Drumtek and Drumscene Magazine are proud to announce the exclusive and first BLICHER HEMMER GADD Australian Tour!
THE world’s greatest drumming legend Steve Gadd, known for his collaboration with Paul Simon, Steely Dan, Eric Clapton, Chick Corea and James Taylor, among others, is soon to embark on an 8-show Australian tour in February 2018, featuring; Saxophonist, Michael Blicher and Hammond Organ wizard, Dan Hemmer.

“The premier drummer of his generation – he’s that extraordinary” – Paul Simon

“Steve has become the master of creative grooves” – Chick Corea

Australian fans will experience this extraordinary band perform music from their brilliant new album ’OMARA’, including classic tracks from their debut album ‘BLICHER HEMMER GADD’ and much more!

BLICHER HEMMER GADD (BHG) formed in 2014 and toured all over Europe and Scandinavia. BHG’s second album ‘OMARA’ was recorded live in Germany, England and Denmark during their 2016 tour and this album is a collection of the finest and most hard-swingin´ moments.
Steve Gadd on the BLICHER HEMMER GADD project:
“It was our debut tour and I had a ball playing with these guys, it was a lot of fun and I think that this could become a really unique trio. The crowds were so receptive and they really loved Michael’s music and us as a band. They made us all feel very appreciated – that was really something! The music that Michael wrote for this band is just very unique and it fits perfectly to his and Dan’s way of playing. I grew up listening to organ bands – I love that kind of music. I know Michael has been listening to a lot of great New Orleans drummers, and I think he has come up with his own unique thing and the crowds loved it. “

BLICHER HEMMER GADD ‘OMARA’ Australian Tour will be a once in a lifetime experience for all music lovers.

PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY YAMAHA

Tour Dates and Venues
Tickets on sale December 1

MELBOURNE – 15TH 16TH 17TH  FEBRUARY
JAZZ LAB
www.jazzlab.club

ADELAIDE – 18TH  FEBRUARY
THE GOV
www.thegov.com.au

BRISBANE – 20TH  FEBRUARY
THE TRIFFID
www.thetriffid.com.au

SYDNEY – 21ST 22ND  FEBRUARY
THE BASEMENT
www.thebasement.com.au

PERTH – 25TH FEBRUARY
THE CHARLES HOTEL
www.charleshotel.com.au

On a day when our own record industry awards were being presented, on the other side of the world the 2018 Grammy Award nominations were being revealed. While NZ pop queen Lorde was performing and presenting in Sydney, in the USA she was nominated for Album of the Year for her record Melodrama. Fresh from his show at Rod Laver Arena last night Cat Stevens would have been thrilled to learn that he too got a nod for Best Folk Album for The Laughing Apple. Kendrick Lamar, Jay Z, Bruno Mars and Childish Gambino were the major recipients of nominations, fighting it out in the Album of the Year and Record of the Year categories. The 60th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony will be held on January 28, 2018 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Here’s a list of nominees in the categories our readers might be interested in. (Download pdf of full nomination list here):

Album of the year:
• “Awaken, My Love!” — Childish Gambino
• “4:44” — Jay-Z
• “Damn.” — Kendrick Lamar
• “Melodrama” — Lorde
• “24K Magic” — Bruno Mars

Record of the year:
• “Redbone” — Childish Gambino
• “Despacito” — Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber
• “The Story of O.J.” — Jay-Z
• “Humble.” — Kendrick Lamar
• ”24K Magic” — Bruno Mars

Song of the year
• “Despacito” — Ramón Ayala, Justin Bieber, Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd, Erika Ender, Luis Fonsi & Marty James Garton, songwriters (Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee Featuring Justin Bieber)
• “4:44” — Shawn Carter & Dion Wilson, songwriters (Jay-Z)
• “Issues” — Benny Blanco, Mikkel Storleer Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Julia Michaels & Justin Drew Tranter, songwriters (Julia Michaels)
• “1-800-273-8255” — Alessia Caracciolo, Sir Robert Bryson Hall II, Arjun Ivatury & Khalid Robinson, songwriters (Logic Featuring Alessia Cara & Khalid)
• “That’s What I Like” — Christopher Brody Brown, James Fauntleroy, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Ray Charles McCullough II, Jeremy Reeves, Ray Romulus & Jonathan Yip, songwriters (Bruno Mars)

