The demand was ringing in my ears, louder and louder! My heart was hurting, but not because I didn’t want to eat dirt but because I was afraid for my little brother. They were making him eat dirt and I needed to make them stop. They had to stop. “Stop doing that,” I said. “Leave him alone. Leave us both alone.”

This isn’t a scene from a movie, this happened to my younger brother and I at school and unfortunately situations like this happen every day of the week in other schools across Australia.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. March 17 is the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence and it is an opportunity for schools, students and community organisations across Australia to work together and say “Bullying No Way!”

Bullying is harassment and can be a violation of a person’s human rights. Yet it is such a common and often ignored serious problem – especially in schools.

Everyone has the right to learn, live, work and play in a supportive environment that is respectful, safe and free from violence. But in a world where bullying seriously impacts the person being bullied, those around them and even the person doing the bullying that is hard to achieve.

There are five main forms of bullying – physical, verbal, mental, cyber and sexual. All forms can negatively affect the wellbeing of young people and in some cases the effects can be catastrophic, with some people choosing to take their own life as a result of being bullied. Recent data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows Australian youth suicide rates have reached their highest point in thirteen years. And while there are many factors influencing young people who attempt to take their own life, there are many tragic cases of children at school who have been unable to manage the sadness and stress of being bullied.

Bullying also negatively impacts the academic success of many Australian school students. According to the Australian Council for Educational Research’s Snapshots Global Assessment for 2015 “Australian year four students who reported being bullied weekly scored lower, on average, in reading, mathematics and science than students who were bullied less often”.

“Bullying is physical or psychological abuse that

can seriously impact the person being bullied.”

Australian parents are certainly expressing their concerns about the way some schools handle bullying, claiming that either no action is taken, or victims are blamed for bullying incidents. Sydney Morning Herald journalist Cosima Marriner reported in an article published last year that a national study of bullying in schools by the University of South Australia exposed a large gulf between what parents expect schools to do about bullying, and what schools actually do. The researchers, UniSA Adjunct Professor Ken Rigby and Dr Kaye Johnson, found that the success rate of stopping bullying for students who sought help from teachers or school counsellors was 36 per cent for primary school students and 22 per cent for secondary students. “Parents were especially concerned about schools not acting promptly, not recognising the serious effects of covert bullying, not informing them of what they were doing about it and generally achieving less satisfactory outcomes for their children,” Prof Rigby said.

Bullying is even filtering into young people’s physical and sexual relationships. Social media has opened the floodgates for young (and older) students to become a target for sexual harassment through cyber bullying. ReachOut.com defines cyber bullying as “any kind of bullying or harassment using technology” which makes it really hard to deal with because it can be very public and hard to remove. According to Child Family Safety Australia girls and boys are often pressured to send nude images of themselves across Snapchat or other social media sites, where receiving users can easily anonymously screenshot and share them. And in a recent article published in the Advertiser journalist Tim Williams reports that cyber bullying is so out of control that it is actually a bigger concern for parents of children who are going back to school than drugs, alcohol, or smoking.

Cyber bullying can get out of control.

Campaigns like “Bullying No Way” certainly help to educate young people about bullying but there are also a range of other resources that are having a positive impact, like the documentary A Girl Like Her. Through the tragic story of Jessica Burns, who attempted to take her own life because she was bullied, the idea that “only those who are hurt choose to hurt others” is introduced. This is a complex and compassionate message for young people to grasp. A Girl Like Her is a dramatic depiction of bullying that can be shocking and emotive for some viewers, mostly because of the confronting links to teen suicide. Despite many challenging scenes, it has received a hugely positive response from young audiences because its message is simple – compassion and awareness are essential when it comes to bullying because it is everyone’s responsibility to keep children safe.

A scene from the documentary “A Girl Like Her”

So, as we move towards the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence, why not encourage your school to get involved. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Doing simple things like running seminars and talks so students and teachers can have open discussions will go a long way to supporting those in need in your school community. Delivering interactive and relatable sessions about how to handle bullying as a bystander, or what to do if you are the victim of bullying, are practical ways every school can make a difference. Lots of cool resources for the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence are available from Bullying No Way! So take a look because its time to tackle this problem head on by loudly and proudly saying “Bullying No Way!”

If you or anyone you know is experiencing distress, there is help in the form of Youth Support Services:

• Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 (27/7 crisis support) kidshelpline.com.au
• Headspace: 1800 650 890 headspace.org.au

And the Australian Human Rights Commission also has a complaint handling service that investigates complaints of discrimination, harassment and bullying – 1300 656 419.

