Geelong is on song for festival choices

IF you are cursing yourself this weekend for not being at Meredith, never fear.

There are more local opportunities than ever before on the rapidly-expanding festival circuit.

A new addition in 2019 is The Ska Festival, which was launched in 2008 in Melbourne but has been on ice for several years.

The Ska Nation event is relaunching next year at the Corner Hotel in Richmond, before bringing some of the world’s best ska, reggae and punk bands down the freeway.

Across two stages, including an outdoor stage, Geelong’s Workers Club will host The Ska Festival on Sunday April 28.

The line-up already includes Aussie ska godfathers Strange Tenants, Area 7, Los Kung Fu Monkeys (Mexico), The Resignators, The Beatdown (Canada) and the reformed Mister Coffee.

And the little BYO festival that could, By The Meadow, this week announced it was returning to Bambra in late March.

It revealed The Goon Sax, Collarbones and Thando would join “the local menagerie” in 2019, while releasing a very limited run of just 200 tickets.

For those who like to rock, Australian ’80s style, travelling festival By The C also dropped its fifth band for its February performance at Leura Park Estate.

Joining Icehouse, Sunnyboys, Do Re Mi and Mental as Anything under the milky way is The Church. Amen to that.

CONGRATULATIONS to Geelongbred American football punter Cameron Johnston, who got engaged to his US girlfriend Tia Williams in Philadelphia this week. CHRISTMAS has been cancelled in Colac. The Colac Otway Shire this week informed residents they did not get their CBD decorations organised in time for the festive season. Not a great excuse — after all, Christmas does come at the same time every year. Zimbabwean-born singer- songwriter Thando is coming to Bambra’s By The Meadow.

GEELONG-raised ised comedian Dave ave Thornton announced his new show, w,will be touring in 2019. 19. At the moment he is only scheduled ed to hit comedy festivals in Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane but we hope to see him bring it home to G-Town in the second half of the year.