back and ready to rock the Hordern Pavilion. Pre-sale tickets already went on sale yesterday, while the general public ones go on sale Monday 12 April. The popular Londoners Mumford & Sons have already sold out their two Enmore Theatre shows on Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4 August. So tough luck.

Something for the diary

Jack White and Alison Moshart are bound for our shores in March next year. The Dead Weather supergroup will be playing at the Enmore Theatre on Friday 26 March, with tickets going on sale Tuesday 24 November.

The Dead Weather

The Dead Weather

Twenty years after they conceived the classic Doolittle album, and five years after their reunion, legendary Pixies return to OZ. They play three shows at the Hordern Pavilion in March. Tuesday 16 March is the only date for which you can score yourself a ticket. Should Will be memorable.

Pixies

Pixies -- Photo © Renaud Monfourny

My picks for Sydney Festival 2010

Camera Obscura

Camera Obscura

I always get so excited about the Sydney Festival. This time it was no different. Rumours had it the Scottish indie pop-rockers Camera Obscura were going to hit the town this January, and to my extreme delight, yes they are! Often compared to one of my absolute favourite bands Belle & Sebastian, this fine quintet came to my attention only a couple of years ago with Let’s Get Out of This Country. I fell in love with their memorable intimate bedroom pop melodies instantly. This is one band you will absolutely adore in the outdoor settings of the Beck’s Festival Bar.

It won’t be as epic as this year’s All Tomorrow’s Parties, but anything staring the brilliant Warren Ellis assures a spellbinding experience. Dirty Three and Laughing Clowns will perform Ocean Songs and History of Rock ‘n’ Roll Vol. 1 albums in their entirety at the Enmore Theatre on Australia Day. Dirty Three formed in Melbourne in 1991 and are Warren Ellis (Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds and Grinderman), Mick Turner  and Jim White. Sydney-based Laughing Clowns formed in 1979, after Ed Kuepper left The Saints. Alongside Kuepper and Jeffrey Wegener, the Sydney Festival version of Laughing Clowns will also feature Louise Elliott, Les ‘Biff’ Millar and Alister Spence.

In my opinion, festivals are just as much about seeing your favourite artists, as discovering new ones. I am quite keen to check out the Chicago-formed alternative country husband and wife duo The Handsome Family, especially since I’ve never seen anyone perform in The Famous Spiegeltent before. The Handsome Family have an impressive musical career of 14 years and nine albums! I say bring on some surreal, poetic American folk.

A new addition to Beck’s Festival Bar are the wonderful folk-rockers The Decemberists. This is an unmissable gig people!