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Dive into the dazzling program of performances, plays, adaptations and ambitious events set for SEASON 2025 at

ARTS CENTRE

GEELONG

SATURDAY, DEC 21, 2024: ON SALE NOW! Mamma Mia PARTY!

SATURDAY, DEC 28, 2024: ON SALE NOW! Torren Foot & Airwolf Paradise

SUNDAY, DEC 29, 2024: ON SALE NOW! Cut Copy + Midnight Juggernauts

TUESDAY, DEC 31, 2024: ON SALE NOW! NYE PARTY!

THURSDAY, JAN 2, 2025: ON SALE NOW! Jack Botts

THURSDAY, JAN 2, 2025: ON SALE NOW! 2000s+2010s Party!

FRIDAY, JAN 3, 2025: SELLING FAST!

Hot Chip – DJ Set

SUNDAY, JAN 5, 2025: SELLING FAST! Mark Seymour & The Undertow

SATURDAY, JAN 11, 2025: SELLING FAST!

The Whitlams

SUNDAY, JAN 12, 2025: ON SALE NOW! The

Black Sorrows

TUESDAY, JAN 14, 2025: ON SALE NOW!

Pete Murray

SATURDAY, JAN 18, 2025: ON SALE NOW!

CRUSH3d

THURSDAY, JAN 23, 2025 : SELLING FAST!

Daryl Braithwaite

SUNDAY, FEB 2, 2025: ON SALE NOW!

Wheatus

EDITORIAL NOTE

EDITOR

Tammy Walters

PARTNERSHIPS

& CAMPAIGN MANAGER

Matt Wilkinson

DESIGNER

Riley McDonald

GIG GUIDE

Tammy Walters

CONTRIBUTORS

Alex Callan, Chester Ogilvie, Chloe Cicero, Kaya Martin, Lucas Radbourne, Jacob Mccormack, Benjamin Lamb, Frankie Anderson-Byrne

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Oh

baby, it’s double the trouble as we jump into our end of 2024 / start of 2025 bridging issue, diving into all things December and January. Fittingly, this issue is full of celebrations and send-offs.

Æ It all starts with pivotal arts movers and shakers, Geelong Arts Centre who launch their SEASON 2025 program. Through our cover story, we sift through their ambitious and populous program of performances, events, plays, and adaptations, including the reinvigorated REWIRE series and their extended series of song showcases. From classic literary favourite Looking for Alibrandi to the jaw-dropping choreography of momenta, the program really does have something for everyone.

In similar fashion, the future is looking bright for intimate concert series, Sofar Geelong, who reflect on their first twelve months of extensive gig curation and spill secrets for 2025, along with Nightjar Market who appeal for community to continue championing festivals into the summer season. As we approach the end of the year, we’re also approaching the end of a festival friend, with Meadow reaching a milestone and making an exit. A salute and a special send-off is in order and they have just the lineup to do it! In addition, we chat to Band of Horses for A Day On The Green, discuss touring with Hot Water Music, and have a spray with Claudia Gold aka Claw Money. On the album front, Linkin Park, Kendrick Lamar, Mirrorshield, The Fauves and Flesh Cherub go under the microscope, and in tasting territory we dine with Maestro, Splatters Cheese Bar, Wildfire Craft Beer and Mortadeli. What a spread!

Pop the champagne, it’s time to toast!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF TRADITIONAL OWNERS

Our magazine is published on the lands of the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation, and we wish to acknowledge them as Traditional Owners. We pay our respects to their elders, past, present and emerging.

DISTRIBUTION

Forte Magazine will be distributed for free monthly to hundreds of regional Victoria locations. To enquire about having Forte Magazine at your venue email distribution@fortemag.com.au

COVER

Our December/January cover is The Light Inside by Bangarra Dance Theatre. Geelong Arts Centre SEASON 2025

Credit: Daniel Boud

TEAM PICKS

TAMMY Editor

“Dear Santa, I was framed.”

RILEY Designer ‘We Wish You A Merry Christmas’ August Burns Red

“One of the most truly confusing experiences I’ve subjected my ears to. Merry Chrimbo!”

NEWS

Ç TASMANIA’S ULTIMATE ARTS AND MUSIC EVENT DARK MOFO WILL MAKE A RETURN IN 2025

Hobart’s ambitious arts, music and cultural experience, Dark Mofo, to be resurrected in the new year. After taking a break in 2024 and offering only a slim selection of events, Dark Mofo has announced it will be returning for its 11th festival as big and bold as ever from 5 - 15 June.

MINISTRY OF SOUND TESTAMENT TAKES OVER AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND AND BALI IN 2025

After incredible sold-out tours in 2023 and 2024, Ministry of Sound is journeying back to the underground in April 2025 with the biggest TESTAMENT tour yet. Presented in specially curated sessions (90s & 00s) over 12 nights in 8 cities across 3 countries, TESTAMENT celebrates the golden era of clubbing, taking over venues, clubs and warehouse spaces where dance music fuelled generations of unity on the dancefloor.

Ç MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST AND PRODUCER, JARON JAY JOINS LAWRENCE DEBUT AUSTRALIAN TOUR

Frontier Touring have announced local talent, multi-instrumentalist, producer and standup musician, Jaron Jay as the exclusive touring support for the upcoming Australian headline shows for New York City sibling soul pop group, Lawrence. Titled The Family Business Tour, the sold-out January East Coast dates across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are the bands debut in the country.

Ç SURF COAST TREK TURNS TEN

7759 trekkers, 281,268kms travelled, 12,000 bananas eaten and $2.1m raised, Surf Coast Trek walks into its tenth year, returning to the Geelong region in 2025. An annual favourite fundraiser on the region’s calendars, The Surf Coast Trek will travel to Torquay from either Airey’s Inlet or Anglesea on Saturday 5 April 2025.

SUMMERSALT DROPS 2025 LINEUP AND DATES

SummerSalt is gearing up for another year of stellar entertainment, announcing their first wave of shows. With four dates across March and April in Launceston, Mornington, Mount Gambier and Port Macquarie, SummerSalt will go allAussie with Missy Higgins, John Butler, Fanning Dempsey National Park, The Waifs, The Whitlams, and Josh Pyke.

APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR LIFECYCLE TOURING

GRANTS FOR UP TO $20,000 FOR ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT

ISLANDER MUSIC CREATORS

The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Music Office (NATSIMO) with funding from Music Australia, has announced the first series of LIFECYCLE Touring Grants, providing 12 grants of $20,000 for touring artists. Applications close on 22 December, 11.59 AEST.

SONGS FROM THE CANYON RETURNS WITH TRIBUTES TO JONI MITCHELL, BEACH BOYS, BYRDS AND MORE

Songs From The Canyon is set to return in 2025, bringing its homage to the golden age of music back to Australian stages for nine shows along the East Coast. There will be dates in Geelong, Bendigo and Melbourne on the Victorian front across April.

AVALON AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL AIRSHOW FLIES INTO VIEW FOR 2025

Held biennially, Avalon Australian International Airshow 2025 will be the sixteenth airshow and exposition staged at Geelong’s Avalon Airport. Heading back to the local airport from 25 – 30 March, Avalon Australian International Airshow is the largest airshow in the Southern Hemisphere.

BAMBRA’S BIGGEST FESTIVAL, MEADOW, CALLS 10TH YEAR, FINAL YEAR

Bambra’s favourite three-day genremelding music festival, Meadow has announced the dates for their 2025 return, whilst calling the 10 year celebration their last. Taking over Bambra Bowl for one last time, Meadow 2025 will take place 21 – 23 March 2025 with huge talent Hiatus Kiayote, Pond and MJ Lenderman.

Ç LENNY PEARCE TEAMS UP WITH SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS THIS SUMMER FOR REEF RAVE TOUR

Following on from his Little Ravers sold-out appearances earlier this year, multi-Platinum and ARIA-nominated DJ and producer Lenny Pearce is bringing his global reputation as the trailblazing architect of Toddler Techno and Baby Raves to each corner of the country this summer with a special Spongebob Squarepants experience.

TEN YEARS IN THE MAKING: KASABIAN RETURN TO AUSTRALIA

It’s been too long between visits to Australian audiences for UK altrockers Kasabian, ten years in fact. Making up for lost time the band are heading back down under for a headline tour of Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane set for March 2025.

Ç BORDERVILLE SUMMER FESTIVAL CELEBRATES TENTH YEAR OF BRINGING CIRCUS ANTICS TO ALBURY/WODONGA

Australia’s National Youth Circus, The Flying Fruit Fly Circus has announced the return of their annual Borderville Summer Festival, launching a thrilling 2024 program. Taking place across three consecutive weekends from 3 –20 December, the Borderville Summer Festival will celebrate ten years.

Ç SWEDISH ROCK ICONS OPETH ARE TOURING AUSTRALIA IN NOVEMBER

Swedish rock icons Opeth have officially announced a headline tour across Australia and New Zealand, scheduled for November 2025. This much-anticipated tour marks the band’s return to the region after a six-year wait, with seven massive shows promising over two hours of live music at each performance.

KELI HOLIDAY TAKES JESTERMAN EP REGIONAL

Keli Holiday is on his way to get sweaty with regional audiences. Following the release of his latest single ‘Online Jesus’ with Alex Cameron, and soldout shows around the country for his JESTERMAN EP tour, Keli Holiday announces a huge 20-date regional tour, JESTERMAN – The Final Clown for the start of 2025 including Frankston, Ballarat and Geelong touchdowns.

Ç BALLARAT BEGONIA FESTIVAL TO RETURN LABOUR DAY WEEKEND

Ballarat Botanical Gardens have announced the return of their beloved annual Ballarat Begonia Festival for 2025. Taking place across the Labour Day long weekend on Saturday 8 to Monday 10 March, the festival is a celebration of horticulture, sustainability and community, whilst welcoming in the vibrant flowers.

Ç ASIA TOPA FESTIVAL UNVEILS FULL 2025 PROGRAM, BRINGING THE BEST OF ASIA-PACIFIC ARTS TO MELBOURNE

After a five-year hiatus, Asia TOPA (AsiaPacific Triennial of Performing Arts) returns to Melbourne with a spectacular and diverse program of performances, exhibitions and events. Taking place from 20 February to 10 March 2025, Asia TOPA will showcase the vibrant creativity and cultural dynamism of the Asia-Pacific region, featuring 33 performances, 18 of which are world premieres and 18 new commissions from across the Asia-Pacific.

RYAN ADAMS RETURNS TO AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND

The 7-time GRAMMY-award nominated artist will be bringing his massive Heartbreaker world tour to Australia and New Zealand in celebration of his 2000’s debut acclaim album Heartbreaker. He will hit down in the country in October 2025, playing five dates across Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

LET IT RIP: A MUSIC FUNDRAISER FOR OCEAN MIND IS COMING TO TORQUAY

The first of what is set to become an annual fundraising event, Ocean Mind Let It Rip fundraiser brings together a league of local musicians for a great cause. Held at Torquay Surf Life Saving Club on Saturday 14 December, the event will raise funds for the continued efforts of therapeutic surfing charity, Ocean Mind.

CASTLEMAINE’S SHEDSHAKER BREWING OPENS THEIR NEW TAPROOM

Making a new home for themselves at The Mill precinct in Castlemaine, Shedshaker Brewing opens the doors to their new Taproom. Set up to invite in beer lovers for great chilled beverages, a menu of delicious dining options and a roster of rocking live talent, the Shedshaker’s expansion is significant.

