Mandy Nolan's Echo Chamber

Am I Who I Say I Am? Sometimes you've just gotta accept where you are from. And who you are. And, who your parents are. Or do you?Mandy Nolan chats with performer George Catsi about his one man memoir show : Am I Who I Say I am... A  ripping yarn about his father – but also about the son. He chases down an identity pulled together by multiple Greek diasporas, upheavals and revolutions balancing the absurdity with pathos and a crate of Blue Stratos. The narrative journeys  from Crete to Cairo, from Detroit to Sydney. George brings this powerful story of a father and son, traversing the paternal disconnection, old school masculinity and withering cultural identity of an Australian born Greek boy who ends up in a Baptist church.June 16 Cedar Bar, Bellingen 7pm $30June 17 Federal Hall 6pm $50June 18 The Citadel Murwillumbah 7.30pm $30June 19 Bangalow Bowlo 7.30pm $30The Federal Show is where we go THE FULL GREEK – and features a vego Greek feast by Ilias the Greek AND maybe even a little dancing with plate smashing!!!

Mandy Nolan and Trent Dalton met on a flight heading to Brisbane from Newcastle Writers festival. The two writers had an instant rapport, helped along of course by a few wines and  shared sense of humour. Here Mandy speaks with Trent ahead of his Byron Writer’s Festival talk on his new book All Our Shimmering Skies - at the Byron Theatre on Tuesday 17 November. Trent Dalton has been one of the most popular authors and he will be returning for the 2021 Covid safe version of the Byron Writers Festival. In the meantime if you miss tickets to this event Byron Writers Festival will presentOnline streaming tickets. For details, head to byronwritersfestival.com/whats-on

Tim Freedman embarks on one of his rare solo tours to launch The Whitlams’ new single “Ballad of Bertie Kidd”, a six minute crime caper that describes a little known escapade in the long career of one of Australia’s most notorious criminals. He chats with Mandy from the Echo about the governments slow response to assist artists and the inspiration for his epic new song which launches 30 October. As part of Great Southern Nights he will be playing Lismore City Hall on Thursday 12 November (lismorecityhall.com.au) and Byron Theatre at the Community Centre on 14 Nov - byroncentre.com.au

Mandy Nolan chats with Tom Gleeson ahead of his return season of Lighten Up - the show that won him Best Comedy Show at the Adelaide Fringe this year just before everything closes down! This was the showhe worked up at the Brunswick Picture House - that he brings back as a fully realised critically acclaimed hour of comedy. Nothing better than Gleeson in full flight!

Mark Trevorrow, the creative genius behind Bob Downe returns to the Brunswick Picture House to present ‘Singing Straight’ - singing pop. jazz and show standards from Bacharach and Lennon-McCartney to Sondheim and Coward. Friday 30 and Saturday 31 October at the Brunswick Picture House. Tix on brunswickpicturehouse.com

It’s been 30 years since musician Gyan first released her debut studio album Gyan that saw her take out the ARIA that year for best new talent. In this interview she talks to Mandy Nolan with her partner in life and on the stage Producer/composer pianist and guitarist Simon Greaves about the creative process, finding mentors and how they navigate their place in the industry. This is ahead of two upcoming socially distanced sit down concerts ‘Safe Sets’ hosted by Mandy at the Byron Services Club on Friday 2 October and the Mullumbimby Ex Services on 3 October. Tix are $35 on mandynolan.com.au and requests for first set of covers goes to museageny@gmail.com

Austen Tayshus hasn’t performed since early March. It’s the longest break he’s had in his 35 plus years as a comedian. He speaks with Mandy Nolan ahead of his three north coast shows - Byron Services Club on Friday and Saturday 17 & 18 July and Wednesday 22 July at the Ballina RSL. Tix for Byron on mandy@mandynolan.com.au and Ballina on ballinarsl.com.au

Comedian Ellen Briggs was seriously thinking of giving the game away during COVID. She even applied for a job at a local store. But comedian and friend Mandy Nolan was never going to let that happen. Ellen Briggs is one half of the touring show Women Like Us - she chats with Mandy ahead of their home show at the Mullumbimby Ex Services 24 & 25 July - tix are on womenlikeus.com.au

In EchoChamber Mandy Nolan chats with  legendary rocker Tex Perkins about how he survived Iso by creating THE SHOW - a complete visual and audio feast set in a shed on his Northern NSW property where he gathered his friends and neighbours, who happened to have lights, cameras and instruments to film the first three eps - the fourth, starring Lucie Thorne and will air July 26th. Tix are on oztix.com.au

Jimmy HalfCut is a passionate rainforest conservationist who spoke to Mandy Nolan to promote his partnership with Rainforest4 and the upcoming August Half Cut where 500 people are encouraged to do peer to peer fundraising to buy back Lot 155 in the Daintree!

Mandy talks with Richard Vinycomb the Director of the Byron Community College about how our local community college adapted to delivering courses online during COVID lockdown, looking at our local resilience and the opportunities towards change, resilience and sustainability that can be achieved in your own local community.

Mandy Nolan chats with Bay FM president Nyck Jeans & Station Manager Philip Shine about how Bay FM survived COVID and getting back into the studio to deliver the new programming.A lot has changed over the last few months in the media landscape. Many regional newspapers have disappeared, and the ABC is being subjected to severe funding cuts by a conservative government clearly in the pocket of Rupert Murdoch and other big business. Community radio has never been more important. 

Mandy Nolan chats with Jaclyn Cunningham, the cofounder of Radiant Woman: A Mother Daughter Rite of Passage Retreat.  How can mums and daughters forge better relationships - as a mother of 4 daughters, Mandy wishes she could have taken her girls to something like this. So if you want to improve your mother/daughter relationship - its for girls aged 13-17 and their Mum/ female mentor. For Mums interested in coming along with their daughter, they can contact Jaclyn on 0434428861 or visit the website www.motherdaughterretreats.com.au

In this episode Mandy talks with Katie Cooper-Wares about crowd funding the launch of Sprung, which is a dance company for people with disabilities..Mandy Nolan is a comedian and weekly columnist with the Echo Newspaper. In this series Mandy shares the many conversations she has with interesting and dynamic people, there will be the odd rant, and of course some rollicking comedy downloads! You never know who Mandy will have in the Echo Chamber - so keep your ear to the ground! 

Mandy Nolan is a comedian and weekly columnist with the Echo Newspaper. In this series Mandy shares the many conversations she has with interesting and dynamic people, there will be the odd rant, and of course some rollicking comedy downloads! You never know who Mandy will have in the Echo Chamber - so keep your ear to the ground! In this episode Mandy talks with Toni Childs about pushing the Minister for the Arts for more funding support.