New artist
• Alessia Cara
• Khalid
• Lil Uzi Vert
• Julia Michaels
• SZA

Pop solo performance
• “Love So Soft” — Kelly Clarkson
• “Praying” — Kesha
• “Million Reasons” — Lady Gaga
• “What About Us” — P!nk
• “Shape of You” — Ed Sheeran

Pop duo/group performance
• “Something Just Like This” — The Chainsmokers & Coldplay
• “Despacito” — Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee Featuring Justin Bieber
• “Thunder” — Imagine Dragons
• “Feel It Still” — Portugal. The Man
• “Stay” — Zedd & Alessia Cara

Traditional pop vocal album
• “Nobody But Me (Deluxe Version)” — Michael Bublé
• “Triplicate” — Bob Dylan
• “In Full Swing” — Seth MacFarlane
• “Wonderland” — Sarah McLachlan
• “Tony Bennett Celebrates 90” — (Various Artists)

Pop vocal album
• “Kaleidoscope EP” — Coldplay
• “Lust for Life” — Lana Del Rey
• “Evolve” — Imagine Dragons
• “Rainbow” — Kesha
• “Joanne” — Lady Gaga
• “÷ (Divide)” — Ed Sheeran

Dance recording
• “Bambro Koyo Ganda” — Bonobo featuring Innov Gnawa
• “Cola” — Camelphat & Elderbrook
• “Andromeda” — Gorillaz featuring Dram
• “Tonite” — LCD Soundsystem
• “Line of Sight” — Odesza featuring Wynne & Mansionair

Dance/electronic album
• “Migration” — Bonobo
• “3-D the Catalogue” — Kraftwerk
• “Mura Masa” — Mura Masa
• “A Moment Apart” — Odesza
• “What Now” — Sylvan Esso

Contemporary instrumental album
• “What If” — the Jerry Douglas Band
• “Spirit” — Alex Han
• “Mount Royal” — Julian Lage & Chris Eldridge
• “Prototype” — Jeff Lorber Fusion
• “Bad Hombre” — Antonio Sanchez

Rock performance
• “You Want It Darker” — Leonard Cohen
• “The Promise” — Chris Cornell
• “Run” — Foo Fighters
• “No Good” — Kaleo
• “Go to War” — Nothing More

Metal performance
• “Invisible Enemy” — August Burns Red
• “Black Hoodie” — Body Count
• “Forever” — Code Orange
• “Sultan’s Curse” — Mastodon
• “Clockworks” — Meshuggah

Rock song
• “Atlas, Rise!” — James Hetfield & Lars Ulrich, songwriters (Metallica)
• “Blood in the Cut” — JT Daly & Kristine Flaherty, songwriters (K.Flay)
• “Go to War” — Ben Anderson, Jonny Hawkins, Will Hoffman, Daniel Oliver, David Pramik & Mark Vollelunga, songwriters (Nothing More)
• “Run” — Foo Fighters, songwriters (Foo Fighters)
• “The Stage” — Zachary Baker, Brian Haner, Matthew Sanders, Jonathan Seward & Brooks Wackerman, songwriters (Avenged Sevenfold)

Rock album
• “Emperor of Sand” — Mastodon
• “Hardwired…to Self-Destruct” — Metallica
• “The Stories We Tell Ourselves” — Nothing More
• “Villains” — Queens of the Stone Age
• “A Deeper Understanding” — the War on Drugs

Alternative music album
• “Everything Now” — Arcade Fire
• “Humanz” — Gorillaz
• “American Dream” — LCD Soundsystem
• “Pure Comedy” — Father John Misty
• “Sleep Well Beast” — The National

R&B performance
• “Get You” — Daniel Caesar featuring Kali Uchis
• “Distraction” — Kehlani
• “High” — Ledisi
• “That’s What I Like” — Bruno Mars
• “The Weekend” — SZA

Traditional R&B performance
• “Laugh and Move On” — the Baylor Project
• “Redbone” — Childish Gambino
• “What I’m Feelin'” — Anthony Hamilton featuring the Hamiltones
• “All the Way” — Ledisi
• “Still” — Mali Music

