The Friends of The Mechanics Institute, 284 Great Western Highway, Lawson (2026)

The Lawson Community Hall (Mechanics Institute) was built in 1903. A substantial masonry building, it was erected using recycled stone from the original Lawson and Mount Victoria railway stations. The Hall has had a proud history in the mid Mountain. It served as the first home of the Blue Mountains Shire Council in 1906. Skating was a feature from 1912 and it was the site of Lawson's social eveni

ngs. In 1931 electricity was laid on and it became the town cinema although the first film night had been given by a travelling show way back in 1909. The Hall has recently reopened and is available for hire through the Blue Mountains City Council.

20/11/2024

The Friends of the Mechanics Institute Lawson (FOTMIL) will hold its 2024 Annual General Meeting at the Mechanics Institute, 284 Great Western Highway Lawson. The AGM will run between 3 and 4 p.m. and is open to FOTMIL members and the public.

After the meeting, there will be a variety of performances of music, dance, and animated film.

/ TIMES /
Doors Open - 2:45 pm
AGM - 3:00 pm
Live music, dance & film - 4:00 pm

/ LIVE MUSIC, DANCE & FILM /
- John Sheehy & Graeme Hall -
Classical guitar and flute.

- Chris Venn -
Singer/songwriter on piano.

- Rinni -
Indian traditional dance and Bollywood dance.

- Martijn Hadders & Kate Hadders -
Guitar, mandolin and cello. International guitarist Martijn Hadders runs a guitar school in Hazelbrook, NSW. In 2004 Martijn received his Bachelor of Music from the Royal Conservatorium in The Netherlands. After his education he toured with numerous bands and orchestras and performed regularly as a solo artist in theatres and venues throughout Europe, performing diverse styles of music such as classical, folk, big-band, jazz, rock, funk and pop music.

- Gaines Post -
Singer/songwriter on guitar.

- Belle Butler -
A multi-disciplinary artist, songwriter, musician, writer and visual experimenter

- Quick -
A stop motion animation created by Belle from leaves, to accompany her single by the same title recently won Best Animation in this year’s Clipped Australian Music Video Awards.

/ TICKETS /
Free for FOTMIL members and persons under 18 / $25.00 for non-members.

All enquiries, call John on 0403 033 947.

21/08/2024

Don't miss Sunday's WILDE ABOUT OSCAR performance with the DREAMS OF FALLING trio. . .

‘Dreams of Falling’ is a trio comprising JOHN SHAND (spoken word, percussion), REBECCA DANIEL (1741 violin, vocals) and LEIGH BIRKETT (guitar, vocals). They celebrate the man, the myth and his work in Wilde About Oscar, drawing on quotes and excerpts to build a picture of the full flowering of Wilde’s brilliance, with musical accompaniment and interludes (from tango to Middle Eastern). The first half of the show shines a light on the work of others, including Dylan Thomas’s hilarious Under Milk Wood and Walkley Award-winning John Shand’s writing, from poetry to plays to his portraits of jazz legends Billie Holiday and Django Reinhardt.

“I have put my genius into my life and only my talent into my works,” Oscar Wilde fibbed, having liberally sprinkled that genius over Salome, The Happy Prince and The Importance of Being Earnest. Poet W.B. Yeats called him “the greatest talker of all time”, and between his works, his letters and his conversation, arguably the wittiest man in history took shape.

Wilde was a clever wit and renowned for many enduring observations, such as’ NOWADAYS PEOPLE KNOW THE PRICE OF EVERYTHING AND THE VALUE OF NOTHING‘ and ‘I MAY AS WELL BE MYSELF AS EVERYONE ELSE IS TAKEN’.

WILDE ABOUT OSCAR; ‘DREAMS OF FALLING’ TRIO: LIVE @ THE MECHANIC’S INSTITUTE // Sunday, 25 August 2024 // Doors Open 3:30pm, Show Starts 4:00pm // Venue: The Mechanic’s Institute, Lawson // Tickets: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1256127

Find more info at https://www.mechanicsinstitutelawson.com.au/

13/10/2023

Music in the Mountains and The Friends of the Mechanic's Institute have teamed up again to bring The Vampires back to the Blue Mountains on SATURDAY 25 NOVEMBER.

Immerse yourself in an evening of distinctive melodies and rhythms with The Vampires, an instrumental ensemble celebrated for what the Guardian UK calls their “genre-hopping creativity”. Having captivated audiences from the UK to Europe and their native Australia, The Vampires have received critical acclaim, an ARIA nomination, and stand out as the first instrumental act to be shortlisted for the Australian Music Prize, boasting a lineup of some of the most acclaimed and sought-after musicians of this generation. Join Jeremy Rose (tenor saxophone), Nick Garbett (trumpet), Noel Mason (bass) and Alex Masso (drums, electronics) as they return to Lawson's Mechanic's Institute.

THE VAMPIRES: LIVE @ THE MECHANIC'S INSTITUTE // Saturday, 25 November 2023 // Doors 6:00 pm; Show 7:30 pm // Location: The Mechanic's Institute, Lawson. 284 Great Western Highway, Lawson. // Tickets: $40/35 // Tickets @ More Info: https://events.humanitix.com/thevampires

Having released seven critically lauded albums, including the ARIA-nominated The Vampires Meet Lionel Loueke, The Vampires have continuously evolved their sound. Their 2019 release, Pacifica, marked a decade-long journey of musical camaraderie, witnessing the band's return to a classic chord-less quartet format and leaning further into recording production. This triumphant evolution was subsequently celebrated with a successful European tour that year, which included a sold-out performance at the esteemed Enjoy Jazz Festival.

Nightjar, their latest album, introduces a fresh collaborative endeavor with renowned pianist and keyboard player Chris Abrahams. A member of the legendary improvised minimalism trio, The Necks, Abrahams enriches The Vampires' music with an expansive and scintillating approach, adding another exciting dimension to their sound.

Join us for what Jazzwise has described as a "seductive precision to the music" and Bandcamp calls a "captivating jazz experience." Gary Fukushima from Downbeat also compliments the band's "strategic shifts in texture, tonality, rhythm or intensity" that turn each hypnotic groove into an "ever-unfolding and irresistible arc." Don't miss this chance to witness The Vampires' creative show.

This concert is made possible by SIMA’s Regional Touring Program, with support from the Australia Council for the Arts and Create NSW.

/ Head to musicinthemountains.com.au for all the details /

Address

284 Great Western Highway
Lawson, NSW
2783

Telephone

+61403033947

Website

https://www.mechanicsinstitutelawson.com.au/

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