Ausmusic Month
This November the ABC celebrates Ausmusic Month with something for everyone, bringing audiences everything from quintessential Aussie rock to classical music festivals, from progressive jazz to the melodic sounds of indie pop singer-song writers.
‘Easy Fever’ is set to sweep the nation once more with the story of The Easybeats, Friday On My Mind. We get exclusive behind the scenes access to the highly anticipated stage adaptation of Muriel’s Wedding: The Musical with Making Muriel; and Double J and ABC Local radio team up to bring us an intimate chat with Bernard Fanning with Songs of Your Streets: Brisbane, in which the musician reveals how Brisbane has shaped his life and music.
ABC Director of Television, David Anderson, says: “The ABC is proud to celebrate Australia’s rich musical history and present audiences with a stellar line up of awe-inspiring content throughout Ausmusic Month. We look forward to showcasing a host of music from a variety of genres, with docos, gigs and exclusives galore, celebrating the depth and variety of Aussie music.”
ABC Head of Music, Chris Scaddan, says: “Ausmusic Month on the ABC is about admiring the past but also about sharing all the brilliant music being made in Australia right now. We’re encouraging every Australian to get involved and appreciate the music being made at home, in all its diversity, from the concert halls to the bedroom studios, from the desert to the inner cities.”
AUSMUSIC T-SHIRT DAY
We’re kicking off the celebrations with Ausmusic T-shirt Day on Friday 3 November. Wear an Aussie musician or band t-shirt on this day and show your pride in Australian music. Take a photo and tag it with #AusmusicTshirtDay to be part of the nationwide celebrations of Australian music. This Ausmusic T-shirt Day, ABC encourages you to get behind Support Act, a charity assisting those working in the music industry who are in crisis. To learn more and help raise funds visit the Support Act website.
TV & ABC IVIEW
Friday On My Mind – 8.40pm on Sundays, 26 November and 3 December on ABC & ABC iview
This landmark two-part mini-series that tells the story of five young newly-arrived immigrants who met in Sydney migrant hostel Villawood in the Sixties and went on to form Australia’s first truly international rock group, The Easybeats, taking our rock’n’roll sound to the world.
Friday On My Mind is more than a classic rags-to-riches tale. It is a story of identity, re-invention and belonging with a powerful contemporary relevance – and one heck of a soundtrack!
Produced by Playmaker Media with major production investment from Screen Australia in association with Create NSW
Making Muriel – 7.40pm on Sunday 26 November on ABC & ABC iview
Making Muriel will give audiences exclusive behind the scenes access as P.J. Hogan adapts his iconic film Muriel’s Wedding into a stage musical, produced by Sydney Theatre Company and Global Creatures (Strictly Ballroom The Musical, King Kong The Musical). The documentary examines the enduring popularity of Muriel’s Wedding, the origins of the story and its characters. It explores how, 23 years after the film was a surprise box office hit, the uniquely Australian protagonist Muriel Heslop can be reinterpreted for the stage. Featuring never seen before archival elements, Making Muriel will chronicle the full creative process right up until the world premiere of the musical at the Roslyn Packer Theatre in Sydney.
Produced by In Films with major production investment from Screen Australia.
Blasko – 9.30pm on Tuesday 14 November on ABC & ABC iview
Sarah Blasko is a pioneer of the Australian indie music scene, and has been a steadily growing music icon since the early 2000s. She has been nominated for countless awards and has gone on to become one of Australia’s most successful female singer song writers, walking the line between commercial success and artistic integrity with dignity. Sarah’s music is filled with a cinematic sense of wonder and melancholy. Her new venture will be her most courageous undertaking yet.
Blasko will follow Sarah as she creates an album of songs from scratch in a live theatre space with long-time collaborators. Together they will create this album in a high concept setting - a theatre space in at an arts centre complete with film projections, mirror ball and lighting - a very different way to write an album! With unique and intimate access, the creative process of one of Australia’s most acclaimed singer songwriters is laid bare. Weaving through an intimate ob-doc style are bio beats that tell the story of Sarah’s life from childhood to adulthood. The drama lies is in the fact that Sarah has never attempted anything like this before.
The Go-Betweens: Right Here – 9.30pm on Tuesday 21 November on ABC & ABC iview
Director Kriv Stenders tells the story of iconic Australian band The Go-Betweens and their intensely passionate and fraught relationships. Fresh from a theatrical release, this film follows a great creative adventure spanning three decades, countless successes and failures, romances, and betrayals, and of course, unforgettable songs.
Produced by Essential Media and Entertainment with major production investment from Screen Australia in association with Create NSW.
Classic Countdown – 6pm on Sundays continuing throughout November on ABC & ABC iview
One of Australia’s most loved programs ever, Countdown spanned 13 years from 1974-1987 and provided the soundtrack to an entire generation of Australians. Taking a year per episode, Classic Countdown is a walk down memory lane, paying tribute to the iconic artists, the incredible songs and Molly!
Justine Clarke’s Ta Da! – 5.50pm from Monday to Friday from 6 November on ABC KIDS
Join Justine Clarke and her stage manager puppet friend, Dash the Dog, and special guests, as they work together amidst the backstage drama and excitement to get everything ready in time for their show, Ta Da!
Produced for ABC by Fredbird CDK with major production investment from Screen Australia in association with Create NSW.
Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2017 – 7.30pm on Monday 27 November on ABC ME
Australia’s own Isabella Clarke, 13, is set to shine bright as she takes the stage to perform ‘Speak Up’, her modern pop anthem, at this year’s Junior Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Tbilisi Sports Palace, Georgia. Hosted by Grace Koh, Pip Rasmussen and Tim Matthews.
In Tune – on ABC ME throughout November
In Tune returns to ABC ME with a new series, matching aspiring young musicians with their musical heroes. Series two features Jimmy Barnes, Samantha Jade and Sheppard. Series one will be available on ABC iview and the ABC ME app.
ABC IVIEW
Throughout the month, audiences can also head to ABC iview for a curated collection of all-Australian content celebrating our homegrown music heroes with live concerts, performances and archival material, including Underscore, Rage 30: The Story of Rage, 20,000 Days On Earth, Sounds Like Teen Spirit: triple j At 40, The Cambodian Space Project, Crowded House: Live At Sydney Opera House, Gallipoli Symphony: A Creative Journey, The Divorce, Matilda And Me and Classic Countdown Extras.
Visit www.abc.net.au/ourfocus/ausmusicmonth for more info on ABC’s Ausmusic Month activity and head to iview.abc.net.au/collection/ausmusic-month to view Ausmusic Month iview content.