IF you are trying to banish the winter blues, the Astor Theatre has some great shows on this month. Don’t miss Scottish indie legends The Jesus And Mary Chain on their special 40th anniversary tour.  From their origins on the outskirts of Glasgow, The Jesus and Mary Chain have gone on to influence many of…

IT looks a bit like something out of Dr Moreau’s laboratory, but Tineke Van der Eecken’s “corrosion casting” is her unique way of honouring marine life and showing they are under-threat. The gruesome process involves injecting a synthetic resin into the blood vessels of dead animals via the heart. “It’s followed by the dissolving of…

THIS year’s Revealed could be one of the best yet. It’s a vibrant, fun explosion of colour with the vast majority of artworks already snapped up by eagle-eyed buyers (that’s usually a good sign the exhibition has been a hit). First held in 2008, the annual exhibition at the Fremantle Arts Centre showcases contemporary Aboriginal…

A CONSTRUCTION site is the perfect metaphor for our body always being a work-in-progress as we try in vain to become the human version of the Taj Mahal. Cosmetic surgery, big bums, fitness fanatics, body shamers, skinny models, manscaping, buff sportspeople, anal bleaching  – the list goes on and on – and in one way…

RIDERS of Justice, Another Round and The Worst Person in the World are some of the great Scandinavian films to hit the big screen in recent years. Known for their unique mix of black humour, quirky characters, cerebral themes and stark but beautiful cinematogrophy, the popularity of Scandinavian films and TV shows has continued to…

A UNIQUE concert dedicated to Australia’s birdlife will raise funds for the Kaarakin Black Cockatoo Conservation Centre in Perth. Where Song Began is the brainchild of the Bowerbird Collective, a classical duo who perform music inspired by birdlife and raise awareness of conservation and environmental issues. At Where Song Began they will play pieces from…

FREMANTLE artist Olga Cironis put the call out on social media for old violins nobody wanted. She got a good response and was soon scooting about Perth, picking up the donated instruments from here, there and everywhere. Instead of restoring them to their former glory, Cironis decided to tightly wrap them in drab, utilitarian blankets…

IT looks like a prop from a 1950s sci-fi movie and it sounds just as weird. I’m talking about the EWI (pronounced EE-wee) an obscure electronic wind instrument that was invented by American Nyle Steiner in the 1980s. In lesser hands it could sound like a cheap Bontempi keyboard with flat batteries, but thankfully jazz…

PERFORMING back in Perth for the new Re//Perth festival is a big homecoming for Gravity and Other Myths performer Maya Tregonning, while also giving her the chance to reconnect with an old chum from her days in Feral Circus. Tregonning is one of the cast of GOM’s The Mirror, which will help give new life…

SHE’S loaned her harp to Björk, studied at the famous Berklee College of Music, and formed a unique trio that are about to release their debut album Bliss. I’m talking about Perth’s Michelle Smith – a talented harpist who fronts what might be Australia’s only jazz harp trio, Turiya. Their debut album shattered the myth…