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Storytelling in science communication (#scistoryASC): June 3 2016 at Marine Discovery Centre, South Australia

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One would be forgiven for expecting a few scribbles and awesomely lurid paintings. Not the case at the art exhibition I attended today titled “The Rights of the Child” at St. Peter’s Girls Early Learners’ Centre.

Each display celebrated what the children recognised as one of their fundamental rights, for example the right to eat nutritious food.

Talking to a few of the little artists showing their pieces, it was clear a great deal of thought had gone into each detail.

For example, some children painted the food they felt lucky to receive and others chose to sculpt their favourite dishes out of clay.

Each was lovingly and stylishly presented in frames or in the case of the sculptures, on cute little bread boards and an inviting red-checked tablecloth.

Nature featured strongly, turns out the ELC adopts a Reggio Emilia philosophy which encourages the kids to explore their world in a natural, stimulating and innovative environment.

Three year olds explored their right to connect with nature by exploring a local reserve and taking photos, I could almost smell the bark and fun of exploring.

Likewise, they collected sticks, bark and made their own sculptures to represent their play environment.

The pride of the children, their teachers and their families was palpable.

The work was treated like it was the Mona Lisa in the Louvre, including being officially opened by the Minister for Education and Training, Simon Birmingham.

ELC Director Kate Mount shared her thoughts on this “it’s important to recognise and value the voice and work of the youngest members of our society.

“These art pieces are important, as they provide an opportunity for young children to be celebrated and acknowledged for the unique individuals they are”.

I loved this, no doubt I was probably in the presence of the next Picasso or Monet and certainly these were the most adorably cute little artists I have ever seen!

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I don’t know what I expected but one thing is for sure – it’s just naked girls reading.

The show begins and ends with 4 women on stage who promptly take their clothes off. While they all have different backgrounds they all have a love of literature. The girls can change from night to night but they are always excellent readers.

Each night has it’s own theme, and I was lucky enough to attend the ‘just the naughty bits’ themed show. Because the girls choose their own texts they can take the theme shockingly literally or extremely ambiguously.

This is a good time to point out that no text is off limits, so be prepared that some of your childhood favourites may be ruined forever. For example, we heard pieces ranging from ‘Mr.Men’, to cook books to 19th century pornography.

Naked Girls Reading was held at La Boheme.

If this show sounds up your alley, check out La Boheme for similar events. Wednesday night is usually live jazz or burlesque.

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His heels are a decent six-inches, eyes and lips coated in glitter and he’s crooning a cabaret take on a certain Def Leppard hit while literally smearing sugar over his body. There’s a full jar of honey at the edge of the stage, which audience members eye nervously from time to time (when they can take their eyes off Ned).

Ned’s voice and moves are impressive but he’s not just here to show them off – he’s here to talk ethics. Borderline Public Offence is a witty musical analysis of the ways women and men are fetishised in modern music and the ethical responsibilities of artists and consumers.

Pop hits from the last five years cop the most flack for objectifying women – if you cringed the first time you really listened to the lyrics of Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke, you’ve got a scathing reading to look forward to.

Yet even as it forces you to think, the show’s tone stays upbeat and fun. There’s laughter from the audience throughout and Ned even breaks character from time to time to step back and have a genuine laugh at himself. His act could do with some fine-tuning as he finished the show 45 minutes into the promised 70 (he was as surprised as anyone). But he won us back with some extra improv, then came down off the stage for easy banter with the audience.

All this goes down in the back room of the Adelaide German Club, a surprisingly perfect venue for a fairly risqué cabaret show. Part of the fun is wondering whether the diners have any idea what’s happening on the other side of the door.

Until March 12

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(I still can’t get that song out of my head!)

God Bless Mother Nature – outside in Adelaide it was raining, inside it was raining men!
From the tumultuous weather outside stepping inside the Speigeltent felt like I’d taken something (…or maybe it was the champagne…) and was being transformed into a psychedelic boogie wonderland that is Velvet- with sequins, strobing lights, aerialists and neon hula hoops!!

Who’d have thought you could have so much fun in a flood! – (yes that’s right I chose the night of the lightning storm and torrential rain to see the show.)

Foot tappin’, hand clappin’, booty shakin’ fun- it was like being taken back to the 70s (or everything I imagine them to be.) The only thing missing was a dancefloor!

