Brisbane Videos: ghauff goes shopping in West End

I did the camera work on this video that I made today with Pamela, who's called ghauff on YouTube. Pamela's channel talks about what transsexual life is like in Brisbane. Today's video shows Pamela shopping in West End, a well-known haven for alternative lifestyles in Brisbane. Enjoy!

Brisbane Video Art: ghauff, augmented reality & mysteries of creation

Brisbane video artist ghauff works on video art and new video special effects, and talks about life on YouTube. Click play on this playlist to see four examples of her work.

Brisbane Rocky Horror Picture Show: This Friday, Jan 23 2009, at The Globe

Brisbane's cult cinema The Globe is showing The Rocky Horror Picture Show this Friday night, January 23rd 2009, at 7pm. Tickets are $15 + booking fee, and you can order here. You'll need to be 18+ and show photo ID to get in, as there is a licenced bar in the theatre.

The night includes the Cards 4 Sorrow floorshow: this YouTube vid gives you a quick taste of what it's like:

The Globe Theatre is at 220 Brunswick St in Fortitude Valley - if you catch a train to the Valley and walk out the mall where the train station is, turn right and walk about 100 metres up the road, towards the Valley Fiveways and away from the Valley Mall. Click here for a Google Map.

Technorati Tags: brisbane, queensland, australia, movies, rocky horror picture show, globe, cinema

Brisbane Improv: Edge Improv on 4ZZZ-FM's The Frog And Peach every Friday 5pm @4ZzZ

Edge Improv, a Brisbane improvised theatre group, is on 4ZZZ-FM's show The Frog and Peach every Friday from about 5pm. So if you'd like to tune in, 4ZZZ-FM is on 102.1 FM.

Brisbane Community Radio: Switch 1197 Radiothon (so they can do Digital Broadcasts)

Brisbane community radio station Switch 1197, which focuses on club and urban music, is holding a radiothon at the moment, to raise funds so they can switch to digital broadcasting later this year.

IF you want to support Switch 1197, you can buy Digital Pixels on this page - you buy an ad for your business, or personal web page, and the money goes to Switch. Roll your mouse over the images on the page to get full-size versions.

Brisbane Art: Urban Grind coffee shop in Brunswick St offers commission-free hanging space

Are you an artist looking for somewhere to show your work? Urban Grind coffee shop, at 530 Brunswick St, New Farm (click here for a Google Map), is looking for artists.

Urban Grind offers a free AND commission-free hanging space for two weeks. If you're interested, email art@urbangrind.com.au and include a description of what you'd like to show, and please include some examples in the email.

Brisbane Festivals: Chinese New Year starts 26 January 2009

The Lunar New Year (or "Chinese New Year") begins on Monday January 26th 2009 (the same day as Australia Day). There will be celebrations in Fortitude Valley's Chinatown Mall, Duncan St (click here for a Google Map). The first day of celebrations will be on Monday January 26, but if you're going to be at other Australia Day celebrations, don't worry, because there will also be stuff happening in Chinatown from Friday January 30th to Sunday February 1 2009.

On Monday January 26th there will be lion dances, classical and folk music, firecrackers, kung fu demonstrations, 3 god dances, fireworks, and Cai Shen will hand out red packets and lanterns.

On Friday January 30th, Saturday January 31st and Sunday February 1st, there will be more displays and performances.

Each day during the festivities there will be children's activities from 12pm to 3pm, including face painting, art and craft workshops, and calligraphy.

Technorati Tags: brisbane, queensland, australia, chinese new year, chinatown

Brisbane Improv Theatre: "Prognosis: Death!" runs Jan 22-31

"Prognosis: Death!" is the latest show from Brisbane improv theatre troupe Impromafia. According to their website:

Set in the fictional town of St Love, the action centres around the local hospital, home to a variety of familiar characters - the heroic doctor, the gruff hospital administrator, the nurse with a past, the creepy pathologist. Each night, something strange - something 'supernatural' - will start affecting the good residents of St Love, and it will be up to the hospital's finest to work out how to battle the infections, plagues and outbreaks that threaten the town's existence.

What's the horror? Well that's for the audience to decide! Each night the audience will choose what strange misfortune should befall St Love. Will it be Zombies? Werewolves? Ghosts? The Black Death? Teenagers? It means every night a different story will unfold - come to one show, come to several, come to all - it'll never be the same twice!

Cross 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'Scrubs' with 'The X-Files' and 'Supernatural', and throw in a dash of 1950s schlock horror, and you'll get an idea of what you can expect in Prognosis: Death!... plus blood.. lots of blood!

Prognosis: Death! runs for two weeks at the Arts Theatre, 210 Petrie Terrace, Brisbane (click here for a Google Map). It's on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, starting Thursday 22nd of January and running to Saturday 31st January 2009. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for concessions, and you can book by calling 07 3369 2344.