R&B song
• “First Began” — PJ Morton, songwriter (PJ Morton)
• “Location” — Alfredo Gonzalez, Olatunji Ige, Samuel David Jiminez, Christopher McClenney, Khalid Robinson & Joshua Scruggs, songwriters (Khalid)
• “Redbone” — Donald Glover & Ludwig Goransson, songwriters (Childish Gambino)
• “Supermodel” — Tyran Donaldson, Terrence Henderson, Greg Landfair Jr., Solana Rowe & Pharrell Williams, songwriters (SZA)
• “That’s What I Like” — Christopher Brody Brown, James Fauntleroy, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Ray Charles McCullough II, Jeremy Reeves, Ray Romulus & Jonathan Yip, songwriters (Bruno Mars)

Urban contemporary album
• “Free 6lack” — 6lack
• “Awaken, My Love!” — Childish Gambino
• “American Teen” — Khalid
• “Ctrl” — SZA
• “Starboy” — the Weeknd

R&B album
• “Freudian” — Daniel Caesar
• “Let Love Rule” — Ledisi
• “24K Magic” — Bruno Mars
• “Gumbo” — PJ Morton
• “Feel the Real’ — Musiq Soulchild

Rap performance
• “Bounce Back” — Big Sean
• “Bodak Yellow” — Cardi B
• “4:44” — Jay-Z
• “Humble.” — Kendrick Lamar
• “Bad and Boujee” — Migos featuring Lil Uzi Vert

Rap/sung performance
• “Prblms” — 6lack
• “Crew” — Goldlink featuring Brent Faiyaz & Shy Glizzy
• “Family Feud” — Jay-Z featuring Beyoncé
• “Loyalty.” — Kendrick Lamar featuring Rihanna
• “Love Galore” — SZA featuring Travis Scott

Rap song
• “Bodak Yellow” — Dieuson Octave, Klenord Raphael, Shaftizm, Jordan Thorpe, Washpoppin & J White, songwriters (Cardi B)
• “Chase Me” — Judah Bauer, Brian Burton, Hector Delgado, Jaime Meline, Antwan Patton, Michael Render, Russell Simins & Jon Spencer, songwriters (Danger Mouse featuring Run the Jewels & Big Boi)
• “Humble.” — K. Duckworth, Asheton Hogan & M. Williams II, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar)
• “Sassy” — E. Gabouer & M. Evans, songwriters (Rapsody)
• “The Story of O.J.” — Shawn Carter & Dion Wilson, songwriters (Jay-Z)

Rap album
• “4:44” — Jay-Z
• “Damn.” — Kendrick Lamar
• “Culture” — Migos
• “Laila’s Wisdom” — Rapsody
• “Flower Boy” — Tyler, the Creator

Country solo performance
• “Body Like a Back Road” — Sam Hunt
• “Losing You” — Alison Krauss
• “Tin Man” — Miranda Lambert
• “I Could Use a Love Song” — Maren Morris
• “Either Way” — Chris Stapleton

Country duo/group performance
• “It Ain’t My Fault” — Brothers Osborne
• “My Old Man” — Zac Brown Band
• “You Look Good” — Lady Antebellum
• “Better Man” — Little Big Town
• “Drinkin’ Problem” — Midland

Country song
• “Better Man” — Taylor Swift, songwriter (Little Big Town)
• “Body Like a Back Road” — Zach Crowell, Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally & Josh Osborne, songwriters (Sam Hunt)
• “Broken Halos” — Mike Henderson & Chris Stapleton, songwriters (Chris Stapleton)
• “Drinkin’ Problem” — Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne & Mark Wystrach, songwriters (Midland)
• “Tin Man” — Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert & Jon Randall, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)

Country album
• “Cosmic Hallelujah” — Kenny Chesney
• “Heart Break” — Lady Antebellum
• “The Breaker” — Little Big Town
• “Life Changes” — Thomas Rhett
• “From a Room: Volume 1” — Chris Stapleton

