Stuff to do

Music at Mona

DAILY, 12–4PM
Mona Lawns, Mona

Free when it’s outside
You’ll need a ticket if it’s inside

Book >

 

Throughout Dark Mofo, we’re putting on even more music than usual, both inside and outside the museum. The general advice is ‘follow your ears’, but there’ll be stuff happening all day near the lawns, under Amarna and in the Sex + Death Dayclub. Musician-in-residence Dean Stevenson will be doing daily performances too.

 

Friday 9 June

Who? When? Where?
Morphlink 10am–12pm Sex and Death Dayclub
Self-taught DJ on a mission to heal humanity with cell-tingling beats.
Saree Salter 12–12.45pm Sex and Death Dayclub
The voice (accompanied by the corporeal form) of a songstress emerging in the tradition of authentic Tasmanian music and storytelling.
Glitchcraft 1–1.45pm Sex and Death Dayclub
Psychedelic party prog. Rock, jazz, metal and punk chucked in a blender (and coming out surprisingly well-structured).
Cathy Diver 2–2.45pm Sex and Death Dayclub
Alt-country / folk singer-songwriter from lutruwita / Tasmania who blends yarn-spinning folk with an intimate, bar-ready style. Wry, honest, and 'tender like a sunburn.'
Ben Salter & Julien Wilson 3–3.45pm Sex and Death Dayclub
One of Australia's top saxophonists (Julien) joins dayclub creator Ben to build some atmosphere.
Drumming Pageant: Free Punk Swing 12–12.45pm Container Stage
Three drummers, all at once. Lindy was in The Go-Betweens, Alf's an avant-gardist, and Lindsay's played with the Bee Gees. So, you know.
Julien Wilson 1–1.45pm Container Stage
'Spaced-out psych-jazz that could easily soundtrack The Black Lodge', according to Bandcamp Daily. Woodwinds and real-time electronic manipulation.
Noise Xhurch 2–2.45pm Container Stage
A loose collective from Lismore who explore notions of playfulness, ritual and improvisation (whatever that may sound like).
EWAH 3–3.45pm Container Stage
Someone said Kevin Shields meets Patti Smith. Someone else said Leonard Cohen, Lou Reed and Cat Power hanging out on a damp night. Neither's far off.
Brenda 4–4.45pm Container Stage
A nipaluna / Hobart trio hot glue-gunning scraps of rock, pop, noise and punk together, bending into the lights of never-ending Kmart nights.
DJ Frengo 12–1.30pm Amarna
Mercurial DJ / producer of shapeshifting mixtapes and narrative audio soundscapes.
Hayato 1.45–2.30pm Amarna
Musical chameleon Hayato—who plays violin with the TSO by day—goes full sonic-adventurer night mode, tweaking synths and instruments to fit his musical mood.
Nerve Channel 2.45–3.30pm Amarna
Distortion, driving drums, droning / discordant violin and guitar. Unnerving masks; vocals. Bit of theatre.
Tapir 3.45–4.30pm Amarna
Tapir are 'a pair of herbivorous ungulates who steer a course between summoning up mirage-like soundscapes from some hidden world, and pitching headlong into the deepest of grooves.'
N.A.N.A L.O.Q.A 4.45–5.30pm Amarna
Cutting-edge tech and 'unconventional methodologies' combine to capture and manipulate and intricate mix of urban and synthetic sounds.

 

Saturday 10 June

Who? When? Where?
Dameza 10am–12pm Sex and Death Dayclub
Dameza spins on actual decks. None of this iTunes bullshit. Electronica, classic TV and film tunes, hip hop and seventies funk, skilfully smooshed together.
TBA 12–12.45pm Sex and Death Dayclub
 
