PSA: for those who weren’t already aware, Melbourne’s music scene is kind of a big deal on the international stage.
Our little city has been turning the heads of music lovers around the country and the entire globe alike. From our vast array of breakout talent to our smorgasbord of unique festivals and local haunts, Melburnians are pretty spoilt for choice when it comes to music. (Us, smug? Never.)
But don’t take our word for it; the Society of Tastemakers and Elegant People do a much better job at it.
STEP is a music industry event currently held bimonthly at The Toff in Town. Created by Ashley Sambrooks (Higher Plains) and Zac Abroms (ViceRoyalty), STEP hosts panels of key industry heavy weights to have thoughtful and engaging discussions on different themed topics about the industry. Not to mention there’s top notch post-talk performances, too.
Covering topics ranging from music journalism to the artists themselves, this week’s panel will be all about Melbourne, and speaking on the night will be Nick O’Byrne (manager of Milwaukee Banks and Courtney Barnett and Program Director of BIGSOUND), Woody McDonald (3RRR legend, booker of Meredith and Golden Plains), Mikey Cahill (senior music writer at The Herald Sun), Simon Winkler (3RRR Music Director and presenter), and Lucy Buckeridge (publicist at EMI and singer/bass player of Lowtide).
Ahead of Wednesday night’s event, we picked the brains of Mikey, Lucy and Simon to get a preview into some of the wisdom they’ll be bestowing about Australia’s fastest growing musical capital.
Tone Deaf: What do you think it is about Melbourne’s music scene that makes it so special?
Mikey: Anthony Carew’s crackly radio voice, James Young’s ten gallon hat, Woody’s trend forecasting Meredith line-ups, Chris Gill’s fonkay vernacular, the fact Jerome Borazio gets up at 6 and kicks more arse by 9am than most of do by 5pm, Mary Mihelakos’ determination to see every gig in Melbourne on every day of the week, [Polyester Records’] Simon Karis’ hugs, Nate Nott’s greasy hair, the guy with the afro at Howler who calls himself Afro, the Cesarean roof at the Gasometer, FeeBeeSquare’s soft cheeks, Simon Winkler’s geisha bow, Sugar Mountain’s resuscitation…
[include_post id=”435420″] Lucy: Well it all starts with our musicians who are insanely creative and talented, but I think what makes Melbourne truly unique is our community. We are very lucky to have great venues to play at, community radio stations like 3RRR and PBS who provide such an important platform for our music to be heard, unique festivals like Meredith, Boogie and Sugar Mountain, killer record stores and local labels, organisations like SLAM and all of the incredible people who work in, support and fight for music in this city.
Plus I got to see The Drones play in a backyard in Collingwood over the weekend, which just about sums it up.
Simon: Overall there’s a very strong and supportive community, filled with passionate and dedicated individuals. Artists, organisers, venue bookers, music enthusiasts and fans, members of the music industry and media, are all extremely active and focused on producing or championing the work of others around them. Musically there’s such an impressive diversity of styles and sounds, and interconnected groups of artists working to help each other grow. The range of venues for acts to play and develop audiences is also significant.
TD: Does Melbourne have a reputation internationally? Do you think the world is taking notice of what’s happening here?
Mikey: Yip yip. Especially after SLAM Rally peeps Quincy and Helen et al managed to get the Agent of Change principle brought in to protect live music venues. #result
Lucy: Yes, absolutely. International bands that play here notice the quality and diversity of Melbourne music and word gets around. We also have a tonne of bands representing the city on an international level, like HTRK, The Twerps, Cut Copy, Hiatus Kiayote, etc, which also shines a light on what’s happening here. And on the far end of the exposure scale, you have artists like Courtney Barnett and Chet Faker who have both performed on Ellen this year, which is huge.
Simon: Absolutely, I feel that Melbourne has long been recognised as a cultural and musical hub, and there’s a strong international awareness of what’s happening here. Across genres, Melbourne musicians and producers are leading the way, topping record charts, getting nominated for Grammy Awards, touring widely, gaining a global fan base and receiving praise in influential press. It’s inspiring to see and hear the extent of Melbourne’s impact on the rest of the world, and the inventiveness with which local bands are redefining the musical landscape.
TD: How has Melbourne’s music scene changed over the years?
Mikey: I’ve watched it move from grungey undergraduate fuzzy rock ‘n’ roll to PLUR [Peace Love Unity Respect] indie dance and grave rave to erudite dole wave to Total Client Giovanni Liaison disco and it just keeps cookin’.
Lucy: One major shift I’ve noticed is that our club culture has definitely come to the forefront over the past few years – there are so many great labels and parties at places like The Mercat that showcase and support these artists. When I started going to see live music, Melbourne seemed very rock-centric – I grew up on the south side so spent a lot of time at places like The Espy, Duke of Windsor, The Prince, 161, Revolver etc. The great thing is that although the scene always seems to be evolving, all types of music have an outlet to be heard and performed, no matter what the flavour of the month might seem to be.
