Heavily focused on fostering new and emerging talent and engaging Melburnians with the arts, Live N Local is a showcase not only for incredible Melbourne music, but for restaurants, bars and iconic bayside venues, including St Kilda Pier and Sacred Heart Church.
This August marks the first time that Live N Local exists as a standalone event away from its original home, St Kilda Festival.
The excited and passionate festival director, Adele Denison, says Live N Local came about after wanting to provide something more for residents than just a one-day-a-year festival.
“Music is such an integral part of Melbourne. The way our music scene survives means anyone that comes here or lives here has a way of gathering together and celebrating something that everyone is enjoying,” she says.
“There’s not much better than the camaraderie that comes from attending a gig. You can stream it at home, but it just can’t match the atmosphere that we’re so lucky to get right across Melbourne.”
And the best part is that it’s all free. Well, if you can avoid getting carried away on the trip to Moonshine Melbourne.
“Seeing live music can be super expensive, so allowing it to be free ensures there’s no barriers for people coming,” Denison says.
Although you’ll likely need to rug up for some of the events, the timing of the August festival is an intentional contrast to a stereotypical sunny and warm Melbourne festival season, particularly February’s St Kilda Festival.
“In part, this is about really showing how good music can be all year round. We get a bit quieter in winter, so Live N Local is about showcasing just how great we can be in the colder, red wine months,” Denison says.
The lineup of musicians is incredibly diverse, boasting the lush vocals of the glorious Woodes, the theatrical post-punk rockers Destrends, and the moody sounds of Fierce Mild. With genres ranging from hillbilly trainwreck blues to galactic souls breaks, and a couple of choirs, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
“The lineup is representative of Melbourne’s overall culture and music scene that we’ve got the pleasure of living in,” Denison says. “There’s not many Melburnians who can say they don’t like Melbourne music because there really is every genre represented and every sort of way of playing it, every age group and community.”
Denison’s top events to catch include The Warehouse in partnership with Beat, a blues rock set playing in the Melbourne Moonshine Distillery with the bar open to sample, a show at the end of St Kilda Pier – envy the penguins with their exclusive seats – and a gig in Sacred Heart Church.
“You can see music in your favourite restaurants and bars, and find new favourites, too. You can really take the pick of where you want to be and what you want to see, and it’s at no cost, so go out and find your own highlights,” she says.
Live N Local is adding another layer to the festival through the introduction of an artist development program. The program features industry figures and experienced artists sharing knowledge about everything from basic songwriting processes to legal issues.
“It’s been a really logical progression for a festival that at its heart, really is about celebrating emerging artists and new musicians and being able to present those to growing audiences,” Denison says.
BY CLAIRE VARLEY
