Over 50 Venues Join Leaps And Bounds Festival 2013 As New Gigs Announced

As previously reported, the surviving members of influential Melbourne punks The Powder Monkeys are reuniting for a locally charged tribute concert to Tim Hemensley at Collingwood’s Tote Hotel this July.

The unique event was put together to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the fallen frontman’s tragic passing, but it’s also part of the inaugural Leaps And Bounds Music Festival, an initiative of the City of Yarra council, Music Victoria, and community radio station PBS FM.

Named after the iconic Melbourne pub-rock anthem by local legend Paul Kelly, Leaps And Bounds aims to celebrate some of Melbourne’s best venues in a series of unique music events curated for Melbourne’s inner-north suburbs, confirming plans first announced in January that local music industry figures and venue heads were plotting a new cultural event.

Now comes the announcement that over 50 venues are participating in the first ever Leaps And Bounds Festival, kicking off on Friday 5th to Sunday 21st July, helping draw emphasis to local performers, local audiences, and most of all, the local live music venues that keep it all going.

The participating venues range from the aforementioned Tote Hotel in Collingwood, Richmond’s legendary Corner Hotel, through to Brunswick Street’s Evelyn Hotel, The Workers Club, Smith Street’s Grace Darling, Johnston Street’s Old Bar, and familar names like the Gasometer, Great Britain, the Rochester Hotel, The Standard, The Vic, The Empress, and Yah Yah’s.

Others getting involved with live music performances include (*deep breath*) the Abbotsford Convent, Bar Open, the Barleycorn Hotel, Bendigo Hotel, Boite World Music Cafe, Eureka, First Floor, Fox Hotel, Gertrudes Brown Couch, Grumpy’s Green, Labour In Vain, Laundry, Luwow, Night Cat, Rainbow Hotel, Some Velvet Morning, Uptwon Jazz Cafe, Yarra Hotel, and even PBS FM Studio 5 and the Fitzroy Bowling Club. And even more venues are expected to be announced as the festival approaches. Over 50 venues are participating in the first ever Leaps And Bounds… helping draw emphasis to local performers, local audiences, and most of all, the local live music venues that keep it all going

Each venue has programmed their own unique brand of entertainment for the festival with a range of musical selections both domestic and international to draw music lovers to the City of Yarra and all it has to offer.

The Corner Hotel is the biggest participant in the Leaps And Bounds, including Dick Diver’s shows for their recently announced Calendar Days Tour with Twerps and The Stevens, Ballarat’s Gold Fields on Saturday 13 July, Melbourne’s Kingswood, playing on Thursday 18 July (both selling fast) – and Warrnambool’s finest – Airbourne – playing their sold out Splendour Sideshow.

The Corner is also presenting a special Leaps And Bounds matinee, with co-headliners Mikelangelo & the Tin Star and the Black Eyed Susans, playing Sunday 7th July at 1pm. The double billo is set to feature a ream of suprise guests and collaborators alongside dream pop chanteuse St Clare and dark western rockers the Mightiest of Guns as opening support.

Meanwhile, a mini-festival celebrating Indigenous culture will stretch across an afternoon from Smith Street to the corner of Stanley Street in Collingwood. Taking place on Saturday 20th July from 1pm – 5pm, Smith Street Dreaming will promote Aboriginal culture and fostering community with an afternoon full of music.

Programmed by Jason Tamiru, Smith Street Dreaming will play host to well-known Indigenous musicians Bart Willoughby, Kutcha Edwards, and Illana Atkinson & The Deans. Local community will craft a streetscape especially for the event with seating, heating, and wet weather cover with artisti buttressing and a ceremonial fire and free BBQ.

Then there’s the aforementioned I THANK YOU: The Powder Monkeys / Tim Hemensley 10th Anniversary Gig at the Tote on Sunday 21st July 2013. The likes of Bored!, Hoss, Seminal Rats, The Spazzys, Adalita, and many more, will help the surviving members of The Powder Monkeys celebrate the life and times of their former frontman, Tim Hemensley, in a day lined with rock.

As part of the Leaps And Bounds Festival, each precinct in the Yarra City area will have a “focus day” throughout the festival. The spotlight being placed on Richmond on 7th July, Johnston St on 12th July, Abbotsford on 13th July, the backstreets of Fitzroy and Collingwood on 14th July, Brunswick St on 17th July, Smith St on 18th July, and North Fitzroy and Clifton Hill on July 20th.

There’s sure to be more announcements made in the coming weeks, so watch this space for updates.
In the meantime, head www.leapsandboundsmusicfestival.com for more details as they arrive.

Leaps And Bounds Music Festival 2013

July 5th – 21st, 2013

Proudly presented by City of Yarra, Music Victoria & PBS FM.

Details for applications for venues, bands, events, and sponsors available at leapsandboundsmusicfestival.com

Find your way around the festivals’ venues with Music Victoria’s free Melbourne Music City app available on iTunes or Google Play.

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