Peaches, The Horrors and Magic Dirt play Big Day Out 2010

So The Big Day Out's first announcement is up!

Rumours have been swirling around madly on blogs, forums and facebook for months now and today was they day they were either confirmed, or completely dismissed (Bowie anyone?).

Amongst the confirmed line up is:

She may have just left the country, but Big Day Out favourite Peaches returns again in January in all her glory for a string of knock-out live performances.

Big Day Out veterans Magic Dirt return again for what will no doubt be one of the festival's highlights. Recently suffering a tragic loss, Magic Dirt will play in honour of their good friend and bandmate, the late Dean Turner.

Also taking the Big Day Out stage will be brooding British boys, The Horrors. Their second album Primary Colours blew away both fans and critics alike, compltely prooving they are well worth the hype.

Who knows what round two will hold?


FRIDAY JANUARY 15th AUCKLAND MT SMART STADIUM

SUNDAY JANUARY 17th GOLD COAST PARKLANDS

FRIDAY JANUARY 22nd SYDNEY SHOWGROUND

TUESDAY JANUARY 26th MELBOURNE FLEMINGTON RACECOURSE

FRIDAY JANUARY 29th ADELAIDE SHOWGROUND

SUNDAY JANUARY 31st PERTH CLAREMONT SHOWGROUND

Magic Dirt release EP as part of their tribute to Dean Turner

Alongside their October/November tour Magic Dirt release the White Boy EP, as part of their tribute to Dean Turner, who passed away on August 21.

The EP was one of the final recording projects Dean assembled. Alongside White Boy, lifted from the band’s latest album Girl, the EP includes two special guest vocalists. Rowland S Howard duets with Adalita on the song Summer High and Gareth Liddiard of The Drones joins her on Love Is The Armour. Both tracks were produced by Dean.

The EP also features two previously unreleased songs, Deep In A Net Of Red and Valley Of The Rose, plus Future Fuck, from a now deleted 2008 tour EP.

The band is also bringing one other final plan of Dean’s to fruition - a DVD of the recent videos they made for the songs White Boy, Romy and Bring Me The Head Of... which will be given away free to some lucky fans at the band’s up-coming gigs.

Magic Dirt comment, "It was Dean’s idea to giveaway the first 100 copies of the DVD to our fans at the live shows. Dean felt it was vital to include our audience as part of the whole creative process and it was important for him to give something back to the fans. Dean was deeply pragmatic and always thinking ahead. We wish to honour his hard working spirit with these shows, to unite with our audience that has so deeply shown their respect, appreciation and love for Dean and his music."

Magic Dirt announce shows as tribute to Dean Turner

Magic Dirt are set to play a run of shows as a tribute to Dean Turner.

Dean founded Magic Dirt in 1992 and played bass in the band until he passed away on August 21 this year. Dean and Magic Dirt had planned a tour in August; however Dean’s deteriorating condition led to its cancellation.

The October/November tour is the band’s loving tribute to their dear friend. It offers Magic Dirt and their fans an opportunity to give Dean the rousing and rowdy send-off he so richly deserves.

OCTOBER

Thu 15 Oct - Adelaide, The Governor Hindmarsh
Fri 16 Oct - Casterton, Casterton Town Hall
Sat 17 Oct - Warrnambool, The Loft
Sat 24 Oct - Ballarat, Karova Lounge
Wed 28 Oct - Melbourne, Corner Hotel
Fri 30 Oct - Geelong, National Hotel

NOVEMBER

Thu 5 Nov - Manly, Manly Fishos
Fri 6 Nov - Sydney, Annandale Hotel
Sat 7 Nov - Orange, Freshly Plucked Festival

Adalita, Raul and Adam from the band said when announcing the tour, "Dean loved playing live. He liked to play loud and hard and give it all he had - 110% all the way. We are so proud of Dean’s legacy and the gifts he has left with us: his perseverance, passion and commitment to the music, his endearing boyish fun, his invigorating and uplifting attitude on that long hard road and his pure punk rock spirit on stage, behind the scenes and around us at all times."

Matt Sonic from Sons of the Sun and Matt Sonic & the High Times will play bass with the band on the tour.
Matt is a close friend of the band, (Dean produced the first Sons of the Sun record) and previously deputised when Dean was unable to play shows.

Vale Dean Turner

We were devastated to hear of the passing of Dean Turner of Magic Dirt over the weekend. Dean was a genuine, generous and gentle soul. A founding member of Magic Dirt, Dean was a talented and dedicated musician and producer. His enthusiasm for creating music with Magic Dirt as well as encouraging and helping young bands in their own creative pursuits was always inspiring. Dean's positivity was infectious and he was always seeking to use his experience and knowledge from his years with Magic Dirt to nurture and champion new talent. He was always enthusing about a new band he'd stumbled across that we should check out and was so supportive of many of the local bands on our roster. We will all miss him greatly. Our thoughts and love go out to Dean's family and friends.
R.I.P.



Magic Dirt have issued this statement:

Magic Dirt's beloved Dean Turner passed away on Friday August 21st, 2009.

For nine years, Dean battled an extremely rare form of soft tissue cancer called dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP). This cancer became life threatening after it began to metastasize and cause various fatal tumours.

Being a very private man, Dean chose to fight the cancer in a quiet and dignified manner. He displayed great courage and incredible stoicism. And above all else he had an unshakeable positive attitude throughout his long ordeal.

His composure and grace during this time will never be forgotten and is an inspiration to us all.

As a founding member of Magic Dirt, Dean was the linchpin, the heart and soul of the band. He was the rock, the glue, the oracle, the cool filter. He was deeply dedicated and passionate about the music he made and the impact the band had on peoples lives.

