Ruby Fizz

First Thunder Spoke (then, other voices)

/ Zenobia Frost / Leave a comment

A curious thing: we moved into our new digs in January, and suddenly summer’s swinging around again (interrupting spring — how rude!), yet we still haven’t had a housewarming. The year has been pulled out from under our feet. Also it’s hard to leave this library:

Marlinspike Library

We all have to leave the books alone now and then — and there are a bunch of things coming up I’ll even put pants on for.

This weekend, the Queensland Poetry Festival stirs up the Judith Wright Centre, with three days’ worth of poetry and spoken word over two stages. I’m joining Rob Morris to give voice to Ynes Sanz‘s poems (along with Ynes herself) at First Thunder Spoke: 10.30am, Saturday 24 August.

Then, on Sunday, I’m playing a little trumpet at Lady Marlene‘s wonderful cabaret burlesque (Disney-themed, this time!) at The Loft:

Finally, I’m super excited to announce the return of the Ruby Fizz Society in October, hosted and supported by the wonderful Bird Gallery and Studios (who share space with Bean.) You can tell us you’re coming here, but I’ll tell you all about the Ruby Fizz Salon in another post soon. It’s gonna be so spiffy.

It’s all go at the moment — lots of work, writing and über-rehearsals for The Ragtag Band. But I’m finally recovering from whooping cough (whaaaaa — I don’t even!); my singing voice is coming back; I’ve had two poems accepted this week in two different Aussie journals; I just opened a brand new malty Assam blend; and there’s a friendly cat paw obscuring my keyboard.

See you on the flipside — or hopefully at some of these events!

Lucifer

Imaginary Ruby Fizz Tea Parties

/ Zenobia Frost / 3 Comments

I miss Ruby Fizz. She’s been on an extended holiday for over a year now, and though RFS events have never been a regular fixture in Brisbane’s arts-world, I think it will soon be time for another one. The Gentlemen’s Tea Parties were a success. Superb performers lit up georgous audiences at the Woolloongabba Antique Centre.

But this time we need a different system — something new. A brilliant hall or lounge with comfy chairs and bright teapots. Homemade cakes. Space and light and wonderful sound. Brisbane is a funny place for venues, especially with the loss of The Troubadour, so I need a little help to make this happen (funding applications aside — there’s a holiday project for me).

There are two roads we can go down, I think: informal and unticketed (e.g. BYO picnic food–something like this could even be held in a library) or structured, ticketed and fancier. Both can be fun; the latter is better, because performers gets paid — but I don’t want to make tickets expensive. Superior People come from all walks, after all.

Anyhow, just some thoughts. If you are interested or have any ideas, please comment away. Ruby Fizz would be so delighted to have you all for tea again.

Aaaarrggh 2010!

/ Zenobia Frost / Leave a comment

Everything that could possibly be crammed into a month has been, dear readers. I’ve moved house (down the road), kicked off a new job at Rave Magazine (whee!), and orchestrated not one but two Gentlemen’s Tea Parties at the Woolloongabba Tea Parties (with the help of a number of seriously Superior people).

The first Gentlemen’s Tea Party at the WAC was a raging success, with Absolute Tits (and their very special guests); The Ragtag Review Band (pictured–thank you, Seb), poets Graham Nunn, John Knight and Ross Clark; Evelyn Hartogh; The Coin-Operated Boy; The Merch Girl; and burlesque darlings Bertie Page and Rita Fontaine (as Johnny Castrati). I had such a great time! Thank you so much to Tiara, Tim, Wayne and JT, all of whom kept me sane during the week and made the event run smoothly.

Next week’s event welcomes the addition of Miss BB le Buff and Phoebe Manning, and we can expect it to be an even more wondrous and gentlemanly day. There are fewer than ten tickets left, so contact Tiara at rubyfizz@gmail.com if you’d like to book.

In other news, I have a poem in the new publication The Tangled Bank, details below. Hurrah!

____________________________________________________________

The Tangled Bank: Love, Wonder, & Evolution has launched!

The anthology, which marks the 150th anniversary of Origin of Species, features over 100,000 words of speculative fiction, poetry, artwork, and essays about evolution.

An international line-up of nearly 50 contributors includes Sean Williams, Brian Stableford, Patricia Russo, and Carlos Hernandez.

Just US$4.99, The Tangled Bank is now available for download as a PDF at http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/the-tangled-bank-love-wonder-and-evolution/8340048

Check out “Darwin’s Daughter” by Christopher Green (a free short story from the anthology)
http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/darwins-daughter/8339953

 For more information, visit the website, or our Facebook or Twitter pages.

