TWiSK #401

St Kilda Festival Big Sunday 18 February
First People’s First Saturday 17 February
Locals Live Music Precinct Friday 16 February 

Theatre Works
Dance for angels and monsters alike

Palais Theatre
Nick Giannopoulos back in Wog Life

Council back in the headlines
Cook debate turns into farce
CYRM link to Pride Protest and Cook statue
In home aged care exit a step closer
Scroll to the end for reports

Super Bowl Watch Party @ St Kilda Sports Club
Monday 12 February, 9.30 am
Free
Simple Minds @ Palais
Tuesday 13 February
Sold out.
Southern Lights: Images from Antarctica @ Gasworks Arts Park
Tuesday 13 February until Sunday 10 March, 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Launch Event: Saturday 17 February, 2 pm – 4 pm
An exhibition of black & white photographs by David Neilson taken on six journeys to the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic. His photos are a celebration of place but also highlight the threats. Free
Info 
Angela Robarts-Bird Gallery, 21 Graham Street, Albert Park

Kent Morris – Karta Kartaka (Pink Cockatoo) @ Vivien Anderson Gallery
Wednesday 14 February – Saturday 16 March
Artist reception: Saturday 17 February, 2 pm – 4 PM
Karta Kartaka (Pink Cockatoo), a new photographic series by celebrated Barkindji artist, Kent Morris.
Constructed from photographic images taken at Mutawintji on Barkindji Country, this new body of work honours Karta Kartaka – the pink cockatoo – which was recently added to the national threatened species list.
InfoAngel Monster @ Theatre Works
Wednesday 14 February – Saturday 24 February, 7.30 pm
Sex, consent, violence and empowerment crash-tackle together in a full-femme-full-bodied conversation where the agenda is Equality, Ownership and Individuality.
Direct from a smash hit season at Edinburgh Fringe, this is raw, visceral confessional powerful dance from one of Queenslands’s most prolific award-winning dance-theatre artists. Angel Monster is a portrait, a requiem and a call to arms for angels and monsters alike. $45/$35
Tix

St Kilda Unplugged @ St Kilda Library
Thursday 15 February, 6 pm – 7 pm
A panel discussion hosted by Sally Moore featuring the incredible Paulie Stewart (Painters and Dockers), Fiona Lee Maynard (Have a Nice Day) and Fred Negro (I Spit on Your Gravy). Free
Tix 
Broadway Bar @ Alex
Friday 16 February, 7.30 pm
Broadway-themed bar with the talented Mark Bradley takes center stage at the piano inviting audience members to seize the spotlight and belt out a Broadway tune. No sheet music required—just bring your voice, enthusiasm, and dreams of being a Broadway star. $5
Info
Nick Giannopoulos Wog Life @ Palais
Friday 16 February and Saturday 17 February, various times
Nick Giannopoulos with a new one-man comedy show featuring his stand up plus two of Nick’s most popular stage characters – The Cleaning Lady & The Taxi Driver. $79
Tix
Dark and deadly family secrets @ Sisters in Crime
Friday 16 February, 6.00 pm for dinner; 7.30 pm show
Families harbour all sorts of secrets – and as the novels by Jo Dixon, Kylie Orr, and Glenna Thomson reveal, they can have cruel, twisted, and sometimes deadly consequences. They will divulge all to fellow author (and podcasting queen), Vikki Petraitis.
Bookings 
The Rising Sun Hotel, 2 Raglan Street, South Melbourne.
Saturday Seminar: Victoria’s Transition to Electric Vehicles @ U3APP Zoom
Saturday 17 February, 2.30 pm – 3.30 pm
A zoom seminar with Kevin English, a long-term U3A Port Phillip member and electrical engineer. He will draw on his personal experience of owning and driving a Tesla Model Y vehicle for more than 12 months on both short and long trips.
Register here for link 

Local’s night a prelude to mega-Festival

It’s a common complaint that hardworking local bands find it almost impossible to get a gig at the Council funded St Kilda Festival.
At this year’s Festival, with the exception of the Locals Stage on Acland Plaza, there is only one local act booked for the big Sunday program – namely Maya Vice on the Catani Gardens Stage.
The only other local acts are Louis, Jhm, Bailey Judd, Tanya George, John Wayne Parsons and Bernadette Novembre; all booked for the smaller Acland Plaza stage.
There are numerous local acts who would love to play at their own festival. 
Is the current programming fair to local acts?
For the record, the budget for ‘programming’ at the Festival is $430,000 in 2024.
Aware of this criticism, Council has ‘quietly’ introduced a pre-festival ‘festival’ for locals in local venues …

