Love Freo

…tons of cool music about this weekend.  Why don’t all the muso places of Freo keep their sites updated? I’ve noticed a lot of great looking gig flyers and posters around town this week but can’t find much online. Ho hum.

So Tijuana Cartel on Sunday at Mojo’s will no doubt be brilliant (they are also on tonight at Fly By Night), but also worth checking out tonight are Shooting from the Hip, and tomorrow night Boom Bam Pow, to raise awareness of domestic violence.

There’s also live music every night this w/e at Creatures Loft and the CD launch of the DomNicks at Clancy’s. Unfortunately I’ll be somewhere between City Beach and the city taking my sister’s clan to the aeroport. Oh, in another scoop for Metropolis Fremantle, Jarivs Cocker is coming here in December: he is the chap who famously (perhaps) ran up on stage and bared his arse to Michael Jackson. But he’s also a great singer/songwriter and once front man of 90s indie(ish) band Pulp. Get tickets now, you won’t be disappointed.

MJ wasn't impressed by his butt.

Love these guys! Check them out at the Fly tonight or at Mojo’s on Sunday.

Photos by Block, Coda and Lompen

Last night Love Freo went to the North Fremantle Bowling Club to take part in the Block vs Coda bowl off. The battle between the ‘north of the river designers’ versus the ’south of the river architects’ ended in Block winning the much coveted lion trophy. Playing bowls after dark at a pretty run-down location somehow had the atmosphere of a crime scene. That changed when a band started practising Afrobeat in the clubhouse. As far as I remember (after a few tasty $5,- semsavs) they were called ‘Ziggy and the new generation’ (please correct me if you know better) and are one of the many bands which play African music at the bowling club. The friendly publican told me that there are usually concerts on at the club Fridays and Sundays – many of them by bands which otherwise perform at venues like Kulcha. I like the idea of bowling and dancing on a sunny Sunday afternoon. The clubhouse has the quirky charme of a bygone era (a mix of 1950s and Freo Hippie culture) and is currently undergoing some renovations.

North Fremantle Bowling Club
40 Stirling Highway
North Fremantle WA 6159
Phone: 9335 1509

So it’s going to be a scorcher this weekend, and not before time. I have the fan on in the house for the first time this summer, I’m wearing shorts and have plans for some minor sunburn later today. As a complete Friday bonus, the sea breeze hasn’t blown, meaning a late arvo swim will also be an option. And there are some good things going on in Freo this weekend… just to make a change

Friday night, 16th October

• Mojo’s – Abbe May plays tonight at Mojo’s, supported by Horny Pony & The Joe Kings. You can check out Abbe’s myspace for more details. From 8pm. Tickets $20 on the door.
• Clancy’s Fish Pub – Natalie Gillespie and Dave Brewer Band. Singer/songwriter and Blues guitar man.
• Fly By Night - Motown and Northern Soul. Tickets $10 from 8pm.
• Kulcha – The Whistling Dogs are an acoustic trio with an eclectic sound, making use of a variety of instruments like the charango, saxophone, singing saw and keyboards. Tickets $15 on the door.
• Norfolk Basement – The Witness and Hand Stands for Ants. The Basement’s myspace is a bit out of date, so have no info on these guys.
• Newport Hotel – Paper, Scissors, Rock. From 8pm.
• Moondyne Joe’s – Dave Gillam Trio. This place has some good acts in a friendly atmosphere.

Saturday night, 17thOctober

• Mojos’s – Sunshine Brothers A dub/reggae/soul combo via some sort of DJ set. $10 from 8pm.
• Clancy’s Fish Pub – Matt Gresham! From 9pm.
• Kulcha – Paul Gioia Trio. A night of hot Blues, Gospel and Jazz. Tix $18 on the door. From 8pm.
• Norfolk Basement – Kevin Smith & The Seven Story Jumpers. 8pm.
• Moondyne Joe’s - Murdermouse Blues

Sunday daytime.  The Fishing Fleet Festival.

This festival is part of Freo lore, and has ancient origins from Molfetta and Capo d’Orlando in Italy (which also give their names to the harbour wall roads in Freo).  The festival is a procession from St Patrick’s Basilica through Freo, to Fishing Boat Harbour.  A great one for the kids, finishing off with a huge fireworks display. I like fireworks.

Monday onwards. Clancy’s 21st Birthday Festival Week. More on this to follow.  Oh, and we’ll have a new mayor too.

info@lovefreo.com

It’s not often a super-star DJ does a set in li’l old Fremantle, which is why Love Freo is very excited that Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas is playing at Metropolis this weekend. I wonder what hat he will be wearing. Tickets are a bargainous 25 bucks… so I know where I will be at 9.30pm on Friday. And I’ll be having a kebab on the way out. Super.

A man of many hats, most of them small.