Opening with a balancing act atop a case full of champagne to set the scene, the audience was entranced with wondrously sleek young bodies performing death defying acts as they wrapped around each other and twirled gracefully into the air.

From freak to chic, highlights were the very flamboyant hula hoopist, (*spoiler alert*) an unexpected a cappella version of Staying Alive and of course Marcia Hines- with an amazingly effortless voice you had to wonder what it would’ve been like if she’d really cut loose! Those lungs are amazing!
I found the a cappella a bit of a tease because it didn’t burst into boogie but it was so hauntingly beautiful you didn’t mind – you really felt it – the male lead actually did match Marcia – I know – what a feat!
Marcia still kicks it with attitude you just can’t fake and the latino slant on the music just made you wanna get up and dance – what a happy, carefree soundtrack to live life to – can I buy it on iTunes?

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Dogapalooza was Adelaide’s “first and only” dog-friendly music festival, with an all-Australian line-up of artists playing to an audience of canines and their companions. The roster included The Wisps, Kelly Menhennett, and one of the organisers, Cal Williams Jr playing a wonderful mix of styles. In all, the entertainment was perfect for Sunday morning listening, chilling out under the trees.

Dogapalooza is an annual volunteer-driven event, with all proceeds going to local charities and organisations, who could also be seen at the event. This year’s primary beneficiaries were Oscar’s Law and SA Dog Rescue.

The dog-love was clear at Dogapalooza, with a buzz in the crowd as peoples’ mutual love for dogs drew them a little closer and broke the ice, building on the positive messages and fun foundation of the festival. The organisers even had water bowls and paddling pools dotted around in front of the stage to help dogs hydrate and avoid them getting hot under the collar.

Dogapalooza was a great Sunday outing for dog lovers and music lovers alike, also raising money and awareness for the work of great local charities and making people paws for thought.

The festival is expected to head to Melbourne next, before returning to Adelaide next year.

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Drawing from influences like Rowan Atkinson and Frank Woodley, Daniel Oldaker brings us Dandyman. With barely a word for the whole show, Dandyman masterfully leads the audience from beginning to end. Everything is up for grabs and he uses everything at his disposal to turn the stage into absurdity before flipping everything on its head again and again.

The audience were either busting to get involved and ready to leap on to the stage or refusing to make eye contact terrified of what Dandyman might ask them to do. Some of the crowd were slow to warm to Dandyman but in their defence there really is no telling what’s going to happen next. It can be scary when there’s a chance you will be part of the next spectacle on stage (but really that’s all the more reason to get involved).

The comedy is absurd and a lot of the jokes are pretty uncommon even for physical comedy. It’s certainly worth stretching your comfort zone for and a nice change of pace from the strictly stand up comedy acts.

You can see Dandyman at the Royal Croquet Club everyday for the rest of the fringe.

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“I feel like a lot of people out there probably think they know what I’m about now,” the Melbourne-based singer, who regularly performs at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, says.

“People think they understand what to expect from me and I want to really shatter those expectations.”

On the cards for this weekend’s performance are “some new things” that she and her band will perform live for the first time.

“We’re trying to keep it fresh,” Mojo says.

“As a performer I’m always growing, always evolving and even in the last 12 months my approach to songwriting and performing has changed.

“I think it’s always exciting if we have something new to bust out. It’ll be special for you guys, that’s for sure.”

Mojo’s eponymous debut album in 2012 was distinctively rootsy, covering a lot of blues to soul ground.

The songs on Seeing Red / Feeling Blue, which she will take to the road for a national tour in May, are much poppier and differ dramatically in style and emotion.

“The album exists for me in two halves,” Mojo says.

“Half of the songs are quite introspective, a little more fragile, and then the other half have this more aggressive, external vibe.

Mojo Juju’s 2015 album cover

“It’s actually a pretty emotional record. I’m always talking about things … that affect me in my own life. I couldn’t write about something that I didn’t know.”

Yet she is reluctant to pigeon-hole her sound into one genre.

“I don’t want people to categorise me,” Mojo says.

“Every time I make a record I’m looking to challenge myself and do something I’ve never done before – I don’t want to do the same thing over and over.

“I’d rather people just hear my music and know that it’s me anyway.”

Musical talent is either in the singer’s DNA or instilled in her by childhood influences.

Growing up, she listened to her grandad play the cornet, her grandmother sing and her mother play the trombone.

“There was always music playing in the background,” Mojo says.