Ç APPLICATIONS TO OUR EMERGING ARTISTS STAGE AT FESTIVAL OF SAILS 2025 ARE NOW OPEN

The Emerging Artists stage is returning to Festival of Sails with Forte Magazine and K Rock teaming up to judge the entries. Split across two days of Saturday 25 January 2025 and Sunday 26 January 2025, the competition will be divided into two categories, the standard Emerging Artists Series for all ages and the newly introduced We Are the Youth! Series for those under the age of 17. Applications are open until Wednesday 15 January 2025.

LOCH HART MUSIC FESTIVAL LOCKS IN 2025 LINEUP

Victoria’s most loveable festival is returning for a steaming hot summer weekend this January. Loch Hart Music Festival have announced their festival dates for 2025, heading back down to their home of Princetown on the Great Ocean Road between 10 – 12 January. The lineup is an eclectic mix including Nina Las Vegas, Radio Free Alice, Pollyman, Gold Fang, The Vovo’s and more.

Ç LOOKOUT FESTIVAL BRINGS AUSTRALIAN ROCK ROYALTY TO TORQUAY AND MORNINGTON

Following a successful 2024 inaugural event featuring Live and Incubus, Lookout Festival returns and expands for 2025 with a mammoth lineup to go with it. Australian rock legends Jet, Grinspoon, The Veronicas, Spiderbait, Jebediah, Magic Dirt and Youth Group team up for the 2025 tidal wave, taking to stages in Torquay and Mornington across February and March.

Ç DENZEL CURRY ANNOUNCES AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES

A leading rapper of the underground, Denzel Curry has announced he will be bringing his Mischievous South World Tour to Australian and New Zealand for 2025. Fans can catch Denzel Curry at Yours & Owls Festival in Wollongong on Saturday 1 March and at Palace Foreshore in Melbourne on Sunday 2 March.

149-YEAR-OLD THEATRE, HER MAJESTY’S THEATRE BALLARAT HAS OFFICIALLY REOPENED

It’s hard to believe that it has been almost two years since the stage was set, the curtains were drawn and the lights illuminated at Ballarat’s 1875 heritage home of arts and entertainment Her Majesty’s Theatre Ballarat. On Friday 22 November, following a $23.6 million redevelopment, Her Majesty’s Theatre Ballarat reopened with a grand gala event, having already seen international artists like St Vincent christen the stage.

Ç THE FEEDER FRENZY IS COMING TO AUSTRALIA

UK indie rock giants Feeder find their way back down under after 14 years for a mammoth Australian tour, hitting up capital cities across April 2025. They will head to Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne’s 170 Russell on Wednesday 9 April, Sydney and wrapping up in Brisbane at the iconic The Triffid on Friday 11 April.

Ç PITCH MUSIC & ARTS PULLS TOGETHER A GIANT LINEUP FOR 2025 INCLUDING

HONEY DIJON

Pitch Music & Arts returns for its eighth iteration from 7 to 11 March 2025, bringing an electrifying lineup of music and arts to the scenic Grampian Plains in Moyston, Victoria. The lineup is here with Funk Tribu, Shanti Celeste, FJAAK, Gabber Eleganza, Lady Shaka, Job Jobse, Daria Kolosova and SPFDJ leading the way.

THE KOOKS REVEALED AS SECRET HEADLINER FOR PARTY IN THE PADDOCK,

ANNOUNCE AUSTRALIAN TOUR

The Konk gods will be returning to their home away from home for festival appearances and their own headline tour. They will be embarking on their own national tour with Briston Maroney, playing venues across February and March including Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, Palace Foreshore, Melbourne, Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane, Hindley Street Music Hall, Adelaide and Red Hill Auditorium, Perth.

Ç CHITRA CHATTERS WITH SOCIAL ANXIETY ON NEW SINGLE ‘MOTORMOUTH’

Former Bellarine-based songstress Chitra discusses social anxiety stemming from post-lockdown in new single. Titled ‘Motormouth’, the tune covers the confronting feelings but packages it into a silky, soulful anthem with pastel pop swirls and driving drum drama. The single is from her upcoming album due for release in the new year.

Ç A NEW VIBRANT MUSIC MURAL HAS POPPED UP IN BALLARAT

The City of Ballarat has a new addition to their already vibrant music scene. A new music mural has popped up at the Annexe Wall in Alfred Deakin Place, right near the Ballarat Art Gallery. The public art commission enlisted local artist Joel Hammonds to immortalise the people, places and projects that make up the local Ballarat music ecology from past to present.

TROPHY EYES TO JUMP ON THE ROAD IN JANUARY

After spending most of 2024 on tour throughout Australia, Europe and the US, Newcastle melodic hardcore heavyweights Trophy Eyes are back on the road heading to regional centres. Titled the Summer in Slow Motion Tour, Trophy Eyes will start up north on the Sunshine Coast on Friday 17 January, working their way down through Gold Coast, Canberra, Wollongong, Newcastle, Castlemaine, Torquay and wrapping up in Frankston on Saturday 1 February 2025.

Ç THE RECIPIENTS OF GEELONG ARTS CENTRE’S CREATIVE ENGINE AND LAUNCHPAD GRANT PROGRAMS REVEALED

Geelong Arts Centre’s professional development program expands for their 2025 grant round, introducing an Associate Artists arm to support local creatives. Recipients include Connor Morel, Kath Dolheguy, Jessica Lesosky, Libby Brockman, Zoee Marsh, Melinda Chapman, Samantha Lester, Xavier McGettigan, Josh Mitchell, Creative Occupation Collection and The Multicultural Youth Council Working Group.

Ç PORT FAIRY FOLK FESTIVAL EXPANDS WITH EVEN MORE STAR POWER

With festival dates inching closer for their 2025 edition across the weekend of 7 to 10 March, Port Fairy Folk Festival has added some all-American artists to their already mammoth lineup including Bonny Light Horseman and Cat Power who will be singing the songs of Bob Dylan, as well as bringing in Prince Edward Island-based English folk singer Lucy Farrell, amongst local artists.

Ç PARTY IN THE PADDOCK DROPS SECOND LINEUP ANNOUNCEMENT LED BY OLIVER TREE, POND AND KAH-LO

Party in the Paddock continues to pack massive talent into their 2025 edition. Joining the huge spirits of Empire of the Sun and Aurora on the Tasmania Party in the Paddock stage are California’s trolling, country-album making menace Oliver Tree, psychedelic Perth rockers Pond, Nigerian singersongwriter Kah-Lo, beats babe Nina Las Vegas, producer and DJ, Kito and more.

Start the weekend right, at Frankston’s Waterfront Festival

Frankston’s iconic Waterfront Festival will transform the waterfront precinct into a mecca for those seeking good vibes in the sun. Music, food, drink and activities in water and on land, will keep you entertained, laughing and feeling like you are living your best life on the bay.

Æ A big change for 2025, the festival will start on Friday evening. From 5-10pm you’re invited to put a full stop to the working week and ease into the weekend with Sneaky Sound System delivering the party anthems, food, drinks and entertainment for all ages as the sun sets.

Then on Saturday, the precinct will come alive once more with free activities and entertainment for all of the family to enjoy. The Rotary Duck Race will take over the creek, there’ll be a kids village family zone, free activities will give you the chance to try a new sport, learn a new skill and learn more about local services; or you can challenge yourself against fierce competition at the Frankston Swim Classic.

On both Friday night and Saturday, the main stage will be pumping with iconic Australian bands and upcoming talent. Settle in on the lawn with a drink from the beer garden and bite into tasty treats with food trucks from across the region offering savoury and sweet selections from near and far.

The Saturday night (and end of the festival) culminates with the headline acts, playing on the main stage just before the bay is awakened with an epic fireworks display off the pier at 9.15pm.

The Waterfront Festival is the highlight of Frankston’s summer event season; 45,000 can’t be wrong.

Live music line up announcements coming soon!

Follow on Facebook and Instagram @waterfrontfest

WATERFRONT FESTIVAL

WHERE: FRANKSTON WATERFRONT

WHEN: FRI 7 FEB 5–10PM SAT 8 FEB 12–10PM

BE INSPIRED:

GEELONG ARTS CENTRE’S EXTRAORDINARY SEASON 2025

From Shakespeare to mayhem on a treadmill, there’s something for everyone to enjoy

Æ For as long as we’ve shared this vast planet together, humans have passed their stories down the ages – both recognisably similar and wildly different – hoping to grasp the mercurial spark that tells us who we were, who we are and who we want to be.

This epic adventure of knowing ourselves better is represented in the spectacular spread of shows presented by Geelong Arts Centre in 2025. Vibrantly alive with the magic of storytelling, they leap headlong from the oldest continuous culture in the world, spinning yarns for 65,000 years on these lands, through to Shakespeare’s most beloved romance, pirouetting past Puccini and on to contemporary Australian classics.

With so much artistic ambition in this magnificent package, we’ve wrapped them all up in an easily digestible guide of what to catch throughout the year.

EXPLORING EXTRAORDINARY STORIES

Where better to begin our voyage into storytelling than by diving into the open pages of a book built for binding them? Transferring from its sold-out seasons in Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne, The Dictionary of Lost Words (27-29 March) is a fabulously feminist exploration of language itself. Adapted from the Reese Witherspoon-recommended, New York Times best-selling Pip Williams novel by South Australian playwright Verity Laughton, it’s a decades-spanning epic that starts small then soars so tall.

Young Esme sits at her father’s feet as he and his male colleagues begin assembling what will one day become the Oxford English Dictionary. Curiously, many of the words most relating to women’s experiences flutter to the floor unobserved. Gathering them up, she spies a pattern that will send her on a remarkable adventure through the Great War and on to the suffragette cause. As directed by Jessica Arthur, this is one worldly wonder of words you won’t want to miss.

One of the most exciting choreographers working in Australia today, Sydney Dance Company artistic director Rafael Bonachela has been wowing local audiences since he was borrowed from Spain. In newest work momenta (14-15 May), he crafts raw poetry from the human form in a magnetic work caught in the collision of space and time in a dazzling light storm. Set to a pulsing score by classical music/electronica-fusing whizz Nick Wales, it’s sublime stuff.

Addressing the climate crisis doesn’t have to mean a heavy night at the theatre. Especially not if zombie mice are involved. Yep, you read that right, Scenes from a Climate Era (29-31 May), the latest wild ride from the fevered imagination of 44 Sex Acts in One Week playwright David Finnigan, tackles our possible impending doom with a laugh-aminute until you cry sketch show.

Did anyone find seagulls, crows and the like terrifying before they swarmed on poor Tippi Hedren? It’s hard to tell, but since thriller-meister Alfred Hitchcock’s classic horror movie, The Birds (11-14 Jun), they’ve swooped on our nightmares. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child star Paula Arundell’s in their beady-eye sights this time round, leading this one-woman show.

If you’re looking for something a little calmer, wind your way towards Opera Australia’s latest breathtaking portrayal of Italian composer Giacomo Puccini’s soaring Parisian story, La Boheme (11-12 July). What’s more relaxing than a broke Bohemian poet in the 1830s falling for a beautiful young woman, getting swept up in the romance of it all only for them to be torn asunder through cruel fate?

When Pia Miranda appeared as the teenaged hero of a generation of young women – Josie of Melina Marchetta’s treasured 1992 young adult novel Looking for Alibrandi – in Kate Woods’ big screen adaptation, it was pitch-perfect casting. As it is all over again with Samoan-Italian star Chanella Macri bringing the sassy pizazz in a brandnew stage adaptation (20-23 August) by playwright Vidya Rajan and garlanded director Stephen Nicolazzo.