Brisbane Holidays: Australia Day 2009 in Brisbane

As usual, the biggest Australia Day celebrations in Brisbane will be at Southbank.


At 9am a spiritual ceremony at the Suncorp Piazza will unite leaders of Queensland's different religions.

From 10am to 5pm there will be all sorts of free entertainment throughout South Bank Parklands: acrobats, magic, circus workshops, weird musical instruments, dance and song, and much more.

From 11am to midday, in the Cultural Forecourt near Grey Street, Australia's armed forces will be on display at the 2009 Australia Day Flag Raising Ceremony. A hundred-strong honour guard, and the Band of the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery will be on display, and at midday an RAAF F-111 will perform a fly over.

And from 7.30pm to 10.30pm there's the concert in the Suncorp Piazza, featuring three Brisbane artists:

Clare Bowditch

The Gin Club

Gentle Ben and his Sensitive Side

There's plenty happening that's not at Southbank, too. At 7.45am at the Rotunda in the City Botanic Gardens, there's the 10 000 Steps Walk, where thousands of people will practice staying fit by walking 10 000 steps each day. There's also a citizenship ceremony at Hamilton, a Family Fun Day and a Barefoot Ball, both at Moorooka, a breakfast at Northgate, an open Day at Government House, Paddington, a Twilight Hot Rod show at Souths Leagues Club in West End, a concert at Woollongabba, and a family day at Wynnum.

And of course, the famous Australia Day cockroach races are on at the Story Bridge Hotel, Kangaroo Point.


Technorati Tags: brisbane, queensland, australia, australia day, holiday

Strange Attractors playing now at Ric's in the Valley @attractors

Livepix from the scene at Ric's where Strange Attractors are playing.

Brisbane Music: Strange Attractors FREE CDs tonight, gig at Rics. @attractors

Brisbane band Strange Attractors, who say they sound like "The voices in your head", are giving away free CDs of their music when they play tonight, Wed Jan 14th 2009, at Rics in the Brunswick St Mall, Fortitude Valley - you can click here for a Google Map. The program says they'll be on from 10.30pm.

The YouTube video above shows you Strange Attractors playing their song "Anenome/An Enemy", and if you like it you can check out Strange Attractors' YouTube channel if you click here, or click here to visit Strange Attractors' MySpace page. You can also follow Strange Attractors on Twitter.

Brisbane Video Games: Game On! Exhibition at State Library, Southbank

Game On from GameOn Slq on Vimeo.

Game On!, a video game exhibition from the UK that has been travelling the world, is at the State Library, Southbank at the moment. It's on until February 15th. The exhibition includes displays about the history of videogaming, making and marketing videogames, sound, multiplayer games and future technology.

There's over 100 games available to play for free, including Space Invaders, Donkey Kong and Asteroids, Way of the Exploding Fist (he says, showing his age). a Halo 3 4-player LAN, Tomb Raider, The Sims, Guitar Hero 3 and Gran Turismo 4. There's even a copy of the old Infocom text-based adventure version of The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and all-time classic Final Fantasy VII (good luck finishing THAT in a day).

Tickets are $18 for adults, $12 concession/children, and under-fives are free. You can buy tickets at the door, or online at qtix, or by calling qtix on 136 246.

There's also a report here by blogger MrPigeon who went the the Game On! exhibition and loved it.

Brisbane Art: Eugene Carhesio exhibition at Queensland Art Gallery until February 1 2009

I've gone and had a look at the "Someone's Universe: The Art of Eugene Carchesio" exibition a couple of times. It's at the Queensland Art Gallery in Southbank until February 1 2009.

I particularly enjoyed the bits of the exhibition that were inspired (according to the curator's notes) by constructivism and futurism. Carchesio does a lot of work with simple things like matchboxes and small paper cones. The notes suggested that using matchboxes is a sign that anyone can do art: they are everywhere, easy to find, and cheap.

There was one big piece which was a yellow sheet of cardboard about 2 metres by 2 metres, covered with small yellow cardboard cones about 15cm away from, each other, called "Test Pattern for Hope" (several of Carchesio's works have this title). According to the notes for the piece, Carchesio left this behind for the staff at a gallery he was allowed to work in while everyone else was away over a summer break. He thought he had a responsibility to leave something for the people in the gallery.

That makes me think of the constructivist's idea that art should not just be for the benefit of the artist, or for "art", but should be something that ordinary people can use and relate to and benefit from. The cones also remind me of the wedges used in Russian art just after the Bolshevik Revolution, such as the famous Civil War propaganda work "Beat The Whites with the Red Wedge":




One piece I especially liked was called "10 Thoughts". This was ten small devices made out of simple electronic components. Each one had a light that flashed on and off. I started loking at it because I thought it was cute, but then started pondering about what thought is. Part of what makes up our thoughts is electrical impulses flashing on and off in the neurons of our brains, which the piece reminded me of.


