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SOPHIE FRANCIS MAKING GLOBAL HITS AND TOURING THE WORLD WHILE WRAPPING UP HER FINAL YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL!

Sophie Francis, the wildly gifted teen from Holland, has taken the electronic music industry by af-sophie-34storm with her exceptional production prowess and enigmatic live DJ sets. A hit-maker at just 17, her most recent release, ‘Walls’ was voted ‘hot’ at Radio 538 in Holland by a 94% margin. That’s a 538 record! Walls was also a ‘Dance Smash’ on the station which meant it was the top track of the month, played once every hour for that entire month and included on the top selling Dance Smash year-end compilation. The compilation includes; Sophie, Martin Garrix, Armin van Buuren, Oliver Heldens, & Chainsmokers among others.

Media in her home country adore her and have been swift with coverage inviting her on national television, radio shows and she’s done many features for top magazines. This girl is on fire and is poised to be the first female DJ to take the #1 spot.

The true power of Sophie is that she’s the real deal. This girl can write, DJ and perform with such tenacity and passion that it’s impossible not to join in. Watch any performance of Sophie’s and you’ll understand how truly meant for this life of music she is. Artists are not made, they’re born and although Sophie is young in years, she’s light years ahead of artists twice her age. The energy she radiates feels pure and unpolluted. She’s not a copy of a copy, or trying to be someone else- she’s a true original and it’s something very special.

Sophie will surely be a household name come 2017. Promoters are vying for position, and there is quite literally a record label bidding war going on for her at this very moment. She has just inked a deal with Spinnin’ for her next few singles and has 30 festival dates confirmed in 2017 already.

With all this a girl could go a little crazy, but Sophie stays blissfully unaware that all this fervor is swirling around her. After all, she has her studies to attend to – finals are coming.

KAYLEE BELL KICKS IT WITH KEITH URBAN ON STAGE

Kaylee Bell joined Keith Urban on stage in Wellington at the Westpac Stadium just recently to perform Keith’s number 1 US single We Were Us.

Having previously duetted with Keith during his Light The Fuse Australian tour in 2014 Kaylee was delighted to join Keith on home soil in Wellington recently, as part of his ripcord World Tour. Check out the live performance here:

“It was a total dream to sing with Keith in 2014, but to do it for second time in my home country – seriously that feeling can’t be described. I felt like we were ‘one’ with the audience and Keith is without a doubt my biggest idol and has been since I began singing at the age of 4.” – Kaylee Bell

Following in Keith Urban’s country superstar footsteps, Kaylee became the first Kiwi since Keith to win the Toyota Star Maker Australia competition in 2013. She hasn’t looked back since, with Kaylee’s latest single, Getting Closer, taking out the #1 position on the NZ iTunes country chart.

CELEBRATING DAVID BOWIE

To honour David Bowie’s 70th birthday, Bowie band members, friends and an ensemble of top recording and touring musicians from around the world are getting together for a one-time only series of global concerts, called Celebrating David Bowie.

The concerts all take place in cities that have a strong connection with David Bowie and his work and will feature a core two dozen musicians, joined by our own Bernard Fanning, Sarah Blasko and Paul Dempsey, recreating a sound like no other. The Sydney concert takes place at the Sydney Opera House on 29 January 2017.

The concept for the shows grew out of two large, informal ensemble shows featuring 70+ musicians in Los Angeles and San Francisco in the spring of 2016 which included Gary Oldman, Seal, Ewan McGregor, Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads) and Bowie band alumni from Space Oddity to the latest Blackstar album with both shows generating a great deal of press and fan praise from around the world.

Bowie’s close friend Gary Oldman, who delivered an emotional speech about David at The BRIT Awards, and is opening the tour in London with former Bowie band members Mike Garson, Earl Slick, Adrian Belew, Mark Plati, Gerry Leonard, Gail Ann Dorsey, Sterling Campbell, Zachary Alford, Holly Palmer and Catherine Russell, along with many other special guests to be announced. Their return to London together at the 02 Academy Brixton show this coming 8 January, David Bowie’s birthday, sold out in just two hours.

