Freetime


Freetime is the Voice’s arts and entertainments section. Our aim is to help showcase local artists and musicians while at the same time providing plenty of accurate and up-to-date information about what’s on in the area.

The Voice welcome submissions for inclusion in the newspaper and on the website. If you’d like us to highlight your band, your art exhibition or you live music, let us know. If you’ve cut some tracks or recorded a video and you’d like to share it, drop us a line and we’ll put it on the site for more people to hear and see. Contact news@oceangrovevoice.com if you have any questions.

Fair for family fun

OCEAN Grove’s 11th annual Tranquility Fair takes place this Saturday (January 3) at Ocean Grove Park.
The family fair features a mixture of great live bands, children’s entertainments – such as Tracey’s Mobile Farm – as well as dozens of craft, alternative and foods stalls.
Among the attractions, the mobile farm always proves a winner with the children who can get up close and meet a whole farmyard.
The whole event at the Presidents Avenue park kicks off at 10.30am and goes right through until 4pm.
Adult entry is $3 per person while children under 12years are free for a smile.
All proceeds from the Fair go to facilities for the volunteer maintained park.
On stage performances start at 10am with Ocean Grove musician and songwriter Hollie Joyce.
Hollie, who is self taught, explores the traditional roots sounds adding, rock, slide and jazz influences to build her own individual sound.
Hollie is followed by local blues band Sambrose Automobile with a sound characterised by dynamic guitars, piercing harmonica runs and rock solid rhythms.
At 12.30pm the West Coast’s Victoriana Gaye featuring Jeff Raglus take to the stage, followed by Stephen McEwan and The Yes Men, before the Sea Gypsies Belly Dancers introduce something completely different to the afternoon at 2.30pm.
Finally at 3pm headlining the Fair is Melbourne outfit the Go Set, combining the folk elements of the bagpipes, accordion, and mandolin, with distorted punk guitars and a rock n roll ethos.

Kamikawa set for After Party

THE announcement that George Kamikawa will play the Ocean Grove Summer Festival After Party is a special bonus on top of previous announcements.
The blues country musician from Japan is playing at the free after party being sponsored by the Zebra Bar from 9pm at the close of the main festival.
During the main festival on January 17, Kamikawa will be joined by the Go Set, the Josh Owen Band, Howlin’ Wind, Sweet Delors and Tessa and the Typecast during the festival in the Terrace.
As well as the strong main stage musical line up the festival will feature a Kidzone, a Community Stage featuring the ‘Ocean Grove’s Got Talent’ show and street stalls.
Among the street stalls will be a historic surfboards display and information desk organised by SOUL longboard club. As well as historic surf boards there will also be board shaping and surf photography.
If you have talent and or musical ability the organisers would like to hear from you. Contact Kat on 0403 063643 or ogfestival@gmail.com. Full line up in the next edition of the Voice.

Before the Carols - at the Piping Hot Chicken Shop

‘BEFORE the Carols’ turned out to be THE carols after wild weather caused the cancellation of the planned park event on Sunday.

The Piping Hot Chicken Shop was full to the rafters for the now annual sing-along session and an endless line up of musos signed up for a chance to lead the fun.

They included flautist Howlin’ Wind leading some of the traditional favourites, Steve McEwan’s cracking Aussie version of Jingle Bells (open sleigh becomes a rusty ute, get the idea?) and Dutch Courage employed a few young elf-like percussionists for their great set.

Somewhere along the way a few other tunes turned up, including Clive Whitworth’s the Bellarine Bus System’s Buggered which had just about everyone singing along to the words on his placard.

John Bowman also took time out to thank and award cock and chick of the year – Sam Cooper and Sarah Carol - for their contributions to the local music scene over the past 12 months.


Press play to listen to Clive Whitworth’s song, the Bellarine Bus System’s Buggered

The Sambrose Automobile Bonanza at the Chicken Shop

The Sambrose Automobile Bonanza was as big as the Ponderosa alright. At one stage there were nine musicians on the floor thoroughly entertaining the packed house. As Sam said, most of his friends never went to live music before. They do now.

The Sweet Delores CD launch is on Saturday Dec 6 at 7pm. Admission is $10. As well as The Unconscious Brothers, Steve McEwan and Sarah Carroll, every hustlin’ corporate cowboy and boot scootin’ cow girl in the state will be at the chicken shop.
It’s gunna be bigger than Texas.

Robbie Williams Tribute

ABOUT 180 screaming women – and men – of all ages rocked the night away with the Robbie Williams tribute show at Club Grove on Saturday night.
The look-a-like sing-a-like showman was dancing on the tables to a full house of jeering, ogling and thoroughly suggestive fans.