Stringing up ballet dancers from the rafters: what could possibly go wrong?? That’s the daredevil spirit at the heart of the latest death-defying work from Brisbane-based, world-conquering highwire act, Circa . As corralled by gifted director Yaron Lifschitz, the ensemble’s dazzling aerial work and grounded acrobatics will reshape Swan Lake into Duck Pond (12-13 September) whether they like it or not.

First Nations-led Bangarra Dance Theatre brings a contemporary beating heart to ceremonial tradition, creating something exhilaratingly new. Artistic director Frances Rings invited Māori powerhouse choreographer Moss Te Ururangi Patterson of the Ngāti Tūwharetoa tribe to collaborate with the company’s former senior dancer Deborah Brown, a proud descendent of the Wakaid Clan and Meriam people in the Torres Strait, to create The Light Inside (1011 October), a joyous ode to the spirit of their Mother Countries.

Geelong Arts Centre’s Extraordinary Stories program wraps with the unbound beauty of the Bard, care of Bell Shakespeare’s nimble new look at star-crossed lovers Romeo & Juliet (8-9 November). Helmed by Peter Evans, this luscious production introduces the marvellous Madeleine Li as the cloistered Capulet willing to throw it all away for the love of a handsome stranger in a gorgeously evocative new look.

REWIRE REIMAGINED

Dig deeper into Geelong Arts Centre’s 2025 feast for curious minds, diving headlong into their astonishing REWIRE program. It’s jampacked with shows designed to challenge, excite and surprise.

Caught between worlds, queer Wiradjuri choreographer Joel Bray emerges from a fairy floss cloud at the start of Daddy (21-22 February) to explode the body beautiful myth, the clique-iness of gay culture and the heinous idea that he’s somehow not Black enough to be Aboriginal. But rather than talk (and dance) it all out as you sit passively observing, Bray’s gloriously generous show invites you to join him in a refreshingly honest form of audience participation that will leave you wanting more, not running for the door.

M’ap Bulé (4-5 April), the title of Blithe Spirit star Nancy Denis’ debut solo show, means “I’m on fire” in Haitian Creole, and you’ll be burning with FOMO-induced angst if you miss it. Revelling in her ancestors fighting to free Haiti from colonial control, she’ll transport you to the first Black republic and on to her childhood in Australia and reconcile these identities with her queerness in a ferociously potent and snappy cabaret show. Prepare for mayhem set to an inexorable countdown as anarchic performance art collective Pony Cam (Grand Theft Theatre) attempt to fill out an application for arts funding in Burnout Paradise (27-28 June). Yes, we know that sounds about as exciting as stale bread, but trust us, this arduous admin task takes place on four speeding treadmills whilst the energetically chaotic ensemble conducts a raft of additional tasks like cooking dinner (hot oil and water included), performing a dance number or a Hamlet soliloquy.

Who isn’t a Jane Austen fan? But fair warning, if you’ve come to see Elizabeth Bennet work her stuff out in the traditional way, then you’re about to get a massive surprise as satirical theatre whipper-snappers Bloomshed bring Pride and Prejudice (15-16 August) crashing into the here and now with coarse language, cost of living and a housing crisis. Smashing gender roles, class and privilege, it’s irreverent in the very best way, Mr Darcy!

Boldly go where cinema and theatre collide in Night Night (29-20 August), the latest awe-inspiring work from Perth’s medium-mashers The Last Great Hunt (Lé Nør [The Rain]). Combining puppets and models with real people armed with cameras and endless imagination, you’ll follow Pip on a quest to the Antarctic where she’ll be haunted by dreams of an albino penguin and a new plane of existence in this mesmerising adventure.

AND THERE’S MORE…

As if all the wonder above wasn’t enough, Geelong Arts Centre will also field two bonus curated programs, because we can never be too entertained. The list of performances include Dionne Warwick and the songs of Burt Bacharach, The Songs of Olivia NewtonJohn and Peter Allen, Swingin’, Sun Rise: The Story of the Kind of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Songbirds, Junklandia, Josephine Wants to Dance, 110% Ready, The Paper Escape and more.

Explore the full list of performances under the Geelong Arts Centres grand 2025 season on their website.

A decade of dedication: MEADOW turns ten and meets end

WORDS BY TAMMY WALTERS

They say everything good must come to an end but it doesn’t make the sting any less painful.

Æ The suffering is that of bluebottle propositions as Bambra’s beloved music, arts and cultural festival Meadow makes its decade departure; intense and lingering.

The news came ironically on Remembrance Day, Monday 11 November, juxtapositioned with the headline “Meadow Number 10: The End” and positioning the announcement as both an exciting milestone announcement and an obituary. A birthday and a bed of permanent rest. The reality is that the final festival is both a celebration and cremation, bittersweet in disposition like a streamer hung as a noose.

Thus begins the wading of the way through grief but not before heading down memory lane to revisit the joy that Meadow brought to the music and arts landscape.

Meadow kicked off in a mate’s paddock in Bambra in 2014, a curtainsider truck and trailer doubling as a stage, powered by a borrowed generator. A small banner hanging from the truck roof gave the stage its name, red bunting lined the undercarriage to indicate the festivities and haybails littered in front of the stage invited people in; a space that continued to keep the community coming back.

Meadow festival director, Cameron Wade, recalls the inception, marking it as one of the major milestones.

“My brother and I had the breakfast BBQ directly beside the sound desk so we could mix bands and cook snags at the same time.”

Adopting the title By The Meadow for a stint, the festival continued to grow seeing bands like Foreign/National, Dorsal Fins, Ali Barter, Jim Lawrie, Sunbeam Sound Machine pop up in 2015 and attracting names like Kurt Vile and the Violators, The Harpoons, The Ocean Party, Fraser A Gorman, The Murlocs, Harvey Sutherland, Jen Cloher and Cash Savage and the Last Drinks as they chugged along. From 2017 they attracted their first international headlines including The Beths and Lucy Dacus.

“Given we were figuring it out all ourselves it was a memorable achievement the first time we had artists travelling to Australia because we’d made the tours possible,” says Wade.

Returning after the pandemic, Meadow saw the return of locals-turnglobal-icons King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, another massive achievement for the Bambra-based gathering.

“Running a festival headlined by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard as one of the first live events back on the calendar after Covid was a massive achievement to weave through all the obstacles and requirements to get live music back in front of a crowd that had been jammed inside for the last year.”

They took off running thereafter, continuing to grow and evolve with their crowds and the young emerging bands who started with them. One of them is alt rock and rollers, Bones and Jones, who have grown alongside the festival, having also reached milestones of playing SXSW, joining a baked session and touring the country extensively.

“Meadow! What a festival. Ever since we were of age we started going with the hope of one day playing there. When we finally got on the bill we were so excited. We had the first slot on the Saturday around 12ish. As we started so many people started strolling down the hill and the vibes were just so high. Still to this day, we all say it’s one of our favourite sets we’ve done,” the band offers.

“It’s just one of those festivals where no matter the time of day, the vibes are always there. Always the friendliest people and organisers. We’re going to miss Meadow but will always have fond memories of it! Huge shoutout to all of the crew that made this festival what it became.”

The love extends outside of the artist circle with the festival continuing to attract return vendors each year. Pete’s Wood Fired Pizza have offered eager “can’t wait, I’ll be there” responses each year to the festival since 2015.

“From its humble beginning to the amazing festival it has become, the vibe from all has been, relax, chill out, have fun. We love Meadow,” they say.

The saving grace is that the festival isn’t quite finished yet with one more massive send-off coming our way across the weekend of 2123 March 2025. Meadow Ten sees a rescheduled performance from Hiatus Kiayote who were due to perform in 2022 but had another appointment at the GRAMMY Awards, alongside Perth psychedelic rockers Pond, American guitar-virtuoso MJ Lenderman & The Wind, Empress Of, Kaiit, Floodlights and more.

The BYO camping festival is expected to go out with a bang, bringing together the Bambra community for one last Meadow breath.

To Meadow - a proud partner with Forte Magazine, a champion of the local music community and a beloved contributor to the wider Australian music, arts and culture ecology - we salute you and will stand with you for one last round!

Tickets to the Meadow Ten are currently on sale.

MEADOW

WHERE: BAMBRA BOWL, VIC

WHEN: 21–23 MAR 2025

BAND OF HORSES’

Ben Bridwell on touring, quokkas and Australia

WORDS BY BENJAMIN LAMB

Credit: Taylor Fickes

After 20 years of sold-out crowds and hit albums, Band of Horses continue to be a force to be reckoned with. Ahead of their Aussie tour, we caught up with frontman Ben Bridwell to dive into it all.

Æ 2024’s been a massive year for the group, just coming off a tour with City and Colour, playing a number of shows across the US.

“We’ve had a really good year” Bridwell notes. “Over here, there’s been a lot of package tours. There’s a trend towards that kind of stuff in the summer for teaming up with bands.

“The City and Colour guys were fantastic. It was just really lovely to tour with people that are also grateful to be out there.”

For a group like Band of Horses, touring takes up a fair chunk of the year, so when somewhere like Australia pops up on the ticket, there’s a lot of time to kill.

“I used to really love to work when coming over to Australia and stuff like that, where you have more days off because it’s all flying places, seems like a lot of time in hotel rooms.

“And I’m not really that social. I don’t like to get out all that much,” Bridwell adds with a laugh. “Maybe this time, I’m going to try to get back into some good habits, because we do have a good chunk of time out there.”

For any music fan out there, the tour life is one of the most interesting avenues; riders, tour buses and plenty more really help with the gig grind. Bridwell notes that on the road, the group have found some fun ways to keep it all fresh and interesting.

“You have to break it up. We have something called ‘Roadie Friday’, basically it’s like, when all the crew members you got a night off, or you have a day off the next day, right? So the bus can get a little bit rowdy with them partying, and you gotta break out the the jams, you know, let everybody take turns with the stereo.

“And usually it takes something like that breaking from the same old same of like, okay, you hop on the bus. I find those are the moments you get to hear about a lot of bands from just people with different walks of life and stuff like that, where I usually discover a lot of good stuff. I’m always looking for new stuff, and my kids are constantly throwing new stuff at me as well.”

Band of Horses aren’t strangers to our great lands, having jetted over a number of years in the past, playing Big Day Outs, plus shows at venues like The Corner, The Forum and Palais.

“I loved The Corner Hotel, but playing Brizzy and stuff like that was so cool. I think we’ve played Brisbane maybe twice. I’m always like, “what the hell happened?” What did we do that was so bad they hadn’t invited us back?

“Going to Perth as well, and getting to go over to play with the quokkas. And we have really good friends in Australia. So we’ve been lucky to, like, play with them and travel with them as we’re out there. A lot of the fact that we have familial vibes when we get there is kind of the biggest thing.”

The band are en-route to hit the stage with the iconic A Day At The Green Festival, alongside The Teskey Brothers and CMAT, to name a few.

“There’s moments where we get to also stretch our legs a little bit at festivals. You’ve got to convert some of the masses our way.

“I don’t like for us to shoot ourselves in the foot, though, when there’s a lot of people that don’t know the material or know us very well, so I try to just make sure that we’re playing the best stuff we have for that vibe of that day.

“But I’m so glad to get back to Australia, it’s been too long.”

BAND OF HORSES

WHERE: A DAY ON THE GREEN, MT DUNEED ESTATE

WHEN: SAT 11 JAN 2025

HOT WATER MUSIC’s Jason Black on touring Australia, releasing new music, and playing live.

