Latest news with #EllisPark
Sydney Morning Herald
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
June tunes: The best gigs to see in Sydney this month
Warren Ellis City Recital Hall, June 8 Yes, there will be a short solo set from the Dirty Three and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds member at this event (billed as 'An Evening With Warren Ellis'), but the real draw here will be a conversation with Ellis covering his life, music and work in animal conservation, all topics covered in the new documentary film Ellis Park, which will screen before this Q&A as part of the Sydney Film Festival (a separate ticketed event to this one, it should be noted). 10 Years of NLV Records Metro Theatre, June 8 Australian DJ and music producer Nina Las Vegas (born Nina Elizabeth Agzarian) started the electronic music label NLV Records in 2015 (on the same day she left her gig as a triple j presenter), with this mammoth anniversary show set to take over both rooms of the Metro. Acts set to appear include rising EDM star Ninajirachi, Trinidadian-born Australian singer and rapper Gold Fang, afro swing vocalist Big Skeez, Korean boyband 1300, South Florida ravers Jubilee, plus a host of others. Black Star C arriageworks, June 10 Yasiin Bey - the rapper, singer and actor formerly known as Mos Def - was at Carriageworks last year to perform both a solo show and a show covering the work of late rapper MF DOOM. He's back this year with Talib Kweli, his rhyme partner in hip-hop duo Black Star. They'll be performing music from across the decades, including the aptly titled 2022 album No Fear of Time, which arrived almost 25 years after the pair's classic 1998 debut, Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star. Supergrass Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, June 10 Although a champagne supernova's worth of hype has been directed at the upcoming Oasis reunion tour, more discerning Britpop fans will be excited to see Oxford quartet Supergrass back in action for their first headline Australian shows in 17 years. The band will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of debut album I Should Coco, featuring hit singles Caught by the Fuzz and Alright, by playing it in its entirety; expect bandmates and brothers Gaz and Rob Coombes to behave better than the Gallagher siblings. Mel Parsons The Vanguard, June 15 New Zealand singer-songwriter Mel Parsons has proved herself a master of indie-folk and alt-country over half a dozen celebrated albums, including last year's excellent Sabotage, which has been nominated for three Aotearoa Music Awards. A seasoned live performer with a spellbinding voice, Parsons will be playing old favourites and a few new tunes; if recent singles Brick by Brick and Post High Slide are anything to go by, her winning streak shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. Cloud Control Enmore Theatre, June 20 2010 feels like a lifetime ago, but anyone paying attention to Australian music at the time would be familiar with Blue Mountains four-piece indie band Cloud Control. The recently reunited group will be touring to celebrate the 15th anniversary of debut album Bliss Release, which was everywhere in 2010: Five of its 10 songs were singles, it scored two ARIA Award nominations, took home the Australian Music Prize and, bizarrely, had a song that wound up in Channing Tatum stripper flick Magic Mike. Jimmy Barnes State Theatre, June 27 Fifteen solo number one albums in Australia - more than any other solo artist - and an induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame as both a solo performer and as part of Cold Chisel: at 69, Jimmy Barnes has nothing left to prove. It's a pleasant surprise, then, to discover his 21st solo album, Defiant (out June 6), is an absolute belter, featuring some of his strongest songs in decades. Head along to her Barnsey belt them out live, along with the classics. June is jam-packed with great gigs, including visitors from the US (indie rockers Soccer Mommy and DIIV, astronaut Katy Perry, hip-hop producer Knxwledge), the UK (septuagenarian rappers Bas & Dave, much younger rapper Central Cee, alternative rockers Palace), South Korea (rapper Sik-K, girl group Nmixx, rockers Boohwal) and Europe (James Vincent McMorrow and Inhaler, both from Ireland, and Germany's Tangerine Dream). Australian artists doing the rounds include indie pop band Spacey Jane, Ngaiire, debuting her new show PAIA (provocatively described as 'an eruption of rage, sex, ecstasy, ceremony, ancestry, and cleansing'), Skegss, Polish Club, Short Stack, The Superjesus, Straight Arrows, Parkway Drive, Chasing Ghosts, Eggy, Kisschasy, The Beautiful Girls, Ruby Fields, Party Dozen, The Ferguson Rogers Process, Bachelor Girl and Killing Heidi.