New Age album
• “Reflection” — Brian Eno
• “SongVersation: Medicine” — India.Arie
• “Dancing on Water” — Peter Kater
• “Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai, Volume 5” — Kitaro
• “Spiral Revelation” — Steve Roach

Improvised jazz solo
• “Can’t Remember Why” — Sara Caswell, soloist
• “Dance of Shiva” — Billy Childs, soloist
• “Whisper Not” — Fred Hersch, soloist
• “Miles Beyond” — John McLaughlin, soloist
• “Ilimba” — Chris Potter, soloist

Jazz vocal album
• “The Journey” — The Baylor Project
• “A Social Call” — Jazzmeia Horn
• “Bad Ass and Blind” — Raul Midón
• “Porter Plays Porter” — Randy Porter Trio With Nancy King
• “Dreams and Daggers” — Cécile McLorin Salvant

Jazz instrumental album
• “Uptown, Downtown” — Bill Charlap Trio
• “Rebirth” — Billy Childs
• “Project Freedom” — Joey DeFrancesco & the People
• “Open Book” — Fred Hersch
• “The Dreamer Is the Dream” — Chris Potter

Large jazz ensemble album
• “MONK’estra Vol. 2” — John Beasley
• “Jigsaw” — Alan Ferber Big Band
• “Bringin’ It” — Christian McBride Big Band
• “Homecoming” — Vince Mendoza & WDR Big Band Cologne
• “Whispers on the Wind” — Chuck Owen and the Jazz Surge

Latin jazz album
• “Hybrido — From Rio to Wayne Shorter” — Antonio Adolfo
• “Oddara” — Jane Bunnett & Maqueque
• “Outra Coisa — The Music of Moacir Santos” — Anat Cohen & Marcello Gonçalves
• “Típico” — Miguel Zenón
• “Jazz Tango” — Pablo Ziegler Trio

Latin pop album
• “Lo Único Constante” — Alex Cuba
• “Mis Planes Son Amarte” — Juanes
• “Amar y Vivir en Vivo Desde la Ciudad de México, 2017” — La Santa Cecilia
• “Musas (Un Homenaje al Folclore Latinoamericano en Manos de los Macorinos)” — Natalia Lafourcade
• “El Dorado” — Shakira

Latin rock, urban or alternative album
• “Ayo” — Bomba Estéreo
• “Pa’ Fuera” — C4 Trío & Desorden Público
• “Salvavidas de Hielo” — Jorge Drexler
• “El Paradise” — Los Amigos Invisibles
• “Residente” — Residente

 

American roots performance
• “Killer Diller Blues” — Alabama Shakes
• “Let My Mother Live” — Blind Boys of Alabama
• “Arkansas Farmboy” — Glen Campbell
• “Steer Your Way” — Leonard Cohen
• “I Never Cared for You” — Alison Krauss

American roots song
• “Cumberland Gap” — David Rawlings
• “I Wish You Well” — the Mavericks
• “If We Were Vampires” — Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
• “It Ain’t Over Yet” — Rodney Crowell featuring Rosanne Cash & John Paul White
• “My Only True Friend” — Gregg Allman

Americana album
• “Southern Blood” — Gregg Allman
• “Shine on Rainy Day” — Brent Cobb
• “Beast Epic” — Iron & Wine
• “The Nashville Sound” — Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
• “Brand New Day” — the Mavericks

Bluegrass album
• “Fiddler’s Dream” — Michael Cleveland
• “Laws of Gravity” — the Infamous Stringdusters
• “Original” — Bobby Osborne
• “Universal Favorite” — Noam Pikelny
• “All the Rage – In Concert Volume One [Live]” — Rhonda Vincent and the Rage

Traditional blues album
• “Migration Blues” — Eric Bibb
• “Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio” — Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio
• “Roll and Tumble” — R.L. Boyce
• “Sonny & Brownie’s Last Train” — Guy Davis & Fabrizio Poggi
• “Blue & Lonesome” — the Rolling Stones

Contemporary blues album
• “Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm” — Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm
• “Recorded Live in Lafayette” — Sonny Landreth
• “TajMo” — Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’
• “Got Soul” — Robert Randolph & the Family Band
• “Live From the Fox Oakland” — Tedeschi Trucks Band