WORDS BY BENJAMIN LAMB

Born in Gainesville in the 90’s, Hot Water Music bring a brand of punk that is distinctly their own. With 10 albums to date, the group are heading back to Aus for a night that’s sure to pack a punch. 2024 saw the group drop record number 10, VOWS, which was responded to quite positively by fans.

Æ

“The whole release process has been pretty easy,” bassist, Jason Black notes. “I don’t really have any complaints about it. We’re giving this one a little bit more breathing room and pushing it a little harder.

“It’s been fun for us too, and people seem to be down with it and reacting well to it. We’ve been integrating like four/five songs into the set list, and everything’s been going over well.”

For a band like Hot Water Music, 30 years of music mean setlists are always a tough feat, there’s many people to try and please. Black notes the process the band goes through to get a solid setlist together.

“We try to just play everything that’s a focus track, because those they resonate the best, like they still get the most attention from people. But there are songs that we will try and sometimes they don’t feel right in the set. “it gets trickier and trickier, because we have so many records, it’s the same as putting a track list together for a record, where if we’re trying to winnow the songs down, and we have two that sort of occupy the same space, or kind of feel the same or have the same vibe, we choose one that fits more.”

You’d be hard pressed to find a live performer in 2024 that’ll jump on stage and play their music exactly like it is on the record. Instruments come and go, sections are extended, and songs take new lives once they hit the live realm.

“If we put together a set list of the top 20 streaming songs or whatever, it would be really boring. But there are times when we do think about if we’re working on a song or something like, oh, this feels like it’s going to be really cool live, or, like, this part might be awesome live. Let’s, try to build it up more, or something like that.

“I always am the worst person about it when we’re in the studio. Someone’s like, “we’ll never be able to pull this off live”. And I’m like, “it doesn’t matter,” because when you go to the show, you’re hearing the record in your head anyway, like, to some extent, right?”

Hot Water Music will be coming to Australia alongside The Flatliners, fronted by Chris Creswell, Hot Water Music’s guitarist.

“We love those guys. They’re all great, great humans, and the show feels cool together, musically, we work really well together.

It’s funny, because when we did that show Chris was playing so he was actually stoked afterwards. He’s like, “Man, I just did that whole Flatliners set”, and then we got up there to play, and I was like, “Oh yeah, I don’t have to stand in the middle and sing the whole time”,” Black adds with a laugh.

“We obviously haven’t toured with them a lot since Chris has been in the band, because it’s a little tricky, so it’s cool to be able to pull it off, especially down there. I think it’ll be a real, real special run.”

This tour marks six years since the group have been on our shores, with Black sharing his love for playing here.

“It’s been so long since we’ve been down there, it’s like a vacation whenever we come. I’m comfortable here, but if you told me I had to live in Australia, I don’t think I would be mad. I don’t think any of us would be. It’s kind of like if you took Florida and California and made a whole country out of it.

“Everyone’s always been really nice, all the cities are super cool. My favourite place is probably Melbourne, because that’s The Rock City or whatever. But I don’t dislike anywhere there. We’re all just super stoked to get back!”

“it’s been so long since we’ve been down there, it’s like a vacation whenever we come.”

HOT WATER MUSIC

170 RUSSELL, MELBOURNE FRI 21 FEB

TORQUAY HOTEL, TORQUAY SAT 22 FEB

FREE MUSIC on the GEELONG WATERFRONT

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SOFAR, SO GOOD:

Geelong branch of magical global movement celebrates first 12 months of local shows

WORDS BY FRANKIE ANDERSON-BYRNE

Weaving an intricate and vibrant connection through the local live music scene, Sofar Sounds Geelong has been pushing the boundaries of traditional venues and spaces to create meaningful collaboration and celebrate our local artists.

Æ As we head into the final swing of 2024, we’re looking back on an overwhelmingly successful year; the first full 12 months of fresh tunes, hip-shaking gigs and sweet daytime festivals for the Geelong branch of the global movement aiming to bring magic back to live music.

Passionately leading the way, alongside a team of MC’s sound engineers and Sofar crew striving to keep the scene alive and jumping, Sofar Sounds Geelong’s own Rach Brennan is rightly feeling a delicious sense of pride in their efforts.

“I am really proud of the community we’ve built in our first full year of Sofar Geelong,” she said.

“We’ve pushed past our traditional format of secret artists in secret spaces and connected through headline gigs, fundraising events, all ages day fests and even yoga with accompanying live music.

“The highlights for me are always in connecting and collaborating with passionate people and finding ways we can create meaningful moments together.”

The first gig of summer ’24 invited French finery to Geelong North with Sofar’s ‘France en Focus’ show, a low-lit, cushioned-seat delight bringing international colour to the industrial area.

The warmth continues with Barwon Heads and Anglesea locations hosting a variety of local artists as well as Samoan-Australian musician Bobby Alu, before one of February’s gigs welcoming Dan Sultan playing alongside Piper and Ngara for a fundraising show at Murran First Nations Hub in Geelong.

March celebrated another staple of the local creative scene with a spoken word performance from Lowercase Poetry poets at Bluebird House before Sofar linked up with FReeZA for an all-ages show at the Queenscliff Dive Centre and again in August in Point Lonsdale.

Geelong took April under its wing with two shows at Anabela’s in the centre of town, and a dreamy Newtown gig at Rebecchis with the cafe’s own Daisy Kilbourne on the line-up next to Didirri and Rowena Wise.

A number of hospitable Geelong friends opened their homes to artists and guests for some house gigs in May, September and October, bringing a unique intimacy to an already magical experience.

Sofar shows celebrated a variety of themes throughout the year, inviting audiences to ‘taste the music’, be ‘so calm’ and local agency MCM Bookings brought a line-up of local punk rockers to Jan Juc with Grimwoods, Tommy Dynamite and the Explosions and blyss.

In September the crew hosted a song writing workshop with talented musicians and wordsmiths; Hassall, Billy Barker, Wild Gloriosa and Connor Callahan at creative studio The Ko in Newtown, working together and doing what Sofar does best; connecting with audiences to share laughter, tears, magic and music.

Savage Honey headlined the first November show, taking audiences to Torquay to join visitors from Melbourne; Solar Wax and Angus Montaigne and the Friends of the Anglesea River fundraising show brought together Leah Senior, Otta and Seal Prince at GROW with all profits raised donated to the protection of the Anglesea river.

The final show for 2024 has announced its stellar line-up to close out the year, showcasing self-proclaimed mutts De Porsal, the endlessly warm and earnest Ella Sweeney and Finnigan Parker with a debut full band set.

Tickets are on sale now, with the location to be revealed to ticket-holders the day before the 14 December event and Sofar are bringing the Christmas spirit with a sweet, sweet deal to bring a friend for free using the code WRAPPEDBESTIE.

It’s clear that Sofar Sounds Geelong aren’t slowing down their mission to showcase what your own backyard of artists has to offer, so join in on the wonder next year and grab yourself a ticket.

The French will return for the first show of 2025, with the second tour ‘On the Road: French Edition’ welcoming artists Geoffrey Le Gaoziau, Malo and Ose at a Pakington Street venue, in collaboration with Pako Festa on Thursday 16 January.

On Saturday 1 February the first house show of the year invites you to Torquay; think backyard seating, shady trees, sunshine, BYO and three incredible local acts.

“We are starting the year with a massive list of exciting venues and keen collaborators, including many gorgeous locals hosting house concerts,” Brennan says.

“Expect more intimate discovery shows and bigger international headliners in some of Geelong’s most stunning and diverse spaces.

“Sofar is run by musicians for music lovers, it’s super special and I can’t wait to show you what’s planned for 2025.”

If you’re interested in hosting a Sofar Geelong show at your place head to sofarsounds.com/about/hosts or send @Sofargeelong a DM on Instagram.

WHERE: LOCATION REVEALED 36 HOURS PRIOR TO EVENT

WHEN: SAT 14 DEC & THU 16 JAN

Credit: Patrick Callow

SUPPORTING INDEPENDENT FESTIVALS: The Heartbeat of Australian Music

In a world where the corporate giants of the entertainment industry dominate the landscape, it’s crucial to support independent festivals that truly embody the spirit of community and creativity. Live Nation, one of the biggest players in the global music industry, continues to acquire and align itself with festivals and venues, bringing with it massive resources but also the risk of homogenising our vibrant, local scene.

Æ While there’s no denying the draw of big-name headliners and massive budgets, we can’t afford to let independent Australian festivals fade into the background. At the core of these grassroots events is something money simply can’t buy: authenticity. Independent festivals, like Nightjar Festival, not only provide a platform for homegrown Australian musicians but also create a vibrant space where communities can come together and celebrate. They are incubators for talent, providing a platform for rising stars, and they remain committed to showcasing a diverse and eclectic music scene. Without these festivals, many local musicians wouldn’t have the chance to perform in front of enthusiastic audiences or share their talent with the wider community.

WHY INDEPENDENT FESTIVALS MATTER

Australia’s music festivals have long been a breeding ground for the nation’s most iconic artists. From busking sets to electrifying live performances, they provide the lifeblood for musicians trying to make their mark in an industry that often feels ruthless. Independent festivals celebrate innovation and originality, offering audiences something fresh and meaningful compared to high profile line ups often found at corporate events.

These festivals also encourage inclusivity and diversity, with line ups that reflect a genuine commitment to showcasing new talent and niche genres. By contrast, larger festivals tend to prioritize commercial success, often cycling through the same big-name acts. The uniqueness of smaller, independent festivals ensures that every event feels special, with curated line ups that speak to the individuality of their audience.

BUILDING COMMUNITY

Festivals are about more than music; they’re about people. Independent events provide the perfect setting for connection, whether it’s dancing shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers and sharing that knowing smile or striking up conversations with local artisans selling their wares.

By attending independent festivals, you’re not just buying a ticket to hear live music—you’re investing in your local community. These events are lifelines for small businesses, food vendors, and local suppliers. They inject money into local economies, creating opportunities for everyone from people with local accommodation to lighting technicians. Supporting these festivals means keeping money in the community and ensuring a sustainable ecosystem where creativity can flourish.

CHALLENGES IN A CORPORATE ERA

The rise of industry behemoths means that independent festivals face more challenges than ever. Corporate festivals have resources to buy up prime calendar slots, outbid on artist fees, and flood the market with advertising. The competition is fierce, and for many smaller events, it’s not just about selling tickets—it’s about survival.

That’s why showing up matters. When you attend an independent festival, you’re casting your vote for the kind of events you want to see thrive: one where local talent is celebrated, communities are strengthened, and artists are given opportunities to shine.

NIGHTJAR FESTIVAL: A CELEBRATION OF INDEPENDENCE

Enter the Nightjar Festival, now entering its 15th year and proudly returning to Torquay this January. A testament to the power of grassroots creativity, Nightjar has always been about supporting independent Australian musicians, artisans, and food vendors. PreCOVID, the festival attracted over 55,000 attendees—a clear sign of its resonance with the community.

This year’s line up is shaping up to be one of the most exciting yet. It’s the kind of line up that makes you feel proud to be part of Australia’s music scene—raw, real, and unapologetically creative. But Nightjar isn’t just about the music. It’s about the whole experience: browsing through handmade stalls, giving everyone an opportunity to experience a music festival, feasting on incredible food from local suppliers, and soaking up the atmosphere with a cold drink in hand. It’s about showing up for the people who make these events happen and creating memories that last a lifetime.

