After all the fierce bands that competed and rose through the heats of this year’s FReeZA Push Start Comp, Bendigo boys Trash Lily soared above and charred The Push stage at St Kilda Festival with their crisp alternative punk. The lucky and exceptionally talented youths have fought hard and heavy for months and won themselves the big ol’ grand prize including a recording and mixing supplied by Hot House Studios, a mastering session with the infamous Jack The Bear, and a publicity campaign from SmallFRY, the list keeps going. The Push Start Comp had some serious talent this year, congratulations to all the other finalists and competitors and if you were lucky enough to see Trash Lilylive last Sunday, then when they take the world by storm you can say you were there when it all began.
This week is the last week of summer, and also the last week of the NGV Summer Sundays series. The Summer Sundays was a month of free, weekly gigs in the backyard of the National Gallery of Victoria, sporting all female, all local mates like Gabriella Cohen, Ali Barter, and Emma Russack. And now for this final Sunday February 26, the super cool Camp Cope are hitting the stage to send off summer with a chill in its spine. The gig runs from 1pm to 6pm. Camp Cope are known for selling out shows four to five weeks early so a chance to see them for free with no waiting list is pretty hard to pass up.
On the topic of Sundays, this Sunday also marks the 40-year anniversary of the Moonee Valley Festival at Queens Park and to celebrate the Moonee Valley council is throwing the largest free community day they can for the big4-0. They’ve organised a colossal birthday afternoon featuring roving performers, live music, dance and cooking stages, carnival rides and even a big birthday cake. The festival runs from 10am to 5pm and has a cake cutting ceremony at 1pm, which is not a thing you really ever see so it’s worth going just for that.
On Saturday February 25, the residents of Thornbury throw open their doors and host a DIY neighbourhood arts festival. It’s called Open House Thornbury and is a showcase of the artists and musicians living around Thornbury as various venues and homes throughout the night play host to visual art and music performances. It’s an intimate expression of neighbourly love not often seen in suburbia and it’s completely free. The festival runs all night and heaps of info can be found on the Open House Thornbury Facebook page.