Leading the group in Sydney will be former star Bowie band members Mike Garson, Adrian Belew, Earl Slick, members of David’s last two touring bands, Angelo Moore from Fishbone, Latin Grammy Award Winner Gaby Moreno, Bernard Fowler from The Rolling Stones, Joe Sumner, and a vast extended musical family who play with or have played with Tom Waits, Sting, Seal, Herbie Hancock, De La Soul, Brian Eno, Iggy Pop, Smashing Pumpkins, B52s, Dr. Dre, Burt Bacharach, David Byrne, Todd Rundgren, Prince, Neil Young, and Lenny Kravitz make up the core ensemble.

Individually, these former Bowie band members performed, wrote and recorded together with David through several decades including the 1973’s Ziggy Stardust tour, the Diamond Dogs tour, Isolar II (Heroes) tour, to the hugely successful Serious Moonlight tour, the Sound And Vision greatest hits tour to Glastonbury 2000, Heathen, his final A Reality Tour and many of them appeared on Bowie’s triumphant comeback album, The Next Day.

After their BRIT Awards performance, Bowie’s last touring band refrained from further opportunities to honour him as it was still too emotional. But as word reached them about the sincerity of this particular group they slowly decided to come onboard to say goodbye to David properly in a grand show keeping in line with his tremendous legacy.

Far from being a tribute show and never referred to as one, this ensemble is David Bowie people playing David Bowie music, David Bowie style. This is the first and last time this inner circle will do anything like this and these global shows are likely to be the last time that they perform his music together. Sadly, this may be the closest anyone will come to a David Bowie live experience ever again.

Celebrating David Bowie will be joined by Australian guests to be announced shortly.

Tickets to Celebrating David Bowie go on sale at 9.00am on Monday, 12 December 2016

CELEBRATING DAVID BOWIE

Sunday 29 January 2017

Sydney Opera House

Tickets on sale at 9.00am, Monday 12 December from
www.sydneyoperahouse.com or (02) 9250 7777
www.ticketmaster.com.au or 136 100

www.celebratingdavidbowie.com

 

Two teens charged after police pursuit in stolen vehicle – Goulburn

Two Victorian teenagers have been charged after a police pursuit at Goulburn today.

About 10.40am (Saturday 19 November 2016), officers from Traffic and Highway Patrol Command were conducting speed enforcement duties on the Hume Highway, Marulan, when they detected a stolen Ford Falcon utility travelling 145km/h in a 110km/h zone.

Police followed the vehicle with lights and sirens activated; however, it allegedly failed to stop when directed to.

A pursuit commenced and road spikes were deployed at Goulburn.

A second set of spikes were used and the utility eventually stopped on the centre median strip.

Police will allege the pursuit lasted for eight minutes and travelled 22 kilometres.

The driver, an 18-year-old man, and the passenger, a 19-year-old man, both from Drouin in Victoria, were arrested and taken to Goulburn Police Station.

The 18-year-old man was charged with drive conveyance taken without consent of owner, police pursuit, exceed speed (over 45km/h) and learner not accompanied by driver/police officer/tester.

The 19-year-old man was charged with be carried in conveyance taken without consent of owner.

The pair were refused bail to appear at Goulburn Local Court tomorrow (Sunday 20 November 2016).

The Ford Falcon was reported stolen in Victoria last Thursday (17 November 2016).

Work begins on new Hume rest stop

The new Hume Highway vehicle rest area in Murlo, 40km north of Albury, is now under construction.

Catering for short and long stays, the rest area is intended to improve safety by combatting driver fatigue. The facility forms part of a $6.2 million project targeting safety on Hume Highway and has been jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.

New South Wales Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight, Duncan Gay, said that the new rest area had been designed for the anticipated increase in freight movements on the Highway, with parking for up to 20 B-doubles.

“The new rest area will have a separate parking area for light vehicles, with six standard parking bays and one disabled parking bay, ensuring all motorists benefit from this investment,” Gay said.

“There will also be an amenities block with picnic tables and landscaping throughout the site.”

The project is expected to take about five months to complete. “Work starts from today and will continue Monday to Friday between 7am and 6pm, and from 8am to 1pm on Saturdays, with estimated completion by mid-April next year,” commented Federal Member for Farrer, Sussan Ley.

“When finished,” she added. “This new facility will make a huge difference to the productivity and safety for all drivers using the northbound lanes of the Hume Highway, giving them an area for either a short or long stay.”