KEEP FESTIVALS ALIVE

Now, more than ever, independent festivals need your support. By attending events like Nightjar, you’re not just enjoying a night out— you’re ensuring the survival of a vital part of Australia’s cultural fabric. Together, we can keep the music playing, the creativity flowing, and the community thriving.

So grab your tickets, rally your mates, and come experience the magic of independent festivals. Let’s make 2025 a year to remember, celebrating everything that makes Australia’s music and arts scene so extraordinary. See you at Nightjar!

WHERE: TORQUAY HOTEL, TORQUAY

WHEN: FRI 3 JAN, FRI 10 JAN

Claudia Gold’s graffiti career celebrated through exhibition CLAW MONEY WORLD

WORDS BY JACOB MCCORMACK

Claudia Gold, who is more commonly and perhaps affectionately known as Claw Money has made a name for herself as a trailblazing graffiti artist in the New York scene. She emerged into this artistic culture amidst a time where it was dominated by men, and yet since then has achieved so much in all she has expressed creatively.

Æ She does, however, remain an inter-disciplinary creative to her core, with forays into fashion, design, authorship and more recently the establishment of her very own consulting agency. She has collaborated with brands such as Nike and NASCAR alongside the countless murals she has painted around the world. Gold has impacted modern art and culture in frankly profound ways, and despite all of this a sense of humility and curiosity for new experiences remains.

In a world-first, Australian exclusive exhibition held at Warrnambool Art Gallery, artistic director Aaron Bradbrook and Gold herself have pieced together a selection of her standout handmade garments and accessories, other design works and murals. Some of the murals will be featured in the art gallery space itself as well as paintings that have taken place both at Fitzroy Pool in collaboration with the City of Yarra and on a wall outside a Warrnambool Barber Shop.

I spoke with Gold the evening before the opening night of her show at the Warrnambool Art Gallery space and she had nothing but positivity to share of her experiences in Australia, a reflection of an artist that has accomplished so much, but maintains gratitude for the opportunities she has been awarded.

“It’s been so amazing,” says Gold. “From the moment I got off the plane in Melbourne I was heading to paint a mural with seven young ladies. That was an incredible experience to be a part of last week. My friend Tash One, who has been a prolific graffiti artist in the Brisbane scene since the ‘90s organised it all.”

The connection to Tash One has been an important one for Gold over the years. A relationship that despite distance pronounces the interconnectedness of the global graffiti scene.

“Graffiti makes the world a very small place,” she says. “Everyone in graffiti is related to someone else in the scene somehow. It was a great feeling to experience working with these young girls, and to put the face to some names of people I’ve been speaking to on the internet.”

Also woven into the program that was mapped out for Claudia was a moment spent in conversation with Tash One. A 90-minute morning exchange hosted at the Warrnambool Lighthouse Theatre on Sunday 17 November. Although long-time friends and international colleagues, Claw Money assured me that it would be far from an informal catch-up.

“Tash One is a professional and will take this conversation very seriously,” says Gold. “She has sat in conversation with many graffiti artists before, and has a lot of journalism experience. She will certainly have prepared questions that will have a lot of intentionality, and will spark some very interesting dialogue.”

“There are a lot of parallels. Tash is often overlooked, so it’s great to give her the space and time to be able to share her stories and showcase her skillset.”

The conversation undoubtedly acted as an ode to the global graffiti scene and the femmes who have played a pivotal role in leading the way. As an extension of this chat, a book signing took place immediately afterwards that saw the limited edition (400 copies only) re-release of Gold’s seminal book Bombshell: The Life and Crimes of Claw Money , first published in 2007 by PowerHouse Books.

That was after the experience of sharing in the opening night of the show.

“The opening night will be a celebration of all of my achievements,” she says. “And putting all of this together. That was a very hard thing to do geographically, it involved months of planning in advance. There was so much involved, inclusive of making new things and preparing to paint murals.”

“It will all come together in that evening; however, I will sadly have to go home to my family after the talk with Tash.”

Despite her time in Australia being shortlived due to the demands of being a mother and artist based in the USA, it has been an undeniably special and reciprocal experience to have Claudia Gold and her varied work in Australia.

Claw Money World will be on display until 16 March with access available through a range of admission fees depending on your demographic. The show itself is a must-visit for anyone interested in street art, pop-culture or fashion.

CLAW MONEY WORLD

WHERE: WARRNAMBOOL ART GALLERY

WHEN: UNTIL 16 MAR

ARTS GUIDE

WORDS BY

CHESTER OGILVIE

COASTAL MEDITATIONS

From Paul Gauguin and Vincent van Gogh to Helen Frankenthaler and Grace Hartigan, friendship forged in the art world has a long history. Locally, Karla Devlin and Lyndell Allen are best friends. They’re also artists whose work traverses acrylic painting, watercolour, drawing, mixed media, slow stitching, crochet and sculpture. In Coastal Meditations, viewers can breathe in the beauty of Apollo Bay’s coastline and the enduring power of friendship through a collection of paintings, drawings and textiles.

ARTS INC, APOLLO BAY 26–31 DEC

INFUSE ART PRIZE

In this unique approach to creation, the Infuse Art Prize sees fellow artists working together. The prize aims to foster collaboration among artists, to inspire one another and to facilitate the exchange of skills and knowledge on its way to meaningful conversations, shared learning and creative growth. The exhibition will feature both 2D and 3D works across multiple mediums. It is the brainchild of local ceramicist, Ruby Pilven.

ROSS CREEK GALLERY, SMYTHES CREEK UNTIL 22 DEC

ELIMINATE ILLUMINATE ELUCIDATE

Inspired by the Australian landscape, Beth Gibbeson uses bold and vibrant colours to elucidate a vision that goes beyond literal representations, expressing the interplay of abstract shapes, lines and colours, distilling the landscape that reflects her experience and perception. Eliminate Illuminate Elucidate will be showing at Boom Gallery in Geelong until 21 December.

BOOM GALLERY, GEELONG UNTIL 21 DEC

ART ON THE PIER

Fresh air, art and even a touch of exercise makes for a winning combination at the Queenscliff Art on the Pier exhibition. Launched in 2021, it has become the biggest outdoor art and photography exhibition in the country with exhibitions also taking place in Rosebud and South Melbourne. Some 200 works will be on display in 2024/5. Winners will be announced in March 2025, with the overall winner awarded the Queenscliff Art Prize.

QUEENSCLIFF UNTIL 30 APRIL 2025

SURF COAST ARTS INC POSTCARD EXHIBITION

There is a small joy in receiving a postcard. Whether a snapshot of a city, monument or a work of art, postcards are a bite-sized piece of art to place on the fridge for years to come. A crowd favourite, the Surf Coast Arts Inc Postcard Exhibition returns with its mini masterpieces display. Participating artists win the chance to have their artwork printed as a real postcard.

ANGLESEA ART

SPACE 12 DEC 2024–5 JAN, 2025

UNFATHOMABLE

One of the earliest evidences of the word ‘unfathomable’ is from the writings of Samuel Collins in 1617. Here, it serves as the title of a new exhibition that explores those things that are hard to explain, the things too raw to be exposed and too difficult to unpack through the creation of challenging, beautiful, messy and inspiring artworks. Artists featured include Jackie Gorring, Minna Graham, Ella Hughes, Chandra Paul and Dannielle Wilkinson.

LOT19, CASTLEMAINE UNTIL 22 DEC

KAIT JAMES: RED FLAGS

The work of Wadawurrung artist Kait James explores her identity as an Australian with both Anglo and Indigenous heritage. Red Flags is her most ambitious solo exhibition to date. In it, James tackles the act of ‘Aboriginalia’, mass-produced objects that depict culturally insensitive imagery and designs. James embeds language and imagery onto these products to create new narratives. Mini flag making workshops (for children six and above) will take place on 21 & 22 January.

WARRNAMBOOL

ART GALLERY UNTIL 23 FEB 2025

WATERCOLOUR DREAMING

Beginning in the 1930s with the famed Albert Namatjira (1902-1959), the Hermannsburg School is a movement characterised by the watercolours of the Western Arrernte landscape. This exhibition is a selection of more than 100 works that spans eight decades, gifted to the gallery by scholar and collector Dr Beverley Castleman and Mr Alan Castleman. Works include those by Albert Namatjira, Richard Moketarinja, Cordula Ebatarinja, Norman Ratara, Jillian Namatjira and Marie Abbott.

BENDIGO ART GALLERY UNTIL 26 JAN 2025

DAVID MOORE: STILL AND INFINITE

The son of Australian painter Graham Moore, David Moore first set up an easel next to his father as a twelve-year-old before later studying under an Alice Bale Scholarship with Sir William Dargie and Harley Griffiths. Favouring the mediums of oil paint on canvas and cedar panels as well as gouache on paper, for decades Moore has created still-life and landscapes. He continues to enjoy the simplicity and intimacy of single objects.

QUEENSCLIFF

GALLERY 24 DEC 2024–19 JAN 2025

STAGE GUIDE

WORDS BY CHESTER OGILVIE

THE WAR ON 2024 COMEDY GALA

So, how about 2024? Where did it go wrong, and where did it go right? Locally, Barnaby Joyce discovered phone reception was better on his back, while Peter piped up and publicised his preference of private planes. Taylor Swift brought all Australians closer together, while a major IT network outage caused cash users to annoyingly declare cash is king. Join Charles Firth, James Schloeffel, Mark Humphries and Veronica Milsom as they dissect the year that was.

THE STORY HOUSE, GAC 12 DEC

12 BY 12

A dozen original plays from playwrights and performers across the Bellarine, each up to twelve minutes in length, is the short and sweet of 12 by 12. Presented by Theatre 3triple2, this is the 16th outing for the production. Some plays will take a walk on the darker side of life, while others exist to deliver giggles and guffaws. The audience, along with the judging panel, then gets to vote for their favourite.

THE POTATO SHED, DRYSDALE 12 & 14 DEC

FUN NIGHT ONLY

Alex Ward, Sez, Tom Ballard, Zoë Coombs Marr and Dilruk Jayasinha join forces to bring a night of laughs to Ballarat. Taking over Her Majesty’s Theatre on Friday 31 January, these fine comedians will be hitting you with one-liners, hilarious anecdotes and a sleeve full of jokes.

HER MAJESTY’S THEATRE, BALLARAT 31 JAN

ROBIN HOOD: A PANTOMIME

The first literary reference of Robin Hood, the folk hero who steals from the rich and gives to the poor, dates back to 1377. While the first screen appearance took place in 1908, Errol Flynn’s 1938 vehicle The Adventures of Robin Hood is widely considered the greatest film to feature the folk hero. Here, in a production written by Vern Wall, the Bendigo Theatre Company will have you cheering for the hero and booing the ignoble Sheriff of Nottingham.

BTC ARTS SHED, GOLDEN SQUARE 9–19 JAN

MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT

During its initial near-1600 show run, the Tony-winning Spamalot, or Monty Python’s Spamalot: A Musical (Lovingly) Ripped Off from the Motion Picture Monty Python and the Holy Grail, was seen by more than two-million people. Tim Curry would star as King Arthur. This time around it is the Holiday Actors taking on the big task as part of their 40th year. So come follow King Arthur and his gang in this hammy quest into a “dark and very expensive forest”.