RABBIT 1–1.45pm Sex and Death Dayclub
Loud, fast guitar music and melodic songs sung in a folk-singerly style. Like if Fairport Convention got Large Hadron Collided with Buzzcocks.
Julien Wilson 2–2.45pm Sex and Death Dayclub
One of Australia's finest saxophonists (and fan of real-time electronic manipulation), gonna take you on an atmospheric audio adventure.
Lindy Morrison and Comrad Xero 3–3.45pm Sex and Death Dayclub
Artistic rebels—who broke out together in the Brisbane post-punk scene of 1978—reunite to keep fighting the good fight (and doing good stuff with drums and synths).
Mum & Dad 12–12.45pm Container Stage
A mum and dad from Moonah who tell it like it is. You may find yourself shaking your rump.
Blue Divers 1–1.45pm Container Stage
Fragile guitar, woozy synths, scattered percussion, flutes and organ drones. 'The band could fall apart or fall asleep at any moment'. Worth a watch, that.
Grace Chia 2–2.45pm Container Stage
Grace throws thoughtful, hard-hitting bars (over boom-bap beats) that speak on racism, womanhood, and the power in flaws and difference.
Emlyn Johnson Band 3–3.45pm Container Stage
Emlyn 'sits at the drums singing country rock soul ballads in the key of flathead'.
Threats 4–4.45pm Container Stage
Chaotic cathartic thrashing hardcore punk. Say 'howdy' to your inner demons; leave spent.
KAYO 12.45–1.30pm Amarna
Experimental noise-pop with hefty darkwave influences.
Wagaan 1.45–2.30pm Amarna
An Irish / Dharug Mob multi-instrumentalist exploring unsettling guitar drones, shamanic drumming and the eerie scratching of a cello bow across a guitar.
Sova Locus 2.45–3.30pm Amarna
Sound art forged through experimental composition. Static, electronics, 'lowercase sounds'.
Tim Panaretos 3.45–4.30pm Amarna
Plays the bouzouki his own way. Kinda noisy, droning free folk inhabited by the ghost of the Greek blues. Not very taverna-friendly.
N.E.W 4.45–5.30pm Amarna
Nods to the Berlin School of Electronica. Stepped synth sequences. Fresh interpretations of the finger-licking banjo-plucking Moog albums of the seventies. Then some new stuff.

 

Sunday 11 June

Who? When? Where?
Benjamin Vargas 10am–12pm Sex and Death Dayclub
A house music lover from way back (like, childhood), Benjamin has a wide DJ-repertoire and he ain't afraid to use it.
Emlyn Johnson Band 12–12.45pm Sex and Death Dayclub
Emlyn 'sits at the drums singing country rock soul ballads in the key of flathead'. With a band.
The Native Cats 1–1.45pm Sex and Death Dayclub
Mixed-glamour post-punk duo from near here. Bass, beats, crushed Nintendo synth, labyrinths of history and resonance.
Blue Divers 2–2.45pm Sex and Death Dayclub
Fragile guitar, woozy synths, scattered percussion, flutes and organ drones. 'The band could fall apart or fall asleep at any moment'. Hopefully there's a couch nearby, just in case.
Lindy Morrison and Comrad Xero 3–3.45pm Sex and Death Dayclub
Artistic rebels—who broke out together in the Brisbane post-punk scene of 1978—reunite to keep fighting the good fight (and doing good stuff with drums and synths).
SRKO 12–12.45pm Container Stage
Lush, textured, slightly melancholic contemporary jazz.
Coward Punch 1–1.45pm Container Stage
Pure, unadulterated thrash metal from the four horsemen of the thrash metal apocalypse.
TEENS 2–2.45pm Container Stage
Tight, driven, high-flying post-punk. Might be louder than Dinosaur Jr.
Dolphin 3–3.45pm Container Stage
A reformed rock music project in the throes of returning to its emo-country roots. Earnest lyricism, understated songwriting, precarious melodies.
Brigitte Handley 4–4.45pm Container Stage
Brigitte normally lives in Europe, but she's back to do a (possibly synthwave-y) show ft. guitar, bass, beats, synth loops and vox. Pick yourself up some limited edition white vinyl if you dig it; why not.
Baddi Adi 12.30–2.30pm Amarna
'Fijian goth club spiritualist tings'. Very handy on the decks.
IAE 2.45–3.30pm Amarna
Purge project / a search for catharsis via alt-electronica, inspired by darkwave and electroclash.
Dallas Heron 3.45–4.30pm Amarna
World folk, guitar oddities, rock and roll, computer beats, MIDI. Music, voice, and movement.
Slumber 4.45–5.30pm Amarna
Diary-entry pop moments, organic meditative ambience and glitches of found sound.