Folk album
• “Mental Illness” — Aimee Mann
• “Semper Femina” — Laura Marling
• “The Queen of Hearts” — Offa Rex
• “You Don’t Own Me Anymore” — the Secret Sisters
• “The Laughing Apple” — Yusuf / Cat Stevens

Reggae album
• “Chronology” — Chronixx
• “Lost in Paradise” — Common Kings
• “Wash House Ting” — J Boog
• “Stony Hill” — Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley
• “Avrakedabra” — Morgan Heritage

World music album
• “Memoria de los Sentidos” — Vicente Amigo
• “Para Mi” — Buika
• “Rosa Dos Ventos” — Anat Cohen & Trio Brasileiro
• “Shaka Zulu Revisited: 30th Anniversary Celebration” — Ladysmith Black Mambazo
• “Elwan” — Tinariwen

Children’s album
• “Brighter Side” — Gustafer Yellowgold
• “Feel What U Feel” — Lisa Loeb
• “Lemonade” — Justin Roberts
• “Rise Shine #Woke” — Alphabet Rockers
• “Songs of Peace & Love for Kids & Parents Around the World” — Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Spoken word album (includes poetry, audiobooks & storytelling)
• “Astrophysics for People in a Hurry” — Neil deGrasse Tyson
• “Born to Run” — Bruce Springsteen
• “Confessions of a Serial Songwriter” — Shelly Peiken
• “Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In (Bernie Sanders) — Bernie Sanders and Mark Ruffalo
• “The Princess Diarist” — Carrie Fisher

Comedy album
• “The Age of Spin & Deep in the Heart of Texas” — Dave Chappelle
• “Cinco” — Jim Gaffigan
• “Jerry Before Seinfeld” — Jerry Seinfeld
• “A Speck of Dust” — Sarah Silverman
• “What Now?” — Kevin Hart

Musical theater album
• “Come From Away” — Ian Eisendrath, August Eriksmoen, David Hein, David Lai & Irene Sankoff, producers; David Hein & Irene Sankoff, composers/lyricists (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
• “Dear Evan Hansen” — Ben Platt, principal soloist; Alex Lacamoire, Stacey Mindich, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, producers; Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, composers/lyricists (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
• “Hello, Dolly!” — Bette Midler, principal soloist; Steven Epstein, producer (Jerry Herman, composer & lyricist) (New Broadway Cast Recording)

Compilation soundtrack for visual media
• “Baby Driver” (Various Artists)
• “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Awesome Mix Vol. 2” (Various Artists)
• “Hidden Figures: The Album” (Various Artists)
• “La La Land” (Various Artists)
• “Moana: The Songs” (Various Artists)

Score soundtrack for visual media
• “Arrival” — Jóhann Jóhannsson, composer
• “Dunkirk” — Hans Zimmer, composer
• “Game of Thrones: Season 7” — Ramin Djawadi, composer
• “Hidden Figures” — Benjamin Wallfisch, Pharrell Williams & Hans Zimmer, composers
• “La La Land” — Justin Hurwitz, composer

Song written for visual media
• “City of Stars” — Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, songwriters (Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone)
• “How Far I’ll Go” — Lin-Manuel Miranda, songwriter (Auli’i Cravalho)
• “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker)” — Jack Antonoff, Sam Dew & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Zayn & Taylor Swift)
• “Never Give Up” — Sia Furler & Greg Kurstin, songwriters (Sia)
• “Stand Up for Something” — Common & Diane Warren, songwriters (Andra Day featuring Common)

Instrumental composition
• “Alkaline” — Pascal Le Boeuf, composer (Le Boeuf Brothers & JACK Quartet)
• “Choros #3” — Vince Mendoza, composer (Vince Mendoza & WDR Big Band Cologne)
• “Home Free (For Peter Joe)” — Nate Smith, composer (Nate Smith)
• “Three Revolutions” — Arturo O’Farrill, composer (Arturo O’Farrill & Chucho Valdés)
• “Warped Cowboy” — Chuck Owen, composer (Chuck Owen and the Jazz Surge)

 