During the Christmas and New Year period, from 23 December to 9 January, works will be suspended, and both lanes will be open and free of reduced speed limits from 16 December.

New South Wales Member for Albury, Greg Aplin, said, “We recognise the importance of ensuring the best possible flow of holiday traffic through the area. We thank all road users for their patience and safe driving as this important safety and productivity upgrade for the region is delivered.”

Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Darren Chester, said the new facility was funded under the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Programme.

“The programme invests in improving road safety and reducing the number of truck-related incidents by targeting driver fatigue,” Chester said.

Phillip Island Jazz Festival – Peter James

This weekend Peter James is heading down to Philip Island for the annual Jazz festival in thephillip-island Bass room of the resort. This is a regular yearly broadcast and this year is shaping up to be the best yet. Join Peter James live from the Philip Island Resort live from Saturday evening.

Lamborghini driver caught speeding on Hume Freeway

A LUXURY car driver was caught red handed driving more than 30km/h on the Hume Freeway.

A 31-year-old Sydney man was travelling at 143km/h in the 110km/h zone in his red Lamborghini when he was detected by police about 1.40pm.

Victoria Police spokesman Luke Zammit said the man was issued with a $505 fine, four demerit points and had his license suspended for one month.

On the same highway, a 19-year-old Wodonga man on his probationary licence and a 26-year-old woman were clocked at 137km/h and 140km/h respectively.

Both drivers were issued with a one month loss of licence, four demerit points and a $428 fine.

Another driver, who was from the United Kingdom, had his overseas licence suspended for six months after he was detected going at 149km/h in a rental car.

He was issued with six demerit points and a $588 fine.

The Newcastle Con gets Festive in December!

Early Childhood Music Concert

Friday, 2 December 2016 | 6:00pm
The Early Childhood Music end of year concert highlights skills which children from our school-age program have enjoyed developing throughout the year. This is a fun and inspiring concert from our young virtuosos to be!
Purchase tickets: https://ecmconcert.eventbrite.com.au

Song writing Workshop with
Lennie Edgerton
Saturday, 3 December 2016 | 11am – 2:00pm
Do you suffer from writer’s block?
Do you need help composing your ideas for a song?
Join experienced singer songwriter Lennie Edgerton at the Maitland Conservatorium of Music for this free workshop! FREE ENTRY!

Combined Choirs Christmas Concert
Saturday, 3 December 2016
12 noon
Come along and enjoy this Choral celebration featuring Brainwaves, Callaghan Singers, Echology, Newcastle Indigenous Choir, Songshine and the Youth Ensemble. This concert will delight lovers of voice across all ages!
Purchase Tickets: https://combinedchoirs.eventbrite.com.au

Violin Virtuosos Student Showcase

Sunday, 4 December 2016 | 2:30pm
A showcase of violin students and string ensembles from the Conservatorium and surrounding areas
Purchase Tickets:
https://violinconcert.eventbrite.com.au

Community Strings Concert
Tuesday, 6 December 2016 | 6:30pm
Our string ensembles present their Term 4 work! Tickets available at the Box Office from 5:30pm

Christmas Winds Concert

Friday, 9 December 2016 | 7:00pm

Enjoy this Christmas themed concert for the Conservatorium Wind Ensembles Program.
Purchase Tickets:
https://christmaswinds.eventbrite.com.au

A Christmas Carol Celebration
Tuesday, 13 December 2016 | 7:00pm
Join Echology to celebrate the festive season with their annual concert: A Christmas Carol Celebration at the Sacred Heart Church, Hamilton. With University of Newcastle Orchestra, Echology will bring you choral delights including innovative new carols and old favourites.
Purchase Tickets:
https://christmascarolcelebration.eventbrite.com.au

LITTLE BIG TOWN REVEALS DEBUT AUSTRALIAN HEADLINE DATES FOR MARCH KIP MOORE JOINS AS SPECIAL GUEST ON ALL DATES

Two-time GRAMMY winners LITTLE BIG TOWN today reveal that they will play anticipated back-to-back all ages headline dates on their debut Australian tour in 2017. The acclaimed four-piece will touch down in Sydney for a show at the Enmore Theatre on Tuesday 21st March, taking in Melbourne’s Hamer Hall on Wednesday 22nd March. Tickets will go on sale at 10am, Thursday 17th November.

