In a couple weeks I'll be participating in a night of improvised music with friends Russell and Adam. It's the first of a monthly night in Thirroul, free entry. Read more here.
Tenniscoats (テニスコーツ) from Japan play a special intimate show at Franks Wild Years in Thirroul on Wednesday 4th June with support from local instrumental group Blue Divers.
Tenniscoats, the duo of Saya & Takashi Ueno, have been making and releasing music through their own Majikick label since the mid 1990s. They make gentle, melodic and unhurried songs, led by Saya's soft vocal melodies. They are part of a rich music community in Japan, collaborating with and releasing music by Maher Shalal Hash Baz, Puka Puka Brians, Cacoy and many more. They have also collaborated extensively with international artists, such as the Oneone album with members of the American group Deerhoof, Two Sunsets with the Scottish jangle pop band The Pastels, and two records - Tan-Tan Therapy & Papa's Ear - with experimental instrumental Swedish trio Tape. They have released music on Australian labels Chapter Music and Room 40, including the recent Tasmania Bootleg, a live recording from Hobart in 2009.
Tenniscoats will play Thirroul as part of their short run of Australian dates, their first Australian tour since 2012, including a performance at the Rising Festival in Melbourne.
In 2017 some friends and I got together to learn some Michael Hurley songs. We played in Sydney, Thirroul, Canberra and Melbourne. It was not long after Hurley had recently toured Australia for the first time. We were all buzzing after witnessing those shows and wanted to keep the energy alive. We leaned into the party atmosphere, due to being an opening band on a rock n roll bill, and less into the slow cosmic dreaminess - though I am pleased to hear back this version of The Tea Song. He came back in 2018, and some of us were fortunate enough to get to host him at our local community hall at the time - the CWA Hall in Stanwell Park. We took him for a swim at the rockpool in Coalcliff the following morning. RIP Snock.
