What's On in NSW

News from NSW.

December 2011

By The Swingin' Kitten

Hey there all you crazy Cats ‘n’ Kittens! It’s the Swingin’ Kitten here from Sydney.

Limpin’ Jimmy and myself DJ at band events, venues, functions; teach rockabilly dance workshops twice a month and maintain our website with updated news on the latest gigs and events!

I had the privilege of DJing (along with Limpin’ Jimmy) at The Basement in November for Big Jay McNeely (USA) and Adam Hall and the Velvet Playboys. What a fantastic night it was! Big Jay is 84 years of age and still going strong! Back in the 1950s, Big Jay was originally considered too outrageous for white audiences, sharing the stage with greats such as Little Richard and B.B. King. He is now one of the true legends of American rhythm and blues, blues and jump band boogie with his blasting sax and vocals.

At the time of writing, we are looking forward to being involved in the first “Shaking All Over” presented by DJ Brian at the Hampshire Hotel, Camperdown on Saturday 3 December. It is an all day event starting at 12 noon and ending in the wee small hours of Sunday morning. The Rechords (VIC), Twilight Rhythm Boys and the Drey Rollan Band will be performing along with DJ Brian and Rod Almighty. There will be stall holders, burlesque performers, best dressed and a short dance lesson provided by yours truly and Limpin’ Jimmy. We are hoping it is well supported and a great success.

Rock Lily at The Star Casino is still proving to be popular on a Thursday night with a variety of rockabilly bands performing. The venue is fantastic and has a good sized dance floor which attracts a variety of dancers and the general public.

Café Lounge in Darlinghurst on a Sunday night is proving to be a popular venue for a Sunday evening meal, cocktails and music. A quirky small café that is committed to providing live music on a Sunday night is a winner with the crowd that frequents this venue. Twilight Rhythm Boys, Drey Rollan Band, Two Timin’ Playboys, Pia Andersen, Rob Taylor (Sonic Aces), Eric Rasmussen and many others have entertained the café audience. There is even a small amount of room to have a dance if you are lucky!

I mentioned in the last issue that we looking forward to seeing In The Mood at the State Theatre in September. To be honest, we were disappointed with the show which came highly recommended. Perhaps we are spoiled with a high caliber of jazz and swing musicians in Sydney. I guess not every show or event is a winner.

Great news is that the Trocadero Dance Palace will be returning as part of the Sydney Festival in January – even bigger and better. This event was a huge success this year. Can’t wait to see what there is in store for us!

Jump, Jive and Wail is still going strong after two and a half years. Hotel Chambers had a change of ownership recently which did put our residency in jeopardy. However after the new owners saw the night for themselves and how popular it was, they were very happy to keep it on! So we are very relieved. Limpin’ Jimmy and I play a mix of swing, jump blues and rockabilly and it makes for a fun atmosphere. The third Friday of the month is firmly entrenched in the social dance calendar. We have had people tell us it is the highlight of their month.

Our move to larger premises in Newtown for our rockabilly dance workshops has been very successful. We now have space to move and room to grow as well. We are getting great numbers attending who are thoroughly enjoying the dance workshops.

That’s all the news for now, so take care and keep rockin’ and swingin’!

The Swingin’ Kitten
ARRAS Member 2059

www.limpinjimmyandtheswinginkitten.com.au

• < Prev
• Next >