Nicholas Allbrook is a Western Australian musician, songwriter and producer whose work is defined by community and collaboration. Best known as the frontman of Pond, Allbrook has created a special program in response to Theo Koning’s exhibition at WFAC. For this very special Sunday Music session, he’ll perform alongside friends who share the instinctive, free-spirited energy of the Fremantle artist.

From Nicholas:

For this gig I was asked to put together a musical something to reflect Theo Koning’s work. I was given this quote about the artist – ‘instinctive and natural maker, and wry narrator’.

So I figured the best way to make that happen was to improvise the whole set. Strictly no rehearsals allowed. This is bloody terrifying for most musicians, and I’ve had to constantly suppress the urge to just have maybe just one teeny tiny little practice… maybe just write down a couple chords. But no, by my own decree that is NOT ALLOWED. If we do even a teeny tiny practice then we just turn into a badly rehearsed band. It’s no longer “instinctive”, its just kinda crap.

Ideally I want people to see something coagulate in real time, hear the moment when something solid creeps out from the fog. That’s the magical bit of creativity and I’d love if everyone got to share that with us, that little alchemical spark where stuffing around starts to develop a skeleton and flesh and bones.

As for “wry narrator”, I’m going to sample snippets from a selection of meticulously curated cassette tapes from the Mills bargain bin – ‘Business Essentials 1989’, ‘Beware of Losing Faith by Drawing Away from Jehovah’, ‘The BFG’, a tape mysteriously labelled ‘ABC program on australia ban of witnesses’ etc – to act as the nascent ‘squiggles’ to our ‘Mr.’ Hopefully i’ll chuck these poor relics of the cassette age onto the sword to unblank our canvas.

The poor unsuspecting band will be; Ben Witt (Romeo Walker etc etc) Ben McDonald (Katy Steele, Little Birdy, Human Buoy, etc etc) Warsame Hassan (Mudlark). We’ll also be joined by a close friend of Theo Koning, saxophonist Bill Rogers. It’ll be really special to have someone who knew the artist so well to help make some noises that pay tribute to his work.

The wonderful, kind and exceptionally talented Lyndon Blue (Methyl Ethel etc etc) will be putting together something similarly whack to open the arvo which may or may not involve bagpipes. 

In the middle it’ll be the mind buggering gothic-drag cabaret of Ash Baroque, an artist i admire very very much.

It’ll be a weird, fun and surprising arvo, for both punters and artists. 

SET TIMES:
2 – 2:40PM | Lyndon Blue (Methyl Ethel) and friends
3:15 – 4PM | Nicholas Allbrook (Pond)
Ben Witt (Romeo Walker)
Ben McDonald (Katy Steele / Little Birdy, Human Buoy)
Warsame Hassan (Mudlark)
Bill Rogers (friend of Theo Koning)

Sunday Music

Bask in the sunshine and enjoy a carefully curated line-up of our best musicians every Sunday in the beautiful setting of WFAC’s Front Garden.

Bring a picnic or enjoy food from Plated Cafe and drinks from the bar at this family-friendly event. Some chairs are provided.

Click here for Fremantle Arts Centre concert information.