“I think it was a very natural thing for me. Music was always just there and I started learning instruments from a very young age.”

As she reached her teenager years it became a coping outlet.

“I was a bit of a misfit, a bit of an outcast,” Mojo says.

“We moved around a lot and I pretty much grew up in the country.

“So music was this thing that was constant – something I could really throw myself into and have this great form of self-expression.

‘It wasn’t even a question of how do I get into this industry. I just went – this is what I do and hopefully I’m going to keep doing it until someone notices and wants to hear it too.”

Listen to the track ‘Your Love’ from Mojo Juju’s album ‘Seeing Red / Feeling Blue':

Since they did, her journey has had plenty of twists. Mojo fronted the band The Snake Oil Merchants for six years until it split up in 2012.

She credits her hunger to improve and develop as a solo artist to a feeling she calls ‘divine discontent’.

“It’s where you always look at what you’ve done and what you’ve created and feel like you could do better,” Mojo says.

“It’s a quietly frustrating feeling sometimes but it’s also I think really essential to the process.

“It’s the thing that propels you and gives you momentum to keep creating.”

As for musical influences, Mojo says Kendrick Lamar has been dominating her personal playlists.

“He’s addressing things head on and I like how fearless he is in doing that,” she says.

“I’ve been listening to Bill Withers as well – going way back into the record collection and getting reinspired.

“If you’re a musician and you’re inspired by music you’re listening to, I don’t think you can avoid having it influence you in some way. It’s going to come across somehow whether it’s in a conscious, obvious kind of way or just in your approach.

“I don’t think I’m going to bust out an intense hip hop record like Kendrick Lamar but it’s definitely all part of the talent that I draw from.”

While her songs are written from personal experiences, Mojo strives to make the content universal.

She wants all audiences to be able to relate to her music, whether through the lyrics or simply the emotion captured in a given song.

“I think if you’re honest, it’s going to resonate with people,” she says.

“(The songs) all have meaning to me and hopefully other people can feel it too.

“But I’m sitting on the cusp at the moment – I’m only just coming into my own.

“I’m only just starting to crack the surface of the potential here.”

You can see Mojo Juju perform at WOMADelaide at 8pm, Saturday March 12 on the Zoo Stage.

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Yet, Surahn measures his success not by who he has worked with or how much money he makes.

“When did I become a successful musician? I think the moment I started being a musician,” he says.

“It gave me a purpose to wake up in the morning from a very early age, so all those feelings that are associated with success, I felt them at an early age.

“I mean, music makes me incredibly happy, so if you’re measuring success and wealth, I believe happiness, true happiness, is wealth.

“And obviously I’ve been able to make money from touring and writing records for people and doing all that, but I really don’t measure my success with my bank balance – I think that’s a little futile.”

Surahn

Having spent his career working with other artists and releasing music under aliases, Surahn is now releasing a solo debut record.

“Into the Distance is about the space between people, so it’s a voyeuristic commentary on what goes on between strangers, lovers, family,” he says.

“It’s a lot of things that don’t get spoken about, but if one chooses to observe, there’s a lot of stuff that goes on between people.

“But I didn’t actually realise it was about that until I started sequencing the record. I was just sort of writing songs for a couple of years and didn’t realise.”

The EP gives Surahn a unique – for him – opportunity to express his own style.

“My personal music is like a vintage cover, that when you get inside of, you, that first smell that hits you is just nostalgia,” he says.

“It goes fast, it’s able to go slow. It might be a little worn out inside, but it has all those hallmark, those classic hallmark sensibilities.

“My music is luxurious. It’s an opportunity to write songs that I would want to listen to, and I don’t have any commercial expectations placed on me. I don’t have to go out and write hits, so it’s very expressive and personal.”

As for the influences behind his music, Surahn attributes this more to his lifestyle and environment than to musical sources.

“Obviously you use music as an influence, but, as an adult, my influences are life,” he says.

“In order to make great art, I have to have a life, and I can’t lock myself in a studio for years or months on end and expect myself to write great music. I have to go and, you know, fish and walk the beaches and spend time with my family and things in order to write great art, I have to have that balance.

“I mean, being an artist can be an incredibly selfish pursuit, and if we submerse ourselves in a bucket of water 24/7, then we wouldn’t have any air to breathe.”

And so, having spent the past ten years on the road, the artist has returned home to South Australia, and found home in the Coorong.

