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Both Emma & myself were pretty excited to be attending our very first Cooly Rocks with Street Candy, so we were psyching ourselves up for this one for a while! Cooly Rocks On, as most of you know, is one of the most iconic kustom kulture festivals and kustom car and bike events on this end of the country, and every year it just gets bigger and more spectacular. Running for almost half of July every year, the festival includes the expected car rallys, runs, and competitions, and a huge number of events such as swing dances, dance competitions, fashion shows, gigs, and pretty much all the 50s flavoured excitement you can cram into two weeks! We had booked to go down the last weekend of Cooly, hoping to get some photoshoots in with gorgeous pinup ladies, do a bit of shopping, and generally soak up the vibe. Avenging Angel Industries had kindly offered us a share in her market stall; we hadn't planned on having a stall this year, but thought, why not! Hanging out with Nicole and her lovely Gasolinas would brighten anyone's day! With the current Vintage craze in the media so much at the moment, we'd expected massive crowds, but our expectations were blown away by the sheer number of people who turned up. Even with inclement weather threatening, it really seemed as though half of Brisbane & the coast had borrowed their dad's old FJ and trundled off to Cooly for the weekend. By the time we got to Cooly at 8:30 on Saturday, the roads were bumper to bumper with immaculate hot rods all geared up for Shannon's Show and Shine, and parking was disappearing quickly! I grabbed a park at Kirra beach, as close as I could, then sat down for a coffee while I waited for the street parade to show up. Sadly the parade seemed a little depleted, perhaps the threatening storm had kept some of the floats in the shed. The remaining floats were packed with rock'n' roll clubs from all over the country, jiving away to fantastic 50s hits. I got a few shots off, however I wasn't in the best spot for great photos of the parade, and juggling the camera and the baby is always interesting! Once the parade was over I ambled across the boardwalk to Coolangatta Beach, and had a quick look through the markets before settling in with Nicole at her vintage hair booth. And just in time too, the rain quickly set in, and it continued to rain on and off throughout the day. Not exactly great photography weather, so there went that idea! The rain also seemed to dampen the crowd's spirits a bit. Everyone just packed into the local pubs though, warding off the chill with a few drinks and some of the fantastic music on offer. I took the chance to photograph some of the incredible cars during a break in the rain, and have a chat to the lovely people who owned them. These were my favourite shots from the weekend...oh, and of course the shots of our favourite street-candy-coloured family who turned up again!!! Wow those kids have grown! I also ran into Miss Bella Von Doll, one of our beautiful Queensland entrants for Miss Pinup Australia, looking immaculately pinup as always! And check out her lovely man's lovely hot rod! I was in photographer heaven, and fell a little in love...but don't worry, Mr Von Doll, I wouldn't trust myself not to ding it, so your pride and joy is safe....for now! If anyone wants more of Cooly Rocks, pop on over to my gallery at Cooly Rocks On Gallery. Also, apologies for the late blog post everyone! Both Emma & myself have been plagued by computer malfunction, I'm back online and Em's working on the Dead of Winter post as we speak!

On hearing the name Mosman Alder we were unsure what to expect from this Brisbane six-piece, who have been creating quite a stir. So when we were invited to the exclusive EP launch party upstairs at Ric's Cafe on Friday the 1st of June we were keen to investigate what all the fuss was about. The hype did not disappoint and the band delivered beyond expectation. We were treated to an amazing aural performance of haunting vocals and soaring instrumental interludes at what was the first date of the band's Burn Bright Tour. The tour, which includes dates in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney culminates in Byron Bay with an appearance at the Splendor in the Grass festival. Incidentally, Mosman Alder's new EP is also called The Burn Bright EP. Arriving late at the gig we were forced to squeeze our way through a crush of people in order to get a glimpse of the band. The room was packed wall to wall, a testament to Mosman Alders' drawing power. As the band launched into their set the crowd responded enthusiastically, moving almost unconsciously to the rhythm of the music; the beautiful melodic sound drawing them in with it's hypnotic pull. Atmospheric power-pop sounds give Mosman Alders' music a highly distinctive and recognisable quality. The smooth vocals and uplifting key signatures entwine to create beautiful melodic songs which delight the listener .The rich timbre of the singer's voice, backed by delicate lilting harmonies and the sweet purity of the instrumentals, creates a lasting and resounding impression. The song Raisin Heart, which is the single off the burn bright EP is a delicious example of Mosman Alders' signature sound. Wonderful instrumentals are complemented by the smooth, rich tones of the vocals. The film clip for Raisin Heart was recently played on Rage. One of the more interesting facets of Mosman Alder's sound is a result of their choice of instruments that they play. Being a six-piece, they are able to offer more than just the usual drums/bass/guitar/vocal arrangement of many other bands out there. In addition to these standards they also brought to the stage violin and keyboards. Many of the musicians also sing, providing delicious harmonies and multi-vocal parts. The musicianship and vocals were second to none and each member of the band had clearly achieved a high musical standard in their own right. When playing as a group it was impossible to pick a standout player. A fantastic act to listen to as well as watch, we cannot recommend the experience of seeing this band live enough. The band is signed to Dew Process and gig dates are as follows. FRI JUNE 15 ALHAMBRA LOUNGE BRISBANE Tickets available at door only. $10 FRI JUNE 22 THE GRACE DARLING MELBOURNE Tickets available at door only. $10 SAT JUNE 23 FBI SOCIAL SYDNEY Tickets available at door only. $10 JULY 27 28, 29 SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS – SOLD OUT By Emma Louise Libertine and Johnny Ryall