Boxed or special limited edition package
• “Bobo Yeye: Belle Epoque in Upper Volta” — Tim Breen, art director (Various Artists)
• “Lovely Creatures: The Best of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (1984- 2014)” — Tom Hingston, art director (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds)
• “May 1977: Get Shown the Light” – Masaki Koike, art director (Grateful Dead)
• “The Voyager Golden Record: 40th Anniversary Edition” — Lawrence Azerrad, Timothy Daly & David Pescovitz, art directors (Various Artists)
• “Warfaring Strangers: Acid Nightmares” — Tim Breen, Benjamin Marra & Ken Shipley, art directors (Various Artists)

Album notes
• “Arthur Q. Smith: The Trouble With the Truth” — Wayne Bledsoe & Bradley Reeves, album notes writers (Various Artists)
• “Big Bend Killing: The Appalachian Ballad Tradition” — Ted Olson, album notes writer (Various Artists)
• “The Complete Piano Works of Scott Joplin” — Bryan S. Wright, album notes writer (Richard Dowling)
• “Edouard-Léon Scott de Martinville, Inventor of Sound Recording: A Bicentennial Tribute” — David Giovannoni, album notes writer (Various Artists)
• “Live at the Whisky A Go Go: The Complete Recordings” — Lynell George, album notes writer (Otis Redding)
• “Washington Phillips and His Manzarene Dreams” — Michael Corcoran, album notes writer (Washington Phillips)

Producer of the year, non-classical
• Calvin Harris
• Greg Kurstin
• Blake Mills
• No I.D.
• The Stereotypes

Remixed recording
• “Can’t Let You Go (Louie Vega Roots Mix)” — Louie Vega, remixer (Loleatta Holloway)
• “Funk O’ De Funk (SMLE Remix)” — SMLE, remixers (Bobby Rush)
• “Undercover (Adventure Club Remix)” — Leighton James & Christian Srigley, remixers (Kehlani)
• “A Violent Noise (Four Tet Remix)” — Four Tet, remixer (The xx)
• “You Move (Latroit Remix)” — Dennis White, remixer (Depeche Mode)

Music video
• ” Up All Night” — (Beck) Canada, video director; Laura Serra Estorch & Oscar Romagosa, video producers
• “Makeba” — (Jain) Lionel Hirle & Gregory Ohrel, video directors; Yodelice, video producer
• “The Story of O.J.” — (Jay-Z) Shawn Carter & Mark Romanek, video directors; Daniel Midgley, video producer
• “Humble.” — (Kendrick Lamar) The Little Homies & Dave Meyers, video directors; Jason Baum, Dave Free, Jamie Rabineau, Nathan K. Scherrer & Anthony Tiffith, video producers
• “1-800-273-8255” — (Logic featuring Alessia Cara & Khalid) Andy Hines, video director; Andrew Lerios, video producer

Music film
• “One More Time With Feeling” (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds) Andrew Dominik, video director; Dulcie Kellett & James Wilson, video producers
• “Long Strange Trip” (The Grateful Dead) Amir Bar-Lev, video director; Alex Blavatnik, Ken Dornstein, Eric Eisner, Nick Koskoff & Justin Kreutzmann, video producers
• “The Defiant Ones” (Various Artists) Allen Hughes, video director; Sarah Anthony, Fritzi Horstman, Broderick Johnson, Gene Kirkwood, Andrew Kosove, Laura Lancaster, Michael Lombardo, Jerry Longarzo, Doug Pray & Steven Williams, video producers
• “Soundbreaking” (Various Artists) Maro Chermayeff & Jeff Dupre, video directors; Joshua Bennett, Julia Marchesi, Sam Pollard, Sally Rosenthal, Amy Schewel & Warren Zanes, video producers

Gang Of Youths, AB Original, Amy Shark and Paul Kelly were the toast of the town last night at the ARIA Awards, claiming most of the major awards between them. Lorde provided one of many performance highlights on the night, singing two tracks, Liability and Green Light from her Grammy Award nominated album Melodrama. Daryl Braithwaite was his usual humble self in accepting his Hall of Fame recognition, before Vera Blue and Guy Sebastian joined him on stage to sing his monster hit The Horses. One of the most deserving winners on the night was Renee McCarthy of Woodcroft College, Morphett Vale SA, who won the inaugural Music Teacher of the Year award. Paul Kelly was joined by habitual award winner AB Original, Dan Sultan and Short Black Opera for a stirring Dumb Things. UK pop star Harry Styles, sans boy band played a tune called Kiwi, and in a fitting tribute to the recently passed George and Malcolm Young, Jimmy Barnes led a rockin’ band featuring Diesel and Davey Lane in a spirited version of AC/DC’s High Voltage to wrap up the night.

