LIVE WIRE – Sydney Live Music Guide March 10th

Local Afrocolombian party starters Watussi are at Oxford Arts Factory on Friday 11^th, where they launch their new E.P. 1000% Handsome and subsequent east coast tour. There they are joined by The Strides, Killaqueenz’s MC Kween G and Declan Kelly who make up the impressive bill – a great chance to catch these guys up close before they hit the road with Santana for his national stadium tour. On a much smaller scale, local soul Casanova Ray Mann is performing at Melt with his Ray Mann Three for one last time as he prepares to head overseas indefinitely. This year’s Future Music Festival at Randwick Racecourse is going to be a good one, with the likes of The Chemical Brothers, Dizzee Rascal, MGMT and Mark Ronson topping the excellent line up on Saturday 12^th. Still on Saturday, 505 in Surry Hills finds Carl Dewhurst, Jonathon Zwartz and Sam Keevers playing a rare, one off gig at this amazing jazz venue. Sydney jazz and blues guitar superman Ray Beadle continues his Monday nights residency at the Town Hotel in Newtown on Monday 14^th, bringing some much welcome vibe to the classic pub and some reliable entertainment for a Monday night. Also on Monday, U.K. world music supergroup Afro Celt Sound System are in town for their show at Sydney Opera House, where they will play the famous Concert Hall stage. 90s hip hop heavyweights Dead Prez are back in the country, this time playing at Oxford Art Factory on Tuesday 15^th – a great chance to catch these gangsta legends up close. Reggae veteran Horace Andy is playing with Dub Asante at the Metro Theatre in Sydney’s CBD on Wednesday 16^th as part of MTV’s Lair live series. Local singer songwriter and all around nice guy Leroy Lee is playing Raval on Wednesday, with friends the Ann Vriend Duo and Shanna Watson in support. Thursday 17^th finds surfer/singer/professional drifter Donavon Frankenreiter at the Cambridge Hotel in Newcastle as part of his latest Glow album tour, which is followed the next night by a bigger show at the Metro. Melbourne hip hop soul masters Electric Empire are at Oxford Arts Factory on Friday 18^th, straight off the back of their Mayer Hawthorne national tour support – sure to be a red hot gig. Still at OAF, the Jim Beam Bootleg night is featuring Cabins at the top of their impressive line up, which also includes Belles Will Ring, Lanie Lane, Magnetic Heads and The Cairos. Chilean folk singer and Jesus look-a-like Nano Stern is back in the country after being well received at Woodford Folk Festival, this time with his four piece band playing at The Basement in Circular Quay on Sunday 20^th.