Gigs
Gigs
On The Stoop @ The Townie
𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐎𝐏 - From the beating heart of Sydney’s Inner West come On The Stoop.
Described by festival goers as The Clash meets Frank Zappa, On The Stoop manage to pack their love of all things punk, free-jazz, spaghetti-western, latin and Devo into their sound. They are subversive, uncompromising, challenging and always satisfyingly riotous. Formed by a clarinet player who secretly wanted to play punk rock guitar, this group keeps on electrifying dancefloor audiences at every show. On The Stoop has recently been touring nationally, performing at Woodford Folk Festival, The Cobargo Folk Festival and Majors Creek Festival.
Mister Ott @ Caterpillar Club
Mister Ott’s Caterpillar Club residency continues, and now we’ve got some new tunes in the book! Come have a boogie - it’s free entry!
Ali (ID) + Mister Ott at The Vanguard
I’ll be playing with Mister Ott as we support Ali, all the way from Indonesia!
Ali incorporate Middle Eastern culture with elements of 70’s Indonesian rock, cinematic soul, afro beat, funk and disco to create a new groove and sound to add to the vibrant and contemporary Indonesian music scene. Formed in Jakarta by drummer John Paul Patton and vocalist/bassist Arswandaru Cahyo, Ali builds on the influence of Middle Eastern art, music and language (the lyrics are all in Arabic) - which over centuries has assimilated itself deep into Indonesian culture and way of life. Absar Lebeh on guitar completes the trio for recordings, and they add dynamic percussion to complete the live quartet. They are now bringing this unique ‘Middle Eastern Beats with South East Twists’ to festivals and shows all over the globe such as KEXP Radio, Roskilde, Fuji Rock, and Meredith.
Mister Ott + The Planet Nines
Mister Ott meets Ms G’s The Planet Nines at Lazybones! And I’m playing in both bands!
Acclaimed saxophonist Matthew Ottignon fronts Sydney outfit Mister Ott, merging mesmerising Eastern sounds, tasty horn melodies, tight and popping jazz/funk and hypnotic grooves that drift on the edge of psychedelica.
Matt Ottignon – Tenor + Baritone Sax, Ellen Kirkwood - Trumpet, Ben Panucci - Guitar, Daniel Pliner - Keys, Dave Symes - Bass, Carlos Adura - Drums
Tamil-Australian songstress Ms. G and her band, The Planet Nines, fuse jazz, blues, neo-soul and Dravidian rhythm to explore love, displacement, and colonial legacy. Her politically-infused lyricism and haunting melodies create a genre-bending new world where sci-fi sonics meld into new pop poetics. Her debut album albumX, produced by ARIA-winner Emily-Rose Sarkova and recorded with some of Australia’s best jazz talent, is due for release in 2026.
Magickal Ms. G (Vocals), Sean Valenzuela (Keys), Dave Quinn (Bass), Alex Inman-Hislop (Drums), Ellen Kirkwood (Trumpet), Mel Mony (Alto Sax), Matt Ottignon (Tenor & Bari).
Underwards @ Monday Night Confessions
Underwards
Ellen Kirkwood - trumpet, voice
Hilary Geddes - guitar, effects
Brendan Clark - electric bass, effects
Alex Inman-Hislop - drums
Evoking places and experiences in nature through a rich blend of jazz and experimental music, with hints of folk and contemporary classical, Underwards is led by award-winning composer and trumpeter Ellen Kirkwood. Currently, the majority of Underwards’ works form part of Kirkwood’s PhD project, exploring respectful Indigenous-informed immersive connecting with and learning from Country. At this edition of Monday Night Confessions they will be launching ‘The Scrubs’: a tangled punk-jazz response to overgrown, unhealthy Australian bush that’s a firey disaster waiting to happen.