Ruby Fizz presents… A Postmodern Picnic

/ Zenobia Frost / Leave a comment

A postmodern picnic poster

The Ruby Fizz Society presents…
A POSTMODERN PICNIC
at the JOYnt, Sept. 20th, 2 till 5pm
48 Montague Road, South Brisbane

The Bedroom Philosopher launches his new single, supported by quirky Brisvegas musician Mikki Ross, poets Stefanie Petrik and Zenobia Frost, and cabaret/burlesque beauty Bertie Page.

Come dressed for a vintage picnic on the lawn!
Even though we won’t be on a lawn. That’s how post-modern we are.

$8 only! Lucky door prize! Raffles!

The Ruby Fizz Society for Superior People is designed to help you enjoy the best things in life: fine dining, fancy dress, live music, live poets, dead poets, burlesque, cabaret, and high-class frivolity. We aim to provide opportunities for Queensland creative types whilst having a damn good time.

The Bedroom Philosopher (Melbourne: www.myspace.com/thebedroomphilosopher)
Meet the underground monster single of 2008! Wow Wow’s Song is the sound of Australia’s most beloved and respected experimental folk-comedian The Bedroom Philosopher being joined by musical allies Tripod on vocals, Harry Angus (Cat Empire, Jackson Jackson) on trumpet and Richard Cartwright (Richard In Your Mind) on sitar. A criminally catchy chorus, double bass and rollicking Aztec drums help create the ultimate Home-School-Hey-Jude-Bolivian-Mod-Sesame-Street-Party feel.
The lovechild of Jarvis Cocker, Graeme Garden and Flight Of The Conchords, The Bedroom Philosopher is a beacon of wit and acoustic mad-cappery in the oh-so-serious music scene. Owning the genre-clash of inventive guitarist and fiercely clever comedian, his craft drenched art-folk and profoundly ridiculous story-telling inject hilarious theatrics into the classic platform of the balladeer. The 70’s-dreaming geek-Adonis swings between the music and comedy worlds on a wave of only-child charisma and finely executed disarray.

Mikki Ross (Brisbane: myspace.com/mikkiross)

Mikki Ross is the Rubik’s Cube of live entertainment and is putting Showbiz back into the music scene. This Brisbane born vocalist, composer, electronic producer, pianist, comedian, dancer, inventor & backyard philosopher performs superbly crafted DIY pop inside his self-invented portable “Whizz-Bang Theatre”. He is truly a post-millennium one man band.

Stefanie Petrik
Stefanie Petrik is a poem. She spends most of her time re-drafting this poem. The word “poetry” has substituted the words “god”, “love”, “money”, “life”, & “security” in her private dictionary. Stefanie pathetically spends all her time writing, getting into trouble and moving interstate. Eventually she’ll run out of states and have to consider plastic surgery, and depol name changes. She is coming to the Ruby Fizz Society, barring the influence of car crashes, aliens and axe murderers.

Bertie Page (Brisbane: www.myspace.com/missbertie)
Bio to come
Miss. Bertie is a rising star of Australian Cabaret, famous for her quick wit, original costumes limitless imagination. As a professional character comedian she performs as multiple characters. She has a performance studies degree behind her as well as extensive studies in the areas of burlesque, clowning, and the range of vocal musical stylings for which she is well-known. She is more than song and dance, a showgirl who is prepared to open her mouth, releasing a whirlwind of satire and biting social-political commentary, with a tongue sharper than a diamond blade.

Zenobia Frost (Brisbane: https://zenobiafrost.wordpress.com/)
Zenobia Frost is a poetic adventurer, hat fetishist and protector of apostrophes whose creative work has been published in Voiceworks, The Definite Article, LOTL and Going Down Swinging. She has performed at the Queensland Poetry Festival, No Frontiers and Contraverse, and is your Ruby Fizz Society hostess. In her writing, Zenobia aims to highlight those common enchantments that are often overlooked.

The Ruby Fizz Society seeks Bowie fans

/ Zenobia Frost / Leave a comment
Want to reinvent the David Bowie mythology?The Ruby Fizz Society for Superior People seeks expressions of interest from musicians for a tribute party to be held in late November in Brisbane. We don’t just want straight copies, though; we want to hear something new. If you think you could cook up some quirky covers, let us know.

If you’re not a musician, but Mr Bowie still sneaks into your dreams at night to inspire whatever artform you work with, there will be opportunities for you too. Poets, artists, cabaret performers and carnies – come to us.

Email Zenobia at rubyfizz@gmail.com with your thoughts, and spread the word.

The Ruby Fizz Society for Superior People is a group designed to help you enjoy the best things in life: fine dining, fancy dress, live music, live poets, dead poets, burlesque, cabaret, and high-class frivolity. We aim to provide opportunities for Queensland creative types whilst having a damn good time.

Join The Ruby Fizz Society for Superior People on Facebook here or on myspace here.