 

Monday 12 June

Who? When? Where?
Rainbow Trout 10am–12pm Sex and Death Dayclub
Upbeat jams, bangers and deep cuts from basically everywhere on the planet.
Willow Nischler 12–12.45pm Sex and Death Dayclub
Post-punk wrapped in a cloak of alt-folk, guitar-and-vocalsed by a young woman trying to find her place in the world.
The Pits 1–1.45pm Sex and Death Dayclub
Local (ex-Brisbane) rockers who believe people go to see bands to have a good time: 'no bummers, only hummers'.
Blake Scott 2–2.45pm Sex and Death Dayclub
Hypnotic, slow-rolling, raspy oz-rock from the songwriter of beloved Melbourne band The Peep Tempel.
Ben Salter 3–3.45pm Sex and Death Dayclub
Ben's one of our musicians-in-residence, and he put the dayclub shebang together. Who knows what he'll play. Something new, probably.
Warner, Smith & Bancroft 12–12.45pm Container Stage
Dreamy Hobart misfits looking to 'sweep you up into a blizzard of undreamy beamers' (that's a cricket thing). Hard-hitting, punchy music mixed with sweet, harmonic ballads. No sandpaper to be seen.
Smug Anime Face 1–1.45pm Container Stage
Punk / metal / noisecore with the sonic grace of a brick to the teeth.
Rose Trent 2–2.45pm Container Stage
Deamy, tremulous, lyrically poignant sad girl pop-punk.
Lasca Dry 3–3.45pm Container Stage
Hailing from a small town with a big clock (Ulverstone), Lasca got into Zeppelin at an early age (as one does in Ulverstone). Bluesy, raw, relaxed and occasionally experimental, she'll lure you in with something sweet then de-sock you with a monster solo.
Blake Scott 4–4.45pm Container Stage
Hypnotic, slow-rolling, raspy oz-rock from the songwriter of beloved Melbourne band The Peep Tempel.

 

Friday 16 June

Who? When? Where?
Lucky Pete 10am–12pm Sex and Death Dayclub
Little bit Panorama Bar, little bit 7am backyard kickon, little bit Boorloo beach rave. 'Raised and fed on a dense diet of cosmic house, horny disco, free-range Italo, Balearica-secco, and Geri Halliwell music videos'.
Don't Thank Me, Spank Me! 12–12.45pm Sex and Death Dayclub
A two-piece girl odyssey boasting sublime songwriting, very good hair, matching fender axes and disarmingly charming banter. Heavily influenced by rock and roll girl-bands of the seventies, Elton, noughties RnB, and romance.
Mainlanders 1–1.45pm Sex and Death Dayclub
Mainlanders play new age music backwards.
TBA 2–2.45pm Sex and Death Dayclub
 
The Misanthropes 3–3.45pm Sex and Death Dayclub
An unrelenting combo of thundering drums, driving bass, and sharp guitars. Bits of noise rock, post-punk and lo-fi shoegaze.
Comrad Xero 12–12.45pm Container Stage
Techno-factory: live bass, keyboards and vocals over prerecorded sounds composed by Comrad Xero themselves.
Misanthropes 1–1.45pm Container Stage
An unrelenting combo of thundering drums, driving bass, and sharp guitars. Little bit noise rock, little bit post-punk, little bit lo-fi shoegaze.
Warren Mason 2–2.45pm Container Stage
A proud Yuwaalaraay man with links to the Yorta Yorta, Warren's well-known in these parts for being the brains / muscle behind Tin Camp Studios. Good pipes and handy with a guitar, too.
Off-Put 3–3.45pm Container Stage
Local alt-rock three-piece. Don't let the name put you off.
Seja 4–4.45pm Container Stage
Roving operator of synths and sings, Seja's tickled the ivories and sung with the 'gurge, Custard and Ben Salter. She also makes very accurate tiny felt replicas of instruments, when not slinging eighties-style synth bangers.
Benjamin 5–7pm Container Stage
A house music lover from way back (like, childhood), Benjamin has a wide DJ-repertoire and he ain't afraid to use it.
Gentle Duel 12.45–1.30pm Amarna
Cinematic sounds: warm acoustic tones woven into alt-country guitar and desert bar synth loops. Songs of love, discord and 'galactic tensegrity'.
Kave Milc 1.45–2.30pm Amarna
Sonic landscapes made of ambient textures, experimental rhythms and electronic melodies. Possibly mesmerising / hypnotic.
L$F 2.45–3.45pm Amarna
An irreverent DJ spinning experimental hip hop, baile funk and electronic stuff. Expect pounding, hip-shaking rhythms; hardcore techno and possibly some BTS.
Lee Ranaldo 4.45–5.30pm Amarna
Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo playing a piece inspired by standing in the empty streets of Manhattan as Hurricane Sandy began to hit. Solo performance, on a Fender Rhodes keyboard.