Dean always came up with fantastic ideas but he tempered these ideas with a rock solid work ethic and made them not only real but a success.

Dean's bass playing and sound is unique and unmistakable. With a great flow and organic playing style, Dean dug deep into his role as bass player, supporting and creating a bedrock, the backbone of the Magic Dirt sound. And fans will never forget his melodic riffing, heavy thunder, sonic shimmers and noise fests at Magic Dirt's live shows.

Dean worked tirelessly because music was one of the greatest joys in his life.

Sadly, Dean had many projects and goals he wanted to achieve that will remain unrealised.

Dean championed a lot of Australian music, always interested in giving young bands a go, he was generous with his time and advice to those that sought his council.

Dean was also a band manager, being instrumental in the rise of Brisbane band Violent Soho, he guided and tended the band and had an immensely positive impact on them.

Dean was also an in demand producer. His vision and stabilizing effect in the recording studio allowed many bands the opportunity to realize their dreams of making great records. He produced such bands as Violent Soho, theredsunband, Gersey, Sons of the Sun and lastly worked on Adalita's (Magic Dirt's front woman) first solo album.

But the greatest joy and proudest achievement in Dean's life is his family. He was an extremely dedicated and loving father and husband. His wife Linda and two children were the loves of his life and he cherished them with all his being. In the last nine years during his battle with the cancer he did everything he could to stay with them despite the pain and suffering he was enduring.

He had a profound effect on people, always leaving a warm and inspiring feeling.

The surviving Magic Dirt members, Adalita, Raul and Adam are absolutely devastated at their loss and cannot fathom a future without him. Above all else they will remember Dean as their beautiful and precious friend.

Kind, gentle, very funny and witty, had impeccable taste, a joy to be around, a great storyteller, extremely trustworthy, honest, direct, a diamond mind. They are so very proud of Dean's brave fight and will do everything in their power to ensure that Dean's legacy of integrity and spirit lives on.

The band has postponed their upcoming tour until further notice.

Magic Dirt's love and thoughts go out to Dean's family and to his wife Linda and two children.

Adalita vs Gareth Liddiard on RocKwiz

Last week's installment of the ever popular SBS program RocKwiz saw Magic Dirt's Adalita pit her musical mind against The Drones' Gareth Liddiard.

Adalita kicked off the show with a performance of the Magic Dirt classic Dirty Jeans. The end of the show saw Adalita and Gareth combine their rock might on a cover of The Saints' Messin' With The Kids.

You can watch the performances here.

Magic Dirt get freaky this weekend

A friendly reminder that Magic Dirt's Freakscene Festival kicks off this Saturday the 20th and runs through to Sunday the 21st.

Together with Victoria Rocks – Arts Victoria and the Lakes Entrance Summer Music Festival, Adalita and the boys have managed to put together a two day festival of music, film and workshops all provided free of charge!

Curated and headlined by Magic Dirt, the line up also includes Tim Rogers, The Nation Blue and Gareth Liddiard of The Drones, just to name a few.

It all happens at the Lakes Entrance Recreation Reserve, just 3.5 – 4 hours drive from Melbourne. Click here for more details.

Magic Dirt Announce Freakscene Festival... and it's FREE!!!

MAGIC DIRT have teamed up with Victoria Rocks – Arts Victoria and the Lakes Entrance Summer Music Festival to create their own Freakscene Festival. Freakscene runs over the weekend of December 20 – 21.

The great news is that it’s all free. That’s right, no charge to get in. All you have to do is pack the car, head down the coast and fly your freak flag high!

Everything happens at the Lakes Entrance Recreation Reserve, right in the heart of the pretty Gippsland seaside town, just 3.5 – 4 hours drive from Melbourne.

Freakscene is a music festival… a short film festival… and a series of workshops for musicians.

The music festival takes place for the whole of Saturday with Magic Dirt headlining and curating the event, assembling their dream line-up on stage. It’s a sonic love-in for bands and fans alike, featuring some of Australia's finest artists, handpicked by Magic Dirt. Acts revealed so far are:

MAGIC DIRT
GARETH LIDDIARD (of THE DRONES)
THEREDSUNBAND | NATION BLUE
CRYSTAL THOMAS & THE FLOWERS OF EVIL | AMAYA LAUCIRICA
MIDNIGHT WOOLF | MODULAR LOUNGE | DANE CERTIFICATE
With more artists to be announced

For more details about the festival click here.

lakesmusicfest.com
myspace.com/magicdirt

Wolf & Cub and Magic Dirt nominated for AIR awards

The nominees for the annual Australian Independent Record Awards have been announced. Adelaide's Wolf & Cub are up for best single/EP for psych-rock release One To The Other (produced by Bumbleez Christopher Colonna) while Magic Dirt are nominated for best hard rock/punk album for Girl. Winners will be announced November 24th at Melbourne's Corner Hotel.

Wolf & Cub have just started their national tour supporting The Vines. Dates and info here.

Wolf & Cub - One To The Other (Bumblebeez Remix) [mp3]


3 months of touring and Magic Dirt still haven't finished, with dates still be be played in SA, Tasmania and regional Victoria. Go here for dates and info. The band have put together a special tour EP that they'll be selling at the shows featuring a cover of the Hard Ons classic 'Suck n Swallow' and a duet with Adalita and Gareth Liddiard (The Drones) called 'Love Is The Armour'.

Magic Dirt - Romy

New videos from Snowman and Magic Dirt

Snowman - Daniel Was A Timebomb



From the album The Horse, The Rat and The Swan out now.
Hear more of the album at myspace.com/thesnowmanempire


Magic Dirt - Romy



From the album Girl out now.
Magic Dirt are currently on a national tour. Check tour dates at myspace.com/magicdirt