FOOD, WINE, A TASTE OF THE ’70’S

Picture the setting: white linen-clothed tables dotting the grass on Rex Smeal Park…rainbow coloured uplights enhancing the swaying coconut palms on the seafront…the sun setting on the Daintree ranges across Dickson Inlet….and the region’s best chefs setting up their restaurant stalls in a semi circle around the enclosure…with beer and wine chilling in the ice as the crowds enter at dusk.

Events NQ, organisers of Carnivale’s premier social event, Food, Wine & a Taste of Port, have brought together the region’s premier restaurants and a top quality entertainment line up to celebrate all that’s wonderful about living in Port Douglas – and they want you to celebrate like its the 70’s by bringing two off the country’s highest chart toppers to the party.

This year, the event’s table top and dress theme is Simply The 70’s – as inspired by this year’s headline act – DRAGON.

“Take me to the April sun in Cuba’ sang the band. And they kept on singing, making the 70’s ring with their hits. Supporting Dragon will be the classic Australian band – The Black Sorrows – with their unforgettable string of hits and ballads like Hold on to Me, Harley & Rose, Chained to the Wheel.

Sharing the bill with Dragon will be the classic Australian band The Black Sorrows, and Port Douglas’ own talent, Kim Hurley, and her band the Easy Pickings.

The night will kick on with the high energy set of Tropical North Queensland’s favourite entertainers, Hip 2 Soul.

It’s the 40th anniversary of DRAGON in 2012, and there’s no better way to salute one of this country’s most iconic bands – or to celebrate all that’s wonderful about life under a May sun in Port Douglas – than to join the happy crowds at Food, Wine & a Taste of Port.

Participating this year will be restaurant stalls from Seabean Restaurant, Sea Temple’s Aqua Restaurant, Port Douglas Catering & Events (incorporating a new second stall Fire & Ice featuring the evenings best and only cocktails!) plus the enduring and iconic Mockas (their gourmet ‘petite Mockas’ and gluten-free desserts will have you coming back for more!) plus regional produce showcase stalls from Skybury Coffee and Daintree Vanilla & Spice….

Admission includes entry, pre-selected seating, all the quality bands and entertainment throughout the evening and a fireworks display. At booths inside the gate, guests can exchange cash or credit cards for vouchers of different denominations to present to the restaurant stalls to purchase beverages and food. Tickets have sold out for this event year after year, so early bookings are recommended.

For information visit www.foodandwinenq.com.au. BOOK TICKETS HERE NOW or call (07) 4053 4577.

This is strictly an 18+ event

More about Dragon in 2012…

Some muse that rock icons Dragon grew up with the Australian music scene and others affirm that it was Dragon that helped the scene grow up. Whatever the case, with hits flowing before Cold Chisel left the rehearsal room, before Icehouse had studied for their algebra finals, and before Australian Crawl had learnt to, Dragon had the nation captivated with “April Sun in Cuba”, “Are You Old Enough?”, “Get That Jive”, “Still In Love With You” and more. The kings of the pub scene and emperors of excess, the band’s live show was unsurpassed, and their rock n roll lifestyle will go down in music industry folklore for generations to come.

Unlike their contemporaries, Dragon weren’t happy with their 15 minutes, and continued to reinvent both the band and its sound. Re-emerging in the 80s, the band attacked the charts for a second time with “Rain”, “Young Years”, “Cry”, “Celebration” and “Dreams of Ordinary Men” adding to the canon of radio staples which epitomise classic rock radio in the 21st century. Not just a “singles band”, Dragon’s commitment to the full-length has been lauded with their classic “O Zambezi” making many of the various “best Australian albums” lists of recent years as a new generation discovers the band’s artistic contribution.

With over 40 members among its ranks over its 39 year history (including Marc and Todd Hunter, Tommy Emmanuel and XTC’s Terry Chambers), the ARIA Hall of Fame inductees continue to be one of the country’s most exciting live acts, continuing the tradition around founding member Todd Hunter and current vocalist Mark Williams (Show No Mercy). Williams joined the band in 2006 after the untimely passing of Marc Hunter, boasting the same amazing vocal range and energy, ensuring the Dragon light continues to shine.

With some of the most classic tracks in the Australian music tome already under their belt, (including writing hits for others such as John Farnham’s Age of Reason) Todd Hunter and the band have launched an EP “Chase the Sun”. Recorded by drummer Pete Drummond and vindicating the band’s formula of strength in collaboration, the first single “21 (Heart of Gold)” is a classic work in the Dragon tradition, and heralds the third rebirth of an Australian music institution.

More about the Black Sorrows in 2012…

Beginning as a loose Melbourne pick-up band playing mostly covers of R&B, zydeco and blues songs, The Black Sorrows evolved into a unit that scored several top 40 Australian hits with original material.

Membership in the band has always been loose and fluid.

The early line-up (c. 1983/84) included ‘Joey Vincent’ (i.e. Camilleri) on vocals and sax, Paul Williamson (sax/clarinet), Jeff Burstin (guitar), Wayne Burt (guitar), Wayne Duncan (bass), Gary Young (drums), George Butrumlis (accordion, piano) and Steve McTaggart (violin). Camilleri, Burstin, Burt and Young had all been members of Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons.

By the time of their first top 20 album, 1986′s Dear Children, the Black Sorrows were playing original material and the official line up was Camilleri, Burstin, Nick Smith (lyrics/backing vocals), Johnny Charles (bass) and Peter Luscombe (drums).

For 1987′s Hold on to Me, backing vocalists Vika and Linda Bull were added. The Bull Sisters readily identifiable singing style became a big part of The Black Sorrows’ sound, and Hold on to Me spawned 3 top 40 hits in Australia (“Hold on to Me”, “Chained to the Wheel” and “The Crack-Up”).

For 1990′s Jen Anderson was added on violin, and Richard Sega replaced Girasole on bass.

After the 1990′s Harley & Rose, Camilleri also fronted The Revelators (originally The Delta Revelators). This band’s line-up was practically identical to The Black Sorrows, the only real difference being that The Revelators returned to the early Sorrows roots of playing largely R&B-oriented cover songs. The Revelators released their first album in 1991. The band’s 1994′s Lucky Charm was recorded in New York, and was followed by 1998′s Beat Club. After a long period of inactivity, The Black Sorrows returned from hiatus and released an acoustic album (One Mo’ Time) in 2004. The band’s follow-up album was Roarin Town, released in October 2006.

In late 2009 The Black Sorrows released a CD/DVD combo pack called 4 Days In Sing Sing (2009). The DVD chronicles the making of the album, which consists of 17 tracks recorded live (without an audience) in Sing Sing Studios in Melbourne.

The current Black Sorrows line-up consists of Camilleri, Carranza, Creighton, and returning drummer Tony Floyd, alongside new vocalist Atlanta Coogan who joined the band in 2010. In 2012 the band released “Crooked Little Thoughts”, a 72-page hard cover book including 3 CDs, photos, lyrics and the artwork of Victor Rubin.