Technorati Tags: brisbane, queensland, australia, art, queensland art gallery, eugene carchesio

Brisbane Blogs: Brisneyland gets the Spotlight in LiveJournal!

The Brisneyland community on LiveJournal has been featured in the "LJ Spotlight" group for January 12th 2009. LJ Spotlight features communities on LiveJournal which are using LiveJournal in a unique or compelling way.

I love the Brisneyland community. It's full of helpful people - people in Brisbane have posted all sorts of strange requests for help or info, and it's amazing just how much knowledge gets dug up. In just the last few days, people have found out where to get small film cannisters to use as cigarette butt bins, what to do about changing your name when you've just got married, where to buy tempeh, and I got help when I was trying to arrange a free meeting space at quite short notice.

If you're in Brisbane, thinking of moving here, or just love the place, I really really think you should check out the great people at Brisneyland.

Brisbane Art: Otto Dix' "War" at Queensland Art Gallery until February 1 2009

"War: The Prints of Otto Dix" is on at the Queensland Art Gallery at Southbank until February 1 2009. The print above, "Lens wird mit Bomben belget (Lens being bombed)" shows the sort of thing that's in the show.

According to the exhibition's website,

Dix (1891–1969) fought in World War One as a volunteer, serving as a
machine gunner for the German army on the Western Front in 1915. He was
at the Somme during the major allied offensive of 1916, and was wounded
several times, once almost fatally. Many of the images in Der Krieg are based on Dix’s diary sketches from this time.

Depicting scenes of the utmost savagery and devastation, Der Krieg
is a timeless reminder of the misery and suffering caused by war. It
reflects Dix’s fascination with the potential extremities of human
behaviour that war can induce, and his own horror at the ‘ghastly,
bottomless depths of life’ that were revealed to him while he was a
soldier.

The Otto Dix exhibition is on tour from the National Gallery of Australia. For more information about the show, click here.

Technorati Tags: brisbane, queensland, australia, art, exhibitions, queensland art gallery, otto dix, war

Brisbane Books: Lifeline Bookfest January 17 to 25, 2009

The most enormous second-hand book sale I've ever been to, the Lifeline Bookfest, is on again from January 17th to the 25th. It's held in two huge halls at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre at Merivale St, South Brisbane, and if you want to pick up some cheap books it's the place to be.

There are literally hundreds of thousands of books on sale at the Bookfest. For details on opening hours and more, click here.

Click here for a Google Map showing where the convention centre is.

Technorati Tags: brisbane, queensland, australia, lifeline, bookfest, books, sale

Brisbane Pro Wrestling: Valley Fight Night at Fortitude Valley PCYC Sat Jan 17th

PWA Queensland presents Valley Fight Night at the Fortitude Valley PCYC, 458 Wickham St, this Saturday, January 17th 2009. Doors open at 6.30pm. Highlights of the night include a 6-man Showdown, Seoul and Mason Childs fighting for the PWAQ Title (and the #1 contender's spot for the PWA International Title), a grudge match between Sorrow and Phoenix, a 4 Woman showdown and a tag team match with a future title shot at stake.

Tickets are $10 - you can prebook here, or just turn up on the night. Click here for a Google Map showing where the Valley PCYC is.

Brisbane Theatre: Beeneigh Theatre Group auditions for High Society on Sun Jan 25

The Beenleigh Theatre Group is putting on the Cole Porter/Arthur Kopit/Susan Birkenhead show "High Society" in April, and on Saturday January 25th 2009 the auditions are being held.

If you're interested in auditioning, you'll need to book: call the Production Secretary on 07 3287 2912 to make a booking, or if you have any questions.

Technorati Tags: brisbane, queensland, australia, theatre, beenleigh theatre group, auditions

Brisbane Art: University of Queensland's "NEW" exhibition

The University of Queensland Art Museum re-opens today after its summer break, and the "New" exhibition is on until February 1st 2009.

The "New" exhibition shows off the artworks that the Museum has bought (or been given) over the last two years).

Brisbane artists included in the exhibition include Fiona Foley, Vernon Ah Kee, Tony Albert, and Richard Bell.

The UQ Art Museum is near the Great Court at the University's St Lucia campus: click here for a Google Map.

Technorati Tags: brisbane, queensland, australia, art, exhibitions, university of queensland, uq

Brisbane Zombie Movies: Night of the Living Dead at the Globe Cinema Wenesday Jan 14th 2009

The Globe Theatre, which puts on all sorts of cult movies, is showing George A Romero's Night of the Living Dead and Evil Dead 3 - Army of Darkness this Wednesday, January 14th at 7pm. The double feature costs $15 + booking fee - click here to book. You'll need photo ID to get in, too - there's a bar inside the Globe so you can drink there.

