Compliments of Central Magazine

People's Choice Award Winner

The People have spoken...or rather they have filled in their little forms with their favourite songs or voted on line.  The People’s Choice for the Sydneyvision Song Competition 2011 was the Bondi song “The Ugliest Guy” by “You Jump First”.  (Sydneyvision’s first international entry to show what a cosmopolitan bunch we all are).   Second Place was Miss Krys’ beautiful “Come Down (2 Newtown)”and third place in the People’s vote was the irrepressible “Finding Love in Harris Park” by Muzitek Creations.  Congratulations to all the performers.

Gnome is Where the Heart Is -  Marrickville wins Sydneyvision

The 2011 Sydneyvison Song Contest was held at the Dendy Newtown on 14 September before a gala crowd.  Back for the second year to host the event were European celebrities Yuri Andropov and Constantina Chernenka.  The night featured the entries for 2011 as well as the winners from 2010.  The winning song this year, “Wondering Marrickville” by the Ukeles was a stop-action entry that featured the adventures of a garden gnome, a Hawaiian figurine and a ukulele in their ramblings around their neighbourhood.  Its bluesy refrain of “Let’s go for wander down, down in Marrickville” conveyed the song’s great affection for the suburb.

There was a tie for second place.  “Finding Love in Harris Park” by Muzitek Creations was an unabashed romantic song, a delightful Bollywood-on-a-budget entry.    Its storyline “When an Indian student falls for an Aussie girl emotional forces are unleashed that can only be truly expressed by a bevy of dancing girls” captured both the judges and audience with its classic melodrama and celebration of the magic of Harris Park. 

Newtown itself was on the podium.  Tied for second place this year was Cade’s hyperactive dance tribute “Home”,  an odyssey crossing snowy mountains, sandy beaches, perilous forests and fifteen preposterous costume changes to get back to Newtown.    Cade thanked Reverse Garbage’s “As much as you can fit into a plastic bag for $5” deal for the outstanding contribution it made to his wardrobe.  Sydneyvision is full of international firsts and we suspect that singing while wearing ten inflatable hippopotamuses may be one of them. 

Yuri and Constantina led the amazing evening to its dramatic conclusion with live video link ups as the vote came in from suburbs all over Sydney (although questions were raised about how come it appeared to be the middle of the day where the Macdonaldtown vote was being given).  Despite even a Dalek attack on the Emu Plains reporter, the Sydneyvision Tally Room team were nonetheless able to bring in the Sydneyvision Song contest result.

The Sydneyvision Song Contest is a celebration both of creativity and our local communities.  The Newtown Neighbourhood Centre thanks all the entrants this year for participating.  Without their ingenuity and willingness to give it a go on the big screen at Dendy, we could not hold this event.

Get working on your songs for next year.  See you in 2012.