Simon: I’ve definitely seen shifts over the past few years. It’s fascinating to discover how new sounds and styles take shape and evolve locally, to see bands and communities building around emerging genres, in parallel to existing and established scenes. The increasing international recognition of Melbourne’s diverse dance and electronic music communities has been wonderful to witness.
“International bands that play here notice the quality and diversity of Melbourne music and word gets around.”TD: Who are some of your favourite Melbourne-based artists?
Mikey: Client Liaison, Pearls, Midnight Juggernauts, Chutney Buttnett, King Gizzard, anything Mikey Young touches (bring back Brain Children!), anything Andrei Eremin touches, anything Mistletone puts out…
Lucy: The Orbweavers, Black Cab, Love of Diagrams, Bloodhounds On My Trail, Standish Carlyon, Summer Flake, Parading, New War, HTRK, Ocean Party, Laura Jean, The Zebras, Liz Stringer, Lost Animal, NUN, White Walls, No Zu, Adalita, etc. Why? Because they rule!
Simon: This question is unfortunately impossible given the word limit of this article, but to shift it slightly I can answer that all my favourite artists are from Melbourne. There’s so much talent in this city it’s overwhelming, and it’s more than a full-time job keeping up with it all.
TD: Are there any local labels in particular you think are raising the bar?
Mikey: Remote Control. Papa Smurf (Steve Cross) et al are the duck’s nuts.
[include_post id=”423690″] Lucy: Pardon the nepotism but it would be remiss if I didn’t mention the amazing Mark Monnone and his label Lost And Lonesome who put out our Lowtide LP last year. He has been such a huge support and is a super talented musician in his own right. What a legend.
I also have so much respect for other local legends like Mistletone, Remote Control and Chapter. And beyond the Murray, labels like Rice Is Nice and Bedroom Suck also deserve huge kudos as they do so much for Melbourne artists as well. Honestly I think anyone who runs a label and supports our local musicians are bloody heroes and deserve a holiday.
Simon: This is also really difficult… I’m worried I’ll miss some key ones, but here’s a list of some local labels that are regularly featured at RRR and continually inspire: Chapter Music, Mistletone, Milk! Records, Two Bright Lakes (and now Little Lake Records), Remote Control, Northside Records, Solitaire Recordings, HopeStreet, Zero Through Nine, This Thing, Aarght Records, Lost & Lonesome, Cutters, Bedroom Suck and Brothersister Records. Animals Dancing and Home Loan Records are making a big impact too.
TD: What are, or once were, your favourite local venues and festivals?
Mikey: Howler’s sightlines and sound = so refreshing. Festivals: Meredith n Golden Plains, Laneway Fest, Sugar Mountain etc.
Lucy: Meredith forever!
Simon: Meredith and Golden Plains have to be mentioned in terms of favourite festivals, the combination of immaculate programming and environment, in the company of friends and passionate music fans, is hard to beat. Great to see the rise of dance music and arts focused festivals like Let Them Eat Cake and Inner Varnika. As far as Melbourne venues there’s so many to choose from too, but in tribute to past ones, St Jeromes’s and Honky Tonks were favourites. They were two of the first places I was taken when I moved to Melbourne and I spent as much time as I could at both.
TD: What do you think have been some major collective accomplishments for Melbourne’s music scene that have put us on the map?
Mikey: How long you got?
Lucy: The LISTEN movement has been a huge accomplishment in bringing women’s experiences and voices in music to the forefront. It’s been fantastic to participate in conversations and events that may not have been sparked previously – we have a lot to celebrate, but there is still plenty more to be done.
Also the SLAM Rally which took place in 2010 in protest of Victorian Liquor Licensing policies and all the progress made since then. That day was unforgettable.
Simon: It feels like a lot of individual elements over the years (influential bands, albums, movements) have combined to establish Melbourne as the music capital it is.
A strong example would also be a few years ago when tens of thousands of people marched in protest against liquor licensing laws that threatened live music venues, demonstrating the extraordinary determination and commitment that Melbourne has to music, arts and culture.
TD: Lastly, how does Melbourne compare to other major music cities around the world?
Mikey: We spar with New York and London, we can go 12 rounds with anyone. Drink prices are ridic though.
Society of Tastemakers & Elegant People ‘Melbourne – The Music Capital’
Wednesday, 15th April 2015
The Toff In Town, Melbourne
Facebook event/tickets: here
Featuring a panel with Nick O’Byrne, Woody McDonald, Mikey Cahill, Simon Winkler, and Lucy Buckeridge.
DJ sets from Melbourne’s favourite soul pop charmers The Harpoons and performing a DJ set will be the seriously smooth Broadway Sounds.
Tone Deaf is giving one lucky reader the opportunity to win a double pass – visit the competitions page for a chance to win!