The Globe Theatre is at 220 Brunswick St in Fortitude Valley - if you catch a train to the Valley and walk out the mall where the train station is, turn right and walk about 100 metres up the road, towards the Valley Fiveways and away from the Valley Mall. Click here for a Google Map.




Technorati Tags: brisbane, queensland, australia, zombie, movies, globe, cinema

Brisbane Art: "Synergy" exhibition opens Fri Jan 16th at Circle Gallery, West End.

Circle Gallery, at 274 Montague Rd, West End (on the corner of Scott St, one block south of the intersection of Montague Rd and Vulture St - click here for a Google Map), is hosting the new exhibition "Synergy", featuring the work of four artists, Valeriu Buev (see here also), Joanna Hietzke, Dianne Williams and Tony Greaves.

The short exhibition opens on Friday January 16th 2009 at 6pm, and then it will be open from 10am to 4pm each day until Wednesday January 21st. For more information about the Synergy exhibition, call Dianne Williams on 0422 609 318.



Technorati Tags: brisbane, queensland, australia, art, synergy, exhibition, circle gallery

Brisbane Art: Free Tours at Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art

The Queensland Art Gallery and the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) in Southbank each have free tours every day. The Queensland Art Gallery tour is of the highlights of the Gallery, and the GoMA tour is of the current exhibition, Optimism, which runs until February 22nd.

Each gallery offers two tours each day, at 11am and 1pm. For the Queensland Art Gallery tour, meet at the Melbourne St Information Desk, and for the GoMA tour, meet at the main GoMA info desk. The reason these tours are free is that they are run by volunteers at each gallery, giving up their time to share a love of art.

Technorati Tags: brisbane, queensland, australia, art, GoMA, Queensland Art Gallery, tours

Brisbane Auditions: Sun Jan 18th, "He Died With A Falafel In His Hand"

Via girlclumsy's blog:

The play "He Died With A Falafel In His Hand", based on Brisbane author John Birmingham's notorious book about just how bad living in share housing can be, is going to be on in Brisbane next March. Auditions are on Sunday January 18th at 4pm at the Brisbane Arts Theatre, 210 Petrie Tce, Brisbane City (click here for a Google Map).

If you're on Facebook, you can join the play's group here, and you can purchase a copy of the book from Amazon.com if you click here.

Brisbane Womens' Rights: volunteer performers needed for Vagina Monologues aftershow

Via Brisneyland:

V-Day will be at the Globe Theatre February 5th and 6th this year. There's going to be a performance of The Vagina Monologues, with performers donating their time and proceeds going to women's rights/women's support charities.

The crew are looking for Brisbane bands, solo artists and performers to do the aftershow. If you're interested, or to find out more, email Lesley or Sarah at brisbanevday@yahoo.com or call Lesley on 0424 456 536.

Brisbane Art: Sam Blanch's Bridges To Elsewhere: What I Thought

UPDATE: Sam Blanch responds to this article:

I would just like to say that the content of the show is quite varied, there are sixty paintings in all and people bring a lot to specific paintings and not much to others. It is these kind of serendipitous moments I am interested in, I love that people find favourites and find paintings they want to bring into their lives. Its like playing a giant game of snap.

I've just added photos to the descriptions of the artworks below. Even if you're reading this after the exhibition closes, if you like what you see you can buy the art by calling Sam on 0409 630 923 - or (+61 409) 630 923 from overseas. His email address is Sammablan800@hiptop.com.au


I went to the opening of Sam Blanch's exhibition "Bridges To Elsewhere" at the Circle Gallery last night. There were six paintings that stood out for me.




First of all, "Chocolate delight. Kiss of a Frog", a painting of a chocolate Freddo Frog on a dark background.




Next, "Flight of Freedom. Freedom dares to float". This work is has a dark blue sky as the background, with a yellow sun and smallish white clouds. Most of the panel is taken up by four yellow curves that make up the shape of a flying creature, maybe a large bird or a dragon. There's no details at all: the shape of the lines has to do all the work of telling you what this figure might be.




"Arc Angel Michael" wears a bright flourescent reddy-pink robe, and above his greenish head are a dark orange halo and translucent wings. He holds a broadsword whose pommel comes up to his chest, and a green snake is wrapped around the blade.




Across the room, "Angel" is in a very different style to "Arc Angel Michael". "Angel" is another figure with almost no details - the lines have to do the work of meaning again. I quite liked this one - it's the sort of work you might find at, say, a "progressive" Anglican or Uniting Church.


A smaller room off the main exhibition room has nine paintings in it, called "The Origins of Nine (expanded version)", one to nine. I liked 4 and 9.




4 is the white moon looking down on a white yacht, on the ocean at night. The painting is mostly dark blue - the sky is untouched with paint, while the sea is marked with black and white swirls.




9 shows two faces looking directly at each other, between them taking up three-quarters of the panel. Among the mess of colours that cover each face, a single eye in each face stands out in stark black and white. Hand painted words fill the space between the faces:

nine ways to say i love you nine ways to say i am sorry nine ways to say anything you please then there is silence

The face on the left is mainly purple and green, the one on the right is purple and orange.