“Deeply sensitive, intellectually inquisitive, modern and of today. Underwards is breaking the jazz coma.”- Eric Pozza, Canberra Jazz Blog
“Beauty blended with visceral excitement” - John Shand and Annabel Ross, Sydney Morning Herald
Ground Patrol (AUS/USA)
Kyle Sanna - guitar & bass
Alon Ilsar - drums & percussion
Ground Patrol is the Brooklyn/Sydney guitar-and-drums duo of Kyle Sanna and Alon Ilsar. Their music blends improvisation, evolving loops, and rhythmic interplay, creating trance-like structures that shift subtly over time. The duo are celebrating the release of their fifth album, Converge, through Art As Catharsis. Thematically, Converge reflects a period of personal transition for both musicians: new parenthood, post-Covid reorientation, and parallel creative growth. As ever, the group skirt the boundaries of math rock, progressive and experimental forms to create hypnotic sonic landscapes.
The duo have released four previous albums - Drift (2017), Search (2018), Geophone (2020), and Migrations (2021) - earning comparisons to The Necks, Battles, Oren Ambarchi, Tortoise, and Dawn of Midi.
https://groundpatrol.bandcamp.com/album/converge
Doors 7:30pm
Show 8:00pm
Set 1: Ground Patrol
Set 2: Underwards
Tickets: $15 Student / $25 General Admission
BYO drinks
https://events.humanitix.com/ground-patrol-album-launch-aus-usa-underwards-single-launch
Mister Ott @ Caterpillar Club
Our residency at Caterpillar continues! Free entry, groovy tunes and tasty bevvies. Shake your many, many little caterpillar legs!
Alloy Live at Wayout: The Sounds of Dabee Country
Alloy goes to Kandos, in Dabee Country!
Join Wayout, Kandos for an intimate evening of experimental music with the Alloy Quartet, performing two short sets of bold, exploratory sound. The program features special guest Wiradjuri Elder Peter Swain on three works, weaving story and presence into the music. Inspired by composer Ellen Kirkwood’s experiences on Dabee Country, the pieces use unconventional notation, brought to life through the quartet’s interpretation. Each set runs 30–40 minutes—come for a powerful listening experience that bridges place, culture, and creative expression.
https://events.humanitix.com/alloy-live-at-wayout-the-sounds-of-dabee-country
Mister Ott @ Caterpillar Club
First Mister Ott of the year! The Caterpillar Club residency continues - groovy tunes, tasty bevvies, free entry.
The Felas and friends - NYE at Lazybones!
Dance into 2026
with amazing bands, great food and drinks at the best place in town 😎 (AKA Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville)
Tickets include entertainment till late + great food 🥗 + a glass of bubbles 🥂
6pm Doors
DJ Nothing
8-9.30pm PAT POWELL & FRIENDS on the back stage of Level 2
9.30pm-12.30am S Dee Crew Presents: Bounce to tha Riddim on LEVEL 1
10pm-1am THE FELAS on the main stage of Level 2
open late (2am)
The Felas, are a 16 piece ensemble, dedicated to the celebration of the extraordinary music that is Afrobeat. Created and directed by legendary rhythm guitarist Arne Hanna (Jackie Orszaczky, Max Q, Ollie Olsen, Renee Geyer, Jon Cleary), he has assembled an amazing cast of Sydney musicians for the first Felas gig in years. With a four-piece horn section, three drummers and percussionists, two guitars, bass, keys and many vocalists, The Felas' irresistible groove will move you into the New Year in style.
Arne Hanna – guitar, musical director, Ben Fink – conducting, vox, Ellen Kirkwood – trumpet, Freyja Garbett – keyboards, Gabe Haslam – drums, Greg Quirk – sticks, shakers, Jed Wesley-Smith – bass, Jeremy Rose – tenor sax, Kali Gillen – baritone sax, Matthew Ottignon – tenor sax, Meklit Kibret - vox, Merenia Marin - vox, Pat Powell - vox, Scott Leishman – guitar, Tim Bradley – congas and on vocals & Virna Sanzone - vox.
BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL - Book here
Jetsets Christmas Extravaganza
Jetsets is presenting a special Christmas Extravaganza on Tuesday 23 December to celebrate the conclusion of another year of creative music performances.
The gig will take place at the new home of The Living Room Theatre at 21 Shepherd St, Marrickville.
Special guest performer for the evening will be visiting Austrian bass clarinetist Anna Koch. Anna was featured in Sydney last year at the Cut Paste Play festival presented by the Music Box Project, and we are delighted to have her back in Sydney and performing for Jetsets.
The local talent will be the dynamic IBID duo featuring Keyna Wilkins on piano and flute along with Shane Carpini on drums.
Also, the evening will include a special performance of Ellen Kirkwood’s graphic/text/map composition ‘Music Country’ played by a select JetsetsAndFriends ensemble. Ellen Kirkwood, David Turner, Peter Farrar, Elly Brickhill, Jim Denley, Elizabeth Jigalin, Nic Cassey, Anna Koch and Peter Nilsson.
More information about the artists is included below.
Please come along and celebrate with us!
Doors - 7:30pm
8pm - IBID Duo
9pm - Anna Koch (AUT)
10pm - JetsetsAndFriends (short set)
Tix are $25 full/$15 concession on the door only (cash or EFT)
https://livingroomtheatre.org/events/jetsets-christmas-extravaganza/
EK & the EkstraOrdinaires @ Kalyx
EK & the EkstraOrdinaires is back at the Kalyx Bar and Lounge, Randwick! Bringing 2 sets of upbeat, grooving and danceable tunes mixing jazz with other influences from around the world, we’ll help you get in the mood for the silly season.
Spectra Jazz Orchestra @ Festival of Balmain
For Spectra Jazz Orchestra’s last gig of the year, we are excited to perform at the Festival of Balmain!
We will be performing on the Village Square Stage at 3pm, but you should definitely take the opportunity to make a day of it! There will be 2 stages for live bands, great food, workshops, games and a festive atmosphere.
Patina + On The Stoop @ Gasoline Pony
On The Stoop pair up with the delightful Patina at the Gasoline Pony! More details soon - check the Gasoline Pony Website - https://events.humanitix.com/host/gasoline-pony
Mister Ott @ Weaselstock Festival, Yuin Country
Mister Ott plays Weaselstock, a music festival on Yuin Country near Bateman’s Bay. We’ll be on the Main Stage at 9pm on Friday Nov 7.
Visit https://www.weaselstock.com/ for details.
Mister Ott @ Caterpillar Club
Mister Ott returns to Caterpillar Club for our 1st-Thursday-of-the-month residency! Infectious grooves, tasty bevvies, free entry!
Splinter Orchestra @ 21 Shepherd
Splinter is a radically inclusive large-scale orchestra that has been a forum for improvising for well over 100 exploratory musicians and sound artists living in or passing through Sydney for over 2 decades. Currently having a diverse membership of roughly 25, the process of co-creation and the resulting music is probably best left undefined—amorphous and ephemeral qualities being inherent to the orchestrating—but it can be said that playing is the group’s fundamental activity. Meeting weekly, with ever-fluctuating line-ups, they do just that. Splinter's approach to open improvisation makes the group super sensitive to place, and this new venue will provide marvellous potential for co-creation.
This will be the Orchestra's first public outing since their April Fool's Day performance with Tetuzi Akiyama at the Paddington Uniting Church.
The performance will take place in the new home of The Living Room Theatre at 21 Shepherd St, Marrickville.
"Every Splinter Orchestra performance unfolds a unique improvisational sonic ecology combining highly developed music skills with thoroughly experimental sound-making and an intuitive compositional repertoire built from years of collective engagement. The entire space becomes a stage for performers and audience alike to wander, carrying their generative or listening attentions amongst, between and through an evolving sonic unknown.” - Gary Warner, 2017
$20 and $15 on the door. Kids welcome.
