Musician, actor and comedian extraordinaire, GEORGE WASHINGMACHINE, is returning to the Blue Mountains to perform alongside the fabulous, JIM PENNELL. Violin and guitar combine to make a wonderful string section, alongside luscious vocals and the rich vein of jazz classics from the last century. This show is sure to thrill, so book your tickets now!

GEORGE WASHINGMACHINE & JIM PENNELL // Saturday, February 27th, 2021 // Doors 6:00 pm // Tickets: $89.50 ea

Location: Pigeon Lane @ GalleryONE88, Katoomba. 186-188 Katoomba St, Katoomba

Ticket price includes a 2-course meal & event memorabilia // This is a seated performance // BYO alcohol // COVID-Safe Event. We recommend that you visit our good friends at Leura Cellars en route to GalleryONE88, who provide an exquisite selection of wines, beer, and spirits, including locally brewed beers from 'Mountain Culture' and ciders from 'Hillbilly'.

Please read the event information on this page very carefully, as information about COVID-19 restrictions, stage, menu, venue access, and 'Terms & Conditions', will be provided below.

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ABOUT THE ARTISTS

- GEORGE WASHINGMACHINE -

Singing and fiddling aside, George is a multi-instrumentalist – proficient on double bass, guitar or anything with strings! George is also a sought after MC – and has hosted 'Jazz in the Domain' several times, as well as 'The Darling Harbour Jazz Festival' and presented concerts at 'The Thredbo Jazz Festival' and the 'Taronga Park Zoo New Year’s Eve Party'. George has also worked in TV and radio. You may have heard George as the voice behind the recent Banana Boat campaign, or his fiddle playing & scatting on the Uncle Toby’s campaign. George is also a composer in his own right.

He recently composed the music for the Qantas Business Class Lounge commercial and has written everything from Rock and Roll Nursery rhymes for Mr Squiggle to music for the Bell Shakespeare Company. George’s acting gigs include guest roles on TV shows like Chances and A Country Practice. He also worked in theatre, playing Guildenstern in Neil Armfield’s production of Hamlet – where he shared the stage with Richard Roxborough, Geoffrey Rush, David Wenham, Jacqueline McKenzie, and a host of other acting luminaries.

Many moons ago, George even took over the role of Jake Blues from Russell Crowe in the official tribute to the Blues Brothers, produced by Paul Dainty.

But of course, you're here for the music. As a child he trained for 7 years as a classical violinist, however, left all that behind when he formed his rhythm & blues band, The Dead Wringers in which he played the guitar and sang. In 1984, George moved to Sydney and started playing jazz fiddle with The Conway Brothers Hiccup Orchestra. In the same year, he performed with Graham Bond in the stage show "Captain Bloody".

In 1985 he worked with Circus Oz and did some featured extra work in the film Bliss and the television mini-series "Shout! The Johnny O'Keefe Story". A foray into Shakespeare followed with Hamlet in 1986 for The Adelaide Arts Festival. In the same year, he toured to the UK and Edinburgh Festival with The Hiccups Orchestra and was musical director and acted for The Sydney Theatre Company’s production of "The King Of Country".

In 1987 George and guitarist Ian Date formed Sweet Atmosphere, a string jazz quartet. They released their debut self-titled album in 1989. George continued acting over the next few years with the Canberra Theatre Company, Jigsaw Theatre Company, the Storytellers Theatre Company and the Darwin Theatre Company. In 1990 he formed Jalousie with Ignatious Jones. He also composed music for such notable productions as Mr Squiggle and the Bell Shakespeare Theatre Company.

In 1991 he played the lead role of Cookie in the musical, "Return To The Forbidden Planet", which toured to Melbourne in 1992 and Brisbane in 1993. In 1992 he performed as an alien grub in the television series "Miraculous Mellops", acted the part of a drunk in "Miss Julie" for the Sydney Theatre Company and accompanied Wendy Harmer on a national tour of "Please Send More Money".

He also played a guest role in one of the final episodes of "Chances", and in "A Country Practice". In 1993 George performed the role of Jake, in "The Official Tribute To The Blues Brothers Show". 1994 saw George appear as Guildenstern in "Hamlet" for Company B at Belvoir St, Crook Finger Jack in "The Threepenny Opera" for the STC; Bush Band Member in the film "On Our Selection" and started 1995 appearing as Lord Chamberlain in "Cinderella".