There's a booklet on sale for three dollars, which has poems by Sam, each linked to an artwork. In the introduction he explains that his art is part of his reaction to his struggle with his subconscious, and that "looking at each painting is like crossing a bridge to my unconscious mind".

You can look at Sam Blanch's paintings for free from 10am to 5pm today until this Wednesday, January 14th 2009, at the Circle Gallery, 274 Montague Rd, West End. It's on the corner of Scott St and Montague Rd, one block south of the Vulture St/Montague Rd intersection, above the Art Shed. Click here for a Google Map.

The paintings are also for sale, at $70 each. You can buy from Circle Gallery or call Sam Blanch on 0409 630 923 - or (+61 409) 630 923 from overseas. His email address is Sammablan800@hiptop.com.au

By the way, artists can hire the Circle Gallery for DIY exhibitions and don't get charged commission.

Brisbane Activist, Editor and Photographer Iain Clacher dies.

Facebook reports that Brisbane photographer, Activist and Editor of Queensland Pride, Iain Clacher, has died.

Technorati Tags: brisbane, queensland, australia, iain clacher

Brisbane Children: brizzykidz.com is full of ideas for things to do with your kids

If you've got children and you're wondering how to keep them occupied during these summer holidays, then you might want to take a look at the BrizzyKidz website. Glenys Power, the writer, says:

Hi, I’m Glenys Power and this blog is for all Brisbane mums and dads that ask their friends about the places they take their children to and the activities they do. Here you’ve found a community that can answer the question “What’s that like?“.

The blog has reviews of playgrounds, free holiday shows at shopping centres, and things to see and do with your kids. So if you're wrangling any children, drop in and have a look around.


Technorati Tags: brisbane, queensland, australia, children, kids

Brisbane Music: Saturday Sunsets at The Shire with Honky Kong

This video, Reflection Connections, is by Honky Kong, who are playing 3 free Saturday evening gigs at The Shire Tea House in West End.

On their MySpace site, where you can listen to two of their tracks, Honky Kong say:

We search through all sorts of music and cherry pick the best and most vibrant. We have a motto which is a lamp that guides us through the endless soloing and esoteric meanderings that fog up the world of Jazz. With all due respect we say "Cut out the overindulgence!". Originally started as a five piece Jazz/Hip Hop fusion ensemble in 1999. The current members Honky Kong have moved from The Cinematic Orchestra and DJ Shadow inspired 'theatre of the mind' music into collecting, crate digging, DJing, short films, loop digging, live scoring, and making mix CDs. Over time HK has developed a set of aspirational genres; Twisted Jazz, Afro Love, and Super Fusion.

Honky Kong's YouTube channel is here. Honky Kong will be playing at The Shire Tea House on Saturday 10th, 17th and 24th of January 2009 from 5pm to 9pm. The Shire Tea House is at 71 Russell St, West End - click here for a Google Map.

Technorati Tags: brisbane, queensland, australia, west end, the shire, honky kong, music

Brisbane Emergency(?): Fire Alarm causes Busway evacuation yesterday

Emergency(?), originally uploaded by obLiterated.

This photo by Flickr user obLiterated shows the scene yesterday morning as the Queen St, King George Square and Roma Street Busway Stations on the Inner Northern Busway were evacuated. The evacuation happened because a fire alarm went off - it turned out to be a false alarm, reports the Brisbane Times.

obLiterated says:

"On the way in to town on the bus this morning, the 2-way radio started telling the driver that the Queen Street bus station, trhen the King George Sq bus station then the Roma St Bus Station were being evacuated and closed. No obvious reason, just "don't come here" messages.

We got into town and the entrances were closed, fire alarms sounding and general mayhem ensuing. "

Brisbane Art and Craft Blogs: Desire to Inspire's blog roundup

Brisbane interior design blog Desire to Inspire has published a New Year's roundup of Brisbane art and craft blogs. There's 23 different blogs there at the moment, including cupcake decorators, hand letterset designers, handcrafts and more. If you're into art and crafts at all this round-up is well worth a look.

Technorati Tags: brisbane, queensland, australia, art, craft, blogs

Brisbane Artists Academe offers $2500 scholarship - entries close Fri Jan 30th

The Brisbane Artists Academe is offering a $2500 scholarship to any artist 18 years or over. If you'd like to enter, you need to send a submission, 300-500 words long, explaining why you want to win, and 5-10 images of your best paintings and drawings.

You can email your entry to krisstie@brisbaneartworkshops.com.au or regina@brisbaneartworkshops.com.au or post it to PO Box 3201 Newmarket 4051.

Entries close on January 30th. Finalists will then be interviewed - you'll need to bring along your portfolio to the interview. Potential is more important than current talent, and beginners are welcome to apply.