LIGHTHOUSE THEATRE, WARRNAMBOOL 4–11 JAN

COSENTINO: DECENNIUM

If bands can do greatest hits tours, why not magicians? Decennium is ‘The Grand Illusionist’ Cosentino’s new 90-minute show featuring all the best bits. All killer, no filler you could say. More than a decade ago, Cosentino came in runner-up on Australia’s Got Talent. He would go one better when he won Dancing with the Stars in 2013 with partner Jessica Raffa. As well as death-defying escapes, illusions and street magic, his show features dancing and audience participation.

HER MAJESTY’S THEATRE, BALLARAT 14 JAN

MAX PRY, PRIVATE EYE

Bendigo-based Uncertain Curtain Theatre is a collective that encourages neurodivergent youth to express themselves through the performing arts. Their latest production is Max Pry, Private Eye, a one-act play written and directed by SJ Fawcett. We’re in 1940s Chicago and Max dreams of making the big leagues. The only problem is he is a terrible detective. When his boss gives him an ultimatum, he must team up with some shady sorts to make the big bust.

THE ENGINE ROOM, BENDIGO 14 & 15 DEC

BILLY ELLIOT

On a modest budget of $5-million, the coming-of-age film Billy Elliot would earn more than $100-million worldwide. The heart-warming story, in which a coal miner’s eleven-year-old son trades in his boxing gloves after discovering a passion for ballet, would see a spike in dance class enrolments among boys. The same thing would occur when the award-winning stage adaptation followed. Now Footlight Productions is bringing the story of resilience and self-discovery to Geelong for the first time.

THE PLAY HOUSE, GAC 17 JAN - 2 FEB

OPERATION OUCH LIVE

In the almost words of Einstein: “It is the supreme fart of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” Following four sell-out Australian tours and two smash hit seasons in London’s West End, Oxford-trained doctors Dr Chris and Dr Xand van Tulleken are back with the dino-mite adventure ‘Quest for the Jurassic Fart’. Join them in sniffing out the most important fart in history –and it didn’t come from your uncle Dave.

ULUMBARRA THEATRE, BENDIGO 11 JAN

CIVIC HALL, BALLARAT 12 JAN

ASTRID

FOOD BY:

• FEED ME

From Zero

Æ To put it lightly, Linkin Park’s comeback has been a bit of a shitshow. What was originally meant to be an exciting announcement that the group would be returning from a seven-year hiatus after the death of longtime vocalist Chester Bennington–this time with Dead Sara’s Sarah Armstrong fronting vocal duties–didn’t quite get the response the band had been hoped for, instead sending fans into a frenzy for all the wrong reasons.

As to be expected, some longtime fans were annoyed, thinking that LP continuing to tour and make music was an insult to Bennington’s legacy. Others got caught up in Armstrong’s problematic past which involves links to both scientology and the now infamous actor/sex-offender Danny Masterson, while others simply didn’t vibe with the new formula the band were going for.

But to put it bluntly, who cares? If Linkin Park is back making music, is that really a bad thing?

That being said, it’s easy to see where some of the backlash came from. ‘The Emptiness Machine’, From Zero’s lead single, did admittedly fall a bit flat, feeling a little bit dated and rudimentary compared to the group’s earlier work. ‘Heavy Is The Crown’, on the other hand, undoubtedly channelled vintage Linkin Park, feeling eerily similar in its rhythms, grooves, and cadence to ‘Faint’ and in turn, momentarily silencing the naysayers who claimed the band had redirected their tried-and-tested formula.

Well, to those people, it’s time to start getting vocal online again, because they have changed their sound–but in a lot of ways, it’s where From Zero’s biggest strengths lie. It’s not in the songs like ‘Cut The Bridge’ or ‘Good Things Go’, which feel more like a high-school band inspired by Linkin Park than the actual real thing. It’s in the lesser radio-friendly tracks which aren’t going for the tried and tested formula the group have always relied on.

From the punk-rock riffs and thrash metal elements of ‘Casualty’, to the DJ-shadow inspired dub-heavy beats of ‘Overflow’, to the bouncing rhythms of ‘Two Faced’, which channels a similar energy to the groups earlier single ‘By Myself’, there’s a lot of promising moments that see Linkin Park redefining what their formula is. It’s heavier and grittier, offering the evolution that so many were wanting when the group first announced their return.

Without a doubt, From Zero is definitely not a standout release in the group’s catalogue. Although, it is a necessary step forward, offering 11 songs that can fill a setlist and save Armstrong from having each and every performance immediately compared to Bennington. Sure, it may not capture the magic, originality or holistic vision of Hybrid Theory or Meteora, but it’s a pretty solid blueprint for the next era of the group sound.

LABEL: WARNER RECORDS

FLESH CHERUB

Doom Groove

Æ I guess it’s true what they say: never judge a book by its cover—or in this case an album. When I saw the title Doom Groove by Flesh Cherub, I was pretty prepared to dive into an insanely heavy, death metal onslaught. So, imagine my shock when stripped-back bluegrass melodies and Liam McVay’s deep, Tom Waites-esque baritone voice first came barraging through my speakers–talk about a welcome surprise.

Although, while it’s not metal, Doom Groove is still an incredibly heavy release–just not in its sound–with the 5-track EP provocatively exploring McVay’s journey to sobriety, and in turn, picking apart every inch of his tormented psyche with all the honesty of a personal diary.

Through subtle arrangements that let the lyrics sit at the forefront of each song, Flesh Cherub’s debut EP sees McVay exploring internal thoughts of isolation, selfdoubt and the regret of lost relationships, while also finding solace and humour in the absurdity of existence.

It’s the kind of subject matter that can easily feel played out and contrived, with many aspiring musicians yearning for the ‘tortured artist’ aesthetic. Yet in the case of Flesh Cherub, it feels incredibly refreshing and original.

Recorded entirely by himself at home, Doom Groove carries a haunting, fly-on-thewall quality, with each strum of the guitar and echo of the vocals amplifying a deep sense of isolation. It’s a man, alone with his lap steel, unpacking his own personal thoughts and regrets with shocking vulnerability. Honestly, it feels like a privilege to be able to listen in.

LABEL: INDEPENDENT RELEASE:

KENDRICK LAMAR

GNX

Æ Controversial take: Kendrick Lamar still hasn’t released an album that’s lived up to Good Kid , M.A.A.D City . Sure, To Pimp A Butterfly came damn close, and the next three still consistently slapped–no doubt. It’s Kendrick Lamar, arguably one of, if not the best lyricists of the last 15 years; he’s not going to be dropping anything subpar.

But Kendrick has always stood out for his natural ability as a storyteller, and his recent albums just haven’t matched the same narrative depth as his breakout release. That being said, Good Kid came long before he was juggling rigorous touring schedules, mainstream notoriety, and feuds with some of the pop industries biggest stars. So, naturally given everything that’s gone down over the past year, it comes as no surprise that GNX isn’t a concept album–it’s a statement.

We had our chance to weigh in online, now it’s Kendrick’s time to set the record straight–and for the first time ever, he’s not asking you to read between the lines. As proudly asserted on ‘Wacced Out Mural’, “fuck a double entendre, I want y’all to feel this shit.”

It’s hard not to. Whether he’s confronting his fallout with Drake on ‘Hey Now’, responding to critics of his Super Bowl halftime show selection in ‘Wacced Out Mural’, or paying homage to LA’s musical roots on ‘Reincarnated’, Kendrick’s message is sharper, clearer and more authentic than ever.

As an album, it’s much darker than Kendrick’s usual work, yet much clearer in its message, presenting Lamar at his most unfiltered yet. This time around, he’s holding absolutely no bars–while still delivering all the bars, of course.

THE FAUVES

Tropical Strength

Æ In my eyes, Mornington’s The Fauves have been one of the most slept-on Aussie bands since their origins in the late 80’s. So when I saw they just released their 13th album, Tropical Strength , I couldn’t let it be another release to fall by the wayside of the public’s attention.

That being said, I didn’t know how it would go. As the group’s primary songwriter, Andrew Cox has long been a lyricist who possesses a natural ability as both a storyteller and a witty satirist whose views on life, public affairs and romance have the ability to make you laugh and think simultaneously.

But how would that fare 36 years later now that Cox is “just another middle aged guy, living on his own waiting to die” (‘If You Love Me’)? Pretty damn perfectly, to be honest. A lot more bruised by life experience, sure – he’s no longer telling quirky anecdotes about robbing Red Rooster with a plastic gun or getting dumped right before going for his bluebelt in karate. Instead now unpacking the harsh reality of aging, racism and frayed relationships – yet still, with remarkable wit and candour.

Although what’s even more surprising is that, after three and a half decades, Tropical Strength is still a great starting point if you’ve never listened to the band, feeling as true to the group’s sound as Thousand Yard Stare or Lazy Highways were in the early noughties.

MIRRORSHIELD

Visions From A Crystal Light

Æ I think you’d be hard pressed to find a band quite like Mirrorshield. Sure, over the years you may have come across pirate metal, viking metal or pagan metal, but high-fantasy infused symphonic folk metal? That’s a new one. Set amongst the ash-riddled ruins of Eremoss, the groups debut, Visions From A Crystal Light , invites listeners into a reverie of 11 high-fantasy tales that’ll have you ready to race through the woods on horseback, sword in-toe. From the whimsical fables of PixieDruid Nif Petalfig to the horrific battles of Eldenblot, Visions From A Crystal Light impressively hones in on narrative, foley and obscure synth settings to create traditional medieval folk soundscapes, which are then matched alongside deeply lore-ridden tales and tech-heavy power metal riffs. Kind of like if Jethro Tull’s Thick As A Brick and Children of Bodom’s Follow The Reaper had a baby, and that baby caught up with Judas Priest’s Painkiller for a game of Dungeons and Dragons. For those less interested in the albums narrative, tracks like ‘Woods of Oraya’ and ‘Osthill Mystic’ lean into traditional power metal, delivering adrenaline fuelled, riff-heavy shred-fests, while ‘Dawns Embrace’ and ‘Battlemage Requiem’ toy with folk-driven balladry, tying in inclusions of the mandolin, slower tempos and ritualistic chants.

It definitely won’t be for everyone, but for those that like something a bit different, Visions From A Crystal Light is a fun release that you can’t help but get lost in – as if it’s a soundtracking a movie that’s only playing in your mind. Even if it’s not for you, it’s hard not to admire the originality. LABEL:

Geelong comedians to battle it out in Melbourne International Comedy Festival competition

BY FRANKIE ANDERSON-BYRNE

Æ Geelong Arts Centre (GAC) is set to host the next wave of comedy legends in February, with Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s RAW Comedy open-mic showdown catching the train to Geelong as part of a state-wide series of competition heats.

The Open House, GAC’s spectacular hybrid venue, is the ideal spot to connect these barrel-of-laugh performers and audiences with the Australian first contemporary and uniquely creative collaboration space lending itself to intimate audience-performer-community experience.

If you think you’ve got what it takes to step into the spotlight and bring home the prize, registrations are now open for heat competitors; your path to glory involves a five-minute act of original humour and the desire to win.

Contestants will throw their hat in the ring with their best five minutes of original material with winners of the heats advancing to state finals, then participants at their peak will battle it out one punchline at a time at the RAW Comedy National Grand Final, held during the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in March and April.

The crowned champion will not only take home the prestigious RAW Comedy title but also secure a coveted spot at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to compete in So You Think You’re Funny? and rub shoulders with leading emerging comics from around the world.

For those of you hoping to be the ones off-stage, echoing laughter around the room, grab a $20 ticket and come experience a showdown of wits from the freshest comedic talent in your very own city. Why not gather your pals and cheer on your community’s next comedy sensation as they compete for the Comedy Champion title.