“I’ve really made an effort to come home and live in a place that has a lot of sort of natural power, it gives me a creative edge I think. I live on one of the greatest coast lines in the world with some of the cleanest air in the world,” Surahn says.

“For me, it’s a very fertile land and I’ve always thought, in order to be a great artist, you need to live in a fertile place. If it ends up unhospitable, then it makes life incredibly difficult for you to pursue an art.

“Being a student of harmony, I guess I’ve developed a penchant for harmony outside of music as well.”

As for South Australia as a musical base, Surahn believes it is “one of the most fertile art hubs in the world” and sees a renewed confidence in the state.

“When I was a kid here, there was a lot of South Australian confidence, and we believed we had a rich history, being free settlers in the utopian state, and we’ve always made an effort to engage with indigenous cultures here,” he says.

“We have been progressive – we had a very progressive Premier, Don Dunstan, and we’ve had some incredible figures here.

“And then, ever since we lost the Grand Prix, a sort of doubt set in, but I feel like over the last like six years there’s been a real re-emergence of confidence and belief in what we can do here, and that’s across all sectors.

Surahn’s musical future looks bright, as he continues to work with Australian duo Flight Facilities, and with performances planned internationally and in Australia, including his first performance at WOMADelaide.

“It’s my favourite festival in the world, and I’m not just saying that because I’m South Australian,” he says of Adelaide’s annual world music and dance festival.

“You know I’ve performed at every major festival on the planet, from Glastonbury to Coachella, and I think WOMAD is the greatest balanced energy, vibe happening place, in a beautiful site, with lots of different demographics, people, and I’ve attended it many, many times. It’s a genuine privilege and a pleasure, and I’m excited to be performing there.”

But aside from his personal musical pursuits, Surahn is making an effort to “re-engage” with the community in which he grew up, and from where he draws his inspiration.

“For instance, I’ve been helping set up a studio in the city, I’ve been talking to local artists and involving local artists in performances coming up at WOMAD. You know, just looking at ways I can be more engaged,” he says.

“Because I grew up spending a lot of time here and being active in the music community here in Adelaide, and I haven’t had an opportunity to do it because I’ve had to spend so much time abroad.

“And so now I’m hoping to share all the things I’ve learnt and the energy that I’ve acquired.”

His advice for people wanting to get into the music industry is simple:

“My advice would be to not give up. You know, as cliché as that is,” he says.

“Most musicians end up taking jobs as baristas because it’s too difficult. To live and breathe music takes a lot of courage, and the hardest part about having a band is keeping it together.

“So, I think if people just keep at it, there’s a lot to be said for that, and it requires a lot of courage, and so my advice to anyone young getting into music would be to keep working and keep working and keep working and not give up, which is easier said than done, but there’s lots of great examples of people following their dreams.”

You can see Surahn perform at WOMADelaide at 2pm, Monday March 14 on the Novatech Stage.

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“Mum is a Kamilaroi woman, and I was raised by her, with my younger brother, pretty much on the road,” says the Sydney-born artist.

David settled back to Sydney as a 17-year-old, but by the age of 21 had spent time in some of Australia’s toughest prisons and found himself addicted to drugs.

Now he has seen musical success, with the recent release of his debut album Cause & Affect, along with an upcoming performance at WOMADelaide, and as part of an Opera Australia production. But he says things still aren’t easy.

“Change is a natural progression of life, but it hasn’t been a complete change,” he says when asked how he turned things around.

“I still struggle with the patterns formed as a youngster. Some of those patterns affect the quality of life that I live. Some are good, some not so good.”

David Leha (Radical Son)

David offers the example of his struggle with drugs, which continues behind the scenes of his musical career.

“It’s something that I started as a young boy and even up ‘til the last Christmas that passed, there was still an impact on my life,” he says.

“It was serious. I was for a time, in the last 15 years, experiencing moments when I was living on the street and having to do the harder drugs on a daily basis, and I was able to cut that back.

“And up until the Christmas just past, I thought I was able to handle that, but I felt that I had hit rock bottom once again and for the first time in my life, I wanted to end my life.”

David has found help in the form of men’s groups.

“I’ve done things like men’s groups, in particular, in Redfern there’s a men’s group called Gamarada, and I was also going to the Aboriginal Medical Service, where I had my first counselling session,” he says.

“And I remember, at first, I was going there against my beliefs. My beliefs that I did not need that to change. That change was something I could learn to do myself. I was going because I had outstanding court letters and I thought that I would get a lighter sentence if I played that game.