… Introducing the St Kilda Live Music Precinct Friday
16 February

According to Council, “most shows will be free, and others cheap, thanks to City of Port Phillip’s Locals Playing Locals fund that was established to activate local bands in the precinct.”
Here is a complete list of the gigs on Friday 16 February – some are ticketed events, the others are free.
Where possible we have indicated if the acts are on the local music database.
Sliq Mick and the Smooth Operators @ Selina
Friday 16 February, 3 pm
Sliq Mick is a hip hop artist / singer / expressive rapper. All his music is closely related to mindfulness and mental health awareness.
24 Grey St
Andrew Wilkins @ Second Act Wine Bar
Friday 16 February, 4 pm
Andrew Wilkins is a Melbourne-based songwriter, singer and acoustic guitarist.
35-37 Fitzroy St
Andrew is a local artist.
The McNaMarr Project @ Ellora
Friday 16 February, 4 pm
Multi-award winning blues artists John McNamara & Andrea Marr are regulars at blues festivals creating ‘the real sound of soulful blues’.
1 Fitzroy St
John and Andrea are local artists.
King of Smooth @ The Banff
Friday 16 February, 5 pm
Melbourne musician, Chris Wright, is a versatile multi-instrumentalist, he plays saxophone, trombone, voice and piano, performing regularly under his own name (King of Smooth) and with other local artists.
145 Fitzroy St
Chris is a local artist.
Better Than S*x @ Surabaya Johnny’s
Friday 16 February, 5.30 pm
It’s funk for cynics, Jazz for Nihilists, Cowboy Circus Cabaret Chaos…the soundtrack to the privatisation of your nervous system.
47 Blessington St
Better than S*x are a local act.
Tio (Vanuatu) + The Black Sistaz @ George Lane
Friday 16 February, 7 pm
Tio is from Port Vila, he honed his musical talent as part of the local roots-reggae scene. ‘The Black Sistaz’. Melbourne-based daughters of the late August Rumwaropen, of the legendary Black Brothers Band of West Papua.
Ticketed gig  $30+
Pseudo Echo @ Espy
Friday 16 February, 7 pm
The iconic sounds of the eighties.
Ticketed gig  $59
11 The Esplanade
Jamie MacDowell @ Iddy Biddy Bar
Friday 16 February, 7 pm
Jamie MacDowell is a lyric-focussed singer/songwriter/guitarist. Free
35/39 Blessington St

The Vibrajets @ Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron
Friday 16 February, 7 pm
With a scorchin’ repertoire of wigged-out surf, frat and rock’n’roll, this string-bustin’ Melbourne four-piece harks back to a time when music was fun rather than phoney. Free
Pier Rd
The Vibrajets are a local act.

Bernadette Novembre @ Espy Basement
Friday 16 February, 7.30 pm
A big sultry sound described as a mix of late 1960’s Rock and Brit/Alternative Rock.
A classy local talent. Free
Tix 
11 The Esplanade
Bernadette is a local artist.

Jack Howard’s Epic Brass @ Memo
Friday 16 February, 7.30 pm
Jack and the band will play one cranking horn-soaked St. Kilda-focussed set with guests Paulie Stewart, Penny Ikinger, Helen Cattanach, Fiona Lee Maynard & more!
Ticketed gig $45
Many of the band are locals.
Keep the Circle Unbroken @ National
Friday 16 February, 7.30 pm
Melbourne Rock grass band Row Jerry Crow bring together a circle of incredible artists
including Debra Byrne, Brooke Taylor and Jimmy Phoenix to perform songs from Nitty Gritty Dirt Band recording of their triple LP. Will The Circle Be Unbroken.
Ticketed gig $42/36
Brooke Taylor is a local artist.
Release the Rats! @ St Kilda Sports Club
Friday 16 February, 7.30pm
Four original genre bending bands: Murray’s Bay Country Club, River of Snakes, Burn in Hell and Sam Agostino. 
Ticketed gig $25/$20