The Age
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
June tunes: The best gigs to see in Sydney this month
Warren Ellis City Recital Hall, June 8 Yes, there will be a short solo set from the Dirty Three and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds member at this event (billed as 'An Evening With Warren Ellis'), but the real draw here will be a conversation with Ellis covering his life, music and work in animal conservation, all topics covered in the new documentary film Ellis Park, which will screen before this Q&A as part of the Sydney Film Festival (a separate ticketed event to this one, it should be noted). 10 Years of NLV Records Metro Theatre, June 8 Australian DJ and music producer Nina Las Vegas (born Nina Elizabeth Agzarian) started the electronic music label NLV Records in 2015 (on the same day she left her gig as a triple j presenter), with this mammoth anniversary show set to take over both rooms of the Metro. Acts set to appear include rising EDM star Ninajirachi, Trinidadian-born Australian singer and rapper Gold Fang, afro swing vocalist Big Skeez, Korean boyband 1300, South Florida ravers Jubilee, plus a host of others. Black Star C arriageworks, June 10 Yasiin Bey - the rapper, singer and actor formerly known as Mos Def - was at Carriageworks last year to perform both a solo show and a show covering the work of late rapper MF DOOM. He's back this year with Talib Kweli, his rhyme partner in hip-hop duo Black Star. They'll be performing music from across the decades, including the aptly titled 2022 album No Fear of Time, which arrived almost 25 years after the pair's classic 1998 debut, Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star. Supergrass Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, June 10 Although a champagne supernova's worth of hype has been directed at the upcoming Oasis reunion tour, more discerning Britpop fans will be excited to see Oxford quartet Supergrass back in action for their first headline Australian shows in 17 years. The band will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of debut album I Should Coco, featuring hit singles Caught by the Fuzz and Alright, by playing it in its entirety; expect bandmates and brothers Gaz and Rob Coombes to behave better than the Gallagher siblings. Mel Parsons The Vanguard, June 15 New Zealand singer-songwriter Mel Parsons has proved herself a master of indie-folk and alt-country over half a dozen celebrated albums, including last year's excellent Sabotage, which has been nominated for three Aotearoa Music Awards. A seasoned live performer with a spellbinding voice, Parsons will be playing old favourites and a few new tunes; if recent singles Brick by Brick and Post High Slide are anything to go by, her winning streak shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. Cloud Control Enmore Theatre, June 20 2010 feels like a lifetime ago, but anyone paying attention to Australian music at the time would be familiar with Blue Mountains four-piece indie band Cloud Control. The recently reunited group will be touring to celebrate the 15th anniversary of debut album Bliss Release, which was everywhere in 2010: Five of its 10 songs were singles, it scored two ARIA Award nominations, took home the Australian Music Prize and, bizarrely, had a song that wound up in Channing Tatum stripper flick Magic Mike. Jimmy Barnes State Theatre, June 27 Fifteen solo number one albums in Australia - more than any other solo artist - and an induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame as both a solo performer and as part of Cold Chisel: at 69, Jimmy Barnes has nothing left to prove. It's a pleasant surprise, then, to discover his 21st solo album, Defiant (out June 6), is an absolute belter, featuring some of his strongest songs in decades. Head along to her Barnsey belt them out live, along with the classics. June is jam-packed with great gigs, including visitors from the US (indie rockers Soccer Mommy and DIIV, astronaut Katy Perry, hip-hop producer Knxwledge), the UK (septuagenarian rappers Bas & Dave, much younger rapper Central Cee, alternative rockers Palace), South Korea (rapper Sik-K, girl group Nmixx, rockers Boohwal) and Europe (James Vincent McMorrow and Inhaler, both from Ireland, and Germany's Tangerine Dream). Australian artists doing the rounds include indie pop band Spacey Jane, Ngaiire, debuting her new show PAIA (provocatively described as 'an eruption of rage, sex, ecstasy, ceremony, ancestry, and cleansing'), Skegss, Polish Club, Short Stack, The Superjesus, Straight Arrows, Parkway Drive, Chasing Ghosts, Eggy, Kisschasy, The Beautiful Girls, Ruby Fields, Party Dozen, The Ferguson Rogers Process, Bachelor Girl and Killing Heidi.
