Music

The Veronicas are performing at Burswood Dome on Friday night, but it is sold out.

Singer-songwriter Jason Mraz is playing at the Fly By Night Club in Freo on Friday night.

The Dave Mann Collective and others are playing at Metropolis in Fremantle on Friday night.

Major Break III (breakbeat) is on at Ambar Nightclub in Perth on Saturday night/Sunday morning.

For other gigs check out the comprehensive Triple J gigguide!

Performing Arts

Ben Elton at His Majesty’s Theatre on Saturday (sold out, unless you want to go alone.)

Love Child at Playhouse Theatre is on till 13 August, tickets at BOCS.

Other

Springtime at Araluen Botanic Park, Roleystone.

The WA Craft Quilt & Stitch Show is on at Claremont Showgrounds from Friday to Sunday, from 9am to 5pm.

The action packed Avon Descent is on. It starts in Northam on the Avon River on Saturday and ends in Bayswater on Sunday afternoon. Check out my post for info about all the festivals surrounding the event (at Sandalford Winery, Belmont and Bayswater).

Winter Walk and Wine Tasting. On Sunday there is a special event starting in Darlington. Take an escorted walk to Glen Forest and learn about the history, flora and fauna. Then on to Avalon Vineyard for wine tasting and tasting platters. $50p.p. all inclusive, and bookings essential as the tour is limited to a group of 12 (I have no idea if this is full yet, sorry). Call Mundaring Visitors Centre for more info and bookings: 9295 0202
The Golden West Antique and Collectors Fair is on at the Fremantle Passenger Terminal on Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 5pm. Free valuations are available from 12 to 3pm. Entry is $5 and children under 16 get in free. Proceeds go to charity.

And the monthly Psychic Awareness Magical Fair is also on in Freo, at the Town Hall, from 10am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Music

Gyroscope are playing at Club Capitol on Friday (and at The Foundry this Wednesday)

The Mundaring Performing Arts Society have their monthly concert at Mundaring Hotel on Friday night.

Bic Runga is performing her first shows in WA on Thursday and Friday at the Fly By Night Club in Fremantle.
The Next Big Thing Regional Semi-Final is on Friday at Mojo’s in Freo, and the Final on Saturday at the Rosemount Hotel.

There’s a Queen Tribute Concert on at the Regal Theatre on Saturday.

Perth Harmony Chorus is performing their annual show (Cirque’appella) at Winthrop Baptist College Auditorium in Murdoch on Saturday. A combination of a-capella singing and circus, with Cirque Bizirque. Two shows, 2.00pm and 8.00pm.
Another a-capella group, from South Africa, Ladysmith Black Mambazo are performing at the Perth Concert Hall on Sunday.

Arctic Monkeys are playing Metro City in Northbridge, but that sold out months ago!

Performing Arts

Ben Elton at His Majesty’s Theatre on Saturday (sold out, unless you want to go alone.)
Love Child at Playhouse Theatre is on till 13 August, tickets at BOCS.

Woyzeck by Black Swan Theatre Company is still showing at PICA until 29 July.

Circus Joseph Ashton is still on at Maddington until Sunday.

Other

Two big ‘guy’(I’m sure there’s plenty of gals that’ll enjoy these to though!) events on this weekend, both open on Saturday and Sunday:

Big Boys Toys Lifestyle Expo from 10am to 5.30pm at Claremont Showgrounds, featuring cars, trucks, boats, bikes, aircraft, adventure sports and golf.

Auto Salon 2006, from 10am to 7.30pm at Perth Convention Exhibition Centre, featuring cars, music, dancer, models and competitions like ‘loudest audio’.

Springtime at Araluen Botanic Park, Roleystone. Winter has sort of just started, but the annual spring festival at Araluen is already on from Saturday. Last year at this time the tulips weren’t really out yet, you’ll have to call them and see if they are now… The park is always beautiful though, there are other flowers too.
The Fremantle Collectors Fair is on at the Masonic Hall on Sunday from 9.15am to 3.30pm. If you enter at 9.15 entry is $4, after 10am it’s $3.

The 33rd Avon Descent is on next weekend!

The Multiplex Avon Descent is a time trial for power dinghies and paddle craft covering 133 kilometres of the Avon and Swan Rivers in Western Australia. The event begins in the Town of Northam, passes through Toodyay and the Avon Valley and Walyunga National Parks, and finishes at Riverside Gardens Reserve, Bayswater, Perth.

Read about the best vantage points for spectators here for day 1 (Northam to Toodyay) and here for day 2 (Toodyay to Bayswater). On Sunday the race goes through Walyunga National Park and through the Swan Valley.
There are several events surrounding the race:

Northam - Friday night:
The annual river festival will be held, which starts at around 7pm. There will be a float parade, children’s entertainment, a fun carnival, and fireworks at around 8.30pm. The hotels will have live entertainment.

Toodyay - from 10am on Saturday:
Toodyay will hold an International Fine Food Festival. There will be food and beverage stalls, entertainment for young and old, including cooking demonstrations. The locations is close to the river and their will be good views of the action on the Avon River.

Sandalford Wines - 11am to 2pm on Sunday:
Sandalford Wines and the City of Swan will host a Picnic in the Park at Sandalford Winery in Caversham. It’s a good vantage point as that is a change over point. There will be free entertainment for all ages, and a professional event commentator.

Belmont - Garvey Park - 11.30am to 3.30pm Sunday:
The City of Belmont will host the Avon Descent Family Fun Day on the banks of the Swan River at Garvey Park. There will be activities for children, a sausage sizzle, a professional commentator and helicopter rides(I very much doubt these would be free).

Bayswater Riverside Gardens - from 11am to finish on Sunday:
The City of Bayswater will host festivities for the finish line event from 11am at Riverside Gardens. Big screen with finish line, live entertainment for children and adults, see the boats when they have finished and lots of stalls with food. Competitors are expected to start arriving around 11.30am and the official ceremony will begin at 4pm.

For maps, directions and accomodation please also check out the Avon Descent website!

Billy Joel will be performing at the Burswood Dome on 7 November 06.

No other American artist has performed before more Australians. No other artist has sold out twelve consecutive Madison Square Gardens. And no other artist can lay claim to 33 Top 40 hits, 23 Grammy nominations and more than 100 million record sales.

Tickets go on sale from Ticketek on Monday 31 July 06.

The play ‘Love Child’ is being performed at Playhouse Theatre on most days from 27 July to 13 August 2006.

Love Child is a moving drama about a reconciliation between a reluctant mother and the daughter she gave away at birth. Anna is a successful film editor in her 40s who lives alone in a cold, stylish apartment until a young woman called Billie arrives unexpectedly at her door. Billie acts in soap operas and is searching for her birth mother. Together these two fractured women confront the implications of distance; between then and now, between generations and between the one who gave away and the one who was let to go.

Standard tickets start at $39, and are available at BOCS.

Playhouse Theatre is located on Pier Street in Perth.