Tuesday, January 31, 2012

AACTA Awards Sydney, Australia



It's the hottest ticket in town - the who's who of the Australian film and television industry are here at the AACTA awards.

The mega event is being held at the world famous Sydney Opera House and was broadcast via Channel 9 at 9.30pm.

The 4 legged star of Red Dog, Koko, was notably absent at the red carpet of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards - alas his film is nominated for 8 awards.

The red carpet at the first-time awards ceremony at the Sydney Opera House played host to some of Australia’s most internationally acclaimed actors including Cate Blanchett, Olivia Newton-John and AACTA President, and Aussie of the Year, Geoffrey Rush.

Cate Blanchett looked great in gold.

Olivia Newton-John performed for the audience and wore a conservative black dress.

Newton-John’s co-star in 'A Few Best Men', Xavier Samuel, who rose to international fame as Riley Biers in 'The Twilight Saga: Eclipse', praised the state of the Australian film industry.

“The Australian film industry is thriving. I think Red Dog is a terrific film,” he said.

“The important thing is Australians are going to see Australian films.”

Director of Red Dog, Kriv Stenders, also commented on the quality of current Australian films saying his movie faced strong competition from all of the nominated flicks.

“What’s wonderful is it’s a year where we’ve got great films, and great filmmakers and great creative teams,” he said.

“I think it’s a really good sign of the times.”

He apologised for the absence of the Koko - the star of the film.

“Sometimes we have to let him be a dog,” he said.

Model Miranda Kerr, wife of Hollywood actor Orlando Bloom, wore silver for the night with a Collette Dinnigan gown and confided to press she had not yet seen the top nominated film of the night.

“I really want to see Red Dog,” she said.

“I haven’t seen it but I’m dying to see it.”

The AACTA awards recognise excellence in Australian film and television.

It also has an international awards section, which took place in Los Angeles on Saturday with presenters Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe and Liam Hemsworth.

The Music News Australia agency congratulates everyone involved in the success of the AACTA Awards.















Websites

Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA)

Australian Film Institute

The Lantern Group

Sydney Opera House

Music News Australia

Eva Rinaldi Photography

Eva Rinaldi Photography Flickr

Monday, January 30, 2012

SCOOBY-DOO LIVE! MUSICAL MYSTERIES



Life Like Touring is proud to bring SCOOBY-DOO LIVE! MUSICAL MYSTERIES to Sydney during the April school holidays. Tickets are selling fast and Scooby-Doo fans are urged to book now to avoid disappointment, as past tours have been a sell-out! In this fun new show, Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Inc. The gang have been called upon to help solve an epic mystery.

SCOOBY-DOO LIVE! MUSICAL MYSTERIES features big musical numbers including the evergreen Scooby- Doo theme song, ‘Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?’ alongside fun new songs including ‘We’re Mystery Inc.’, ‘Round Every Corner’ and ‘A Musical Mystery’.

This rollicking live theatre show brings everyone’s favourite cartoon series to life in a bright and hilarious way. Filled with wacky new characters and hilarious antics, the all-new SCOOBY-DOO LIVE! MUSICAL MYSTERIES has young audiences on the edge of their seats in traditional Scooby-Doo fashion from the moment the lights go down. “Scooby-Doo is one the most beloved and iconic characters in all of popular culture and we are thrilled to be able to bring Scooby and the gang to our Australian and New Zealand fans in a way that is truly spectacular, with a live show that the entire family will love,” says Preston Kevin Lewis, Managing Director, Warner Bros. Consumer Products, Australia and New Zealand.

Don’t miss this Australian-made musical that’s fast becoming a family favourite! SCOOBY-DOO LIVE! MUSICAL MYSTERIES tours Theatre Royal, Sydney and Riverside Theatres, Parramatta during the April school holidays – book now at ScoobyDooLive.com.au

Scooby-Doo’s been delighting families on the small screen for more than 40 years and today, with over 360 episodes aired in 16 countries nearly 50 times per day and over 500 million DVDs sold worldwide, Scooby-Doo is universally adored by boys and girls of all ages. He’s the only dog that makes scary fun, loves solving a good mystery and is totally cool. The latest animated television series, Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, can be seen daily on Cartoon Network in 2.9 million homes throughout Australia and New Zealand.


