Saturday 18 February 2012

Australian Open Of Surfing; Manly Beach, Sydney, Australia; The Living End Rocks




The inaugural Australian Open of Surfing has hit Sydney, Australia via Australia' home of surfing - Manly Beach.

In excess of 100,000 people are expected to have embarked on Sydney's Manly Beach by the end the nine-day event. Today it looked like 150,000 were at Manly Beach.

Make no mistake - this is Australia biggest surf, skate and music festival combo.

The weather has been changeable throughout the event, but today was blue skies all the way.

Locals supported home grown surfers such as Cooper Chapman, a 17-year-old from Narrabeen.

The youngster came into the competition as a wildcard entrant and surfed one-on-one with world number-two Joel Parkinson.

“I’ve always looked up to (Parkinson), he has been one of my favourite surfers for a long time,” Chapman told the Manly Daily.

Surfing is just one of a number of cool activities.

Skaters (skate board riders) as young as eight, as well as international pro, have been competing for $US50,000 ($47,000) in prize money in the Beach Bowl skate bowl.

The nine-day Australian Open of Surfing has been declared a success by organisers, sponsors and supporters, including the state government's Destination NSW program.

"It brings the best of surf, skate and music to the harbour city, embracing youth culture and promoting the unique energy of Sydney's outdoor lifestyle," says the Minister for Tourism, George Souris, eyeing an extra $6 million tourism boost.

The Manly extravaganza is based on the US Open of Surfing, a week-long celebration of surfing, skating, BMX, fashion, art and lifestyle held annually at Huntington Beach, California.

"It's just huge there. Attracts about a million people," says Jason Haynes, the general manager of surfwear company Hurley, principal co-sponsor with Billabong of the Manly event.

His expectations in Manly are more modest. "We're just getting started. We'd be pleased with 100,000," Haynes says. "So far it ticks all the boxes in terms of location, weather, waves, community support."

The Australian Open - which has been several years and a "substantial", though undisclosed, budget in the making - has been booked initially into the calendar for three years.

"We want it to be part of the calendar. We hope families will book their holidays in Australia round the event," says Bob Hurley, the company's chairman and founder. He also hopes to attract more top male surfers.

Top line music performers are also sharing the stage of success with the surfers and skaters.

Music acts like Sneaky Sound System, Children Collide and Stonefield are entertaining the masses at the event also, with Children Collide and The Living End whipping up a storm this afternoon.

The Australian Open of Surfing concluded today.












Websites

Australian Open Of Surfing

The Living End

Cardinal Spin

Sydney.com

Billabong

Hurley International

Eva Rinaldi Photography Flickr

Eva Rinaldi Photography

Music News Australia

Roxette Australian Tour: Sydney Entertainment Centre Double Shot; 1927 Opens



Roxette have topped the charts three times down under in Australia and with a portfolio of massive hits including It Must Have Been Love, Joyride, Listen To Your Heart, How Do You Do, Sleeping In My Car, Dressed For Success and The Look, this is fully expected to be one of the best live music events of 2012.

Last night they drew strong numbers at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, and tonight they did it once again.
Promoter Live Nation had taken a chance of bringing the Swedish group out here after two other Australian promoters knocking them back. By all accounts Live Nation's punt has paid back dividends, both to the fans, the group, and to the bottom line.

Scandanavian pop acts have an illustrious chart history here. Fellow Swede's ABBA could vouch for that.
Entertainment industry experts have gone on record that its the Australia's 30 to 40 year old audience remembering the powerful and emotional songs that they heard in their youth that explains the strong drawing pull.

It was back in 1995, not long after their commercial high spot, they didn't perform to so many people.
Charm School is their first album in ten years and its built upon the foundation that made them great.
The band is the platform for vocalist Marie Fredriksson and songwriter and guitarist Per Gessle.
The appreciative crowd lapped up Dressed For Success, Joy Ride and The Look.

'It Must Have Been Love' was a definite karaoke moment to say the least.
They combine really catchy numbers, solid voices, charisma, fashion sense and strong drawing power.
The band is expected to continue to draw strong audience numbers while touring Australia.