 

Saturday 17 June

Who? When? Where?
Donna Hayze 10am–12pm Sex and Death Dayclub
Global cratedigger and DJ who believes in record collectors as 'purveyors of a secret history', which is probably true. Dropping classics, bangers, and occasional esoterica.
Georgia Mooney 12–12.45pm Sex and Death Dayclub
Lush, ornately crafted indie folk-pop with a healthy side of ribald stage banter.
Spod 1–1.45pm Sex and Death Dayclub
Catchily combines elements of rock, pop, electronic, and hip-hop in a way that sits just on the far side of 'irreverent'.
Seja 2–2.45pm Sex and Death Dayclub
Roving operator of synths and sings, Seja's tickled the ivories and sung with the 'gurge, Custard and Ben Salter. She also makes very accurate tiny felt replicas of instruments, when not slinging eighties-style synth bangers.
Miles Brown 3–3.45pm Sex and Death Dayclub
Time for a bit of theremin. Miles looks to 'expand and subvert' the traditional uses of the gestural instrument.
The Stranded Wailers 12–12.45pm Container Stage
A rowdy, roaring choir of chaps doing sea shanties and other cockle-warming tunes from the days of sail.
Don't Thank Me, Spank Me 1–1.45pm Container Stage
A two-piece girl odyssey boasting sublime songwriting, very good hair, matching fender axes and disarmingly charming banter. Heavily influenced by rock and roll girl-bands of the seventies, Elton, noughties RnB, and romance.
Retrillion Culture Club 2–2.45pm Container Stage
Hyperpop noisecore. Been described as 'the resonance of Ariana’s backing band drifting through an abandoned stadium'.
Jethro Pickett 3–3.45pm Container Stage
Maverick songwriter / producer Jethro crafts beguiling, off-kilter recordings moored by pleasing melodies and spools of 24-track instrumentation.
Q.E. 4–4.45pm Container Stage
Aphex meets pop, plus noise. 'Intelligible pop songs that are more primeval than poetic'.
Hinsby 12–1.30pm Amarna
Electronic meanderings and beats influenced by 'the regal orographic land formations of kunanyi and its surroundings', plus psychiatry and the effect of music on mental health.
Starklane 1.45–2.30pm Amarna
Dark electro doom-pop from the roaring forties.
Matt Warren 2.45–3.30pm Amarna
Electro-acoustic and drone works, part of Matt's wider interests in psychedelia, digital abstraction and hauntology.
Joshua Santospirito 3.45–4.30pm Amarna
Slashing, surprising guitar improv and loopery.
Photosynthesis 4.45–5.30pm Amarna
Anarchic, DIY analog synths and circuit-bent electronica. Exploratory, experimental and possibly audience-involving.