Tuesday 10 April
RIVERSIDE THEATRES
Corner Church and Market Streets, Parramatta
Call the box office on 8839 3399
Thursday 12 to Saturday 14 April
THEATRE ROYAL
108 King Street, Sydney
Call Ticketek on 132 849
SCOOBY-DOO LIVE! MUSICAL MYSTERIES

Sydney Kids Meet Scooby - Doo!

 
As one of the most beloved and iconic characters of all time,
treat when Scooby-Doo comes to visit, ahead of his brand new
family musical SCOOBY-DOO LIVE! MUSICAL MYSTERIES that
opens in Sydney (City and Parramatta) during the April school
holidays. Details at ScoobyDooLive.com.au

Kids at The Children's Hospital at Westmead will receive a special treat when Scooby-Doo comes to visit, ahead of his brand new family musical SCOOBY-DOO LIVE! MUSICAL MYSTERIES that opens in Sydney (City and Parramatta) during the April school holidays. Details at ScoobyDooLive.com.au

3.30pm Tuesday 31 January
Westmead, Darcy Road, Westmead, Sydney NSW

SCOOBY-DOO LIVE! MUSICAL MYSTERIES
ALL-NEW FAMILY MUSICAL ON ITS WAY TO SYDNEY

Life Like Touring is proud to bring SCOOBY-DOO LIVE!
MUSICAL MYSTERIES to Sydney during the April school
holidays. Tickets are selling fast and Scooby-Doo fans are urged to book now to avoid disappointment, as past tours have been a sell-out! In this fun new show, Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Inc. gang have been called upon to help solve an epic mystery.

SCOOBY-DOO LIVE! MUSICAL MYSTERIES features
big musical numbers including the evergreen Scooby-Doo theme song, ‘Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?’ alongside fun new songs including ‘We’re Mystery Inc.’,
‘Round Every Corner’ and ‘A Musical Mystery’.


This rollicking live theatre show brings everyone’s favourite cartoon series to life in a bright and hilarious way. Filled with wacky new characters and hilarious antics, the all-new SCOOBY-DOO LIVE! MUSICAL MYSTERIES has young audiences on the edge of their seats in traditional Scooby-Doo fashion from the moment the lights go down.


“Scooby-Doo is one the most beloved and iconic characters in
all of popular culture and we are thrilled to be able to bring Scooby and the gang to our Australian and New Zealand fans in a way that is truly spectacular, with a live show that the entire family will love,” says Preston Kevin Lewis, Managing Director, Warner Bros. Consumer Products, Australia and New Zealand.


Don’t miss this Australian-made musical that’s fast becoming a
family favourite! SCOOBY-DOO LIVE! MUSICAL MYSTERIES tours
Theatre Royal, Sydney and Riverside Theatres, Parramatta during
the April school holidays – book now at ScoobyDooLive.com.au


Scooby-Doo’s been delighting families on the small screen for more than 40 years and today, with
over 360 episodes aired in 16 countries nearly 50 times per day and over 500 million DVDs sold worldwide, Scooby-Doo is universally adored by boys and girls of all ages.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Amnesty International releases 'Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan'

Amnesty International releases 'Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan'

Amnesty International has partnered with Universal Music and will release a special four disc album of songs by music legend Bob Dylan, covered by some of today's leading musicians, nationally today.
Website: http://www.amnesty.org.au/
More than 80 artists from across the musical spectrum have created their own interpretation of legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's music on this album, which is being released through Universal Music in partnership with Amnesty International.

Musicians such as Sting, Adele, Johnny Cash, Maroon 5, Miley Cyrus and Neil Finn all contribute on the album, which honours both the 50th anniversary of Dylan's debut album and the founding of the not-for-profit organisation.

Chinese New Year In Sydney; Chinatown Gets Dragon, Pandas




Chinese New Year was celebrated with a dragon, pandas and more, in Chinatown earlier this evening.

2900 plus oriental performers from China, Korea, Vietnam and, Sydney participated in the evening parade to welcome the Year of the Dragon.

A massive dragon headed up a parade of dancers, acrobats and fire breathing types from Sydney Town Hall to downtown Chinatown to wish Sydney a Happy Lunar New Year.

For many the float of 20 pandas on unicycles was their favourite part of the night. The panda performers hailed from the National Song and Dance Theatre Company from Chengdu, China.

