Music lovers are only just shaking off the dust and airing out their tents from Summer festivals like Falls, Southbound, Peats Ridge, and Pyramid Rock, but already the details for the next batch of music festivals are beginning to emerge, including Australia’s biggest free music festival, the St Kilda Festival.
Following the City of Port Phillip council rescuing it from a potential cancellation due to budgetary concerns late last year, organisers teased the first batch of musical acts to play at the 2013 event this past December, including Aussie rock stalwarts Bluejuice, Midnight Juggernauts offering a DJ set, up-and-coming Brisbane artist Thelma Plum, and the effervescent sounds of The Bamboos vocalist Kylie Auldist – to name a few.
Today the full program lineup for the Festival weekend has been revealed with more than 150 artists playing across seven stages and more than 40 venues across the Melbourne beachside suburb, taking place on Saturday 2nd February right through to Sunday 10th, the culminating, music-lined day that very nearly didn’t go ahead after difficulties in funding the approx. $1.2 million cost of running it nearly stumped local council.
Luckily, the lineup proves that St Kilda Festival 2013 will be as strong as ever. The main stage will see performances from Bluejuice, roots multi-instrumentalist Ash Grunwald, hip hop star Pez, Melbourne’s own Oh Mercy. The aforementioned Midnight Juggernauts DJs closing out the sunset slot of the festival, while the day will be opened by locals While The City Sleeps, and the fun sounds of Peter Combe & The Quirky Berserkey Newspaper Mama Band.
Over at the O’Donnell Gardens Stage, organisers promise something “for a chilled vibe”, including the Royal Jelly Dixieland Band, energetic eight-piece Eagle & The Worm, rising star Grey Ghost, the sleek, inventive Hiatus Kaiyote, funked-up strut of The Cactus Channel, pop fizz of Loon Lake; and finishing proceedings – Northeast Party House’s dance-inflected set and Bamboos vocalist Kylie Auldist.
The likes of Thelma Plum, Madre Monte, and Kutcha Edwards will liven up the Alfred Square Stage, along with musical wares from Patou Powell & The Ska Vendors, bluegrass heroes The Quarry Mountain Dead Rats, Mojo Juju and Abbie Cardwell & The Chicano Rockers.
Those looking for something completely fresh will enjoy the New Music Stage, hosting unsigned bands on the way to glory, this year welcoming Buckley Ward, Shaun Kirk, Animaux, Warning Birds, Roscoe James Irwin (Tin Pan Orange/The Cat Empire), The Twoks, Stillwater Giants, Straylove, Sub Atari Knives, and Client Liason – producers of the ‘most Australian’ music video ever.“Festival Sunday is a highlight of Australia’s music scene, and it’s easy to see why with a whole day of free live music to suit everyone.” – Adele Denison, Festival Producer
Audiences are also encouraged to vote for their favourite unsigned band by voting through the St Kilda Festival website, with the winner scoring a $5,000 cash prize as well as the chance to play the Festival main stage at the 2014 iteration of the event.
As always, there’s plenty of other stages, sites, and locations to catch a swathe of musical talent, including local acts at the Live N Local Stage, Vicotria’s The Push Stage offering an all-ages drug, alcohol, and smoke-free venue, as well as the Songwriters Collective and the Soundkraft Recrods Stage at Catani Gardens.
The end of the week day of music features plenty to cater to everybody with Festival Producer Adele Denison saying, “Festival Sunday is a highlight of Australia’s music scene, and it’s easy to see why with a whole day of free live music to suit everyone.”
There’s also a full week of musical selections to enjoy in the lead-up to the Festival Sunday, kick-starting with Live N Local on Saturday 2nd Feb with Jenny Biddle, O’Ziriguidum, Bianca and Van, Eliza Hull, Oz Locos and Ben Salter, as well as an evening of music at St Kilda Sports Club with Mister Sippy, Waco Social Club and Suzie Stapleton.
The Saturday will also feature the Yalukit Wilum Ngargee: People Place Gathering program, featuring a selection of workshops, exhibitions, programs, and musical performances celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music, arts, and culture. Held in St Kilda’s O’Donnell Gardens, the lineup includes the likes of John Wayne Parsons, The Skin Choir, Allyson Walker, Dewayne Everettsmith and many more.
There’s plenty of highlights through the week include Ella Hooper’s take on Destiny’s Child’s album The Writing’s On The Wall, as part of Pure Pop Records’ Summer of Classic Album series, the iconic grounds of The Espy playing host to 10 up and coming acts and bands across three stages from the likes of Ships Piano, The Red Lights, The Corsairs, The Pretty Littles, Lunaire, Dirty F, She Said You, Speak Digital Water, Destroy She Said and They.
With more to come on Friday 8th February with music from Eliza Hull, Sam and Felix, Dancing Heals, Brighter at Night, Riv, Fierce Mild, Mix Method, The Lawnton Bowls Club, The Vendettas, The Spinset, The Go Set and Mimi Velevska.
The programme is overflowing with acts, so for further details head to stkildafestival.com.au/2013
St Kilda Festival 2013 Lineup
Saturday 2nd February to Sunday 10th February 2013.
The St Kilda Festival is produced and presented by the City of Port Phillip and supported by the Victorian Government through Arts Victoria.
MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS DJS / BLUEJUICE / ASH GRUNWALD / PEZ / OH MERCY / THELMA PLUM / KYLIE AULDIST / LOON LAKE / NORTHEAST PARTY HOUSE / THE CACTUS CHANNEL / HIATUS KAIYOTE / GREY GHOST / EAGLE & THE WORM / WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS / ROYAL JELLY DIXIELAND BAND / PETER COMBE & THE QUIRKY BERSERKY NEWSPAPER MAMA BAND / BUCKLEY WARD / SHAUN KIRK / ANIMAUX / STILLWATER GIANTS / WARNING BIRDS / ROSCOE JAMES IRWIN / THE TWOKS / CLIENT LIAISON / STRAYLOVE / SUB ATARI KNIVES / THE REFUNDS / JOHN FLANAGAN AND THE BEGIN AGAINS / DIRT RIVER RADIO / BELLE ROSCOE / ELOQUOR / SOUL SAFARI / KASHMERE CLUB / BETTER THAN THE WIZARDS / FLOUNDER
+ MANY MORE
