Australian Music Centre | Breaking sound barriers

Event Details

Works by Ed Kuepper / Venero Armanno / Paul Grabowsky / Don Watson / Erik Griswold / Rodney Hall.

In Presidentsland, music, words and ideas have been shaken and stirred for a vision of Queensland’s future.

Six of Australia’s brightest sparks will present their ideas in a world premiere concert of three distinct musical and literary visions at Brisbane’s City Hall. Three writers and three composers with wildly different styles have been chosen to collaborate and the result is a cocktail full of fresh, contentious ideas.

A new score by Paul Grabowsky, experimental jazz genius and founder of the Australian Art Orchestra is complemented by the dark and delirious, quirky and comical prose from Paul Keating’s speech writer, Don Watson. The resulting mixture is delivered through the peculiar and outlandish narration of Kransky Sisters’ Annie Lee.

A beautifully melodic work by Clocked Out Duo’s Erik Griswold accompanies poet and librettist Rodney Hall’s powerful vision of a bureaucracy that has scorned the current financial focus of our education, science, health and arts industries, predicting a radical return to total customer orientation. Writer Rodney Hall joins us to narrate his work.

Revolutionary musings by local author, Venero Armanno take us into the Fortitude Valley of our future which composer Ed Kuepper, founder and guitarist of Brisbane’s seminal punk outfit, The Saints, has moulded into an ethereal, mystical sound track that rocks toward an amazing climax. This synaesthetic journey is narrated by Brisbane chanteuse, Alison St Ledger, who will accompany Ed Kuepper on vocals and his rock band on keyboard, bass and drums.

The Southern Cross Soloists, one of Australia’s most innovative and exciting musical ensembles, will perform, together with the QPAC Community Choir. Presidentsland is directed by Patrick Nolan.

Theatrical, funny, bizarre, and with a thought-provoking political twist, Presidentsland is a one-night-only performance that will long be remembered.

Further information for this event is available online at the event's website

Featured artists

• Music of Paul Grabowsky
• Music of Erik Griswold
• Music of Ed Kuepper