Just thought i would remind you all that Cooly Rocks On is this weekend. You can still get tickets, so pop over to the Cooly rocks website and book xx

And no article on turbans would be complete without an image of that famous recluse little Eddie Beale from Grey Gardens Turbans are great for creating a chic modern look and even better for creating a vintage inspired look. The last image above is one of our local Belles, The Diamond Dhalia, Who won the title of " Miss Brisbane " at the Miss Burlesque Australia competition and was photographed here by the incredibly talented Kahlia Litzow Photography. Xx Emma

Flooding and rain caused the Rocklea Twilight Hot Rod Show 2012 to be canceled in January. So we were worried that the weather would, yet again, stop the show from going ahead last Sunday. Luckily we were reassured by the announcement on the show's Facebook page assuring us everything was going ahead. Turning up to the Rocklea showgrounds we saw that, sure enough, the Hot Rod show was in full swing, and the crowds hadn't been put off. While there where a few sporadic showers through out the day, the rain wasn't bad enough to stop us having fun. The bar and stage were under cover allowing us to take shelter and enjoy the music when the rain got too heavy to walk around outside. When the rain receded we strolled around looking at the market stalls and admiring the hot rods. Lots of people were taking the opportunity to pose with the cars and have their picture taken. Ladies in gorgeous vintage clothes and matching hairstyles posed against breathtaking, gleaming vintage machines, adding to each others authenticity and beauty. The Markets played host to lots of great stalls, offering merchandise and services that complemented the shows vintage theme. Shops, like Trash Monkey and Ursa Lady Creations, had stalls alongside sellers who can only be found at markets like these and online. This is one of the exciting things about online shopping for me. I love the fact that I have the ability to purchase beautiful, handmade goodies from amazing designers, based any where in the world....now I just need the money to actually buy! Back to Twilight Hot Rod though, a friend was exclaiming about a stall selling bikes; we went to check it out and discovered Deadly Treadley. The bikes are retro and vintage and have been lovingly restored and upgraded by Jay Hamms. Mostly low-riders, the bikes would be perfect for riding around the grounds of a festival in vintage splendor. Close by Deadly Treadley we found Suzi Mould's Big Frock stall. Suzi offers gorgeous plus size clothes in sizes 14-22. She has a great variety of clothes and styles and there is sure to be something for the voluptuous lady to adore. I personally loved her sailor wiggle dresses, guaranteed to flatter your curves. Big Frock can be found on Facebook. Hair stylist Nicole Farrelly from Avenging Angel Industries had a stall doing gorgeous vintage styles. Her work could be seen adorning the heads of a number of ladies at the show and really enhanced the vintage vibe of the day. She also does mobile hair extensions and runs Gasolina Pin-Up promotion models. Avenging Angel Industries can be found at www.avengingangelindustries.com . Ursa Lady Creations, a delightful handmade Rockabilly, Retro, Vintage , Kooky Original, Jewellery line were also there. The brand has a shop which can be found at 6/357 Logan Road, Stones Corner, Brisbane, QLD 4120. They also sell Rockabilly, Retro and roller derby clothes and accessories. One of the big draw cards of the day was the music. USA band Big Sandy and his Fly-Rite Boys had the crowd dancing during their last gig in Australia. In fact the dance floor was constantly packed throughout the day. The bar was situated just behind the dance floor and was a great place to sit with friends while enjoying the music.It was also a great vantage point for Street Candy to watch the crowd and spot well dressed lovelies to photograph. We saw so many great outfits and only photographed a fraction of the amazing clothes being worn.The cowboy look was exceptionally popular among the men at this event. This style may have been inspired by the music. The rockabilly sounds where really infectious and made you want to dance. Acts such as The Re Chords and Miss Teresa put on great performances, along with Dan and The Dualtones, Regular Gonzales and dj Swingbilly Ray. Despite the weather a large collection of cars turned out for the show. Classic cars from Australia and America were proudly displayed by their owners. Lovingly restored and polished to a high shine the cars were exciting to even the least mechanical among us. Some of the more spectacular cars drew crowds of people wanting to have photos taken with the cars. Lovingly cared for vintage motorbikes were also on display along with the cars. As well as a large central Hot Rod display area there was a second smaller space which was used after the first filled. The best cars of the show were awarded trophy's by the judges. The trophy winners were Stan Rickards for his EJ Station Wagon and Van, Gary Doonan for his 32 Ford Lowboy, Mitch Wilson for his 53 Pontiac , Andrea for her 59 El Camino and Leanne Baddage for her 57 Chev Coupe. We ended the day back in the bar area, relaxing and enjoying the music before heading home. The event was definitely a complete success, despite the promised mirror maze not making it, due to the truck it was on breaking down. As well as all the other great stalls there was a small selection of food stalls to choose from. There was even a hotdog cart, comprising a bicycle and hot dog cooker, being ridden around the show. Street Candy got a lot of great shots and we had a great afternoon at the same time. There were so many goodies I wanted to buy,especially the bikes from Deadly Treadley. I really recommend you get your hair done by Avenging Angel Industries if you ever see her at a market as her styles are gorgeous. The show has got Street Candy really looking forward to the other vintage events we are attending this year.