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The Muffin Men: Play Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention: 30th Anniversary Tour 2020 Originally formed in Liverpool in 1990 for a one-off show the celebrate the 50th birthday of Frank Zappa. The band have gone on to play countless shows around Europe, often featuring guest appearances by many ex-Zappa musicians. The 2020 line-up features five original Muffin Men playing a wide variety of songs and instrumental favorites from the vast repertiore of one the of Greatest American Composers of the 20th Century. Rock, Jazz, Fusion, Boogie and Blues, mixed with a liberal pinch of British Humour. For the 30th Anniversary Tour The Muffin Men are pleased to announce their agreement with The Zappa Trust for their performances of Frank Zappa Music. Don’t expect a look-a-like tribute band, Expect to hear some favorite Zappa/Mothers played with spirit and adventure.

As the son of Frank Zappa, it was inevitable from the moment he was born that Dweezil Zappa was going to be a musician. He has long undertaken a mission to celebrate the sounds of his infamous father in a fresh context whilst keeping true to Zappa Senior's unique and impeccable sonic heritage.

Now, in celebration of 50 years since the album’s release (the year he was born), Dweezil is bringing his iconic ‘Hot Rats’ Live Tour to Australia. Featuring his father’s 1969 album in it’s entirety, as well as more of Frank Zappa choice cuts, the tour will see dates in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne. 

As the son of Frank Zappa, it was inevitable from the moment he was born that Dweezil Zappa was going to be a musician. He has long undertaken a mission to celebrate the sounds of his infamous father in a fresh context whilst keeping true to Zappa Senior's unique and impeccable sonic heritage.

Now, in celebration of 50 years since the album’s release (the year he was born), Dweezil is bringing his iconic ‘Hot Rats’ Live Tour to Australia. Featuring his father’s 1969 album in it’s entirety, as well as more of Frank Zappa choice cuts, the tour will see dates in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne. 

As the son of Frank Zappa, it was inevitable from the moment he was born that Dweezil Zappa was going to be a musician. He has long undertaken a mission to celebrate the sounds of his infamous father in a fresh context whilst keeping true to Zappa Senior's unique and impeccable sonic heritage.

Now, in celebration of 50 years since the album’s release (the year he was born), Dweezil is bringing his iconic ‘Hot Rats’ Live Tour to Australia. Featuring his father’s 1969 album in it’s entirety, as well as more of Frank Zappa choice cuts, the tour will see dates in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne. 

Kluxen Confronts Zappa

Christian Kluxen, conductor

Varèse, Intégrales
Zappa, The Dog Breath Variations: Uncle Meat/Dog Meat
Lizée, 8-bit Urbex
Zappa, Be-Bop Tango
Varèse, Déserts (with live video)

The iconic rocker Frank Zappa has written some of the most engaging and challenging repertoire of the twentieth century. With works like The Dog Breath Variations: Uncle Meat/Dog Meat, preconceptions of classical music are left at the door in this one-of-a-kind event. Maestro Kluxen leads the orchestra in this eclectic concert also featuring Zappa’s idol, Edgard Varèse and the always surprising music of Canada’s Nicole Lizée.

Post NAMM Extravaganza!

Three Special Nights:
ZAPPA at The Baked Potato with
Ray White…Guitar/Vocals
Robert Martin…Keys/Sax/Vocals
Mike Keneally …Guitar/Vocals
Scott Thunes…Bass
Joe Travers…Drums/Vocals
And Special Guests!

2 Shows a night: 9:30pm and 11:00pm

Post NAMM Extravaganza!

Three Special Nights:
ZAPPA at The Baked Potato with
Ray White…Guitar/Vocals
Robert Martin…Keys/Sax/Vocals
Mike Keneally …Guitar/Vocals
Scott Thunes…Bass
Joe Travers…Drums/Vocals
And Special Guests!

2 Shows a night: 9:30pm and 11:00pm

Normunds Sne, conductor

Normunds Sne, conductor

Rodrigo Reichel violin
Xabier de Felipe Prieto violin
Torsten Frank viola
Sven Forsberg violoncello
Peter Schmidt double bass

Als Gast:

Vytautas Sondeckis violoncello

Anna Rakitina, conductor

Benjamin Northey, conductor

Mechanical Pianos
Antoine Francoise and Gilles Grimaitre

Chris Swaffer, conductor

John Storgårds, conductor

Rune Bergmann, conductor

"A composer is a guy who forces his will on unsuspecting air molecules, often with the help of unsuspecting musicians."