News24
12-05-2025
- Sport
- News24
URC - Lions 19-32 Scarlets
The Lions were beaten at home in the URC on Sunday, going down 32-19 to Wales' Scarlets at Ellis Park. It was a dismal performance from the hosts, who had discovered on Saturday night that there was no mathematical chance of them making the tournament playoffs. This caps off another disappointing campaign for coach Ivan van Rooyen and his charges, who have never made the URC playoffs. The Lions were 14-0 down inside 30 minutes and could never recover from that deficit. Scorers: Lions Tries: Nicoe Steyn, Richard Kriel (2) Conversions: Kade Wolhuter, Lubabalo Dobela Scarlets Tries: Blair Murray (2), Taine Plumtree, Johnny Williams Conversions: Sam Costelow (3)
News24
11-05-2025
- Sport
- News24
Taking Nedbank Cup final to Moses Mabhida was a recipe for disaster
Reuters The ticketing issues and safety concerns suggest logistical challenges. There have been significant ticketing controversies, including issues with overselling and ticket distribution. Some safety concerns have been raised. I was there on 11 April 2001 during the Ellis Park disaster and would not want to see a repeat of that fateful night. It is still the night to forget in my journalism profession, but it is etched in my memory as if it had happened yesterday. What I remember vividly is not only the scores of bodies lying at the north end of the field but also a frantic and panicked search for my brother and friends among the spectators. Staying not far from the venue at the time, we had walked to the stadium, and while I disappeared into the media tribune, they went to sit with the masses. What ensued thereafter was unimaginable, unfortunate and unforgettable. While I was there to cover the game, I couldn't help but put on my civic hat, as I found myself down on the pitch trying to help before it dawned on me about my brother's and friends' whereabouts in the ensuing melée. My heart was racing nonstop as I started a frantic search for them. With cellphones left behind, this proved to be a futile exercise. Were they safely home; were they trapped somewhere; or were they among the dead bodies, I asked myself. It was unbearable and unthinkable. I couldn't wait to get home and found endless missed calls from family members who had been trying to get hold of us to ascertain our safety. After what seemed like an eternity, I heard a knock on the door, and my relief at seeing all of them coming back home alive was palpable. The 2001 Ellis Park disaster scenes have been playing in my mind this week following Saturday's Nedbank Cup final tickets fiasco. With the PSL opting to take this massive game to the small Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, it was inevitable that there was going to be chaos with the ticket sales. So, it did not come as a surprise with the major ticketing controversy, which left thousands of fans frustrated after failed transactions and unfulfilled purchases. RECIPE FOR DISASTER Taking a game of this magnitude to Moses Mabhida was a recipe for disaster from the onset, and the league should shoulder the blame should anything happen there, and supporters are justified in being outraged and frustrated. This decision flies in the face of the Ngoepe Commission, which recommended that the Soweto derby be played at the bigger FNB Stadium, which has a capacity of 94 000. But what the PSL is doing by taking the Nedbank Cup final to Moses Mabhida, which has a capacity of about 56 000, is playing with fire and supporters' lives. Moreover, citing an 'unprecedented surge in demand' as the cause of the chaos is laughable, flimsy and myopic, to say the least. It is an insult to football people, as all the previous derbies have been sold-out affairs. The organisers are to blame for the ticket sales chaos, and supporters have every right to be frustrated. SHAMBOLIC NATURE In fact, if ever there was a marker of the shambolic nature of how the PSL has conducted itself this season, the Nedbank Cup final ticketing farce is everything shameful about the league. Granted, a clash of events (with the Ultra Music Festival) forced a move from Nasrec to Stamford Hill, where the Moses Mabhida Stadium is based, but the matter could have been handled so much better. Firstly, the PSL should have been transparent about what Open Tickets is and what its capabilities are regarding bulk ticket sales. One thing clear is that Open Tickets appeared to be inefficient, as its system broke down several times. This system has not been tested to the full extent of its capacity, and trying it now is not the right time. It should be introduced slowly and systematically to eliminate all the teething problems. The first league derby that saw the FNB Stadium being terribly overcrowded quickly exposed Ticketpro's shortcomings, and whatever changes were made for last week's return league derby, they worked. Yes, the move to Moses Mabhida may not have been a bad decision, as the derby has been successfully hosted by Durban before. However, they haven't dealt with a final of this kind of expectation, especially from Kaizer Chiefs' perspective, with the kind of trophy drought they've experienced. They hinged their hopes on Nasreddine Nabi bringing them glory in the first season, and the fact that they reached the final meant a lot to them. That alone should have pointed the PSL to waiting for some sort of conclusion to Pirates' CAF Champions League campaign, and since that ended earlier than José Riveiro wished, the final could have been held back to 1 June. Someone must explain to us why Moses Mabhida Stadium is hosting so many cup finals, as if it is the only stadium in South Africa, because their love for this stadium will create a disaster one day. We don't want a situation where we will come back and say we told you so. Ellis Park was too much for some of us, and we don't want a repeat of that. Assomblief tog!