Doors 6pm. Music from 6:30.
Pharos + Tymbal Echoes
Pharos (The Sydney Women’s Jazz Collective) is a 10-piece powerhouse showcasing some of Australia’s finest emerging and established jazz artists — including multiple winners of the Jann Rutherford Memorial Award and Art Music Awards.
With a dynamic six-piece horn section and four-piece rhythm section, Pharos blends the drive of a big band with the creativity and genre-defying spirit of today’s leading ensembles.
They have collaborated with an extraordinary array of local and international artists including Dr Sandy Evans, Ingrid and Christine Jensen (USA/Canada), Silke Eberhardt (Germany), Helen Sung (USA), and Lakecia Benjamin (USA), and performed to sold-out audiences at the Sydney International Women’s Jazz Festival and Sydney Con Jazz Festival.
Loretta Palmeiro | Alto/Sop/Clarinet
Mariela Mulder | Tenor sax
Kali Gillen | Baritone sax
Ellen Kirkwood | Trumpet
Louise Horwood | Trumpet
Alex Silver | Trombone
Hilary Geddes | Guitar
Lauren Tsamouras | Piano
Hannah James | Double Bass
Jodie Michael | Drums
With support by Tymbal Echoes - Simon Barker and Hinano Fujisaki
Ellen Kirkwood (SYD) meets the WAAPA Big Band
Award-winning composer, trumpeter and bandleader Ellen Kirkwood performs with the WAAPA Big Band in a concert that’ll blow the roof off the Richard Gill Auditorium! Winner of the 2019 NSW APRA Art Music Award for Jazz Excellence and the 2012 Jann Rutherford Memorial Award for Young Women in Jazz, Kirkwood is known for the rich emotional depth and intricate arrangements of her music, often blending contemporary jazz with traditional influences. This one-off concert showcases Kirkwood’s innovative compositions and exceptional trumpet playing, backed by the powerhouse sound of the WAAPA Big Band.
Mister Ott @ Caterpillar Club
Back to our old tricks again! Every first Thursday of the month you can find us at the groovy Caterpillar Club. Free entry - come down for a boogie and a tasty bevvie!
Pharos + Tymbal Echoes @ St Stephen’s Uniting Church
Pharos (The Sydney Women’s Jazz Collective) is a 10-piece powerhouse showcasing some of Australia’s finest emerging and established jazz artists — including multiple winners of the Jann Rutherford Memorial Award and Art Music Awards.
With a dynamic six-piece horn section and four-piece rhythm section, Pharos blends the drive of a big band with the creativity and genre-defying spirit of today’s leading ensembles.
Alloy + Marcus Whale @ Jetsets
Alloy’s first gig was a Jetsets gig, and now we’re back, alongside the incredible Marcus Whale! We’ll be presenting new, weird and wonderful works of mine written for my PhD.
Alloy is:
Ellen Kirkwood - trumpet, objects
Phillippa Murphy-Haste - clarinets
Hinano Fujisaki - tenor sax
Matt Bell - trombone, euphonium
Tix are $25 full/$15 concession on the door only (cash or EFT)
Address - "Stadium Rockdale" Lvl 1, 5 Tramway Arcade (find the "Massage" sign, go upstairs and we're the door on the left). Please be aware that the venue is accessible by stairs only. We apologise for any inconvenience.
EK & the EkstraOrdinaires @ Kalyx
A prolific composer and leader of many successful projects over the past 15 years, award-winning trumpeter Ellen Kirkwood has assembled some of her favourite musicians to form this exciting collective. Performing up-beat and fun re-imaginings of Ellen’s pieces from past projects such as Fat Yahoozah and Captain Kirkwood, EK & the EkstraOrdinaires combine jazz with genres from around the world such as Balkan, Ethiopian and Latin American musics. With a lush 3-piece horn section backed by punchy drums and bass, EK & the EkstraOrdinaires bring the party!