For more information email the above addresses or call Krisstie Byrnne on 0402 342 421 or Regina Dolan on 0407 377 585.

Brisbane T-Shirts: Buy "Clandestine Laboratory" by Natalie Perkins

If you like this piece of art "Clandestine Laboratory", you can buy it on a T-Shirt here at RedBubble. It's by Brisbane artist Natalie Perkins.

Technorati Tags: brisbane, queensland, australia, definatalie, natalie perkins, art, t-shirts, redbubble

Brisbane Museums: The Coolest Show On Earth at Queensland Museum, Southbank

"The Coolest Show on Earth" opens today at the Queensland Museum at Southbank. The show is free, and it's part of a heap of school holiday activities at the Museum.

The show is about liquid nitrogen - an incredibly cold liquid that will burn you if you touch it. I remember seeing a teacher use it to freeze a banana so hard that it shattered when he hit it, instead of just squishing. There's also the Science Circus Show, The Lab and more. Click here to see the full details, performance times and so on - most events are completely free.

The Queensland Museum is part of the Cultural Centre at Southbank - click here for a Google Map.

Technorati Tags: brisbane, queensland, australia, museum, queensland museum, science, exhibitions, shows

Brisbane Mountain Biking Photos: The Gap MTB trail

Biker-down-the-trails, originally uploaded by trailflix.

This photo by flickr user trailflix shows a biker on the mountain bike trail at The Gap, in Brisbane's western hills.

trailflix also has a set of 9 photos of The Gap trail - click here to see it.

For more mountain bike trails in Brisbane, click here (you'll have to scroll down to the bottom of the first page to get to trails around Brisbane).

Brisbane Music Festivals: Laneway Festival is on January 31st 2009

The Laneway Festival is on January 31st in Fortitude Valley. Headliners include Girl Talk, Architecture in Helsinki, Sterolab, and The Drones.

Tickets are $99 plus booking fee. You can click here to book online with Moshtix.

The Laneway Festival will be on Alexandria St in Fortitude Valley - click here for a Google Map.

Technorati Tags: brisbane, queensland, australia, laneway, festival, music, festivals

Brisbane Exhibitions: "The Same River Twice Part 1" at the Institute of Modern Art until Feb 28 2009

"The Same River Twice Part 1" is an exhibition at the Institute of Modern Art, at the Judith Wright Centre on Brunswick St in the Valley. It's about historical re-enactment in art.

The main features are:

• Gerard Byrne's film of a restaging of a Playboy roundtable discussion on new sexual lifestyles.

• Jeremy Deller's re-enactment of the Battle of Orgreave, when striking miners were attacked by police in the 1984-5 Miners' Strike in UK.

• Thomas Demand's photos of his paper sculptures designed to look like reality:

• Pierre Huyghe's The Third Memory, where John Wotjtowicz re-eneacts his bank robbery which was the basis for the Al Pacino film Dog Day Afternoon:

the third memory, (huyghe),
Uploaded by zohilof

• Slave Pianos, who take music written by artists and turn it into sheet music to be played by a robot.

The Same River Twice Part 1 is on until February 28th 2009.

EDIT: It's closed for Christmas holidays right now, it will be open again on Monday January 12th 2008.

The Institute of Modern Art is in the Judith Wright Centre at 420 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley, on the corne of Berwick St (click here for a Google Map)

Technorati Tags: brisbane, queensland, australia, art, exhibitions, institute of modern art, gerard byrne, jeremy deller, thomas demand, pierre huyghe, slave pianos

Brisbane Blogs: Peter Black's Freedom to Differ is a finalist in 2008 Weblog awards

Each year around this time, all sorts of Internet and blog awards pop up over the Internet. But the biggest is the Weblog Awards, and Brisbane blogger Peter Black is in the running for Best Law Blog for his Freedom to Differ blog.


I'll be voting for him as often as I can, and I think you should too. Click here to go to the voting page.

Other blogs I'll be voting for (even though they're not from Brisbane) include:

A. E. Brain (nominated in Best Australian and New Zealand blog: click here to go to the voting page). If you've never read a blog by a right-wing intersexed rocket scientist, then you should. The "Today's Battles" posts are a textbook example of how you should argue online if you actually want to convince people, rather than just yell at them.

FiveThirtyEight.com (nominated in Best Political Coverage: click here to go to the voting page).

xkcd (nominated in Best Comic Strip: click here to go to the voting page).

Wil Wheaton (nominated for Best Celebrity Blogger: click here to go to the voting page).

Lifehacker (nominated for Best Technology Blog: click here to go to the voting page).

So, what are you waiting for? Vote Early, Vote Often!