News24
08-05-2025
- Sport
- News24
Lions URC season overview: ‘It's been a bit disappointing', admits Fourie
After producing inconsistent results and performances throughout the season, the Lions are set to have an underwhelming conclusion to their United Rugby Championship campaign. The team's assistant coach, Jaque Fourie, said they are disappointed at not being in a position to secure a place in the knockout stages. With pressure mounting on the coaching staff and players, Fourie has put his weight behind the project, saying results will come in the long term. For more URC news, please visit News24's dedicated section. The Lions are facing another United Rugby Championship campaign without any post-season rugby, and their assistant coach, Jaque Fourie, has acknowledged that it has been a disappointing season. The season, which started with a lot of promise, seeing the Lions being given the tag of dark horses after four wins in a row, will have an anticlimactic conclusion. The men from Johannesburg have been inconsistent with results and performances on the field in the most competitive regular season the URC has seen since its inception. This has left them in 13th place with 35 points, with two games remaining in the regular season. The Lions are the only South African team to have not played in a URC playoff. Going into their final games against the Scarlets this Sunday at Ellis Park and Ospreys the next weekend, the Lions will be holding on to the saying, 'It's not over until the fat lady sings'. The maximum points the Lions can collect this campaign is 45; however, the writing is on the wall as they have slim chances of reaching the playoffs. With rugby being a results-based business, pressure comes naturally when they are not forthcoming. Looking at how the season has panned out for the Lions, Fourie concedes that it has been disappointing for them. 'It has been an up-and-down season, a few good games and a few bad ones that we didn't expect to lose, but that's rugby; that's been our season,' said Fourie. 'For us, we wanted to go to the business end knowing we have qualified (for the playoffs) in the last two or three games, so it is a little disappointing for us. 'We are always fighting; we always need to get better, and hopefully we can win the last two games, and whatever happens, we take it from there,' he said. READ | From prodigy to main man: Damian Willemse's influential journey to Stormers' 100th Fourie counts their 20-17 loss to Cardiff away from home, where they had their opponents on the ropes in the final minutes, and the 25-22 reverse to the Sharks as results that left them frustrated. The recent home defeat by Benetton can also be added to the list, as it ended their hopes of reaching the playoffs. 'If you look back at the season, there's probably three or four games that we could have won and would now sit at fifth or sixth in the URC table. That is the difference,' said the former Springbok star. 'If you look at Cardiff, we should have won that game; we lost that game in the last second. We should have won against the Sharks at Kings Park. 'We have to learn. Unfortunately, sometimes the decisions are not in our hands; we can only control what we can do on the field; we can't control the outside factors that are happening on the field. 'We have to learn from mistakes and learn from those situations so we can get better at it.' Moms, this weekend is all about YOU! 💐🦁 Enjoy the game on us - ALL moms enter FREE! Grab your complimentary ticket at the Emirates Airline Park kiosk on matchday. 🎟 Let's celebrate YOU this Sunday at the Park! ❤️ #LIOvSCA @vodacom #URC | #HitsDifferent #LionsPride 🦁 — Lions (@LionsRugbyCo) May 6, 2025 Although the Lions' coaching staff and players know they have fallen short of their supporters' expectations, they remain committed to their project. Unlike their South African counterparts, the Lions don't have a squad full of Springbok players; they develop from within, and as the players accumulate experience, there will be teething problems in the process. The Lions players' inexperience showcased itself in how they dropped the ball in crucial moments, didn't capitalise on momentum or twist the arm of games when they were there for the taking. With a bit of experience and patience, Fourie is confident the Lions players will soon be consistent performers who can get results with experience on their side. 'For us, it's all about getting the young talent through, signing and developing them, and hopefully in a few years' time we can have a solid team,' said the Lions' defence coach. 'That's probably what the guys did in 2013 leading up to 2018 when they had success here at the Lions. 'For us, it's just staying positive and keeping those guys here and evolving them. The bulk of our team is 25 years old; they only get experience through playing games. That's our philosophy. 'In saying that also, we want to win games, and we need to be patient. We sometimes want results now, but it's a process. For us, it's a process; instead of wanting to win and get cups now, we need to look at it as a long-term project,' he said. So, heading to their penultimate game of the URC league season, Fourie refused to be drawn into any permutation talks as they need other results in a stacked table to go in their favour. 'For us at this stage ,we are not worried about that (the permutations); we want to win the last two games with five points. 'The game against the Scarlets - they are a quality outfit, they have come a long way this season, and we can't think it's going to be an easy game. We need to rock up on Sunday, and the Ospreys also. They have shown that they are probably our bogey team in the last few years,' Fourie added.