Ellen Kirkwood - trumpet, Melissa Mony - tenor sax, Lee Orszaczky - trombone, Sarah Homeh - electric bass & Alex Masso – drums
Mister Ott @ Caterpillar Club
Mister Ott returns to the Caterpillar Club for the August instalment of our monthly residency. Free entry, good vibes, sassy grooves.
Spectra Jazz Orchestra @ Goethe Lounge
Spectra Jazz Orchestra is a vibrant group of young women and gender diverse musicians whose passion and creativity is launching them into careers in the Sydney scene. The group plays a wide range of jazz and jazz-adjacent works, with a focus on local Australian composers - even a few pieces by the band's members. Conductor Ellen Kirkwood leads the group, creating a safe place for young players to grow and connect in a male-dominated industry. Join the orchestra for a night of upbeat, adventurous tunes with the talent of the future.
On The Stoop @ The Townie
Described by festival goers as The Clash meets Frank Zappa, On The Stoop manage to pack their love of all things punk, free-jazz, spaghetti-western, latin and Devo into their sound. They are subversive, uncompromising, challenging and always satisfyingly riotous.
https://townhallhotelnewtown.com/event/97
Mister Ott @ Lazybones
Acclaimed saxophonist Matthew Ottignon fronts Sydney outfit Mister Ott, merging mesmerising Eastern sounds, tasty horn melodies, tight and popping jazz/funk and hypnotic grooves that drift on the edge of psychedelica.
The Felas @ Factory Theatre
Legendary Sydney guitarist Arne Hanna (Jackie Orszaczky, Max Q) is back with The Felas, bringing the joy and power of Afrobeat to cure all ills. Featuring the music of Fela Kuti, Tony Allen & more, The Felas are a die-hard group of evangelists who honour and spread the infectious energy and grooves of Afrobeat. Dense and complex rhythm partners with a pumping horn section to create a relentless and joyous beat that hearts, hips and feet cannot resist.
Afrobeat is an inclusive, unifying force. It's revelatory, revolutionary and inspiring – a celebration of diversity, connection to the music and to each other. Truly a tonic for the times.
GET YOUR TIX!
The Felas feature the following fabulous musicians:
Tim Bradley (percussion)
Ben Fink (conducting, vocals, guitar)
Kali Gillen (baritone sax)
Arne Hanna (guitar)
Gabe Haslam (drums)
Ellen Kirkwood (trumpet)
Scott Leishman (guitar)
Juan Mulet (percussion)
Matt Ottignon (tenor & soprano sax, flute)
Pat Powell (vocals)
Jeremy Rose (tenor & soprano sax)
Harry Sutherland (keyboards)
Jed Wesley-Smith (bass)
Alec Ilyine (BEL) + Elizabeth Jigalin & Ellen Kirkwood @ Jetsets
Playing at Jetsets with Elizabeth Jigalin, following a set by Belgian guitarist Alec Ilyine.
Liz and I have been enjoying improvising together lately on our instruments and other objects both chosen and found, and with the sounds of Country.
Address - "Stadium Rockdale" Lvl 1, 5 Tramway Arcade (find the "Massage" sign, go upstairs and we're the door on the left). Please be aware that the venue is accessible by stairs only. We apologise for any inconvenience.
Tix are $25 full/$15 concession on the door only (cash or EFT)
EK & the EkstraOrdinaires @ The Townie
EK & the EkstraOrdinaires’ very 5th gig! But who’s counting?
Bringing back hits by Fat Yahoozah plus throwing some new things in the mix, this horn-driven groovebus wants you to get downie at the Townie. I think that’s the daggiest thing I’ve ever written.
Mister Ott @ Caterpillar Club
Your favouritest, groovingest monthly appearance at the Caterpillar Club, Mister Ott!
9-11pm, free entry!