"I'm a free speech person," he said, criticising Tony Abbott's complaints.

Calls from Tony Abbott, Bob Katter and others to ban US hip hop artist Macklemore from singing his hit "Same Love" at the NRL grand final have seemingly backfired spectacularly, with the song shooting to the top of the Australian iTunes charts.

About three weeks after self-publishing his debut album Solipsism on Spotify in 2015, Dutch composer Joep (pronounced Yoop) Beving was stunned to discover the blissed-out piano tracks he intended purely for his nearest and dearest had hit 60,000 streams.

Macy Gray introducing her Perth DJ set with "Hello Sydney" was a telling sign of things to come as hundreds of disappointed fans walked out.

Leading arts figure Leo Schofield has lashed out at the Sydney Symphony Orchestra's board for failing to support marriage equality publicly.

With the Northern Beaches pair delighted to be home, this show was a melodious love letter to their extended Sydney family.

Sticky Carpet: Freya Josephine Hollick has a new band she'd like you to hear.

US rapper Macklemore has promised to 'go harder' despite being unwittingly caught up in Australia's divisive marriage equality postal survey.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott has backed a call from same-sex marriage opponents to ban American rapper Macklemore from performing his pro-gay song Same Love at the NRL grand final.

There will be music, dance and much more to enjoy at this inaugural event.

Victorian Opera's 2018 season, Encounters, brings together grand adventures, tragic love stories, an Australian premiere and charming children's tales.

Melvins' dynamic duo of Buzz Osborne and Dale Crover add some extra spice to the mix.

Life in the fast lane has Laneway's Wolf Alice feeling like veterans.

What's on in the Canberra arts scene.

Australia is the sixth largest music market in the world, with revenue of almost $400 million - surpassing more populous countries such as Canada and Brazil.

PVRIS's All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell, Julian Curwin's Mango Balloon Volume 4, Ji Young Lim and Dong Hyek Lim's Mozart and Beethoven sonatas and more.

Singer and producer Pharrell Williams is the latest entertainer to show solidarity with NFL players protesting President Donald Trump's call to fire players who refuse to stand during the national anthem.

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"I never thought I'd say this but 'Good evening, Wollongong'," said Elton John a couple of songs into the second show of his Once in a Lifetime tour – a tour that has already taken in Mackay and will next head to other parts of Australia he has never or rarely played.

As artistic director and percussionist Claire Edwardes explained during a more-than-usually complicated stage and percussion set-up, Ensemble Offspring's latest offering in its year-long championing of women composers took its point of departure from the Lewis Carroll inspired dream world of the final piece, Akrostichon-Wortspiel, by Korean composer Unsuk Chin.

The Abbotsford Convent played host to some more focused programming at this year's festival.

Stevie Wonder appeared to respond to President Trump's anti-protest comments from the Global Citizen Festival stage on Saturday in New York.

Teenaged angst and dance-beats are starting to sound old-hat.

This was always going to be the most challenging of three sold-out shows for UK three-piece London Grammar. With two still to come in the confined intimacy of the Opera House, here was one at a venue better suited to beer-stained rock than perfectly crafted works of musical art.

Charles Bradley, known as the "Screaming Eagle of Soul" for a powerful, raspy style that evoked one of his musical heroes, James Brown, has died at age 68.