The freakish sized panda is China's rarest national treasure. Panda follows estimate that only 1500 still inhabit the planet, with 80 per cent of these in the Chengdu region - in the Sichuan province in China's south-west.

“Giant pandas are loved the world over. This puppet performance will thrill the tens of thousands of people who line Sydney's streets for our fabulous parade,” lord mayor Clover Moore said.

Light projections along the parade route helped transform the city into a mini-Hong Kong.

The parade commenced at 8pm finished off at Darling Harbour with a fireworks show.

May the power of the dragon and panda be with you.

Websites

Sydney Chinese New Year Festival

City of Sydney official website

Eva Rinaldi Photography Flickr

Eva Rinaldi Photography

Music News Australia

Star Wars: Episode 1 The Phantom Menace 3D Coming To Sydney, Australia



Star Wars fans of all ages and from all parts of the galaxy - especially Sydney, Australia. Out of this world news for you... the Star Wars franchise is coming to the mean streets of Sydney for a red carpet movie premiere this Sunday.

Find your cape, sword, laser gun and camera and be there fellow Storm Troopers.

Official media information...

STAR WARS: EPISODE 1 THE PHANTOM MENACE 3D

20th Century Fox is taking the Star Wars phenomenon to a whole new level and generation when a who’s who of talent from Australian television, radio, sport and entertainment and their families take to the red carpet for the Australian Premiere of STAR WARS: EPISODE 1 THE PHANTOM MENACE for the first time in 3D.

George Lucas takes us back to the beginning of the beloved saga, in which Darth Vader is a hopeful nine-year-old boy named Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi is a determined young Jedi knight. This first chapter, which is rich in art, design, costumes, architecture and technology, follows Anakin’s journey as he pursues his dreams and confronts his fears in the midst of a galaxy in turmoil.

WHAT: STAR WARS: EPISODE 1 THE PHANTOM MENACE 3D AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
WHERE: EVENT CINEMAS, GEORGE STREET, SYDNEY
WHEN: SUNDAY 5th FEBRUARY 2012
RED CARPET ARRIVALS: 11.00AM
FILM COMMENCES: 11.45AM

VIP GUESTS INCLUDE: ROB MILLS, CHARLOTTE DAWSON, GLENN MCGRATH, JASON STEVENS, NASH EDGERTON, CHRIS BATH, RICHARD WILKINS, GARY MEHIGAN, MANU FEILDEL, LARRY EMDUR, DAMIEN LEITH, MATTHEW HAYDEN, CHARLIE BROWN, HARRY COOK, MAEVE O’MEARA, MARK DAVIS, CANDICE DIXON, BARRY DU BOIS, RACHEL FINCH, MIA FREEDMAN, SOPHIE HENSSER, MELISSA HOYER, PETER KURUVITA, GORDANA WILLESSEE, STEVE BISLEY, PJ MADAM, MIGUEL MAESTRE, ROBERT MAMMONE, ERIN MOYLAND, JUSTIN NORTH, TRACY SPICER, LEANNA WALSMAN, MATT MORAN, MATT SHIRVINGTON, ANTHONY FIELD, STEFANO CANTURI among others, plus DARTH MAUL and Star Wars STORM TROOPERS!

STAR WARS: EPISODE 1 THE PHANTOM MENACE 3D is released in cinemas nationally on FEBRUARY 9th 2012

Websites

Star Wars official website

Lucas Film

Lucas Arts

Event Cinemas

The Lantern Group

Eva Rinaldi Photography Flickr

Eva Rinaldi Photography

Media Man News

Music News Australia

Chinese New Year Parade - Sydney


Chinese New Year Parade - Sydney

Venue:
Sydney Town Hall 483 George Street, Sydney
Date: Sunday, January 29, 2012
Website: http://www.sydneychinesenewyear.com.au/
Starting at 8:00pm tonight, Sydney's streets will host a stunning night time procession of costumes, giant lanterns, lights and illuminated floats to welcome in the Lunar New Year and the beginning of the Year of the Dragon.

The Chinese New Year Parade is the highlight of Sydney's annual celebrations, offering dynamic live music, amazing floats, flamboyant dragons, dazzling costumes, beautiful illuminated zodiac lanterns and much more. More than 2,900 local and international performers will feature in this street spectacular, including 135 artists from Chengdu showing off their stunning Panda Puppets, Fire Dragons and ethnic dancers.