Technorati Tags: brisbane, queensland, australia, blogs, weblog awards, awards, peter black, freedom to differ

Brisbane Music: Dirty Diamonds and Finding Finesse play FREE at Not Quite 299, Valley this Friday Jan 9 2009

Two Brisbane bands will be playing for free at Not Quite 299 Burlesque bar this Friday night, Friday January 9 2009.

Finding Finesse plays "soulful acoustic roots" music and Dirty Diamonds play power-ballad-rock. Click here to listen to Finding Finesse's music at their MySpace page, and click here to hear Dirty Diamonds at their MySpace page.

Not Quite 299 is at 297-299 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley, in the Valley Mall - click here for a Google Map.


Technorati Tags: brisbane, queensland, australia, dirty diamonds, finding finesse, music, bands

Brisbane Art: Sam Blanch's Bridges to Elsewhere opens Fri 9 Jan at Circle Gallery

Brisbane Artist Sam Blanch's Bridges to Elsewhere exhibition opens this Friday night, January 9th 2009 at 6pm, at Circle Gallery, 274 Montague Rd, West End. It's on the corner of Scott St and Montague Rd, one block south of the Vulture St/Montague Rd intersection, above the Art Shed. Click here for a Google Map.

Bridges to Elsewhere runs from Friday January 9th until Wednesday 14th January. After the opening night, it runs from 10am to 5pm each day.

Technorati Tags: brisbane, queensland, australia, art, exhibitions, sam blanch, bridges to elsewhere

Brisbane Extreme Electronics Breakcore Dubstep and More: Monster Smash Sat Jan 10

Independent radio 4ZZZ-FM presents Monster [S]mash Fest at the Step Inn, on the corner of Brunswick St and St Pauls Terrace, Fortitude Valley, on Saturday January 10th. It's a huge show featuring extreme electronics, breakcore, dubstep and more. Apparently.

The headliners are Drumcorps, The Berzerker, Sickboy and Eiterherd. Local musicians include psychobilly act Monster Zoku Onsomb: Here's a video of their song Poison Soil:

And you can click here to see all of Monster Zoku Onsomb's YouTube videos.

Click here for more info on who's playing: there's 18 acts on the card. Tickets are $20+booking fee if you buy them beforehand (online at Oztix or Rocking Horse Records), $30 on the door or $20 on the door IF you're a subscriber of 4ZZZ-FM.

Click here for a Google Map showing you where the Step Inn is.

Brisbane Artists: Dennis Brockie's "Making Waves" exhibition at Stradbroke Island Beach Hotel

This slideshow of photos, by flickr user ronpass, shows you some of the paintings from Dennis Brockie's "Making Waves exhibition, which is showing from Saturday January 10th to Wednesday January 14th at the Stradbroke Island Beach Hotel, at Point Lookout on North Stradbroke Island in Moreton Bay.

To get to the Stradbroke Island Beach Hotel from Brisbane, catch a train to Cleveland Station and then catch the 258 bus from the station to the ferry terminal on Middle St, Cleveland. An adult daily ticket covering the train and this shuttle bus is $9.60. You can then catch one of the ferries to Stradbroke Island - the cheapest one is the Big Red Cat at $11.00 adult return. The Water Taxi is $17.00 adult return, and the Stradbroke Flyer is $19.00 return. You can also drive to Cleveland and take your car on the vehicle barge for $135.00 or on the Big Red Cat, also for $135 - prices for vehiles include passenger fares.

If you catch the ferry to Stradbroke Island, then you'll need to catch the bus from Dunwich (where the ferry stops) to Point Lookout - an adult return ticket costs $8.20. When you get to Point Lookout, the Stradbroke Island Beach Hotel is on East Coast Road: click here for a Google Map. The last bus leaves Point Lookout at 6.55pm: click here to go to the page where you can download the timetables.

Technorati Tags: brisbane, queensland, australia, art, exhibitions, stradbroke island, dennis brockie

Brisbane Art: Ron Mueck's "In Bed" @ Optimism Exhibition, Gallery of Modern Art, Southbank

This photo really doesn't do justice to this piece of art. The base is about 8 metres by 5 metres, and the woman's head is about 1.7 metres above ground: that is, as tall as an average person. "In Bed" is part of the free Optimism exhibition at the Gallery of Modern Art, in the Cultural Centre at Southbank. It's on until February 22nd 2009.

Optimism at GoMA: Kota Ezawa's "Lennon Sontag Beuys"

Click to Play

This video is a short excerpt from Kota Ezawa's "Lennon Sontag Beuys", which shows speeches by John Lennon, Susan Sontag and Joseph Beuys with the graphics simplified into cartoonish forms. The three speeches run next to each other.

Formats available: Third Generation Platform (.3gp)

Brisbane Museums: On Our Selection at Redland Museum

The Redland Museum is featuring famous author Steele Rudd all January. Rudd was the author of "On Our Selection", the stories of Dad and Dave trying to make a tiny farm work in the Queensland bush.

