In November, I took part in the first Game Changers weekend, run by Music Tasmania, to connect and skill-up women in music. On the Saturday, I presented my full-day music journalism class. On the Sunday, I caught the ferry to the amazing Museum of New and Old (MONA) for a “Languid Luncheon”. After lunch, I sat on a panel with the women below to discuss ...
I moderated a panel I pitched to Bigsound in 2017 on how major Australian music prizes/awards are judged. My aim was to demystify the process, for winners past and present, and shed some lights on judging criteria, how the panels themselves are selected, etc. Our conversation was covered by The Music, here. Panelists were Joel Edmondson (Q Music/Bigsound/Levi’s Music Prize), Dave Faulkner (Australian Music Prize) ...
I was invited to speak at the one-day tour edition the Rock and Roll Writers’ Festival (RRWF), 2017, presented in Melbourne. I’d been at the inaugural festival the year before in Brisbane. In Melbourne, I talked with music critics Andrew McMillen (freelancer), Mikey Cahill (Herald Sun). and Michael Dwyer (Fairfax, Rolling Stone). It was a lively conversation called ‘Nothing Can Hurt Us’ moderated by Jenny Valentish. ...
I’ve been a guest on ABC TV Weekend Breakfast several times to talk about arts and music. It’s early on a Sunday and live to a national audience is a bracing experience. But it’s always a pleasure to speak with the hosts Miriam Corowa and Andrew Geoghegan. My Sunday discussion topics are pitched by me to the ABC and have included: Broken Heel festival Even Australia’s founding fathers ...
In January 2017 I wrote an article for Guardian Australia about attending a dance show in the Art Gallery of New South Wales by Sydney Dance Company. It was performed among nude paintings from the London’s TATE, including Picasso, Matisse and Francis Bacon, by naked dancers to a naked audience of 150 members. The BBC World Service Weekend Break show called me to talk about ...
I moderated a panel at Bigsound 2016 called Power Hungry: The Call For Equal Gender Representation, From Artistry To Industry. Panelists were Elly Scrine, Claire Collins, Emily Ulman, Chloe Turner, Simona Castricum, Tim Kelly. It’s always a challenge to hear from everyone on such a weighty topic in just an hour but we gave it a good crack, and the feedback afterwards was great. ...
I was interviewed by ABC Radio Brisbane after my Bigsound panel. Emma Griffiths from the Drive program asked about being a music critic, feminist group LISTEN and if I’d even been compromised a la the kid in Almost Famous. Somehow, we also got onto bad reviews which people seem kind of fascinated about… ...
Ears Have Ears is produced by Sydney radio-makers Brooke Olsen and Scarlett Di Maio on FBi radio. They did a series of live-to-air performances in 2016 that were followed by an onstage Q&A with the artist. As part of this series, Severed Heads performed an original composition for the first time in nearly a decade. I interviewed them afterwards, also live on air. ...
I attended the first Rock & Roll Writers’ Festival in Brisbane in April 2016 in two capacities. I moderated a panel called Every Breath You Take. I talked to novelist Sally Breen and songwriters Jess Ribeiro, Deborah Conway and John Busby (of Halfway) bout lyric-writing, being observational, channeling introspection and tips on how to trust your instinct. I was also panellist in a discussion between music critics moderated by Jake ...
In March each year, the winner of the Australian Music Prize (AMP) is announced from a shortlist of nine candidates. In 2016, at The Basement in Sydney, our special guest was Henry Rollins. Prior to Henry announcing the winning album, I interviewed him onstage. He was more engaged with underground Australian bands than many people in the room. When I asked him to list some ...
My name is Kate Hennessy. I am a freelance arts and travel writer and music critic. I contribute to Guardian Australia, The Sydney Morning Herald/The Age, The Saturday Paper, The Australian, The Australian Financial Review, The Wire (UK), NME and more.