Sydneysiders will also be wowed by a stunning 18-metre red-and-gold fire dragon, which 20 performers in colourful costumes will steer, twist and turn to the tune of gongs and drums. The dragon has a 4,000 year-old history in the town of Huanglongxi, on the outskirts of Chengdu, in central China.

J. Edgar Movie Review: Leonardo DiCaprio brilliant



This is the biopic of J. Edgar Hoover, the founding director of the FBI.

Leonardo DiCaprio was sure brave in taking on this acting challenge. 

At 37, he's already played billionaire Howard Hughes (The Aviator), junkie Jim Carroll (The Basketball Diaries), great impostor Frank Abagnale Jr. (Catch Me If You Can) and Shakespeare's Romeo. 

In J. Edgar, DiCaprio plays Hoover in both his twenties and seventies.

He is America's most feared and hated top law enforcement official ... at the FBI.

DiCaprio is brilliant in this role, and without him the film would be a lot less interesting in my estimation. Leo pretty much saves the film.

Until his death in 1972, J. Edgar Hoover ruled the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Not even eight presidents could stop him getting his way more often than not.

For half a century Hoover nosed into private lives to keep his enemies in check, and he even kept files on some friends also. Hoover was not without his own secrets too - being gay being potentially the most dangerous.

His gayness seems to add an unique warmth to the film that otherwise may not have existed.

Director Clint Eastwood, now 81, and Oscar-winning Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, 37, have done a great job with what could have easily been fairly bland material. Those into Leo or political films will love it, but that's not everyone.

The matter of Hoover taking a liking to women's clothing is touched on, but not over-done.

The film spends a lot of time focusing on those closest to J. Edgar Hoover: his mum, Annie Hoover (Judi Dench); his protective secretary, Helen Gandy (Naomi Watts); and FBI associate director Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer), the lawyer who became J. Edgar's constant companion.

Hoover's greatest love appeared to be the United States and his need to protect it from commies and radicals. 

Eastwood covers Hoover's rise and sorts out fact from fiction. Hoover did popularize fingerprinting and the collection of forensic evidence, but he also had a penchant for giving himself credit where it wasn't due, for killing gangster John Dillinger, solving the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh's baby, and being the ultimate G-man, making arrests and capturing bad guys.

Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts, Josh Lucas, Judi Dench

Websites

J. Edgar official website

Leonardo DiCaprio official website

Roadshow Films Australia

Media Man News

Music News Australia

Friday, January 27, 2012

Ronan Keating And Sharon Corr At State Theatre, Sydney, Australia - Australia Day Review



The State Theatre in the heart of Sydney presented Ronan Keating and Sharon Corr on the evening of Australia Day.

Keating came out to a packed house at the beautiful and elegant State Theatre and received a strong ovation.

He was all smiles and genuinely looked pleased to be there. You could also see him charming the females in the audience, but that's all part of working the crowd.

The fashion conscious Keating, also looking to break into acting, came out in a very stylish grey suit.

My favourite song was the popular 'Life Is A Rollercoaster".

Keating, who most recently has been a judge on the television series The X Factor, was accompanied by a seven-piece band and a string quartet.

The Irish artist is enjoying success with his latest album 'When Ronan Met Burt', with the top-three album approaching platinum status. The album celebrates Keating's teaming with legendary composer Burt Bacharach.

The "When You Say Nothing At All" singer is heading back to the studio to work on solo material following an overseas tour with his group Boyzone last year.

"It's not folk. It's a mix! It's a pop album. Gregg Alexander and I are working together again. It's got that 'Life is a Rollercoaster' feel again. I'm having fun with it again, it's been five years since I've done a studio album. I'm a little bit nervous," the 34-year-old told media.

The theatrical lighting was another highlight of the impressive show.

The concert was great value for money.


Support Act: Sharon Corr

Sharon was brilliant on her first solo tour and was certainly the calibre of talent worthy of opening a show for Ronan Keating.

The Irish sensation wore a green elegant dress and her eyes were highlighted by glittery green eye shadow.

It seems that the artist and her violin are one, and that's not totally surprising since she's been playing since age 7.

She performed 'So Young', 'Joy Of Life' and 'Radio'.

