The Brag

1. The First Record I Bought:
The first album I ever bought was Paula Abdul – Shut up and Dance. We lived in Amsterdam when I was a kid, and I remember watching that ‘Opposites Attract’ video – I LOVED the animated cat and the music channel was one of the only channels we had that were predominantly in English. I remember singing along to all the tracks on that album, going back and listening again these days, it’s become clear I actually had no idea what the songs were about, and had made up plenty of ridiculous replacement lyrics.

Posted: March 11th, 2013 under Brag 503, Music, Music Q & A.
Tags: Darling Harbour, DCup, Harbourfest, Juggernauts DJs, King Street Wharf, The Aston Shuffle DJs, Tonite Only, Van She DJs

Eccentricity and excess is Russell Brand’s mantra. The globally revered comedian, actor and author may be infamous for his loopy and in past-times drug-addled behaviour, but in 2012 he is on a natural high; he’s just performed at the Olympic Closing Ceremony and embarked on a world tour – including stadium-sized shows around Australia.

Posted: December 3rd, 2012 under Arts, Arts - Interview, Brag 491.
Tags: Darling Harbour, I Am A Walrus, Russell Brand, Sydney Entertainment Centre, Tyson Wray

DARLING HARBOUR JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL The Bombay Royale Welcome To Bollywood By Thomas Bailey Snakes! Bullets! Super secret agents! Bandits! Monkeys and tigers! Espionage and romance! These are recurring themes in some of classic Bollywood’s greatest cinematic extravaganzas, where acting and plot take a backseat to some of the craziest, over-the-top song and dance [...]

Posted: June 7th, 2012 under Brag 465 (June 4), Darling Harbour Jazz & Blues Festival, Festivals, Music, Music - Interview, New.
Tags: Blues, Bollywood, Bombay Royale, Darling Harbour, Festival, Jazz, Jazz & Blues Festival, The Basement, Thomas Bailey

Among the wider populace, bassist Phil Stack is probably best recognised for his work with his multi-ARIA-nominated band Thirsty Merc. But to those who have delved a little deeper into the gritty jazz underground, he’s better known as one of the country’s most accomplished jazz double bass players: noted performer and composer, first prize winner of the prestigious National Jazz Awards at Wangaratta, and long-time occupier of a much-coveted seat in James Morrison’s band. “I’ve been doing a bunch of jazz gigs around the place,” Stack tells me. “I’ve been working on some music at home, and I’m just finishing this album with this other rock band I’ve got, House Of Orange. I’ve been doing a lot of recording with that, finishing off a double EP – a loud EP and a soft EP.”

Posted: June 6th, 2012 under Brag 465 (June 4), Darling Harbour Jazz & Blues Festival, Festivals, Music, Music - Interview.
Tags: Blues, Darling Harbour, Festival, Jazz, Jazz & Blues Festival, Phil Stack, Sheridan Morley

If you looked up ‘maverick’ in some kind of fictional dictionary, you’d probably see a picture of Christa Hughes in huge boots, a bikini and an emergency poncho. The vocalist/ringleader/entertainer extraordinaire has previously sung in Machine Gun Fellatio, toured with Circus Oz, and performed in a duo with her piano-playin’ father Dick Hughes – and she’s bringing her unique brand of ruckus to the Darling Jazz & Blues Festival. She’ll be backed by the Honky Tonk Shonks, a band with whom she delivers rambunctious, soulful jazz-era covers of songs like ‘Ace Of Spaces’, ‘I Want You Back’ and Britney’s ‘Toxic’. And she’s enjoying it so much that she’s even planning a reality show further down the track: “How To Do Shonky Reno? Mastershonk?” she suggests. “Replace The Voice with The Shonk?”

Posted: June 6th, 2012 under Brag 465 (June 4), Darling Harbour Jazz & Blues Festival, Feature Music, Music, Music - Interview.
Tags: Blues, Christa Hughes, Darling Harbour, Festival, Jazz, Jazz & Blues Festival, Laurence Rosier Staines, Music, Shonky