The Band She @ Loud Mouth
Friday 16 February, 8 pm
Irish duo in Melbourne (previously Glasgow based). Free
168 Acland St

Synthotronica @ 29th Apartment
Friday 16 February, 9 pm
Synthotronica is the alter-ego of award-winning artist, composer and multi-instrumentalist Ania Reynolds. Her original brand of electronic sonic mayhem combines fat beats with fatter synths and live baritone sax with the occasional triangle solo. Free
29 Fitzroy Street
Ania Reynolds is a local artist

MD DUO @ Jimmy O’Neills
Friday 16 February, 9.30 pm
Irish trad duo playing a range of popular hits mixed with Irish jigs and reels. Free
154-156 Acland St
Catholic Guilt @ Lost For Words
Friday 16 February, 9.30 pm
Punk/alt-rockers Catholic Guilt combine elements of punk, alt, folk and rock, resulting in a sound they describe as ‘honest music’. Free
211 Barkly St
Catholic Guilt are locals.
Better Than S*x @ The Vineyard
Friday 16 February, 11 pm
In the ring for another swing, Better Than S*x comes twice on one night. Greedy or boastful?
71A Acland St
Local act.

Underground Music Walking Tours @ St Kilda
Friday 16 February, 2 pm and 5 pm
Two tours exploring St Kilda’s iconic music venues with special guests can almost remember what it was like ???? Free – hurry these will book out
2 pm Rob Wellington in conversation with special guest Fred Negro (I spit on your Gravy).
5 pm Melynda Von Wayward in conversation with special guest Paulie Stewart (Painters and Dockers).
The tours include a live music stop, featuring, the fabulous ‘Folk Bitch Trio’ (pictured).
Book 2 pm | Book 5 pm 

St Kilda Festival @ St Kilda
Saturday 17 February & Sunday 18 February 

Free and all ages.
First Peoples First Saturday, followed by Big Festival Sunday crowd fest!
Full Info

Saturday highlight

Kummargii Yulendji Gadabah @ Main Stage

(Together we rise up with knowledge)
Saturday 17 February, 8.10 pm
Closing this year’s festival is a contemporary ceremony curated by Douglas & Mackay in close collaboration with Boon Wurrung Elder N’arweet Prof. Carolyn Briggs co-create a sunset celebration of Boon Wurrung culture.
Processions, music, fire & dance exhibit the diversity of First Nations peoples & welcomes the broader community who call Naarm home. Traditions & contemporary forms collide in an honouring of First Nations’ wisdom: sharing of lore, land, & story.
Full Saturday First Peoples program

Sunday Festival is much more than music

Hang with the Hare Krishna Melbourne at their Vedic Village and marvel at the Ratha Yatra Chariot Parade; GOT fans can go full medieval watching Historical Medieval Battles with historically accurate weapons, with nothing held back; get a bellyfull of Bollywood; get hooked on fishing; there’s even entertainers imported from the badlands of Brunswick East.
And of course there’s a wide world of crowd watching – with 400,000 people walking here and there.
List of activities away from the main stages 

The complete list of local acts playing on Sunday

Locals Stage (Acland Plaza)
Sunday 18 February
Louis
11 am – 11.40 am
Jhm
1 pm – 1.40 pm
Bailey Judd
3 pm – 3.40 pm
Tanya George
4 pm – 4.40 pm
John Wayne Parsons
5 pm – 5.40 pm
Bernadette Novembre
6 pm – 6.40 pm
Contreau Summer Stage (Catani Gardens)
Sunday 18 February
Maya Vice
11.45 am – 12.30 pm

Also off-festival gigs in venues

Social Bowls Club – St Kilda Festival Edition
Sunday 18 February, 12 noon til late
An open air affair over 2 stages all day party featuring our biggest line up yet including an international + all star line up! $33
Ticketed 
Locals play @ Lost
Sunday 18 February, 2 pm til late
Pop Off 2 pm
Waco Social Club 4 pm
Monsteria 6 pm 
211 Barkly Street

