IF you’ve been watching Channel 7’s latest music reality show, All Together Now – The 100, you might have spotted several familiar faces in the crowd.
Lake Macquarie musician Emily Rex, Komiti Levai from Newcastle R’n’B group Tre Soul, local country-rock entertainer Kristy James and Ryan Smith all feature on the show’s panel of 100 judges.
The show involves contestants singing live in front of the judging panel, who then stand and dance along if they like the performance. The contestant with the most standing judges wins.
READ MORE: Emily Rex on the same page as American poet
For Rex, who was a contestant on The Voice in 2014, it’s been an exciting return to television.
“It was so surreal being back on TV,” Rex said. “It’s so mind-boggling.”
Meanwhile, Rex is busy songwriting for her next solo album, with six-time Grammy-nominated producer Haskel Jackson. In 2016 she released First, Listen, in a collaboration with American poet Azure Antoinette, called Spare Pages.
SPLIT FEED FEAST
TRIPLE j premiered the new Split Feed single Homesick on Tuesday night, which showcases a new heavier edge to the Novocastrian punks.
The track was recorded in Sydney’s The Brain Studios and will feature on a forthcoming EP to follow-up their 2017 four-track release Late Bloomer.
Split Feed have announced an east tour to support Homesick, which begins at the Cambridge Hotel on November 16.
HARD YARDS PALS
IT came full circle for Raave Tapes last Friday at their VB Hard Yards show when Newcastle punk royalty The Gooch Palms joined them on stage as special guests.
It was only three years ago that a relatively unknown Raave Tapes were invited to support the Gooch Palms for a run of dates after they met at a Violent Soho show.
The Gooch Palms’ Leroy MacQueen and Kat Friend performed a dance-punk cover of 2000 trance-pop hit Better Off Alone by DJ Alice with Raave Tapes.
The Goochies weren’t the only special guests to share the Cambridge Hotel stage.
Grace Turner also popped in to provide vocals on Raave Tapes’ Corridor.
JUJU ON BLUESFEST
FORMER Newcastle artist Mojo Juju has been included in the second announcement for Bluesfest 2019.
Other acts unveiled on Wednesday include revered songwriter Paul Kelly, Hozier, David Gray, Julia Stone, Gary Clark Jr, Mavis Staples, Flogging Molly, Meshell Ndegeocello, Ruthie Foster, Shakey Graves, Anderson East, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real and Caiti Baker.
READ MORE: Mojo Juju reclaims her identity and voice
The five-day Byron Bay festival held over Easter is celebrating its 30th anniversary, but director Peter Noble copped criticism for the first announcement – headlined by Jack Johnson, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelics and Kasey Chambers - due to its small number of female artists.
This second announcement should help allay those concerns.
RED HOT THREDS
MILKY Thred’s opportunity last month to support Hockey Dad at the Enmore Theatre is already paying off.
On Sunday the teenage three-piece performed a sold-out all-ages gig at Wollongong’s iconic Rad Bar, alongside Illawarra act White Blanks.
NOISY BUSES
IF you’re thinking of heading up to the inaugural Noisy Heeler Music Festival in Muswellbrook on October 20, then public transport is definitely the best option.
READ MORE: Hockey Dad riding high on success
Special event buses will leave the Hamilton Train Station at 12.30pm and Maitland station at 1.20pm. That service is due to return to Maitland at 11.50pm and Hamilton at 12.40am.
Noisy Heeler features Hockey Dad, Newcastle’s Gooch Palms, Waax, Bootleg Rascal, Downsyde and the Little Quirks.
