Auraview - Last Band Standing Winners

I'm just home from a sensational night at the Last Band Standing (battle of the bands) at Hervey Bay RSL. The finalists were all superb, and I'm thrilled that one of my favourite bands of the night, Auraview, won!

The event was a great showcase of live music talent available in the area. Original songs, energetic and tight execution. Just brilliant.

Arcade Vandals put up tough competition. There will be another chance to see them at the Fraser Coast Music Fest. I'm hoping that Auraview will also be performing there (no confirmation yet, so fingers-crossed please). Unfortunately I missed most of Locus, as the venue was at capacity and I had to wait until enough people left before it was my turn to enter, but I heard good things from others in attendance.

I'm absolutely buzzing after a great night out.  Big thanks to my Mummy for babysitting Pickle, so I could have a cracking night out.

Cheers, KangaRue :)

Eye-candy alert!

Sporting prowess, absolutely. But let's be honest, there are going to be some seriously hot guys (and girls, I'm all for inclusion) at Seafront Oval this weekend.

Three-time Olympian, Joshua Slack, will be amongst those competing, as detailed in this Fraser Coast Chronicle article.

Another free event.... Pickle will have a blast watching the balls bounce (minds out of gutter people!)

I can't think of a better way to spend a few hours over the weekend... A Mothers Day present to myself perhaps? ;)

Date:  Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th May, 2013
Time: from 9am round-robins Saturday and 8am finals on Sunday*
Venue: Seafront Oval, corner of Main Street and Charlton Esplanade, Pialba
Cost: FREE!

Hope to see you there!

Cheers, KangaRue :)

*launch information, timing to be confirmed

What if being straight was frowned upon instead?

I've mentioned before that I'm an advocate of the LGBT community, especially around youth support. As someone who empathises with the LGBT (GLBTQI) community, I thought I "got it". That is, until I saw the Love is all you need? video (below) earlier this week. It affected me so deeply, I was a sobbing mess by the end of it. And I'm not even hormonal at the moment. 

I almost didn't watch it, the premise is a little cheesy and it is quite long. But I'm really glad I stuck with it, as it is beautifully rendered. A simple concept, the genuineness displayed through both the writing and acting, allows this to avoid the cheddar territory.

So I'll take this opportunity to give you an early heads-up that WEAR IT PURPLE DAY 2013 is FRIDAY, AUGUST 30th. The last Friday in August is set aside to support rainbow young people, as everyone has a right to be proud of who they are.  Register your interest, be kept up-to-date or get involved by clicking here. Rest assured, I'll be making future posts closer to the date to remind you.

I'd love to know what you thought of the video? Will you wear purple on 30th August? Any ideas about hosting a Wear It Purple day?

Cheers, KangaRue :)

This is not a sponsored post, just something I believe in passionately.

Bay Beats

There's a music festival coming to Hervey Bay! I thought my days of attending easily accessible day or weekend long music festivals was left long behind me in London. So the inaugural Fraser Coast Music Fest on Sunday 2nd June, 2013 is a definite SilverLining in Pickle's and my new simplified life. Even better, it's FREE!

The day will be filled with music by local bands and artists across three stages. I've been somewhat - pleasantly - surprised at the level of home-grown talent. I've been lucky enough to see a number of performances in the five months since I moved to Hervey Bay, particularly enjoying Frank Benn, Dogwood Crossing and Sam Hutchinson, who will all be performing at the festival.

I'll definitely be taking Pickle along, as he loves listening to music, and it promises to be a family friendly event. There will also be stalls, rides, a kids activities tent, a car show, food, a bar, and a laser-light show finale, so it sounds like there's something for everyone. Tell your friends - if this year's event is a success, there are plans to expand it to a two-day festival next year... See you there!

Location:  Seafront Oval, cnr Charlton Esplanade and Main Street, Pialba (Hervey Bay)
Date:  Sunday, 2nd June, 2013
Time:  9:00am to 9:15pm

Are there any other local bands or artists I should be keeping an eye out for?

Cheers, KangaRue :)

This is not a sponsored post.


UPDATE:  Arcade Vandals are through to the Grand Final of Last Band Standing (battle of the bands) and are confirmed for the festival.  I've been told they're a good band to watch, as is Auraview (also through to the Grand Final).
Anyone know if Auraview will be at the festival?

Dating as a Single Parent (II)

I want to subtitle this blog: Good Grief, he's a Muso.

But that would be getting ahead of myself.

I get few moments of non-toddler sanity peace and quiet most days. One day a week, I take Pickle to a swimming class. He inevitably has a bite of lunch after his lesson, we splash in the outside pool and slides and then more lunch... before Pickle slips into a deep and lengthy sleep (I consider anything over 45 minutes a lengthy nap these days). I then sneak in lunch with a friend, or a peaceful coffee on my own, while Pickle sleeps in his pram.

I chose a new venue for lunch recently; there are many cafes along the Esplanade, and I'm slowly working my way through them. It was buzzing, and I managed to grab the last table as the previous occupants left. Perusing the menu, I was approached to see if I'd mind sharing the table. And that's when I met... let's call him BigTed. Not only does the Aussie Play School connotation appeal due to my new locale, but this guy is tall - a foot taller than my meager 5'2, solid and age appropriate (in a town filled with backpackers and OAPs, this final point is not to be sniffed at).

We started chatting. He made me laugh. And then I found out he's a muso. Good grief. I've never been one to desire the proverbial "I'm with the band" t-shirt. Especially now that I'm a single Mummy. OK, so this guy isn't only a muso, he's an engineer too. And a Dad. But I can't quite get past the muso bit.

He offered to take a competition card to the cash register for me. And then gallantly paid for my lunch. I was disappointed that he didn't ask for my number, so was glad when he texted me later that day to see if he could take me out again. He'd lifted my mobile number from the competition card... Ingenious or stalker-like? Perhaps I should name him ScaryBear instead?

Should I run a mile from this muso? Or embrace the creative?

Cheers, KangaRue :)