“But one thing led to another within those groups. I learnt how to speak openly and honestly, and I met others who were also trying to do likewise, and things really did start to change for me.”

Although David says these groups have helped, he speaks openly about his ongoing struggle to break the cycle.

“To be honest, it’s still something that I struggle with today,” he says.

“I was able to go to work, I was able to come home, put the food on the table, make sure the bills were paid, and do these things in my professional life, and my domestic life. I thought I had it under wraps.”

But things weren’t that simple, and David now finds himself enlisting new strategies to tackle the problem.

“Since Christmas, I’ve started going to seek professional help on another level and I’m actually having my first family counselling meeting today,” says the husband and father of eight.

“But, I tell you what, I’ve also started going to Narcotics Anonymous, and I’ve only been twice, but that keychain they gave me for the first visit, I show it off proud and it’s on my keychain. It says ‘just for today’.

“I’ve seen another psychologist at the meeting and it helps me being able to talk about things. You know they’ve put me on some antidepressants. It’s a combination of things, I think. It really has to be hit hard with different methods.

“I’ve even got my cultural advisors, my mentors for music, my mentors for culture, they all speak another language to me. My friends have offered to help – there’s so much in place.

David says this variety of resources is important for him.

“I’ve got all these people helping me. Some people may not need all the things that I’m going through, but I feel better for having them,” he says.

“It’s like, I guess, doing drugs itself, some people can handle it, some people can’t. It’s like alcohol – some people can drink a couple and they’re gone, some people drink all night.”

David says his willingness to talk openly about his struggles is inspired by the people he has met and honesty he has seen at men’s groups.

“I remember that I walked away from there believing in that kind of openness and honesty,” he says reminiscing about a particular meeting.

“I just think the biggest fear is, say we were doing things the wrong way, but we just continued along that path because we failed to address the conversations honestly. Unless we’re honest with ourselves, it’s going to continue on in yet another cycle.

“I believe that’s something that I would like to see more of. I see so many people pointing fingers and being judgemental. I’m very judgemental too. And I don’t agree with that, I don’t think we should.

“It’s one of the issues I have with my son. My oldest son is seventeen now, and I feel I want to try and help him, especially with his sports — he does a martial art, and in my mind I want to try and point out his weaknesses and get him to work on them, but what I failed to see is that I was too focussed on his negatives, rather than his positives.”

David’s focus on self-improvement also extends to his music.

“This year, I do have goals to be able to learn an instrument. I’m choosing to just play guitar first, but I’d love to play the piano. By the end of this year, I’d love to be able to jump up on stage, by myself, and do a 20-minute acoustic set,” he says.

“By the time I was 24, I was married and had a couple of children and that’s when I started writing music. Really just poems to begin with. I’ve been into music since then, about 15 years now, mainly just as a lyricist and a vocalist.

“It’s been quite a journey between then and now, both off and on stage.”

You can see David perform at WOMADelaide at 8:45pm, Sunday March 13 on the Moreton Bay Stage.

If you need support, advice or information about drugs including alcohol, please talk to a GP or health professional.

Helplines (Australia):

Family Drug Support 1300 368 186, www.fds.org.au

Lifeline 13 11 14, www.lifeline.org.au

National Drug and Alcohol Support Services Directory www.ndasd.com

Specific information for people aged 25 years and under:

Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800, www.kidshelp.com.au

eHeadspace 1800 650 890, www.eheadspace.org.au

The post Hard lessons hit the right note at WOMAD appeared first on Stories Well Told.

Ginger and Tonic’s Desperate and Dateless is a laugh out loud musical journey into the habits, strategies, and histories of four ladies looking for love.

Lisa, Jane, Danielle, and Laura, aka Birdzie, treat the audience to original tracks along with familiar songs from across the decades, with cleverly updated lyrics allowing the songs to tell stories, express emotions, and give advice about dating and relationships.

Instead of “Blame it on the Boogie” we get “Blame it on the Booger”, instead of “Fever” we get “Beaver”, and instead of “Umbrella” we get “Tinderella”, all broken up with amusing set pieces, showcasing the girl’s tight rapport as they discuss their relationship woes.

The energy and fun nature on stage is clear from the opening number.

With no instrumental support, Lisa, Jane, Danielle, and Birdzie carry tricky harmonies throughout while maintaining a witty and engaging stage presence.

Perfectly balancing talented singers with a well curated show, this pitch-perfect performance is well worth watching, with free dating tips to be taken with a pinch of salt.

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