Coming soon

Monument @ Red Stitch
Discount previews Tuesday 20 February and Wednesday 21 February only, 6.30 pm
Season Thursday 22 February – Sunday 10 March
After a successful season last year, Emily Sheehan’s play Monument is back at Red Stitch. With an astute and entertaining script, Monument challenges the trivialisation of beauty therapy, exploring the role that makeup and fashion play in how we perceive and receive women in power.
Readers are invited to beat the rush and book preview tickets for just $30
Info and tix 
Listen to Emily Sheehan’s podcast, featuring a discussion with Artistic Director Ella Caldwell.
Dry Land @ Theatre Works Explosives Factory
Wednesday 28 February – Saturday 9 March, 7.30 pm
Dry Land by Ruby Rae Spiegel is an unflinching play about reproductive rights, the resilience and intimacy of young women, and what happens in a girls’ change room after a high school swimming pool has closed.
Amy is a striking teenager with rough edges and harsh eyeliner. On the precipice of adulthood and with dreams of being a writer, Amy has the chance to make a future for herself beyond her infamous reputation at high school. But when she faces an unplanned pregnancy, Amy must seek help from her teammate Ester, an awkward but talented swimmer with as many secrets as Amy.
Tix 
Every Lovely Terrible Thing @ Theatre Works
Thursday 29 February – Saturday 16 March, 7.30 pm (some matinees)
A universal tale of love, courage and intergenerational trauma, this darkly comedic new Australian play boldly examines why families stay together – and what happens when they can’t.
Step inside the tumultuous world of the Colemans as they prepare to take on their greatest adversary yet: Themselves.
Tix 

Photo and story search: A century of Croquet
The Elwood Croquet Club will be celebrating it’s Centenary in 2027. The Club hopes to produce a publication celebrating this milestone and are seeking memorabilia, photos and stories.
The club started at the Beach end of Docker Street Elwood. In 1927 a club house was built, and they had two playing lawns. Later in early in the 1970’s the club moved to its current location in Head Street Elwood.
They are looking for stories from the early days. Did your grandparents or great grandparents play croquet at either club? If so they would love to talk to you.
They are also looking for photos of the club, particularly when the club was at Docker Street.
Please email any photos or stories 
All singing call for op shop volunteers
Check out the music video created by South Melbourne Community Chest to recruit more volunteers. Combining the talents of City of Voices Inclusive Theatre Group, ‘Captain Trash’ aka Port Phillip Baykeeper Neil Blake and volunteers, the short video presents a fun song about the work of the Chest.
Inside the South Melbourne shop you’ll find vintage jewellery, brilliant second-hand clothes, bric-a-brac, homewares, books and pre-loved toys. Since the 1980s, the Chest has donated almost $2 million in grants to community organisations.
Watch the video 
200 Bank Street, South Melbourne
Help available for Tinnitus
To celebrate Tinnitus Awareness Week, the Masters crew at PCYC gym got together to recognised the impact of this disorder with their own “scream” (pictured).
Edvard Munch, the famous painter of The Scream suffered from tinnitus and one in three Australians today lives with some degree of tinnitus. It can be an isolating and distressing experience, but there is help.
Contact Tinnitus Australia 
Seeking Artists @ Minerva Gallery
Expression of interests close 19 February
Planetary Healing Artists’ Association of Australia is giving artists the opportunity to exhibit for free at Minerva Gallery from 9 March to 4 May 2024.
Click the link to register interest