Having plain forgotten to offer any sort of guide to things going on over the holiday weekend, I hope this little round-up of this weekend’s activities will be handy for some, although not for the Blonde, who has been hanging out in Ibiza with Pete Tong and Eric Prydz

Friday night, 18th September

• Mojo’s – Fisherman’s Style. Not so fishy, more of the reggae beats from the likes of DJ Sorted and DJ Deruki. You know the ones. From 8pm. Tickets $10 on the door.
• Moondyne Joe’s - This place has changed a bit and some of their acts are brilliant. Tonight, the Gerard Maunick Trio.
• Little Creatures Loft – Ghost Hotel and Wolves At The Door. From 8pm.
• Seaview Tavern – Indie and Old School Rock, featuring DJ Samuels. Every week from 8pm. Click here for the poster.
• Newport Hotel – FELIX & DEGRAAF DJs play some rock and poptastic beats. From 8pm. Free.
• Clancy’s Fish Pub – Funkerellos. From 9pm.
• Fly By Night - CANCELLED.  Uh oh, The Jamie T gig has been cancelled for ‘medical reasons’. Speedy recovery please.

Saturday night, 19th September

• Mojos’s – the Stems! The first of their farewell shows, supported by The Early Hours (hooray) and others. Tix in advance from Heatseeker, may be some on the door.
• Clancy’s Fish Pub – Sneaky Weasel Gang. Blues, funk, reggae and rock combo. Super.  And they’re from sunny Mandurah. From 9pm.
• Kulcha – Comme Un Accord. An acoustic duo from some tiny island near Canada, folky music, meant to be v good. Tix $25 on the door. From 8pm.
• Norfolk Basement – Boom Bap Pow! Trashy doo-wop-pop is their mission. Sounds marvellous to me. 8pm, probably $10.
• Metropolis – Hi NRG. Of course what else. Don’t forget your kebab afterwards.
• Moondyne Joe’s - Murdermouse Blues

So I’m going to call a few of these places and get some more info if possible. Adios

info@lovefreo.com

Some nights I just like to stay home, some nights I want to party, some nights I need a cocktail and some nights I feel like going to ‘the good old humble pub’. The good old humble pub – that’s the one with the fireplace, where I can go anytime, where I don’t have to dress up, where I can have a quiet chat with my man or other nights meet some interesting characters at the bar and laugh all night. My ‘local’ means no stress, but good times – winding down after a working week. My local is Moondyne Joe’s. Not the sportsbar, but the front bar (they call it the Governor’s Bar). From my house it’s less than 10 minutes walking distance – an important criteria for the ‘local’. They also have good food, nice staff and – on the weekends – excellent live music. The (unfortunately very few) other guests and I have been pleasantly surprised by the quality of the performing bands and one could just wish more people came there to enjoy.

'Avalon' at Moondyne Joe's Governor's Bar

Moondyne Joe’s
73 Wray Avenue (Cnr Hampton Road)
Fremantle
Phone 9430 5513

Not always easy to find a neat summary of decent gigs going on at the weekend in Freo. So we’ll give it a stab.

Friday night, 18th September

• Mojo’s – DM3 headline Mojos Bar for a night of old school Power Pop. From 8pm. Tickets $15 on the door.
• Little Creatures Loft – One Tiger Down. Sounds like cool music. From 8pm. Ticket price unknown, possibly free.
• Seaview Tavern – Ben Francis Band. Independent singer/songwriter, might be worth checking out.  From 8.30pm. Free (I think).
• Kulcha – BRASILINTIME is a filmic map that connects the world of Rio de Janeiro to the South Bronx. 8pm.  $10 on the door.
• Newport Hotel – FELIX & DEGRAAF DJs play some rock and poptastic beats. From 8pm. Free
• Clancy’s Fish Pub – Dilip and the Davs. Just spoke to Clancy’s and this gig is on; should be great. From 9pm. You can eat fish too.
• Fly By Night - South West Souls’ four resident DJ’s will have you dancing your socks off all night with an across the board mix of Motown, Northern Soul & Modern Soul. 8pm $10.

Saturday night, 19th September

• Mojos’s – Roger That plus quite a few other people. From 8pm. $15 on the door.
• Kulcha – The Lazy Railway… a young man with an old soul of gold. 8pm. $15 on the door.
• Clancy’s – CBC Jazz Orchestra. That’s as much info as I have.
• Norfolk Basement -Those International Playboys of Pleasure return…..OATS SUPPLY with guests. 8pm, probably $10.
• Metropolis – Hurray for Metropolis. Join the young ‘uns for Lady Penelope while downing vodka red-bulls. Classy.

Let me know if I’ve missed something that shouldn’t be.

Open Piano Tuesday

We dropped into X-Wray this evening to test the mojitos and we weren’t disappointed. Limey, minty, sweet, alcoholic. Mixed with flair by the friendly bar-keep: X-Wray is cool. They have a piano equivalent of an open mic night on Tuesdays as well, so that was a bit of a bonus for us, he was great. Unfortunately my video clips (of mojitos and piano playing) won’t upload, so you’ll have to take my word for. But the pianist chap is doing a gig this weekend (well, pretty sure it’s the same guy). Go and check it out, and watch this space for more on X-Wray.

Upcoming gig at X-Wray

Xwray Café and Bar

13 Essex St,
Fremantle,
WA 6160.

Phone: 9430 9399

Jane Germain & The Yahoos

For a truly local, unpretentious and fun night of live music head down to the Hilton Park Bowling Club. They’ve got a band playing on Sundays from 4.30pm. The atmosphere is laid back, the beer is cheap and you can dance as if no-one was watching.

From Mid-November you can come along to their corporate bowls on Wednesday nights.

Hilton Park Bowling Club,
Shepherd Street,
Beaconsfield,
WA 6162.

Phone: (08) 9337 2897‎