Love Freo

There aren’t many sites quite like the annual Fremantle Harbour Classic. The whole of the port packed to the gills with racing yachts, which are set off at staggered time intervals (like a sort of sailing handicap system) with the intention being that all of the competitors arrive at the finishing line at about the same time.

Spinnakers out for the down-wind start of the Fremantle Harbour Classic

Great to watch and outstanding potential for yacht collisions. Fortunately there was only one this year and Love Freo was on hand (just) to capture it happening.

Oi! Get yo' hands off my yacht

And the Esplanade was also stuffed to the gills again today, many people, lots to see and do. Fun times. More pics coming soon.

Family Fun at the Fremantle Esplanade

Its November Already!

So many good things have been happening in Freo this year, just in the last 3 months we’ve had everything from a new Mayor (good on you Brad!) to the Sui’s Season Opener…

Well Coming into November are 3 of my Favorite Events, No doubt being a Freo person your aware that the Freo Festival is just around the Corner starting on Saturday the 7th November, THAT’S THIS WEEKEND!!! and going through to Sunday the 15th.

Now I rekon one of  the best things about the Freo Festival is the Bhangra during the closing party, if you’ve never experienced Bhangra, make sure you get to the Festival closing party on Sunday night the 15th and check it out, it’s Awesome!

There are of course lots of other great things about the Freo Festival, make sure you get along to it and give it your Support…

Get the Festival Program here

NEXT!

On a much smaller but just as much fun scale is the North Freo Water Sliders Party. This is an Annual event put on by a great bunch of crew who live in NF, it happens in Alfred rd Park North Freo usually around the first 3 weeks in November weather depending.

If i asked you to meet me at the local park with a hose, a 50m sheet of black plastic and some dish washing liquid, you’d probably look at me funny.. but honestly this is the most fun you can have in a superman suit, just have a look at some of the photos from last year…

Anybody who loves to waterslide is welcome at this event (it’ll keep the Tin Lids busy for Hours) I usually roll up with a few beers, boardshorts and lids in tow. You’ll need to keep an eye out for when its on as its not advertised heavily anywhere…

Have a look at the groups page on that other famous social networking site (the one that rhymes with spacechook, acecrook, basecook – yeh that one) for more info…

Go On Get Your Slide On!

Number 3

Two Wheels Good – Like most people that live in or around Freo, you own a bike, you ride your bike around the river, to the park, to the beach, late at night in summer, Whenever/Wherever and you love it.. Two Wheels Good is about celebrating the love of the humble bicycle.

As part of the Freo Festival on Sunday November 8 at the Arts Centre, the worlds best bike show will be on… so take the two wheels that you love so much and ride them over to Finnerty St for an arvo of unbridled two wheel fun!

You Go Freo!!

i’m Famous Dave – and i Love Freo…

If you’re interested in music, especially NEW music, you must have heard of TURA, and if you haven’t, you should check them out now. As ‘out there’ some of their events may be, they are always a quality ear-opener. One of the venues for the 9th Totally Huge New Music Festival is the Fremantle Arts Centre, where you can experience the sound exhibition Come Hither Noise curated by Jasmin Stephens.

What a great location for a film festival. Drat and double-drat that I already have something on that weekend, why is it that I seem to be missing a lot of good stuff lately.

For 3 days in August (28th – 30th), Rottnest Island will come alive as part of the Rottnest Comedy & Short Film Festival. Western Australia’s best comedians and filmmakers will be on show to entertain and keep audiences laughing until their sides are ready to split.

I think this is a pretty good deal: A day tripper pass for just $79. It includes a return ferry ticket, lunch* and access to the film showcase and comedy shows.

You can also go for a full three day pass. The opening and closing parties should be fun Tame Impala will be playing.

*What lunch will be is as yet undisclosed.

Rottofest

We like independent music radio. Go RTRFM!

Saturday 27 June 2009 @ The Railway Hotel (7pm–1am ) and Mojos (8pm–1am)

Here some more info from the RTR website:

RTRFM’s Fremantle Winter Music Festival returns for ’09 and hits the port city on Saturday June 27. This year we are taking over Mojos Bar and The Railway Hotel in North Fremantle for a night full of rockin’ tunes and sweet beats sure to warm a wintry WA night.

We have assembled a bunch of great bands at The Railway Hotel including the beautiful dark folk rock of Felicity Groom and the Black Black Smoke, the groove laden rock of The Harlequin League, Perth indie rock legends Adam Said Galore, meaty riffmeisters The Scotch of St James, the post rock bliss of Apricot Rail and the proto goth folk of Stereoflower.