Nashville native and platinum-selling artist, KIP MOORE, wowed local audiences with an unforgettable appearance at this year’s sold out CMC Rocks QLD, and will return to Australia to join fellow Statesiders Little Big Town on the road in March.

Additionally, both Little Big Town and Kip Moore will hit the CMC Rocks QLD stage, ready to unleash epic sets at the event’s 10th Anniversary celebration. Proceedings will kick off on Friday 24 and continue through to Sunday 26 March 2017 at Willowbank, Ipswich.

Little Big Town, the reigning Grammy Country Duo/Group of the Year, and CMA and ACM Vocal Group of the Year, will make their debut Australian visit hot off the heels of extensive North American touring. In 2015, the band achieved a career defining milestone when their hit single ‘Girl Crush’ took out Best Country Song at the Grammy and CMA Awards, and went on to become America’s best-selling country single of the year. With albums Tornado (2012) and Pain Killer (2014), Little Big Town have achieved further success in the way of multiple chart-topping singles ‘Pontoon’, ‘Tornado’ and ‘Day Drinking’.

Inducted into the iconic Grand Ole Opry in 2014 by none other than Reba McIntire, the group has chalked up in excess of 40 award nominations, and in the past five years has taken home close to 20 awards, including multiple Grammy’s, CMA and ACM Awards, and even an Emmy Award.

They have previously shared the stage with the likes of Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood and more, and are one of the biggest country acts in the US right now. With a brand new single ‘Better Man’, penned by none other than Taylor Swift, currently making waves at US radio, Little Big Town will be ready to blow Australian audiences away in March with their hit-laden repertoire and a taste of brand new material from the forthcoming seventh studio album The Breaker, set for release on 24th February 2017.

Kip Moore is the ultimate road warrior, having spent the past six years traversing North America from top to bottom, building one of the most dedicated, loyal fan bases in the process, and becoming a festival favourite. Armed with a live show that mixes the bombast and wild desperation of Bruce Springsteen with the rootsy stomp of Merle Haggard, Kip has a sound built on space and swagger. A sound that bangs as hard as it twangs, caught somewhere between blue-collar country music and stadium-sized rock & roll.

With multiple American Country Award, CMT Music Award and CMA nominations under his belt, and songs from his sophomore album Wild Ones now a staple across US country radio, Kip will be gearing up to top his explosive main stage CMC Rocks set, which was a highlight of this year’s proceedings.

Little Big Town, together with Kip Moore, are set to deliver one of the year’s must-see country music events this March – Don’t miss it!
LITTLE BIG TOWN : TOUR DATES

With Special Guest Kip Moore

Brought to you by Rob Potts Entertainment Edge & Chugg Entertainment

SYDNEY
Tuesday 21st March – Enmore Theatre (All Ages)
ticketek.com.au or 132 849

MELBOURNE
Wednesday 22nd March – Hamer Hall (All Ages)
artscentremelbourne.com.au or 1300 182 183
ticketmaster.com.au or 136 100

CMC ROCKS QLD 2017
Friday 24th – Sunday 26th March – Willowbank, QLD
*Playing times not yet announced
cmcrocks.com

Serious crash – Goulburn

Two people have been seriously injured following a crash north of Goulburn today.

About 2.40pm (Saturday 12 November 2016), police and emergency services were called to the Hume Highway, about 11km north of Goulburn, after reports of a crash involving two vehicles.

Police have been told an MG sedan and a Nissan Pulsar hatchback crashed while travelling north towards Sydney.

Two occupants of the MG, the 66-year-old male driver and his female passenger, were assessed at the scene by NSW Ambulance Paramedics and taken to Goulburn Base Hospital in a serious condition.

The female driver of the Nissan, 29, suffered minor injuries and was also taken to Goulburn Base Hospital for mandatory blood and urine testing.

Officers from Traffic and Highway Patrol Command have established a crime scene and the Crash Investigation Unit will investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.

One northbound lane of the Hume Highway remains closed with delays expected for some time.

Drivers are urged to refer to www.livetraffic.com for the latest traffic information.