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THE EXPERIENCE

Whilst some venues see COVID-19 restrictions as a challenge, Music in the Mountains and Pigeon Lane @ GalleryONE88 see this as an opportunity to create a truly VIP experience. No need to grab a meal on the way to the show - Pigeon Lane will be serving up something tasty and giving you time to savour every bite. Tickets will be sold in tables, meaning you can either have a romantic table for two, or invite a couple of friends along and make your table a par-tay (and with easing restrictions, we will even be able to offer some single tickets - yay!). And just like every VIP show - it's exclusive . . . restrictions might be easing but the room isn't getting any bigger. This will be a small intimate show offering you a one-of-a-kind experience to almost reach out and touch world-class musicians (well, not quite . . . it's still COVID 😉)

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THE STAGE & COVID-19 CONTINGENCIES

Updated 13/2/21:

Pigeon Lane & GalleryONE88 are 'COVID-Safe' venues and contingency plans are already in place if there are changes to COVID-19 restrictions:

1) The performance is scheduled to take place at Pigeon Lane, underneath GalleryONE88. Due to the intimate size of the venue, however, Pigeon Lane must be subject to the '2 square metre rule', as directed by NSW Health, to seat an audience of 24 patrons. In this scenario, all attendees will have a direct view of the stage and every patron will be seated together in the same room

2) In the situation that the '4 square metre rule' is applied to the venue, as directed by NSW Health, the show will be moved upstairs into GalleryONE88. In this case, a stage will be setup in between the Gallery and the Cafe, and 10 patrons will be sat in the Gallery, and 10 patrons will be sat in the Cafe. Whilst this scenario isn't ideal, there have already been shows performed under this arrangement and the acoustics of the Gallery and Cafe are superb. The only downside of this setup is that only half of the stage will be visible for all patrons. Not to worry though, an intimate performance allows each of the artists to meet and greet all patrons, and you will be surrounded by Gallery ONE88's latest art exhibition.

In short, you can book knowing that this show will go ahead unless the Blue Mountains go into complete lockdown - and in that case, you will get a full refund without needing to ask!

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THE MEAL

Victor Peralta is both a celebrated artist and an executive cook, who will be curating a dining experience like no other. Featuring two majestic and generous courses, meals will be delivered to your table by alternate drop (one option for you and the other option for your partner) between sets. Dessert, tea, and coffee will also be available to purchase on the night.

Updated 13/1/21 - Menu Confirmed

Entrees

Roast Vegetable Stack (Gluten-Free + Vegetarian): Thinly sliced roasted mixed vegetables, cooked slowly on a low heat to infuse the flavours of each slice. Garnished with organic lemon, thyme and edible flowers; or

Creamy Mushroom & Spinach Orzo (Vegetarian): A traditional Italian dish - wonderfully creamy orzo pasta with handfuls of mushrooms and spinach. Topped with shavings of parmesan cheese.

Mains

Slow-Cooked BBQ Pork Ribs: Cooked slowly for 4 hours in some secret ONE88 smokey spices until tender and mouth-watering. Served alongside ranch style bbq corncobs and oven-roasted baby potatoes and a spicy chimichurri and a smokey bbq sauce for those wanting a little extra bang; or

Lentil Moussaka (Vegan): In our vegan version of this Medditerean dish, protein-rich lentils take the place of ground beef. Lentils are cooked in a mixture of mushrooms, carrots, onion, herbs, and crushed tomatoes, and layered with silky roasted eggplant. Then mashed potatoes are used for the top layer making this into the cozy classic.

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REFRESHMENTS & LICENSING

Pigeon Lane is currently BYO only, however, has a dedicated cafe during the day and has an extensive range of non-alcoholic beverages, as well as fresh espresso coffee.

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THE SCHEDULE

Dates: Saturday, 27 February 2021.

Venue: Pigeon Lane @ GalleryONE88, 186-188 Katoomba St. Katoomba

Doors Open: 6:00 pm

First Course Served: 6:30 pm

First Set: 7:00-7:45 pm

Second Course & Intermission: 7:45 - 8:15 pm

Second Set: 8:15-9:00 pm

Tickets: $89.50 per person including a 2-course meal & event memorabilia

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IN CASE OF COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS CHANGES:

In the case of restrictions easing, we may allow additional seating within the venue, however, the intimate nature of the show will remain, and the experience of the show will not be compromised.
In the case of restrictions increasing, Pigeon Lane already has a contingency plan based on the 4-square-metre rule, and the show will go ahead upstairs in GalleryONE88.
In the case of restrictions increasing beyond the 4-square-metre rule, the show would likely be cancelled and each attendee would receive a full refund. Every effort will be taken to proceed with the show, however, and each attendee will be contacted with options.

In short: there is no risk in booking event tickets with Music in the Mountains. We're in this for the long-haul and are optimistic about the future of live music!

TERMS, CONDITIONS & CANCELLATIONS:

Tickets are non-refundable unless one of the following conditions are met:
1. Government COVID-19 restrictions prevent Gallery ONE88 from undertaking this kind of activity or force the closure venue as a whole; or
2. ALL musicians are unable to perform due to feeling unwell/sick.
In the event that COVID restrictions return to the 4-square-metre rule, the event shall be moved back upstairs to Gallery ONE88 and will proceed as initially planned prior to the easing of restrictions.
Special dietary requirements must be specified at the time of booking otherwise we cannot guarantee all requirements will be catered for.
Tickets will not be refunded due to 'change of mind' or failure to read the 'event description' in full.