September 19th

Melbourne International Arts Festival

If you've been hanging around Melbourne the last few weeks you may have noticed everything getting incredibly arty! The Fringe Festival wrapped up about a week ago, and it was wham straight into the Melbourne International Arts Festival. The Spiegeltent went up, there's art installations literally jumping up from the water out the front of the National Gallery, there's quite a buzz in the air. And there's still a week to go. 

I had a chat with folks from four events on today's program:

Four members from the Melbourne Ukelele Kollective came in for a few live songs and a chat about their upcoming sold out performance at the Spiegeltent

Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen had a chat on the phone about their kabaret noir performance 

Dan Sultan spoke with me about about The Black Arm Band - Hidden Republic 

Harry James Angus of Jackson Jackson and the Cat Empire spoke about how exposed he's going to feel playing a solo show of pieces written for voice and guitar.

I was blown away by Melbourne group Husky who played last Friday night at the Spiegeltent, I went along not knowing anything about them and never hearing their music, it was the best gig I've seen in yonks. 

Music Log

• Husky - My Heart
  
• Pikelet - Beyond The Sky
  
• Pikelet - They Call It Love? Wow!
  
• Melbourne Ukelele Kollective - New York (live in studio)
  
• Melbourne Ukelele Kollective - Take It Easy (live in Studio)
  
• Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen - A Formidable Marinade
  
• Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen - Set Sail
  
• Matt Walker and Ashley Davies - Try Harder
  
• Abbie Cardwell - The Devil and Me
  
• Lisa Miller - Shining Star
  
• Dan Sultan - Your Love Is Like A Song
  
• Black Arm Band - From Little Things Big Things Grow (Live 2006)
  
• Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu - Djaimirri
  
• Black Arm Band - Took The Children Away (live 2006)
  
• Jackson Jackson - A Hole In The Garden
  
• Jackson Jackson - Angel Dust
  
• Toshi Reagon and Biglovely - Have You Heard
  
• Tiddas - Inside My Kitchen
  
• Jordie Lane - I Could Die Looking At You
  
• Kate Miller-Heidke - Politics In Space
  

MUSIC OBSESSION OF THE WEEK

Dude, it's all about Gurrumul this week. Good on him for his ARIA last night for best independent release, and best world music album. Can't wait to interview him next week. I'll also be playing a chat I had earlier last week with Kate Miller-Heidke. What a lovely lady!