Over the course of their 15-year career, The Corrs sold more than 40 millions albums worldwide, featuring massive singles such as ‘Runaway’, ‘Radio’, ‘Forgiven Not Forgotten’, ‘So Young’ and ‘Breathless’.

Her name, Sharon, means a princess of exotic beauty, and from what I witnessed that seems a fair assessment.

Sharon Corr will be the special guest support on all of the Australian shows.


Bio of Sharon Corr

Grammy Nominee/Brit Award Winner, singer/songwriter and violinist – hugely successful both as a member of legendary Irish group The Corrs and now as a solo artist.

Much has been written about the incredible talent for melodies  The Corrs  exhibited throughout their 15 year long career. Their unique blend of Celtic/Pop/Rock sold over 40 million albums. 

They toured arenas and stadiums across the globe.  With a string  of massively successful albums and singles played to this day like Runaway, So Young, Radio, Breathless  - The Corrs have been a household name on every continent.   “Music is what makes me tick“ says Sharon and true to that when The Corrs took time off  to focus on their growing families, Sharon – while having her own  2 children - began to write and record her debut solo album  ”Dream Of You“ released in 2010.

“Dream Of You“ is a collection of beautifully crafted, melodic pop gems, a remarkable debut that demands to be listened to in full – each story and melody flowing seamlessly into the next. Album features a stunning version of Mna na hEireann with legend Jeff Beck. If the hits Sharon wrote for The Corrs were her songs of innocence her solo album can be described as her songs of experience.

Sharon has relished her new role as a solo artist: playing festivals such as Glastonbury and the Isle of Wight and touring extensively. Music remains Sharon’s great passion and it is simply who she is and what she does.

Sharon continues to support the causes she believes in. The Corrs were ambassadors of Nelson Mandela’s 46664 Campaign, they took part in Live 8, Pavarotti and Friends for  The Children of Liberia and The Prince’s Trust 2004. They also supported the families and victims of the Omagh bombing. In recognition of their work the band members were awarded MBEs.

Today Sharon is the face of OXFAM Ireland with their recently launched campaign Make Space for OXFAM, she is also a patron of Console – who help prevent suicide and council the suicide bereaved.


Bio of Ronan Keating

With those dazzling poster-boy looks, Ronan Keating became one of Europe's most endearing stars as the leader of the Irish boy band Boyzone. The five Irish lads in Boyzone, who made their debut in 1993, built their charismatic style into one of the biggest European pop/rock acts of the '90s. But before he was winning over the world, Keating was a middle-class kid living in Dublin. Born Ronan Patrick John Keating on March 3, 1977, he was the last of four children in the Keating household. His father, Gerry, was a pub owner and his mother, Marie, was a hairdresser, so financially the Keating family was trying to make ends meet.

The working trudge instilled the desire to work in the youngest Keating. While working in a local shoe store, he noticed a search advertisement for an Irish Take That. The 14-year-old beat out 300 hopefuls with his own rendition of the Cat Stevens song "Father and Son" and was headed toward becoming a celebrity. Boyzone released four albums, every one debuting at number one in the U.K. They released 16 singles, each one charting in the Top Three on the U.K. charts. Most notably, Americans will recognize this five-piece as the dashing young men singing behind U2's Bono in "The Sweetest Thing" video.

Six years into being part of one of the U.K.'s brightest and biggest-selling pop bands, Keating searched for an alternate creative outlet. He began managing another male pop group called Westlife. He married Irish model Yvonne Connelly in April 1998 and the following year they had a son, Jack. Musically, however, Keating's intentions stayed in tune with his internal spirit. He couldn't possibly steer clear of the media spotlight for long and something positive was bound to come of it. He recorded his debut solo effort in early 2000 under the craftsmanship of artists such as Bryan Adams and Barry Gibb. His sensual and childlike persona was full-fledged. He is a working songsmith with the utmost class, and counterparts like Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow might be considered a bit shy of such inborn grace. Ronan was issued overseas in mid-2000, and a U.S. version followed in October.