 

Sunday 18 June

Who? When? Where?
Miles Brown 10am–12pm Sex and Death Dayclub
Time for a bit of theremin. Miles looks to 'expand and subvert' the traditional uses of the gestural instrument.
Dan Kelly 12–12.45pm Sex and Death Dayclub
Veteran singer-songwriter of feel-good / -bad vignettes. Join him and watch as he descends further into 'regional paranoia' (ft. rudimentary piano styles, glam guitar and Irish tenor banjo).
Tai Harlii 1–1.45pm Sex and Death Dayclub
Local five-piece toting a unique blend of futuristic RnB and prog-soul.
Nighttime&child 2–2.45pm Sex and Death Dayclub
Virtuosic / Sydney indie duo with big rock, funk, and electro-infused gypsy jazz chops. And a trombone. Request some Sinatra, you'll not soon forget it.
Ben Salter 3–3.45pm Sex and Death Dayclub
Ben's one of our musicians-in-residence, and he put the dayclub shebang together. Who knows what he'll play. Something new, probably.
Liam O'Leary 12–12.45pm Container Stage
Melbourne-based drummer Liam is joined by some of Hobart's finest homegrown musicians for some jazz standards and originals.
Luke M de Zilva / Mara Schwerdfteger / Peter Hollo 1–1.45pm Container Stage
Debut live performance from a band who put a song at number one on the Wettest 100 (Australia's annual countdown of left-field music). Spacious, dissonant compositions for voice and strings.
Liquid Nails 2–2.45pm Container Stage
They were going to be called No More Gaps because they don't have any downtime between songs, but Liquid Nails sounds more punk, for sure. Splintery post-punk.
Philomath 3–3.45pm Container Stage
Risk-taking improvisers striving to reach an alternate sonic universe.
Swaz Benjamin 4–4.45pm Container Stage
Fluid, party-starting storytelling and poetics. Some light-hearted stuff, some harder-hitting stuff. Thoughts may be provoked.
soil 12–1.30pm Amarna
Solo experimental electronic music from Tassie (by way of Italy). Elements of IDM, classical, ambient, synths and 'broken aleatoric tempo'.
Tasha Zappala & Tiff Norchick 1.45–2.30pm Amarna
Soundscapes and ambient musical works performed on harp, guitar, loops and field recordings captured across lutruwita / Tasmania.
Soda Lite 2.45–3.30pm Amarna
Tremulous, bubbling music that unravels slowly, awash in vibrant birdsong, chimes, bells and analogue keys.
Scot Cotterell 3.45–4.30pm Amarna
Scot loves new and old media: machines, computing devices, printed material and transmitted electronic media. Sometimes he makes music with them.
Stormworm and La Sauvage 4.45–5.30pm Amarna
Haunting vocal melodies and French spoken word reverberate over electronic pulses and synth passages.

 

Monday 19 June

Who? When? Where?
Yutts 10am–12pm Sex and Death Dayclub
Party jams, laid back grooves.
Aqrn 12–12.45pm Sex and Death Dayclub
Improvised meditations on time, memory and place, rendered through cassette tape loops, analog synths and electronic instrumentation.
Ben Lawless 1–1.45pm Sex and Death Dayclub
Tales about the Australian countryside woven into dark, quirky folk music.
Threats 2–2.45pm Sex and Death Dayclub
Chaotic cathartic thrashing hardcore punk. Say 'howdy' / 'oh haaaaii' to your inner demons; leave spent.
The Young Liberals 3–3.45pm Sex and Death Dayclub
'Just a bunch of specific entiities trying to get along'. Released a pretty sick synth-driven alt-indie Christmas album last year.
Filthy Little Star 12–12.45pm Container Stage
The largest privately funded three-piece band in the southern hemisphere. F.L.S plays ancient, modern and contemporary songs from their own collection.
208L Containers 1–1.45pm Container Stage
Absurdist rockers straddling the line between post-punk and pub rock. Imagine John Clarke riffing over a slightly warped Minutemen cassette.
The Pits 2–2.45pm Container Stage
Local (ex-Brisbane) rockers who believe people go to see bands to have a good time: 'no bummers, only hummers'.
WÖØLWORTHS\\FLUSHOT 3–3.45pm Container Stage
FKA Hardcore Dog Penis. 'Indie thrash rap'.
BOCCE 4–4.45pm Container Stage
A tightrope walk betwixt lively alt-rock and emotive slow burners.

 

Other stuff to do