In addition to this we have a whole stack of great solo acts at the The Railway in the shape of Fremantle pop stalwart Steve Parkin, quirky folk songstress Gosia Basinska, RTRFM favourite Benedict Moleta, the soul drenched blues of Hayley Beth and the post modern guitarscapes of Andrew Weir.

On top of all that live action we have great pleasure in presenting a DJ line up par excellence at Mojo’s Bar for this year’s Fremantle Winter Music Festival.

Get your dancing shoes on for the multi award winning drum n bass producer/DJ Shock One, Tuesday Full Frequency techmeister Massiv Trav, Community beat freak Diger Rokwell, Down Undeground dub deviant Sibilance and the chest shaking sub sonic production of Ylem.

Plus in the beer garden at Mojos there is another whole stack of DJs including Perth’s first sister of soul Mama Cass, the battle for Sousides supremacy between Claude Mono and Graceberg Slim, Black and Blue legend Paul Gamblin, Sunday Morning’s stalwart Lorraine Clifford, and El Ritmo groover Jade Nobbs.

Playing Times
Railway Main Stage
12.15 – 12.55am – Felicity Groom And The Black Black Smoke
11.15 – 11.55pm – Harlequin League
10.15 – 10.55pm – Adam Said Galore
9.15 – 9.55pm – The Scotch Of St James
8.20pm – 8.55pm – Apricot Rail
7.30 – 8pm – Stereoflower

Railway Solo Stage
11.55 – 12.15 – Steve Parkin
10.55 – 11.15 – Gosia Basinska
9.55 – 10.15 – Benedict Moleta
8.55 – 9.15 – Hayley Beth
8-8.20 – Andrew Weir

Mojos Main Stage
12pm – Shock One
11pm – Massiv Trav
10pm – Diger Rokwell
9pm – Sibilance Vs Ylem
8pm – Sibilance Vs Ylem

Beer Garden
Midnight – Mama Cass
11pm – Claude Mono Vs Graceberg
10pm – Paul Gamblin
9pm – Lorraine Clifford
8pm – Jade Nobbs

Presale tickets will be available this week. Subscribers can buy them for $15 here at RTRFM Events or at the offices of RTRFM on Beaufort St, Mt Lawley.

General Admission Tickets can be bought from Mills Record Bar and 78 Records for $20 plus booking fee and at Planet Video, online at RTRFM Events and the offices of RTRFM for $20. There will be limited door sales for more on the night.

The Heritage Festival celebrates the architectural and social heritage of Fremantle and runs for a week, there’s lots of cool stuff going on and I’ve already spotted a Prison Convict Walk from the program that I really want to do.

Full Heritage Festival Program
29 May – 5 June 2009

Fremantle Prison's Convict Walk

Heritage Festival 2009

The WAMI Festival is taking place all over WA at the moment the Love is My Velocity Cookbook II has already been launched this week in Northbridge as part of it. In Fremantle tonight there’s a free gig on in Clancy’s if you’re wanting something to do. The full list of events can be found here: WAMi Festival Gig Guide

The Brunette was talking to a few people who went to the Blues ‘n’ Roots Festival yesterday and the reports back were not good. They found it was more about alcohol than the music apparently everyone was hammered, smoking was rife and the atmosphere was unpleasant. 

Bundaberg was the proud sponsor and had the monopoly on booze so the choice of drinks was limited. No outside drink was allowed into the venue, which I suppose is normal, what they did say that was a bit strange that once you entered the Festival you could not go out and come back in again! This seemed a bit unbelievable so I went to the festival website to see if it said anything.

The official Sunset Events website said “There are NO PASSOUTS permitted from the festival.” Which really means we want you to spend your money here, you may not leave and eat or drink in any of Fremantle fine establishments. 

It also said “Whilst there will be a cruisy vibe at the festival with room to relax, Blues n Roots is NOT a picnic rug style event.” It goes on to say “If you want some extra room and a seat, we recommend you purchase a VIP ticket.” 
So Sunset Events say it’s OK to be chilled and relaxed as long as you spend more money and upgrade to a VIP ticket.

Yet another festival this weekend, Saturday the 18th at the Esplanade Reserve. I don’t think I’ll be going to this one the music is not really my cup of tea but I love the atmosphere and the people anything like this brings to town. Hurray festivals.