For 2002's Destination, Keating collaborated with songwriter and ex-New Radicals frontman Gregg Alexander. This album was another smash overseas with hit singles such as "I Love It When We Do" and "I've Got My Heart on You," yet it failed to see a release in the States. Two years later, Keating issued Turn It On. His rendition of Terence Trent D'Arby's "Let Her Down Easy" and songs co-written with Deacon Blue's Ricky Ross were featured in another mature set from the former boy band singer. 10 Years of Hits followed in 2005, and a year later Keating released the studio album Bring You Home. In 2009 Keating released the heartfelt tribute album Songs for My Mother, which was dedicated to his late mother, Marie, who had passed away from breast cancer in 1998. Keating released a collection of duets, appropriately titled Duet, in 2010. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, Rovi














Websites

Ronan Keating official website

Sharon Corr

State Theatre

Michael Coppel Presents

Eva Rinaldi Photography Flickr

Eva Rinaldi Photography

Music News Australia

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Ronan Keating At State Theatre, Sydney, Australia



The State Theatre in the heart of Sydney presented Ronan Keating tonight - on this Australia Day.

We learn that Keating has quite a bit to say about the entertainment industry when he's not performing on stage or producing new records in a studio...

The music industry is entering a brave new world this year, says Irish performing artist Ronan Keating.

Subscription music websites, the shrinking of traditional media and the rise of social networking sites are just some of the challenges forcing change on the industry, the judge of The X Factor says.

"It looks like that's the way it's going to go and it's scary and it's tough but you have to embrace it," the former Boyzone singer tells news media.

"Record companies made a big mistake [in] not embracing the internet when it first happened," he says.

TV shows such as The X Factor and Australian Idol play and important role in the biz he says.

"I think it's great … when the record companies are struggling and there's not enough money out there to go and discover people," he says.

"If you're an up-and-coming star and you want to do well, then a show like The X Factor is really important." 

Keating is now looking to expand his horizons into the movie industry.

"I've gone to a lot of auditions over the year and I've just never been ready and I have never been good enough," he says. "[But] I feel over the last two years, I've grown into my skin and feel comfortable … to prove to people that I can act."

Last year he scored his first acting gig in the musical Goddess, due to be released this year.
Keating is ready for the hard yards ahead of him.

"It's harder for someone, like a singer, to prove they can be an actor because people immediately want to say, 'Oh, he's no good," Keating says. "Someone like Harry Connick jnr has totally established himself as an actor, probably more than a singer … Jon Bon Jovi has made some films along the way and he's done well."

Support Act: Sharon Corr

Sharon was brilliant tonight and was certainly the calibre of talent worthy of opening a show for Ronan Keating.

She performed 'So Young', 'Joy Of Live' and 'Radio'.


Bio of Sharon Corr

Grammy Nominee/Brit Award Winner, singer/songwriter and violinist – hugely successful both as a member of legendary Irish group The Corrs and now as a solo artist.

Much has been written about the incredible talent for melodies  The Corrs  exhibited throughout their 15 year long career. Their unique blend of Celtic/Pop/Rock sold over 40 million albums. 

They toured arenas and stadiums across the globe.  With a string  of massively successful albums and singles played to this day like Runaway, So Young, Radio, Breathless  - The Corrs have been a household name on every continent.   “Music is what makes me tick“ says Sharon and true to that when The Corrs took time off  to focus on their growing families, Sharon – while having her own  2 children - began to write and record her debut solo album  ”Dream Of You“ released in 2010.

“Dream Of You“ is a collection of beautifully crafted, melodic pop gems, a remarkable debut that demands to be listened to in full – each story and melody flowing seamlessly into the next. Album features a stunning version of Mna na hEireann with legend Jeff Beck. If the hits Sharon wrote for The Corrs were her songs of innocence her solo album can be described as her songs of experience.

Sharon has relished her new role as a solo artist: playing festivals such as Glastonbury and the Isle of Wight and touring extensively. Music remains Sharon’s great passion and it is simply who she is and what she does.

Sharon continues to support the causes she believes in. The Corrs were ambassadors of Nelson Mandela’s 46664 Campaign, they took part in Live 8, Pavarotti and Friends for  The Children of Liberia and The Prince’s Trust 2004. They also supported the families and victims of the Omagh bombing. In recognition of their work the band members were awarded MBEs.

Today Sharon is the face of OXFAM Ireland with their recently launched campaign Make Space for OXFAM, she is also a patron of Console – who help prevent suicide and council the suicide bereaved.


