This Week in St Kilda #297
Before Christmas
Mick Thomas, Kingswood and Jazz
NYE/NYD
Big nights at Espy, George Lane and Memo
Great early January gigs
Ferris Wheel 30% discount for locals

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Christmas & New Year edition
Next TWiSK Monday 10 January 2022!

Best wishes to all TWiSK readers and friends.
TWiSK appreciates your support and invites you to help make St Kilda even better next year by sharing your events and story ideas in 2022.
What makes TWiSK special is dedication to local events and news from a local perspective.
And that makes you the key ingredient.
So thank you.
See you in St Kilda next year!

Opera @ Memo
Tuesday 21 December, 6.30 pm
Enjoy the hits of opera you will recognise from movies, TV, sporting events, cartoons, or even advertisements, but with real opera singers. Featuring. tenor Jason Wasley, Soprano Alison Rae Jones, Mezzo Soprano Caroline Vercoe & Compere Chris Mckenna. $50 / $40
Tix

Mick Thomas’ Roving Commission – Christmas Show @ Memo
Thursday 23 December, 7.30 pm
Continuing a tradition of rocking festive gigs w/guests Folk Bitch Trio $50 / $35
Tix

The New Impromptu Quartet Christmas Show @ Ruby Carter Jazz Lounge
Thursday 23 December, 7.30 pm
Exploring a world of styles with danceable grooves, deep rhythmic bass lines and driving percussion. $40 / $30
Tix

Kingswood @ Espy
Friday 24 December, 7.30 pm
Espy favourites with special guests Fancy Face & Stimpies $45
Tix

The Detonators @ George Lane
Friday 24 December, doors 6 pm
The ‘High Priests’ of rock’n’roll are on lead vocals the larger than life “Rockbottom” James Moloney, backed up by Paulie “The Kid” Bignell on lead guitar and “Doghouse” Dave Philpots on bass, with Eddie Fury on drums.
TixChristmas Eve with Ellectra Kute @ The Dogs Bar
Friday 24 December, 7 pm
Be entertained by a potent mix of camp shows, beverages, delicious food – all served with your daily dose of Christmas sass.
Info, bookings required but free

Seasons classics @ Classic Elsternwick
A festival of festive films, including the New York tradition of Fiddler on the Roof of the 25th!
Tue Dec 21, 9:00 pm – Die Hard (Rooftop Screening)
Fri Dec 24, 8:30 pm – The Nightmare Before Christmas
Sat Dec 25, 12:30 pm – Fiddler on the Roof
Tix 
Postcard Show @ Linden
Until Sunday 27 February, Tuesdays – Sundays 11 am- 4 pm
The Postcard Show is back with over 1,000 mini masterpieces to see – every work measuring exactly 8 x 10”
More info and winners
In The Making Exhibition @ Blackbox Cafe Theatre Works
Until 17 February, Weekdays 7 am – 1 pm, Sat 7.30 am – 1.30 pm
Rawcus has been collaborating with local artists to explore how our relationship to local places enrich creativity and connection.
Local artists and arts workers including Caroline Bowditch, Adriano Cortese, Kent Morris, Mat Vendeville, Sarah Vickery and Lucinda Strahan with lead artist  and photographer Pia Johnson.
More info
Closed Sundays and public holidays

NYE / NYD

NYE @ Espy
Friday 31 December
The Espy is back in town with a range of ticketed NYE packages. They are a bit pricey but could be classy. $145 main bar, $195 Maya Tiger, $225 The Ghost
Tix

New Years Eve, ‘22 @ George Lane
Friday 31 December, doors 6pm
 Burn In Hell followed by Kim Volkman & The Whiskey Priests and finished off with The Peptides.
Tix

Yacht Rock Revival celebrate NYE @ Memo
Friday 31 December, 5 pm and 8 pm
Farewell the year with Yacht Rock Revival band paying tribute to the definition of 70’s light rock, collecting your favourite sounds, songs and grooves from an era when ‘smooth’ meant everything. $80 / $60, early show $60/$40
Tix

New Years Eve Jazz Lounge @ Lunas
31 December, 8 pm
Dinner, drinks and dancing with 5 hours of live entertainment. $85 pp with meal, $25 pp bubbles and show.
www.lunas.com.au | Tix 30 The Esplanade, St Kilda

One Tribe New Year’s Day @ St Kilda Sports Club
Saturday 1 January, noon
A party to celebrate the New Year with Melbourne’s favourite DJ’s, free bowls, sausage sizzle and unlimited dancing to tunes from yesterday, today and tomorrow! $54
Tix

2022

Daryl Braithwaite @ Espy
Thursday 6 January, 7.30 pm
Great performer and a great venue (the Gershwin Room) – summertime and the living is easy – Howzat! $48
Tix and info

Jack Botts ‘Slow Mornings Tour’ @ Espy
Friday 7 January, 8 pm
One of Australia’s fastest rising songwriters, Jack Botts has swiftly built a fanbase on Spotify listeners with an authentic and no-frills approach to life and music, the chippy turned-busker-turned seasoned troubadour. $33
Tix and info

Dalicados @ George Lane
Friday 7 January, doors 6 pm
A six piece with remarkable songsmith James Lomas as lead vocalist and guitarist; rhythm section of Cal McAlpine on drums and Mark Carson on double bass; backing vocals, dance moves and percussion provided by Tracey McAlpine and Fiona Lee Maynard, with the incomparable Jack Howard (Hunters & Collectors) on trumpet.
Rock/Americana four piece Cold Irons Bound are support. $19
Tix

