WALK ON THE WILD SIDE

Formerly Shir Madness Melbourne, the inaugural Festival of Jewish Arts and Music (FOJAM) takes over the Melbourne Recital Centre for a day-long celebration of music, performance, talks and storytelling on 8 September 2019.

FOJAM is an immersive contemporary cultural festival experience, showcasing international and Australian artists in new and exciting ways, all through the lens of Jewish culture and identity. Motivated by Lou Reed’s urgent declaration for subversion and survival, this year’s FOJAM program theme is ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ and features over 135 artists using their work, bodies, voices and ideas to ignite discussion, influence change and spark personal revolutions.

FOJAM 2019 Highlights Reel. Video Credit - Lachlan Wright, Melbourne Recital Centre, 8 September 2019.

30+

PERFORMANCES

135

ARTISTS

100%

WORTH GOING

1500+

ATTENDEES

Festival Program Highlights

Festival Patrons Deborah Conway & Willy Zygier

Deborah Conway and Willy Zygier, two Australian musical legends with ARIA award winning status are responsible for bringing the idea of a Jewish music festival to Melbourne, after performing at the original Shir Madness in Sydney in 2010. They successfully delivered two much loved Shir Madness Melbourne Jewish Music festivals in 2015 and 2017 and decided in 2018, it was time to hand over the reigns to Hear Them Holler, staying on as Festival Patrons.

Transformer - A Tribute to Lou Reed

Indie-pop darling Gabriella Cohen and her collaborator and co-conspirator Kate ‘Babyshakes’ Dillon assume the roles of musical directors for FOJAM’s headline event, in which they present Lou Reed’s iconic album Transformer - played in full from beginning to end, with horns, a string section and The Sweet Janes Choir.

Although Reed declared the only religion that he observed was that of rock and roll, he was a significant figure amongst Jewish musicians in the downtown New York punk scene, alongside the likes of Joey and Tommy Ramone, Jonathan Richman, Lenny Kaye, Richard Hell and Blondie’s guitarist Chris Stein.

From Vicious to Goodnight Ladies, Australian and international performers will step into Reed’s shoes and follow his guiding light, song by song, in this intercontinental collaboration. Backed by an all-star band, including Clio Renner, members of Jazz Party, Fulton Street and Gabriella Cohen’s band. Singers include Chris Cohen, Alex Gow (Oh Mercy), Emily Lubitz (Tinpan Orange), Bella Venuti (IV League), Ryan Downey, Gabriella Cohen, Vivien Goldman, Spike Fuck and ARIA-winning post-punk legend Deborah Conway.

Song of Songs

The centrepiece event of FOJAM, Song of Songs brings together a musically diverse array of treasured Australian singers who were hand-picked by The Festival Patrons to perform their favourite song by a Jewish composer or songwriter. Led by an all-star backing band, this year’s incarnation of Song of Songs promises to illustrate the depth of Jewish artists’ contributions to our music history, and be as moving and inspiring as ever.

MC’d by Daniel Teitelbaum, the Song of Songs artists include Paul Kelly, Vika Bull, Clare Bowditch, Kate Ceberano, Harry James Angus , Lisa Mitchell, Alma Zygier, James Henry, iOTA, Benny Walker, Jacek Koman, Alice Skye.