Bio of Ronan Keating

With those dazzling poster-boy looks, Ronan Keating became one of Europe's most endearing stars as the leader of the Irish boy band Boyzone. The five Irish lads in Boyzone, who made their debut in 1993, built their charismatic style into one of the biggest European pop/rock acts of the '90s. But before he was winning over the world, Keating was a middle-class kid living in Dublin. Born Ronan Patrick John Keating on March 3, 1977, he was the last of four children in the Keating household. His father, Gerry, was a pub owner and his mother, Marie, was a hairdresser, so financially the Keating family was trying to make ends meet.

The working trudge instilled the desire to work in the youngest Keating. While working in a local shoe store, he noticed a search advertisement for an Irish Take That. The 14-year-old beat out 300 hopefuls with his own rendition of the Cat Stevens song "Father and Son" and was headed toward becoming a celebrity. Boyzone released four albums, every one debuting at number one in the U.K. They released 16 singles, each one charting in the Top Three on the U.K. charts. Most notably, Americans will recognize this five-piece as the dashing young men singing behind U2's Bono in "The Sweetest Thing" video.

Six years into being part of one of the U.K.'s brightest and biggest-selling pop bands, Keating searched for an alternate creative outlet. He began managing another male pop group called Westlife. He married Irish model Yvonne Connelly in April 1998 and the following year they had a son, Jack. Musically, however, Keating's intentions stayed in tune with his internal spirit. He couldn't possibly steer clear of the media spotlight for long and something positive was bound to come of it. He recorded his debut solo effort in early 2000 under the craftsmanship of artists such as Bryan Adams and Barry Gibb. His sensual and childlike persona was full-fledged. He is a working songsmith with the utmost class, and counterparts like Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow might be considered a bit shy of such inborn grace. Ronan was issued overseas in mid-2000, and a U.S. version followed in October.

For 2002's Destination, Keating collaborated with songwriter and ex-New Radicals frontman Gregg Alexander. This album was another smash overseas with hit singles such as "I Love It When We Do" and "I've Got My Heart on You," yet it failed to see a release in the States. Two years later, Keating issued Turn It On. His rendition of Terence Trent D'Arby's "Let Her Down Easy" and songs co-written with Deacon Blue's Ricky Ross were featured in another mature set from the former boy band singer. 10 Years of Hits followed in 2005, and a year later Keating released the studio album Bring You Home. In 2009 Keating released the heartfelt tribute album Songs for My Mother, which was dedicated to his late mother, Marie, who had passed away from breast cancer in 1998. Keating released a collection of duets, appropriately titled Duet, in 2010. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, Rovi














Websites

Ronan Keating official website

Sharon Corr

State Theatre

Michael Coppel Presents

Eva Rinaldi Photography Flickr

Eva Rinaldi Photography

Music News Australia

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Australia Day 2012 At Bondi Beach, Sydney - Havaianas Thong Challenge




About 120,000 Australians enjoyed much of their Australia Day at Bondi Beach today, with over 1000 purchasing giant Havaianas thongs.

The overcast conditions prevented the participants from breaking last years world record of 2068 giant inflatable Havaianas in a line but there was no shortage of enthusiasm.

North Bondi foundation nipper Paul Mangioni and current nipper Duke Wieland didn't let the wet weather and muggy conditions stop them from having a go.

Bondi Beach, Bronte, and Tamarama beaches and parks were all alcohol-free zones, in a preventive measure to stop any trouble before it started - thong bearer or not.

This years Havaianas Thong Challenge was a little different - From the beach to the backyard was the pitch.

The thong challenge organisers are keen to see your photos from the beach with their thong and photos can be submitted via their Havaianas Australia Facebook.

2012 Beach activities included:

Havaianas Paddle Challenge (Paddling Race)
Havaianas Dash For Thongs (Beach Flags)
Giant Havaianas Relay (Running Race)

Most folks were happy just to enjoy a swim and have a bit of a sun bake, with the organisers there garner publicity.

Having a go is the Aussie way, so well done to everyone for spending some time at beautiful Bondi Beach today.





James Mathison









Websites

Havaianas Thong Challenge: Australia Day 2012

Waverley Council

Eva Rinaldi Photography Flickr

Eva Rinaldi Photography

Music News Australia

Bondi Beach Directory