Steve Kilbey Performs 4 Church albums in full (solo) @ Memo
Saturday 8 January, 5.30 pm and 8.30 pm
Steve will be performing the first 4 church albums over 2 shows in the entirety including anecdotes reminiscing and setting the general scene for music in the early 1980s. $50/$40
The first show is albums 1 and 2: Of Skins and Heart and Blurred Crusade.
The second show is albums 3 and 4: Seance and Heyday
Tix

Imogen Clark with friends @ Prince Bandroom
Saturday 8 January, 8.30 pm
Interstate indie rocker Imogen Clark presents her Second Annual Holiday Hootenanny with a swag of her musical mates including Ali Barter, Anita Lester, Dan Kelly, Eilish Gilligan, Gretta Ray, I Know Leopard and Mo’Ju. $18
princebandroom.oztix.com.au

Stereo Stories @ Memo
Sunday 9 January, 3.30 pm
The Stereo Stories band brings you stories of heart, soul and daring, inspired by iconic songs. A unique collaboration between writers and musicians, you will be treated to an outstanding show of music and memoir, featuring special guests Brian Nankervis, Carmel Bird, Danny Katz and Jenny Valentish. $45 / $35
Tix

Wilbur Wilde ‘Raising Standards’ @ Ruby Carter Lounge
Sunday 9 January, 3.30 pm
Join saxophonist and singer Wilbur Wilde, as he celebrates forty-nine years of being Wilbur, one of the greats of the Australian Jazz scene. $40 / $30
Tix

And later in January

Mullet Fest 2022 @ Theatre Works
From Tuesday 11 January 2022
Originally scheduled for 2021’s Melbourne Fringe Festival in October, the shows that make up January’s Mullet Fest were postponed from the 2021 program due to the effects of COVID-19 restrictions.
The six works will be performed across our three stages: Theatre Works, the outdoor stage adjoined to our revamped forecourt at Blackbox Cafe / Bar, and Explosives Factory – the new performance and rehearsal space on Inkerman Street.
TWiSK note: Explosive Factory does not have disabled access 🙁
See the program

Mrs Prime Minister @ Memo
Friday 28 January and Saturday 29 January, 7.30 pm
Sunday 30 January, 1.30 pm
An evening of songs and stories about seven women: Tamie Fraser, Bettina Gorton, Hazel Hawke, Zara Holt, Annita Keating, Sonia McMahon and Margaret Whitlam, wives of the Prime Minister and residents of The Lodge, Canberra 1966-96.
Iconic Melbourne singing actors Sally Bourne, Jane Clifton and Fiona Thorn, accompanied by the Adelaide Avenue Trio featuring Ana Mitsikas, perform jazz inflected songs by John Thorn (Spontaneous Broadway) and Terence O’Connell (Minefields And Miniskirts: Australian Women And The Vietnam War).
Tix and info

Grace @ Red Stitch
From 1 February
Three women. Three generations. One long weekend in Copenhagen.
New work featuring Kate Cole, Jillian Murray & Mia Tuco
Info

Giving season ideas

Scholarship appeal @ Friends of Suai/Covalima
Since 2012, Friends of Suai/Covalima (FoSC) has funded more than 166 scholarships for students from Covalima district.
Now FoSC needs your help to help keep the sponsorships going.
All funds raised will benefit students and will contribute towards enrolment fees and other costs.
It costs between $250 and $1700 per year to fund a scholarship but any amount is appreciated.
Give via the Friends of Suai Covalima Give Now 


Share the meaning @ Port Phillip Community Group
If you want to gift something a little more meaningful this year, then check out PPCG Gift Cards. Cards are available in a range of amounts and will help them to purchase a range of items including toiletry gift bags and Christmas hampers, as well as support some of our most loved programs such as bushwalking and community classes. Any amount welcome.
Give now


Shop at Greeves St @ 12 Belford Street
Detour from Acland Street down to the very enchanting Greeves St op shop in Belford Street. The proceeds from your purchase go to supporting the St Kilda Gatehouse project.
Get more info

Mayor replies on childcare centres
” We also don’t want them to close.”

We close the year with a cloud hanging over three early childhood centres in the St Kilda Elwood area.
Early in the month, Council started discussion to sell three small centres –  17 Eildon Road, St Kilda, 46 Tennyson Street, Elwood, and 39 The Avenue, Balaclava –  to help fund a bigger centre in St Kilda North. Last week, local MPs Martin Foley and Josh Burns, come out strongly in support of the centres.
TWiSK offered Mayor Marcus Pearl an opportunity to respond. This is his reply in full:
“We welcome the Victorian Government’s interest in preserving these three childcare centres as we also don’t want them to close.
“Unfortunately, they are no longer fit-for-purpose and don’t meet building code and Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliance. As the local Council, we cannot accept having childcare centres that are not compliant with the DDA.
“At a recent Council meeting we resolved for me to write to the Victorian Government seeking funding support to either bring the buildings up to compliance or to fund land and new buildings to allow the centres to continue.
“We have now done so in the spirit of cooperation and hope this letter will result in a meeting for us to discuss this further.”
Let’s hope they secure more than a meeting.

Register to have your say @ Council conversations
Council is reaching out for locals to be involved in ‘consultations’ in the style of focused conversations.
The council wants to hear from interested people before 23 December.
Jump on line to provide your details

Greg Day
Happy to chat anytime 0418 345 829
Content suggestions and community questions are always welcome.
gday@archives.gdaystkilda.com.au

Recent editions
Monday 13 December – Sunday 19 December
Monday 6 December – Sunday 12 December
Monday 29 November – Sunday 5 December

This Week in St Kilda respectfully acknowledges the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung.
We pay our respect to their Elders, past, present and emerging. We acknowledge and uphold their continuing relationship to this land.