Whether Frank Zappa understood himself more as a composer or as a rock musician, or perhaps as a satirist of the music business, depended on phases, moods, contexts and opportunities. In fact, he has written numerous instrumental works, even for larger ensemble or orchestral ensembles. Edgard Varese, Anton Webern, Maurice Ravel, Igor Stravinsky, Karlheinz Stockhausen and Charles Ives were among his heroes of so-called e-music.

Only in Zappa's last years, thanks to a fruitful cooperation with the Ensemble Modern, some of this oeuvre came to life. In Freiburg, Wayne Marshall conducts a personal selection of works for the SWR Symphony Orchestra.be

Party with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra! Be ready for elegance and experiments spread over a progressive night of music and revelry in support of TSO education programs. Enjoy food and drink while you experience an evening interwoven with music.

Lucas Waldin, conductor

So prolific was Frank Zappa that it is nearly impossible to present a representative sample of his work in just one concert. Nevertheless, Pygmy Twylyte present you with an unmissable evening of Zappa ‘classics’, if indeed such things exist. Zappa’s 70’s and 80’s work is the main showcase, with occasional forays into 60’s material. Expect “well known” tunes such as “Cosmik Debris”, “Stinkfoot” and “Outside Now”, interspersed with instrumentals like “Black Napkins” and “Zoot Allures”. This seven-strong band will surely bring something to suit everyone’s tastes (and maybe even a little of Zappa’s trademark wit on the side…) ARF.

With support from Wearequasars

Frank Zappa. A phenomenon. Enfant terrible of the rock avant-garde, admirer of Stravinsky and Varèse, a free artist without barriers. In the 80s and 90s he collaborated with two world-renowned contemporary music ensembles – Ensemble Intercontemporain (France) and Ensemble Modern (German). With the second of these he released the album Yellow Shark in 1993, the last to be released in his lifetime. The music from this album and other pieces inspired by Frank Zappa, for example a new piece by Michal Nejtek, will be played at the concert. Conducted by Peter Vrábel.

The Yellow Shark

‘De zuiverheid van zijn waanzin, en meesterschap’, zei zanger Tom Waits over The Yellow Shark. Met The Yellow Shark (1993) maakte rock- en jazzcomponist Frank Zappa vlak voor zijn overlijden definitief naam in de wereld van de hedendaagse gecomponeerde muziek. The Yellow Shark bevat oude stukken en nieuwe composities, geschreven voor het Duitse Ensemble Modern in 1992. Het repertoire is rauw en industrieel, variërend van intieme pianomuziek tot stukken voor een groot ensemble. Titels als Dog Breath Variations, Uncle Meat, The Girl in the Magnesium Dress en G-spot Tornado tekenen Zappa’s humor.

Ulrich Pöhl conductor

Jacomo Barios (Conductor);
Nick Omiccioli; Paul Cesarczyk (Soloist/s)

Jukka Iisakkila, conductor
Piia Komsi, soprano

A celebration of Frank Zappa's life & music, featuring two sets of Zappa classics from Pygymy Twylyte - Scotland's premier Zappa tribute band.

Zappa-related Surprises.

Secret Word of the Night.

Collecting donations for Prostate Cancer UK & registering people to vote.

Frank Zappa – Take Your Clothes off When you Dance (*Optional)
Featuring students from the Royal Northern College of Music

RNCM students leave the confines of their Concert Hall and head across the road to MMU’s new venue, the Union, to navigate uncharted territory, as they unleash brand new arrangements of Frank Zappa’s genre-defying instrumental works. Students from the College’s Pop and Classical courses will perform new interpretations of Zappa classics alongside works that influenced his own eclectic musical style.

Programme to include:
Frank Zappa (arr Ian Gardiner)
Medley from Studio Z
Swifty, T’mershi & Dupree
Igor’s / Exercise / Meat
Medley from ‘Make a Jazz Noise Here’
Alien Orifice