Since the introduction of Groovin The Moo Festival, the vast open area of regional Australia have seen a rise as a popular destination for music events and festivals. Spiking our interest, we interviewed multiple festival-organisers who had shifted their focus to regional parts of Australia to host their musical extravaganzas, suggesting that there was a new frontier of festivals within Australia.
Inspired from this original piece, we thought it’d be a shame to turn a blind eye against the wide open world outside of our major cities, and as such, decided to construct a guide to some of the most important music related places around our giant nation, starting with Victoria.
From important venues to up-and-coming festivals, to boutique record stores and iconic locations as well as records that have been inspired, written or recoded outside of Melbourne and Geelong, jump in our car as we take a roady around the state, marking each important stop on Victoria’s musical map.
Venue: Korova Lounge, 15 Field Street, Ballarat.
Unquestionably one of the most important live music venues in regional Victoria, Korova Lounge of the historic goldrush town of Ballarat hosts not only some of Australia’s most promising up-and-coming and established artists, but revered international acts too.
Korova Lounge is the staple live music venue for regional Victoria, with booker’s fingers firmly on the pulse bringing international acts likes of psych-surf nuts The Growlers as well as Aussie heroes The Cosmic Psychos tearing apart the Sovereign Hill town.
Festival: Kyneton Music Festival
Making its triumphant return, this central Vic music extravaganza will operate for its third successful year. Held over two days, the killer festival takes over the homely town of Kyneton, with music emanating from galleries and clubs as well as a massive hub with multiple stages not to mention delicious food and bevs to keep all punters happy.
This year’s lineup is a mixed bag of talent, catering for just about any music fan, including: Harmony, Money For Rope, Laura Jean, Sunbeam Sound Machine, Lunatics On Pogosticks, Yeo and many, many more.
Hanging Rock
When it comes to iconic locations within Victoria, our pride and joy is Hanging Rock. Immortalised by Joan Lindsay’s novel which then went on to be a film, the beautiful formation sits a short drive from Newham and Woodend, and it plays host to some of the world’s largest bands.
Of course, the wound is still pretty damn sore from The Rolling Stone’s cancelling their gig at the region, however Hanging Rock has been well and truly rocked before by the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Leonard Cohen and Rod Stewart, who will return to the picturesque spot once again in 2015.
If you’re after an outdoor concert experience like no other, Hanging Rock is the #1 box to tick off your list.
The Perch Bendigo, 117-119 McCrae Street
Central Victoria’s largest town has had a bit of an up-and-down in maintaing a live music venue, however with the arrival of The Perch has seen live music scene once again flourish.
Housing massive Aussie names such as Ball Park Music, Boy & Bear and British India, not to mention a slew of rising DJs, The Perch has cemented itself as one of Bendigo’s best destinations for catching live music.
Festival: Wangaratta Jazz Festival
This town may be famous for spawning the likes of Nick Cave and Dallas Frasca, but did you know that it also plays host to one of the finest jazz festivals in the state?
Held over four days in October and November, the quaint town of Victoria’s north-east celebrated its 25 years of successful operation, promising to return even bigger and better than ever before.
Wangaratta’s Jazz Festival is fantastic not only for it’s live music experience, but for the town itself, which comes alive with a range of parties, music industry workshops, art exhibitions and markets – proving more than just a couple of concerts over a few days. A definite must-see and well worth the road trip.
Album: The Drones – I See Seaweed (2013)
Recognised almost universally as their magnum opus, The Drones’ I See Seaweed was actually inspired by and recorded in the great land that is, country Victoria.
It is said that frontman Gareth Liddiard wanted to explore the “Australian experience” telling the stories of the state’s “human condition” as the band journeyed throughout the expansive region, Liddiard’s penning his dark, twisted lyrics matching the band’s gloomy sonic aesthetic.
Is it a little too bigoted to claim that The Drones had to experience regional Victoria before they could write their best material? Maybe, but as they say, the proof is in the pudding.
Venue: The Theatre Royal Castelmaine, 30 Hargraves Street
The humble town of Castlemaine is the home of one of Australia’s most exciting and promising upcoming musicians (D D Dumbo) but as well as that it’s also home to one of Australia’s most stunning live music spaces.
The Theatre Royal in Castlemaine is a majestic as its name suggests. Established in 1854, this year will see the theatre celebrate its 161 years of entertaining the minds and mouths, of punters with with great live gigs, the best of independent and blockbuster cinema, delicious food and fine coffee, beer, wine and cocktails. There’s no question as to why the town’s oldest residents is its most popular.
Festival: Mildura Country Music Festival
Tamworth Country Music Festival may be Australia’s leading country music festival, however Mildura, the northern tip of Victoria, is hot on their heels with their own Country Music Festival, with many tipping it as a preferred favourite.
This is more than likely because Mildura Country Music Festival hosts the most independent entertainers, meaning that this is very much a terrific starting point for up-and-coming artists looking to get their name out there. Live music is spread across 26 locations around the town, Mildura hearing the twanging sounds of country over 10-days.
Mildura Country Music Fest is definitely an experience for any avid live music lover.
Store: Brick Lane Bazaar Daylesford, 34 Vincent Street
With a potentially higher population of vintage and second hand stores than people it’s only natural that Daylesford is the home of tone of the best second-hand (and new) record stores in regional Victoria.
Located in Brick Lane (hence the name) in Daylesford, the bazar features an enchanting collection of new, retro, pre-loved, and rare vinyl gems stacked among other miscellaneous music related books and collectable bric a brac. Now nearly two years old the bazaar consist of 30 different stallholders, who source, clean and repair and sell their wares.
Festival: Blues & Roots Bendigo
Bendigo may sounds thousands flock-in for the epic Groovin’ The Moo, but there’s another festival that provides to be honest, just as much fun, the Blues & Roots Festival.
Bringing the town and its surrounds alive through the passion of live music, the event begun in 2011 and has ran each year since. Taking over the central Victorian region for four days in November each year, a myriad of artists from near and afar take to multiple bars, pubs and venues across Bendigo, as well as the main event at the stunning Rosalind Park.