The heats will also visit Victoria’s other major cities including Adelaide, Bendigo, Brisbane, Bunbury, Byron Bay, Cairns, Canberra, Darwin, Fremantle, Hobart, Melbourne, Mullumbimby, Newcastle, Parramatta, Perth, Sunshine Coast, Surfers Paradise, Sydney and Wollongong.

Alternative path to an inspiring career in engineering

Æ Bella Dripps was one of many students who found pursuing a career path straight after school a challenging, yet exciting, experience. She planned to take a gap year after graduating but instead started engineering studies — and not through a university which is often the first choice for aspiring engineers.

Dripps wanted to build her knowledge, skills and confidence in the field before pursuing a university degree in aeronautical engineering at RMIT, so she enrolled in the Diploma of Engineering at The Gordon TAFE. She said her decision to take the vocational path straight after school had given her the practical, industry-relevant engineering skills she needed to prepare for university.

“I’m really enjoying TAFE. The coursework is practical, the class size is small, and the teachers are great,’’ she says.

“We’re using the engineering workshops on campus and have plenty of networking opportunities with professionals in the field. We’re covering a broad range of engineering topics, and it’s building my skills and confidence for when I start university.”

Various career pathway options are available for those who are not offered a place at their first-choice university or are indecisive about their next step in life. Dripps’s experience highlights the value of vocational education as an alternative pathway or change of preference option for students that may not achieve the necessary scores to enter university upon high school graduation. TAFE allows students to earn credits that can decrease the time and reduce the cost of further studies.

Additionally, The Gordon strongly supports females like Dripps to pursue careers in engineering and other industries traditionally underrepresented by women. Access to clear and appealing education and training options to work in an industry that offers a range of well-paid and secure career pathways supports the “Making it equal: Victoria’s Women in Manufacturing Strategy” released by the Victorian Government this month (Oct 2024).

The Gordon’s Engineering teacher, Ollie Buckley, is proudly “developing the next generation of engineers” in his role he commenced in 2023. Buckley loves helping his students develop their skills and pushing them to achieve high standards. He is enjoying connecting with the students and passing on the knowledge he’s gathered throughout his time in the industry. Buckley describes the institute’s training as a “great launching pad for commencing studies that lead into higher learning or into industry’’. “Our students will be the ones who drive change in the industry for years to come,’’ he says.

WHERE: THE OPEN HOUSE, GEELONG ARTS CENTRE

WHEN: SAT 1 FEB 2025

Start a rewarding career in engineering today and head to thegordon.edu.au to apply

Credit: TJ Garvie

VENUE GUIDE

MAESTRO

Æ Adrian Richardson’s newest culinary masterpiece, Maestro, has just opened in Geelong.

The modern Australian restaurant is at the heart of the new Geelong Quarter development and celebrates the region’s finest ingredients through an expertly curated menu by award-winning Chef, Adrian Richardson and Executive Chef Migo Razon.

The new addition to Geelong’s dining landscape showcases Chef Richardson’s skills, widely acclaimed as the ‘meat maestro’, Chef Richardson brings his unique blend of creativity, expertise and flair to elevate the Maestro experience, leaving a lasting impression designed for a diverse set of diners.

The Maestro bar offers an extensive range of wines and beers, including selections from the Moorabool Valley, Bellarine Peninsula, classic Victorian varieties, beloved Australian wines from Clare Valley, and a touch of international flair with French wines from the Loire Valley and Champagne region. Chef Richardson’s dedication to honouring local flavours is evident in the venue’s mouth-watering offerings, with imaginative dishes showcasing the region’s best seasonal produce.

Chef Richardson has said he “wants customers to experience the same warmth and satisfaction he feels when his grandmother cooks for him in her kitchen. She’s an amazing cook, and the love and care she puts into her meals are what he wants his customers to feel.”

Menu highlights include linguini prawns, nicola potato gnocchi, a veal cutlet, a whole flounder, as well as steamed portarlington mussels, and a house smoked salmon. You can also indulge your sweet tooth with decadent desserts such as the eton mess with berries, lemon curd and cream, or a decadent gluten-free crème brûlée. Vegan and gluten-free dishes are also available, created by Chef Razon featuring the rich and umami kingbrown mushroom with miso, shallots and almond milk, and the comforting and flavourful devon meadows leek soup, featuring freekeh, onion broth and fennel.

Maestro’s menu offers a selection of house-made small goods accompanied by premium condiments. Notable choices include the dry cured and slow-aged de palma wagyu bresaola or the mr cannubi caocollo served with olive oil and croutons.

No matter the time, or the palette, Maestro has something to please the inner foodie in everyone.

MORTADELI

Æ When you think of a deli, sandwiches, coffee, and pasta, do you also think you’ve actually found heaven on earth, or is that just me? Meet Mortadeli, where you get the mix of a New York deli vibe, with some products and scents of Europe, right here in Torquay.

Mortadeli is an authentic Mediterranean restaurant focusing on local seasonal produce, imported Italian DOC ingredients and fresh home-made pasta, offering a weekly changing menu, with vegetarian, gluten free and pescatarian options.

Owner Jake Cassar was a Travel Agent in Melbourne for 14 years, before moving down to the sunny coast right at the start of Covid. Cassar is a self-proclaimed coffee snob, and was missing travelling to Europe so much that he decided to bring Europe here, and we will all be forever grateful that he did. Upon seeing the shop location it hit him, there needed to be a coffee shop, a deli, a Torquay style bodega - but better. Mortadeli is the home away from home for all kinds of European products, vibes, people, you name it, it’s probably there.

Located across the piazza from the original sandwich deli, customers can now dine in for lunch from Fridays to Mondays, and dinner Fridays & Saturdays or enjoy an aperitivo in between. The new pasta bar has been placed in the careful, yet extremely capable hands of renowned chef, Glenn Laurie, and front of house / venue manager Lolo Hanser. The new space has been architecturally designed by Melbourne-based duo Fowler and Ward, providing a warm and professional service, the dining room is intimate and brings the cosy vibes of neighbourhood trattorias. Fresh pasta is made every morning in the front window and available to take home, alongside the small alimentari offering, with shelves packed with imported and local deli goods, cured meats, cheeses, vino and amaro.

Cassar’s Maltese heritage shines through Mortadeli. He has tried to incorporate it into the business by sourcing Maltese made products, and introducing Maltese dishes into the menu, with one of the most popular dishes being the Hobz Biz Zeit – which is a special Maltese tuna sandwich – and there will be many more Maltese dishes for customers to look forward to trying. Products used and sold here are a sourced combination of local and overseas. If it tastes and looks amazing, you know it will be there. Mortadeli also have their own coffee blend, which is roasted in Collingwood, and available for you to buy and enjoy the taste of Mortadeli from the comfort of your own home.

WHEN: SHOP 8/4-6 GILBERT STREET, TORQUAY

OPEN: DINER: MON–SUN 9AM–3PM

WHERE: LEVEL ONE, 40 RYRIE STREET

OPEN: MON–SUN 12–2:30PM SUN–THU 5–9PM FRI–SAT 5–10PM

PASTA BAR: LUNCH FRI–SAT 12–2:30PM & SUN–MON 12–4PM

DINNER FRI–SAT 5:30–8:30PM

GROCER/DELI: MON–SUN 10AM–5PM

SPLATTERS CHEESE TRAIN

Æ Cheese your own adventure at Splatters Cheese Bar - a licensed fromagerie like no other with three separate dining areas including Australia’s first cheese train.

The brain-child of cheesemonger Jo and wife, Tennille, Splatters boasts a 20-metre conveyer belt and fully licensed bar for a cheese and charcuterie dining experience with a focus on Australia’s best artisan produce.

The cheese bar’s new summer menu will feature a range of new additions including a soft creamy blue from Coolamon Cheese, burrata from Benalla Cheese, a traditional cheddar from Long Paddock Granite, a Kongwak Reserve raw milk cheese from Prom Country Cheese, and a new geotrichum rind cheese from Little Cedar Farmhouse, a small producer outside of Melbourne.

Each plate is an opportunity to try an Australian artisan cheese (and the odd international traveller) uniquely paired with an accompaniment, ranging from pickled vegetables, fruit pastes to house-made treats. Cheesers pay by the plate, or opt in for All You Can Cheese (for an hour and a half). You can also add on a locally made mixed charcuterie plate, which serves 1-2ppl. To make it even better, if you’ve found a new favourite, all cheeses are available to take home.

When you think cheese train, you just think cheese and its friends, but no, Splatters menu also features a wide range of hot cheese featured foods to warm up your belly during the colder months.

Now, I know what you’re thinking, no cheese loving venue can be complete without a mac n cheese right, and you won’t be disappointed, because this menu features a five cheese mac n cheese – holy cheese.

Also making a return next winter, Splatters popular masterclass series will be back for more, keep your eyes peeled for dates.

Splatters has also assured that the menu changes frequently, so no two visits are the same – challenge accepted.

Not only can you take over the venue and inhale all the cheese (events onsite for 25 up to 100 people) but Splatters also do Splatter Tables, bringing all the cheese, meat and antipasto goodness to an event near you. They offer to come to you – with grazing tables and catering available, and grazing boxes available for pick up, - the tables come in a basic and gourmet form, starting from 20ppl and feeding up to 100ppl (or just one really hungry cheese loving individual - no judgement here). These tables can be tailored to any dietary or general requests, so consider them for your next function or cheese craving shindig.

WHEN: 168–170 PAKINGTON STREET, GEELONG WEST

OPEN: WED 11AM–3PM THU–SAT 11AM–3PM & 6–9PM SUN 11AM–5PM

WILDFIRE CRAFT BBQ

Æ No rules, no tradition, just good barbecue – this is the motto of one of Geelong’s most sought-after Texas-style craft BBQ venues, and they couldn’t have said it any better.

Back in 2018, Wildfire began as just a pop up. You could find them at car parks and pubs, and then when Covid hit, and owners Casey and Annie were forced to open up shop in their garage, selling out most days.

Once they outgrew their garage, they needed a shop, which brought them to where they now call Wildfire Craft BBQ home, since July 2021.

Focusing on high quality smoked meats, this incredible duo has ensured to smoke their meats with not only the best firewood, but with a whole lot of love and dedication added – and we all know they make a meal great.

Wildfire is a small BBQ joint, seating only 20 people, but offering a takeaway option to enjoy from the comfort of your own home. The food on offer takes between 12 - 14 hours to smoke, keeping this team quite busy and always on their toes.

All barbecue is cut to order, letting customers see their food made in front of them. The meat is sourced from Lara Quality Meats – which have the best briskets possible, as well as a Wagyu Marble from Rangers Valley in NSW.

Wildfire also use a bluegum wood, from Royale Firewood –which is one of the best.

Also, I’ll let you in on a little secret – there’s a liquor license on its way, so you can enjoy a craft beer, wine or frozen margarita with your barbecued goods.

You can’t pick a menu highlight, because absolutely EVERYTHING is incredible – made completely from scratch, it’s hard to pick just one thing to have. The Texas Brisket is highly recommended, and if there’s a group of you, Wildfire offers a ‘Pitmaster’ platter, which feeds 3-4 people and features a generous amount of barbecued variety – and all BBQ packs come with pickles and handmade tallow bread – how can you pass this up? You also need to check out the lamb dino rib and Eliza’s honey butter cornbread, and the pork belly burnt ends are a weekly sellout. There’s also a range of mouth-watering burgers that are to die for.