There's not just an exhibition of Steele Rudd's writing, from January 5th to January 28th. From January 26th to January 31st there's a production of an outdoors play based on the stories. The play will be staged in the open air, around the museum's blacksmith shop. Dinner and the show will cost $30.

For more details, call the Redland Museum on 07 3286 3494 (+617 3286 3494 from overseas). Admission fees are $3.50 for adults, $2.50 concession and $1.50 for children. The museum is at 60 Smith St, Cleveland: click here for a map showing just where that is, and also details of opening hours.

Technorati Tags: brisbane, queensland, australia, redland, museum, steele rudd, on our selection, exhibitions

Brisbane Music: Music by the Sea Festival FREE concert this Friday night

The Music By The Sea Festival is on this weekend at Sandgate. The festival kicks off this Friday night, January 9 2009, with a free concert at Shorncliffe Beach's Lower Moora Park - click here to see a Google Map.

Local artists playing at the free concert include William Barton and Tijuana Cartel. William Barton is a didgeridoo player: this YouTube video shows his performance of "An Insomniac's Nightime Symphony with StereoDan at the Queensland Conservatorium in 2004:

And this video shows Tijuana Cartel's song "The Way We Are":

If you like what you hear, you can click here to see more YouTube videos of William Barton, and click here to see YouTube videos of Tijuana Cartel. Tijuana Cartel's MySpace page is here, and you can listen to three of their songs right there.

For more information on the non-free parts of the Music By The Sea Festival, click here to see this year's program, and click here to buy tickets through 4MBS-FM.

Brisbane Swamp Music: The Medicine Show play The Joynt, Sat 10th Jan.

The Medicine Show say they play "Swamp Music". Acording to their MySpace page, it sounds like:

the hottest wettest most nasty swamp you've ever even heard tell about. Crocs,snakes that'll crawl right up the inside of your leg and skeeters big enough to strip the living flesh from a grown man's arm. A tar paper shack with a boiled ham hanging in a sack in the shade of the willow tree. fear aching love pain running from the cops cos you just know they's gonna put you in jail again

If you visit their MySpace page you can hear three of their songs, or have a look at this YouTube video of their track "This Father's Son":

The Medicine Show play The Joynt at 8pm on Saturday January 10th 2009. The Joynt is at 48 Montague Rd, South Brisbane - click here to see a map of where they are.

Brisbane Theatre: The Awfully Big Adventures of Peter Pan

Brisbane's Harvest Rain Theatre Company is putting on "The Awfully Big Adventures of Peter Pan" at the Cremorne Theatre at QPAC, Southbank, from Wednesday January 7th until Saturday January 31st.

Tickets are $48 for adults, $38 concession or $26.50 for children. At the Previews on 7th and 8th of January, and all Tuesday and Wednesday shows, ALL TICKETS are $26.50. For details of show times, or to book online, click here. For other ways to book through qtix, such as by phone or mail, click here.

And if you like to see behind the scenes, have a look at this video diary of the rehearsals:

Brisbane Videos: Woodford Folk Festival Fire Event

These three videos by YouTube user loveyourlife247 show you highlights of the Fire Event, the traditional New Year's Day closing ceremony at the Woodford Folk Festival.


Technorati Tags: brisbane, queensland, australia, woodford, woodford folk festival, folk, music, fire, ceremony

Brisbane Music: The Grates' Patience Hodgson injures ankle @thegrates

Brisbane musician Patience Hodgson, lead singer of The Grates, injured her foot overnight while performing the last song in The Grates' set at the Southbound Festival in Busselton, Western Australia.

Hodgson, who is well known for her incredibly energetic stage performance, was taken to hospital in Busselton's only ambulance with a badly swollen left foot.

It is not yet known if the injury is a fracture.

EDIT/UPDATE: The injury is not a fracture, but a sprain with associated tissue damage. Hodgson will not be able to walk for a week.

This YouTube video shows a typically active performance by Hodgson at the Governor Hindmarsh hotel in Adelaide in late 2008:

The Grates' MySpace page is here, their YouTube channel is here, and their Wikipedia entry is here.

Brisbane Photos: Chelsea, and Eat My Tie

Chelsea by ~fallenrosemedia on deviantART

This photo is by deviantART user ~fallenrosemedia.

Eat My Tie by ~neo6078 on deviantART

And this one's by ~neo6078. If you'd like to see more photos from Brisbane on deviantART, just click here


Technorati Tags: brisbane, queensland, australia, photos, deviantart.

Brisbane Pliosaur: at the Quensland Museum now.

In 1990 a pliosaur fossil was found in Richmond, Queensland. It's about 100 million years old and it's not a dinosaur, but a marine reptile.

The fossil is now on display at the Queensland Museum, part of the Cultural Centre at Southbank - click here for a Google Map.

Technorati Tags: brisbane, queensland, australia, museums, queensland museum, pliosaur, dinosaur, fossil