Cook statue debate highlights divisions in council 

The bid by Labor Councillor Robbie Nyaguy to start a community consultation about the future of the vandalised Cook statue failed after an acrimonious 90-minute debate at last Wednesday’s Council meeting.
In front of a packed public gallery and after a procession of public submissions supporting prompt repair of the statue, the Mayor brought forward the debate on Cr Nyaguy’s motion.
But the debate bordered on farce when Cr Nyugay amended his own motion to support repair of the statue but also have ‘community engagement process to understand community views on the location and context of the Captain Cook statue.’
Nyaguy motion struggled for support
The amended motion struggled to get a seconder with Crs Crawford and Baxter remaining silent until fellow Labor Cr Peter Martin, who was calling in from the UK, offered to second the amended notion.
Debate typical of this divided council
The lengthy debate that followed was typical of this very divided council. There were frequent petty points of order, snide personal remarks and repeated calls by the Mayor for better behaviour from councillors. Security was called to remove an angry member of the public.
Divisions and irritation on display
Those speaking against the motion said it was wrong to reward the vandals. Those speaking for the motion said it was possible to repair the statue and have a nuanced conversation about history of white settlement and First Nations people.
The meeting also received a statement from the Boonwurrung Land & Sea Council supporting the immediate repair of the statue.
The Nyaguy motion was lost, with Mayor Cunsolo, joining Crs Pearl, Clarke, Sirakoff and Bond to vote against.
The motion was supported by Crs Nyaguy, Martin, Crawford and Baxter.
But wait, there’s more uncertainty
Council CEO Chris Carroll declined to give a commitment to reinstate the statue because there were still financial considerations to be worked through.
Officers told Council the statue was insured but there was a $5000 excess. The early quotes were $8000 to repair the statue plus more to repair the plinth. It was also said that a minimal community consultation would cost $12,500. It was also noted that any and all work needed to be approved by heritage authorities.
Meanwhile, the Cook activists have been linked to other headlines
A shadowy activist group has been linked in the media (by ABC Radio’s Raf Epstein) to a spate of recent actions, including the Cook statue, protests at Pride March, anti-Israel blockades at Melbourne Docks and the paint throwing at the ABC in Southbank.
The group CRYM (pronounced like crime, stands for Climate Resistance Youth Movement) are self-described as ‘a friendly queer youth resistance community fighting oppressive systems.’
TWiSK suggests you visit the CYRM socials to make your own assessment of their motivation and tactics.
CYRM Twitter | CYRM website  

Exit from in-home support a step closer
Basic support services may end for 650 older people
That’s no laughing matter!

Exhausted after nearly four hours of a tetchy Council meeting, councillors waved through an officers’ report on the consultation about exiting from aged care in-home support services.
The decision on the next step will be discussed at the next Council meeting in two weeks’ time.
In an early indication of the decision to come, councillors from both sides of the political spectrum spoke in glowing terms about the merits of the exit from in-home services.
Broad support amongst Councillors for exit
Labor’s Cr Peter Martin talked up the potential of the proposed community connector service, while RoPP’s Cr Christina Sirakoff said changes in aged care funding made it difficult for councils to provide services.
In public submission time at the commencement of the meeting, several people questioned the lack of investigation into retaining or expanding services to older people.
Opinion: Why the hurry?
Brenda Forbath, Progressive Port Phillip
“Although the new Federal funding arrangements for in-home aged care don’t start until July 2027, Council appears in a rush to finalise their position later this month.
All the community consultations to date have focused on Council getting out of most in-home aged care services.
It is becoming apparent that the mood amongst most councillors is to get out without even looking at the detail of what it would take to stay in. Other councils have done the work and have demonstrated the will to keep the responsibility for caring for their older citizens, including Bayside, Kingston, Whittlesea, Hume.
Why is our Council in such a hurry to turn its back on older people?”

TWiSK also directs readers to a contrasting opinion by RoPP’s Campbell Spence
“The City of Port Phillip is currently navigating a complex and transformative period in its aged care services, spurred on by the impending implementation of the Commonwealth’s aged care reforms.”
Click below to read the full opinion story
Aged Care shake-up flagged by Port Phillip Council

Will waste report be worth the wait?
Or will it be headed direct to the recycling?

Council was told that the independent external review into the circumstances surrounding the kerbside waste collection debacle last year is set to be completed within two weeks.
Council promised this would be made available to the public this month (February 24).
TWiSK looks forward to presenting the report

Council ward boundary review
Why the patronising answer to a simple question?

Its been over five months since the review of Port Phillip ward boundaries was concluded and sent to the Minister for Local Government, Mellisa Horne for approval and release.
But enquiries about an announcement are just fobbed off by bureaucrats. 
Last week, TWiSK contacted the bureaucrat in charge to get an update of the timeline for an announcement.
This is the reply in full:
“The review conducted to establish electoral structures that comply with the requirements of Local Government Act 2020 is now complete. Determinations will be made for all 39 councils involved in the electoral structures review in time to allow councils and the VEC to prepare for the October 2024 council elections.”
Source: Eli Wallis, Communications & Media Manager, Strategic Communications, Department of Government Services
Expect a long wait
Actually, according to the VEC, the last review doesn’t conclude until 24 April 2024. In fact, that review into Boroondara, Greater Dandenong and Cardinia Shire boundaries does not even start until 28 February.
TWiSK anticipates that all the reviews will be announced together, possibly in May or June with the elections in October.
Until then, all we know is that there will be nine new single councillor wards.

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