Grooves and moves at Danks Street Festival

7 October 2005

Some of Sydney's biggest music names will be returning to their roots to perform as part of the Danks Street Festival in Waterloo on Sunday 23 October.

The free City of Sydney event, with MC Leah Purcell,  will feature a fantastic line up of talent on two stages which will set the mood for the day-long street festival designed to showcase one of Sydney's most vibrant and dynamic streets.

Established Sydney DJs Garry Tee and Kate Monroe will set the mood with their ambient sounds and soulful grooves while Monsieur Camembert and the Donovan's featuring Emma Donovan will perform their own unique style.

Kate Monroe began DJing more than 12 years ago and has established a cult following on the Sydney circuit. The Inner City girl, who has lived everywhere from Redfern to Elizabeth Bay, is now a resident DJ at Sublime and has performed many outdoor gigs, including in the Domain during the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Following her succession of CDs, she is looking forward to getting back to her roots and said the Danks Street Festival is an opportunity to perform original ambient music with a touch of jazz, Latin and lounge.

"The festival is all about good friends, good food and enjoying the time together with some light breezy music," says Kate.

The music on the day will be mostly from Kate's first CD MAT Black described as "seductive, deep bass and soulful vocals combined with playful piano".

Monroe's smooth sounds will no doubt be matched by Garry Tee, who after 15 years on the Sydney scene, has a well established reputation and an equally dedicated following. From Hugo's Lounge to Kinselas and the Opera Bar, Garry Tee has played for almost every major dance party and major event.

Tee traces his earliest musical influences to soul and for the Festival will be playing what he describes as "landscapey" music with "a lot of heart."

"The Danks Street Festival is all about acknowledging the vibrant community of Waterloo while chilling out to some soulful grooves," he said.

"We need more poetry, arts and music that reveals what the heart is ready to recognise - especially in difficult times like these where nothing is as important as the cultivation of compassion, tolerance and acceptance."

The main stage at the festival will feature a range of performers including double ARIA Award winning group Monsieur Camembert. Described as  "eclectic and virtuosic", the ensemble has become well-known for their unique and unpredictable style which fuses the rhythms of Eastern Europe with tango and Latin music, swing and jazz.

Performing throughout the day will be Inner City local band The Donovan's, who recently featured at the Deadly Awards at Fox Studios.

The music program will run from 11 am to 4 pm as people return to the streets to discover Danks Street and its cultural, culinary and artistic delights.

Media Contact: Josh MacKenzie02 9265 9082 or 0402 351 459

Related Resources

What's On website

Danks Street Arts Hub