11 February 2013

Spiegel Garden program is out

| johnboy
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So it’s not the Spiegel Tent we’re getting, which explains some disquiet. It’s a Spiegel Garden. It might be in a tent too.

The Centenary team are letting it be known that the delayed program is now out.

Gosh! Robyn Archer in concert!

The programme – which runs from March 1st to 24th – includes such famous names as Parisienne chanteuse Caroline Nin, Irish folk singer Mary Coughlan and world-renowned cabaret artist Robyn Archer, as well as jaw-dropping circus and burlesque from the five-star sell-out show, Briefs. Bands include The Gadflys, Perch Creek Family Band, Mikelangelo & The Black Sea Gentlemen, Flap! and The Naughty Rhythms.

This legendary pleasure garden, with its unique, mirrored, Belgian spiegeltent, has spent many years travelling to arts festivals and fairs throughout Europe and Australia, but will visit Canberra for the first time when it takes its place in the Senate Rose Garden, next to Old Parliament House.

Many top artists originating from the capital will be showcasing their talents at The Spiegeltent, including duo Frencham Smith, singer-songwriter Daniel Champagne, rhythm & blues group The George Washingmachine Band, ’80s good-time party band Cell Block 69 and indie rockers The Falling Joys.

Other highlights include a live broadcast by Australia’s longest-running satirical radio show, How Green Was My Cactus, an afternoon of smooth sounds from Canberra Jazz Club – including the screening of a documentary on Madame Pat Thomson (plus concert) – and a screening of a film series on Canberra from its inception to the present day by the National Film and Sound Archive.

The dazzling season will also include children’s and family entertainment during the days, delicious food, cool drinks, hot sounds and all manner of festival frivolity at night.

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Girt_Hindrance10:09 pm 07 Mar 13

poetix said :

Girt_Hindrance said :

….

That being said, I’m looking forward to the Canberra Jazz Club, I understand they’ve teamed up with Members of Sydney’s Bridge City Jazz Band for an afternoon of tunes from the 1920’s to mid 1940’s. should be awesome and unfortunately as most of the younger cats in the band are in their 70’s, might not get too many more opportunities to see them play together…

I agree, this is the highlight of this season for me too. Not usually my favourite form of jazz, but there’s something wonderful about people who have been with music all their life performing something they love.

But there’s just so much, despite that chill from the Brindies, and accompanying cold vibe…(Thank you Martin McKenzie-Murray.)

Hehe- very diplomatic paraphrasing, I tips me hat to you.

Girt_Hindrance said :

….

That being said, I’m looking forward to the Canberra Jazz Club, I understand they’ve teamed up with Members of Sydney’s Bridge City Jazz Band for an afternoon of tunes from the 1920’s to mid 1940’s. should be awesome and unfortunately as most of the younger cats in the band are in their 70’s, might not get too many more opportunities to see them play together…

I agree, this is the highlight of this season for me too. Not usually my favourite form of jazz, but there’s something wonderful about people who have been with music all their life performing something they love.

But there’s just so much, despite that chill from the Brindies, and accompanying cold vibe…(Thank you Martin McKenzie-Murray.)

Girt_Hindrance4:50 pm 07 Mar 13

Masquara said :

Will archer be double dipping and paid a fee?

Hahaha! Classic Masquara, a stickler for consistency.

That being said, I’m looking forward to the Canberra Jazz Club, I understand they’ve teamed up with Members of Sydney’s Bridge City Jazz Band for an afternoon of tunes from the 1920’s to mid 1940’s. should be awesome and unfortunately as most of the younger cats in the band are in their 70’s, might not get too many more opportunities to see them play together…

sengledow said :

Funny thing about there being no tent. Went to watch a band there last night (Bearded Gypsy Band – awesome) and entered into and sat down in what looked really like a Spiegeltent, even the Famous Spiegeltent. How someone got it in their head the Spiegeltent wasn’t going to be in Canberra is beyond me.

Mea culpa. It isn’t the Famous Spiegeltent but ‘Idolize’ a spiegeltent apparently owned by Dutch firm Van Rosmalen (according to the webs). So the mystery of a spiegeltent beiing in two spots at the one time is solved (Answer: two spiegeltents) but leaving me with a slightly eggy face.

Funny thing about there being no tent. Went to watch a band there last night (Bearded Gypsy Band – awesome) and entered into and sat down in what looked really like a Spiegeltent, even the Famous Spiegeltent. How someone got it in their head the Spiegeltent wasn’t going to be in Canberra is beyond me.

Let me guess Masquara, Robyn was on an Arts committee that knocked back your funding?
And you have the nerve to accuse someone of “rabbiting on” after your spray…

Rabbiting on about the quality of the cabaret gigs doesn’t alter the fact that this whole city has been stood up and what is now on offer is NOT the Spiegeltent!

Meanwhile former Canberran Michele d’Arbela, owner of the Spiegeltent – whose gig warranted a full promo page in the Centenary hardcopy program, promising 27 February to 4 March – bumped the Canberra Centenary for the following one-night-only gig in Melbourne on 1 March. Interestingly, Spiegeltent prefers to be doing NOTHING rather than being in Canberra from 27 February to 1 March, as there are no gigs on those days! Oh, and something described as a “cooking class” …

“From the shores of Trinidad, Mighty Duke & The Lords have been locked away in Bamboo HQ, crafting their interpretation of the mother music of the Caribbean CALYPSO!

“Featuring members from The Lucksmiths, The Suitcase Royale, Melbourne Ska Orchestra and Abbie Cardwell and the Chicano Rockers, MD&TL belt out a cacophony of sizzling brass and junk […] “

OK so this may have been a bit of a shemozzle with the late release of the program and all. And naming yourself as a headline act is pretty bad form. But how is the overall line-up such an embarrassment?

As far as I know, the Spiegelgardententcontraptionthing is all about cabaret, and they’ve booked some of the best Australian performers in the genre.

Flap! is probably the most exciting old timey jazz/gypsy band in the country at the moment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kokZqmrqYMc

Mikelangelo & The Black Sea gents are also fantastic, and Canberra-grown, but not playing loads anymore.

I’m guessing The Wild Party is the production by Vashti Hughes (sister of Machine Gun Fellatio’s Christa), which is a show I’ve actually been wanting to see for a while:
https://www.whatsonsydney.com/eventDetails.aspx/12249/the-wild-party-ginsoaked-jazz-classic-returns.

And as far as jazz violinists go, George Washingmachine is pretty baller.

Yeah I’m probably a tad more excited than most because I really dig this kinda thing, but who else should they have tried to attract for a cabaret venue? Were you hoping for Mumford & Sons?

Will archer be double dipping and paid a fee?

So much for Robin Archer and her ‘influence’ and ‘connections’. What an embarrassment. So just as many expected, no one who matters gives a rat’s about Canberra. What is archer actually going to achieve for Canberra then? We would be better off with some unpretentious parties and those millions NOT allocated to community stuff could have bought Canberra something worthwhile. Centenary is a consultancy fest for PR mates and lacking imagination inspiration and polish.

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