HERE’S A LIST OF WINNERS

Album Of The Year
Gang Of Youths – Go Farther In Lightness

Best Male Artist
Paul Kelly

Best Female Artist
Sia

Best Dance Release
Pnau – ‘Chameleon’

Best Group
Gang Of Youths

Breakthrough Artist
Amy Shark

Best Pop Release
Amy Shark – Night Thinker

Best Urban Album
A.B. Original – Reclaim Australia

Best Independent Release
A.B. Original – Reclaim Australia

Best Rock Album
Gang Of Youths – Go Farther In Lightness

Best Adult Contemporary Album
Paul Kelly – Life Is Fine

Best Country Album
Kasey Chambers -Dragonfly

Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album
Northlane – Mesmer

Best Blues & Roots Album
All Our Exes Live In Texas -When We Fall

Best Children’s Album
Jimmy Barnes – Och Aye the G’Nu!

Best Video
Bliss N Eso – ‘Moments (feat. Gavin James)’

Best Australian Live Act
Illy

Song Of The Year
Peking Duk- ‘Stranger (feat. Elliphant)’

Best International Artist
Harry Styles

Music Teacher of the Year
Renee McCarthy (Woodcroft College, Morphett Vale SA)

ARTISAN AWARDS

Producer Of The Year
Gang Of Youths and Adrian Breakspear – Gang Of Youths’ Go Farther In Lightness

Engineer Of The Year
Steven Schram – Paul Kelly’s Life Is Fine

Best Cover Art
Peter Salmon-Lomas – Paul Kelly’s Life Is Fine

ARIA FINE ARTS AWARDS 

Best Classical Album
Slava Grigoryan – Bach: Cello Suites Volume I

Best Jazz Album
James Morrison, BBC Concert Orchestra, Keith Lockhart, Harry Morrison & William Morrison -The Great American Songbook

Best Original Soundtrack/Cast/Show Album
Nigel Westlake & Sydney Symphony Orchestra, with Joseph Tawadros, Slava Grigoryan & Lior -Ali’s Wedding

Best World Music Album
Katie Noonan and Karin Schaupp – Songs of the Latin Skies

Best Comedy Release
John Clarke – Clarke’s Classics

Cat Stevens, Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne. November 28, 2017
Review by Mark Moray & Ros Jason. Photos by Mark Moray, Wicked Rock Photography

In an era when music is divided between reality TV such as “The Voice’ and self produced ‘YouTube’ sessions, there was once a time when all you had was a voice and a guitar which really meant something. If you were a teenager in the late 60’s and 70’s then Cat Stevens was that something. The Rod Laver Arena stage was set with a backdrop of a London train station, where Cat Stevens, or Yusuf as he is now known, accompanied by his fabulous ensemble, began to take his audience on a musical journey from his early years with songs including ‘Where do the Children Play’, ‘Miles from Nowhere’ and ‘Moonshadow’. The second set revealed a recreation of his attic, where he grooved to the sounds of the Beatles and The Everly Brothers, his early musical influences. Highlights included ‘Sad Lisa’, ‘Matthew & Son’, ‘Tea for the Tillerman’, ‘On The Road To Find Out’ and ‘Father and Son’, with the final encore  ‘Morning has Broken’. The show was interspersed with Yusuf’s stories and warm anecdotes, giving a feeling of personal connection, further enhanced by stunning photographic and illustrated backdrops complimenting each piece. Yusuf thrilled his rapt audience with one iconic song after the other, including one or two from his latest album. There was a taste of the blues, a dash of reggae and a splash of bouzouki in the mix, all deepening the richness of the experience. This was certainly a concert with songs of the past that have profound relevance in the present and that should resonate well into the future. After all, we are living in a ‘Wild World’ and we need that ‘Peace Train’ more than ever.