On Saturday February 23rd 2013 musicians and music lovers will come together in the largest simultaneous celebration of Live Music and Small Gigs that’s ever been held in Australia, for the second annual SLAM Day.
Last year, over 150 gigs were held in small venues across the country from Perth to Port Douglas, Tamworth to Tennant Creek, Katherine to Kensington, and with the support of musicians, venues, music fans and the media, the first ever SLAM Day was a massive success.
It’s been a long time since the iconic SLAM Rally which saw 20,000 people march through Melbourne in protest of restrictive laws which linked music with violence and financially penalised live music venues. The unprecedented backlash forced the then Labor Government to capitulate on the issue resulting in a range of changes to existing laws and a new funding for organisations to better foster the live music scene in Victoria.
With SLAM Day 2013 being just under one month away, already the gigs are streaming in and filling up the gig guide, with over 200 venues registered and ready to celebrate a day of live music. Not to mention some major international acts like Elvis Costello supporting the day.
From Pete Murray at the Hoey Moey in Coffs Harbour NSW, to the Tea Party’s Jeff Martin at Darwin’s Railway Club NT, My Fiction at the Zoo in Brisbane QLD, Soul Fellas at The Promethean in Adelaide SA, the John Read Band at Settlers Tavern in Margaret River WA, Claude Hay at The Blues Train in Queenscliff VIC and Tijuana Cartel at The Republic Bar in Hobart TAS, SLAM Day 2013 is proving to be a massive celebration of all things live music across the country in both regional and metropolitan venues.
Melbourne’s White Night Festival will see the city come alive for twenty-four hours of live music in large and small venues across the city, the perfect way to celebrate SLAM Day in the city where it all began. Melbourne is set to join the likes of Paris and Montreal in being transformed into a 24-hour city as part of the inaugural White Night festival, a new initiative from the city’s Premier and Minister for the Arts, Ted Baillieu, in an attempt to re-invigorate Victoria’s cultural scene. Curated by The Cat Empire’s Felix Riebel and featuring performances from World’s End Press, Hiatus Kaiyote, Eagle And The Worm and more, it’s set to be a game-changing night for Melbourne music.
Support a SLAM Day gig in your town – any style, any genre. Small gigs can happen in your backyard, in a venue, in your community hall, in a cafe, on the street or in the park.
It’s easy to get involved and free to register, just head to www.slamrally.org