Tracks

1. Dressed For Success
2. Sleeping In My Car
3. The Big L
4. Wish I Could Fly
5. Stars
6. She's Got Nothing On But...
7. Perfect Day
8. Things Will Never Be The Same
9. Opportunity Nox
10.7Twenty7
11. Fading Like A Flower
12. Crash! Boom! Bang!
13. How Do You Do?
14. Dangerous
15. Joyride
16. Watercolours In The Rain
17. Spending My Time
18. The Look
19. Listen To Your Heart
20. Church Of Your Heart


1927 Opens The Show...



1927 were a perfect band to open things up for Roxette.

The are an Aussie pop/rock band formed in Melbourne in 1987 with James Barton on drums, Bill Frost on bass guitar, his brother Garry Frost on guitar and keyboards, and Erik Weideman on vocals, guitar and keyboards. They were extremely popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s with their major hit songs "If I Could", "Compulsory Hero" and "That's When I Think of You" and their multi-platinum #1 album ...ish.

Some of the crowd was so into 1927, it would be reasonable to suggest that for some fans 1927 were the stars, supported by Roxette. Whatever the case, it was an awesome double act.









Tracks

1. Fright Of Your Life
2. To Love Me
3. Don't Forget Me
4. You'll Never Know
5. Tell Me A Story
6. Hero
7. If I Could
8. That's When


Websites

Roxette
www.roxette.se

1927
www.1927.net.au

Sydney Entertainment Centre
www.sydentcent.com.au

Live Nation
www.livenation.com.au

Eva Rinaldi Photography Flickr
www.flickr.com/evarinaldiphotography

Eva Rinaldi Photography
www.evarinaldi.com

Music News Australia
www.musicnewsaustralia.com
Roxette have topped the charts three times down under in Australia and with a portfolio of massive hits including It Must Have Been Love, Joyride, Listen To Your Heart, How Do You Do, Sleeping In My Car, Dressed For Success and The Look, this is fully expected to be one of the best live music events of 2012.

Last night they drew strong numbers at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, and tonight they did it once again.

Promoter Live Nation had taken a chance of bringing the Swedish group out here after two other Australian promoters knocking them back. By all accounts Live Nation's punt has paid back dividends, both to the fans, the group, and to the bottom line.

Scandanavian pop acts have an illustrious chart history here. Fellow Swede's ABBA could vouch for that.

Entertainment industry experts have gone on record that its the Australia's 30 to 40 year old audience remembering the powerful and emotional songs that they heard in their youth that explains the strong drawing pull.

It was back in 1995, not long after their commercial high spot, they didn't perform to so many people.

Charm School is their first album in ten years and its built upon the foundation that made them great.

The band is the platform for vocalist Marie Fredriksson and songwriter and guitarist Per Gessle.

The appreciative crowd lapped up Dressed For Success, Joy Ride and The Look.

'It Must Have Been Love' was a definite karaoke moment to say the least.

They combine really catchy numbers, solid voices, charisma, fashion sense and strong drawing power.

The band is expected to continue to draw strong audience numbers while touring Australia.

Tracks

1. Dressed For Success
2. Sleeping In My Car
3. The Big L
4. Wish I Could Fly
5. Stars
6. She's Got Nothing On But...
7. Perfect Day
8. Things Will Never Be The Same
9. Opportunity Nox
10.7Twenty7
11. Fading Like A Flower
12. Crash! Boom! Bang!
13. How Do You Do?
14. Dangerous
15. Joyride
16. Watercolours In The Rain
17. Spending My Time
18. The Look
19. Listen To Your Heart
20. Church Of Your Heart

1927 Opens The Show...

1927 were a perfect band to open things up for Roxette.

The are an Aussie pop/rock band formed in Melbourne in 1987 with James Barton on drums, Bill Frost on bass guitar, his brother Garry Frost on guitar and keyboards, and Erik Weideman on vocals, guitar and keyboards. They were extremely popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s with their major hit songs "If I Could", "Compulsory Hero" and "That's When I Think of You" and their multi-platinum #1 album ...ish.

Some of the crowd was so into 1927, it would be reasonable to suggest that for some fans 1927 were the stars, supported by Roxette. Whatever the case, it was an awesome double act.

Tracks

1. Fright Of Your Life
2. To Love Me
3. Don't Forget Me
4. You'll Never Know
5. Tell Me A Story
6. Hero
7. If I Could
8. That's When

Websites

Roxette

1927

Sydney Entertainment Centre

Live Nation

Eva Rinaldi Photography Flickr

Eva Rinaldi Photography

Music News Australia

--