WITH the music festival season on our doorstep, the Chook has a rundown of all the cool bands and artists playing gigs in Greater Fremantle over summer.
The Fremantle Arts Centre have outdone themselves this year with a great line-up of acts.
If you get the Herald early, you can catch grammy-winning composer Antonio Sánchez performing live alongside the 10th anniversary screening of the film BIRDMAN on Friday October 18.
The original score for Birdman consists entirely of solo jazz percussion written and performed by Sánchez.
Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu said the music helped structure the film’s scenes and that “the drums, for me, were a great way to find the rhythm of the film…”
Continuing the jazzy theme, London-born saxophonist, composer and bandleader NUBYA GARCIA is playing FAC on Saturday October 26.
She takes the hoary old genre and gives it a much-needed 21st century twist, fusing dub, R&B and classical in her fiery compositions.
Local indie-pop favourites SAN CISCO are playing the FAC on November 9 and 10 as part of their Under the Light tour.
If you enjoy breezy, bitter-sweet melodies and jangly guitars, this trio will be right up your twee, crocheted alley.
Was the 1980s your favourite decade for music?
If so, you’ll probably be excited about THE THE at FAC on Wednesday November 27.
After four decades of making music, the new wave London band will play their first Perth show in more than 30 years, belting out hits including This Is the Day and Uncertain Smile.
And let’s not forget about legendary singer-songwriter RUFUS WAINWRIGHT, who will be playing FAC on Saturday January 4, a decade on from his last visit to WA.
Aside from the larger concerts on South Lawn, FAC will be doing their weekly free SUNDAY COURTYARD gigs with a diverse range of bands including WA Badass Gospel Choir, Dave McCormack & Emily Barker, Timothy Nelson & The Infidels, and GunFu.
And of course there’s Mojos Bar – the long-running North Freo venue will have its usual great mix of local, national and international acts with INXS’s ANDREW FARRISS playing on Sunday November 10.
Festivals have been dropping like flies recently (WA’s Promise Village, Groovn The Moo, BluesFest and Splendour In The Grass) as the cost of living crisis hits, but thankfully the FREMANTLE BEERFEST at Esplanade Park is still going ahead on November 15-17.
It’s conclusive proof that beer is the amber nectar of the Gods, is vital for our national economy, and beer bellies on middle-aged men are sexy.
The festival has more than 16 musical acts including Emily Joy, Johannah Grace, Sgt. Hulka, and the Michael Ward Trio, with the Sneaky Sound System headlining.
Meanwhile the future of the FALLS FESTIVAL, held in downtown Freo, still remains uncertain.
Acid house
The popular new year’s festival went on hiatus in 2024, but so far there has been no announcement about it returning for 2025.
After you’ve drunk too much and broken all your new year’s promises, get ready for a night in jail.
I’m of course talking about PRIMAL SCREAM’S January 16 gig at Fremantle Prison.
The band exploded onto the UK music scene in 1991 with the album Screamadelica, a unique blend of acid house, pop and rock that spawned killer singles Movin’ On Up and Loaded.
The band then went down a more bluesy road, pillaging the Rolling Stones’ playbook, with hits like Rocks.
It’s sure to be a fun night with plenty of rousing, uplifting 90s anthems.
by STEPHEN POLLOCK