The smoked meats available are; texas brisket, pulled pork, house-made sausage, garlic butter chicken and a peking duck –paired with some incredible sides that include a smokey mac n cheese, a garlic fried rice, and a truffle slaw – and you can’t forget the sauces – Carolina gold, smoked hot sauce and a black ketchup garlic – basically, everything is so incredible and will have you coming back for more.

WHERE: 54 WATSONS ROAD, GEELONG

OPEN: FRI & SAT 11AM–2:30PM & 4:30–7PM SUN 11AM–2:30PM OR WHEN SOLD OUT

GIG GUIDE

DECEMBER 2024

For more gigs go to fortemag.com.au/gigguide

WED 11 DEC

LUCY DURACK

A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS

THE PLAY HOUSE, GEELONG ARTS CENTRE, GEELONG

11AM $24–$28

FRI 13 DEC

THE JUNGLE GIANTS

THEATRE ROYAL, CASTLEMAINE

9:30PM $76.95

CHRISTMAS

CARNAGE

+ NICHOLAS CAGE FIGHTER, CIRCLE OF BLOOD, VEXATION, SLOWBURN VOLTA, BALLARAT

8PM $23.75

BEN LEE

LIGHTHOUSE THEATRE, WARRNAMBOOL

7:30PM $55

FOLKIE FRIDAYS

FT: MAGGIE RIGBY, ARLO & STEVIE

ODESSA AT LEAVERS HOTEL, CRESWICK

7PM FREE

CONVICT CLASS

+ POPPIN’ MOMMAS, ALL HOPE REMAINS, LE BONGE

MEDUSA BAR, GEELONG

7PM $20

GRINDING EYES

+ THE BLACK HEART DEATH CULT JUNKYARD WIZARDS

MAJOR TOM’S, KYNETON

8PM $20

THE QUO STORY

THE GOLDEN VINE HOTEL, BENDIGO

7:30PM $37.75

SAT 14 DEC

DARYL BRAITHWAITE

TORQUAY HOTEL, TORQUAY

8PM SOLD OUT

AOW - HARD YAKKA

THE BARWON CLUB HOTEL, GEELONG

7PM

$28.60

BURNT BUTTER PRESENTS VOLTA TAKEOVER

THE BARWON CLUB HOTEL, GEELONG

9PM

BLYSS

+ HYBERNATORS AND PLASTIC CHEESES

$13.30

MEDUSA BAR, GEELONG

7:30PM $15

ONDO CLUB

+ NORTHEAST PARTY HOUSE DJ SET

THE WHALERS HOTEL, WARRNAMBOOL

9PM

$23.50

THE GREAT DIVIDES + SNOWY

MAJOR TOM’S, KYNETON

8:30PM $15

ELIZA HULL

+ MAGNETS

THE BRIDGE HOTEL, CASTLEMAINE

8PM $25

ART LATE

KEE’AHN WITH DEBORAHN

ART GALLERY OF BALLARAT, BALLARAT

6PM $45–$50

THE SUBURBAN

EUREKA HOTEL, GEELONG

9PM FREE

BACK TO THE 70’S & 80’S

ARARAT TOWN HALL, ARARAT

8PM $25–$36

SOS – THE ABBA TRIBUTE SHOW

THE SPHINX HOTEL, GEELONG

8:30PM $29.67–$73.46

BAND FROM HELL

THE WOOL EXCHANGE, GEELONG

7PM

$28.60

COLONEL VIPERS

WHIPSTICK BAND

THE GOLDEN VINE HOTEL, BENDIGO

7:30PM $37.75

OCEAN MIND LET IT RIP FUNDRAISER

FT: Watty Thompsons Total Fire Band, Chitra, Sargent Baker, Jake Hunniford

TORQUAY SURF LIFE SAVING CLUB, TORQUAY

6PM $35

SOFAR GEELONG

FT: De Porsal, Ella Sweeney, Finnigan Parker

LOCATION TO BE REVEAL

36 HOURS BEFORE EVENT, CENTRAL GEELONG

7:30PM $30

SUN 15 DEC

BEN LEE

PIANO BAR, GEELONG 1PM $55

SONGWRITER SHOWCASE

FT: Jack Davies, Anna Schneider, Billy Baker, Claudie Joy

MAJOR TOM’S, KYNETON

2PM $20

THU 19 DEC

A COOLDAD CHRISTMAS

FT: Cooldad, Violet, Carly Jorja, Electric Stardust, Jasmin Adria

THE BARWON CLUB HOTEL, GEELONG

4PM $10–$20

FRI 20 DEC

FRENZZE + RIVER OF SNAKES DDS

THE EASTERN HOTEL, BALLARAT 7PM $17.85

DAMI IM THE CHRISTMAS SONGBOOK TOUR

THE STORY HOUSE, GEELONG ARTS CENTRE, GEELONG 7:30PM $69

LUKE BISCAN

EUREKA HOTEL, GEELONG 8PM

DUNE RATS + GREG THE WHALER, WARRNAMBOOL

RELAYS + FORKLIFT ASSASSINS, SOCIAL HAUNTS MEDUSA BAR, GEELONG 7PM $10

JOHN GROSSMAN PROJECT

THE GOLDEN VINE HOTEL, BENDIGO

7:30PM FREE

SAT 21 DEC STREAMS OF WHISKEY POGUES TRIBUTE THE BARWON CLUB HOTEL, GEELONG 7PM

MAMMA MIA! XMAS PARTY

TORQUAY HOTEL, TORQUAY 8:30PM

DUNE RATS + GREG

THE WHALER, WARRNAMBOOL 7:30PM $50

BOOTS ‘N’ ALL

THE GOLDEN VINE HOTEL, BENDIGO 7:30PM FREE

SUN 22 DEC

THE DR. COLOSSUS CHRISTMAS

FT: Dr Colossus, Grindhouse, Dukes Of Deliciousness

THE BARWON CLUB HOTEL, GEELONG 4PM $28.60

MON 23 DEC

CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT

FT: Milla Best, Cam Henderson, Alannah Farrar, Chelsea and Ari Gibb, The Mik Maks and the cast from Footlight Productions, Santa JOHNSTONE PARK, GEELONG

7:30PM FREE

THU 26 DEC

BOXING DAY AT BARWON HEADS HOTEL

FT: 6 Sense, Club Angel, Crybaby, Eternal Love, Fantastic Man, Roka Blake, Phones & Sleeves

BARWON HEADS HOTEL, BARWON HEADS

6PM $61.20

FRI 27 DEC

SMASHED PIE

THE GOLDEN VINE HOTEL, BENDIGO

7:30PM FREE

SAT 28 DEC

BEYOND THE VALLEY

FT: Fisher, Ice Spice, Chase & Status, Marlon Hoffstadt, Tinache, Royel Otis, Sammy Virji, Sugababes, Tracey, Denis Sulta, Natasha Bedingfield, Horsegiirl, Confidence Man and more

BARUNAH PLAINS, HESSE VIC

28 DEC–1 JAN $456.99

ROSS WILSON &THE PEACENIKS + THE HORNETS

BELLARINE ESTATE

6PM $45

ELECTRIC SUNSET

THE GOLDEN VINE HOTEL, BENDIGO

7:30PM FREE

SUN 29 DEC

CUT COPY & MIDNIGHT

JUGGERNAUTS

+ DJ SETS

TORQUAY HOTEL, TORQUAY

9PM $35.20

MON 30 DEC

NYE ON THE HILL

FT: Mallrat, Hockey Dad, Dreggs, Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, Jack Botts, Rum Jungle, South Summit, Surf Trash and more

SOUTH GIPPSLAND, VIC

30 DEC–1 JAN $351.68

TUE 31 DEC

NYE PARTY

FT: Tiff Cornish, Dena Amy, Coco Ayres, Pinna

TORQUAY HOTEL, TORQUAY

7PM $90

NYE PARTY

FT: Shantan Wantan Ichiban, Ruby Lou, Suga

BARWON HEADS HOTEL, BARWON HEADS

7PM $75

WOOSHKA

THE SPHINX HOTEL, GEELONG

8:30PM $37.49

THU 02 JAN

CALL ME MAYBE

2000’S + 2010’S PARTY TORQUAY HOTEL, TORQUAY 9PM $14.80

JACK BOTTS ‘ANYWHERE’ AUSTRALIAN SUMMER TOUR

TORQUAY HOTEL, TORQUAY

5PM $49.90

HOT CHIP

2 HR DJ SET

THEATRE ROYAL, CASTLEMAINE

9:30PM $59.90

FRI 03 JAN

BATPISS

+ FRENZEE, DELIVERY

THEATRE ROYAL, CASTLEMAINE

9PM $25

THE BLACK SORROWS

+ SPECIAL GUESTS THE WHALERS HOTEL, WARRNAMBOOL

7PM $56.10

SAT 04 JAN

JUICY ROMANCE

+ LB AKA LABAT TORQUAY HOTEL, TORQUAY 9PM $24.50

SUN 05 JAN

MARK SEYMOUR AND THE UNDERTOW

TORQUAY HOTEL, TORQUAY

7:30PM $61.20

KINGSWOOD

+ SPECIAL GUESTS TBC

THE WHALER HOTEL, WARRNAMBOOL 9PM $39.80

WED 08 JAN

PETE MURRAY WOULDN’T IT BE GOOD SUMMER TOUR

BARWON HEADS HOTEL, BARWON HEADS 7PM SOLD OUT

FRI 10 JAN

LOCH HART MUSIC FESTIVAL

FT: Con Josie, Don Glori, Don’t Thank Me, Spank Me!, Gold Fang, Jambe, Lewis Coleman, Nina Las Vegas, Osmosis Jones, Pollyman, Portal Gun, Prize Fight and more PRINCETOWN, KIRRAE WHURRONG 10–12 JAN $250

MARK SEYMOUR AND THE UNDERTOW THEATRE ROYAL, CASTLEMAINE 9PM $61.75

WHITLAMS TORQUAY HOTEL, TORQUAY 8PM $69.90

RELAYS + FORKLIFT ASSASSINS, SOCIAL HAUNTS MAJOR TOM’S KYNETON 8PM $10

SAT 11 JAN

A DAY ON THE GREEN FT: Teskey Brothers, Band of Horses, Sierra Ferrell, Cmat, Charlie Needs Braces

MT DUNEED ESTATE, MT DUNEED 2:30PM $379.90

THE WHITLAMS THE WHALERS, WARRNAMBOOL, VIC 8PM $69.90

RED WHYTE ALBUM LAUNCH BELLS BEACH BREWING, TORQUAY 6PM FREE

OCEAN SOUNDS

FT: Birds of Tokyo, Boy & Bear, The Cat Empire, Sunshine and Disco Fatih Choir, Jem Cassar-Daley, Cool Out Sun PHILIP ISLAND, MILLOWL 12PM $139.93

SUN 12 JAN

THE WHITLAMS THE ROYAL HOTEL, MEREDITH 8PM $69.90

GARDEN LANE: FROM THE SILT AND THE SOIL + CARLY JORJA, VIOLET THE BARWON CLUB HOTEL, GEELONG 5PM $13.30

THE BLACK SORROWS

TORQUAY HOTEL, TORQUAY 7:30PM $50.50

COASTAL SOUNDS

BELLS BEACH BREWING, TORQUAY 3PM FREE

“The Gordon was an ideal alternative approach to starting out my design career, rather than just heading straight to university. It provided me with the practical skillset and industry-required knowledge, which first year of university did not.”

BILLY KELLEHER-JONES GRAPHIC DESIGN