“We were drawn to all the great music and art in Melbourne and the Tote is such an iconic venue,” Warren says. “It felt like a good fit. Australia is an important part of Brixton and we’re looking forward to coming to Melbourne.”
This isn’t an off the cuff venture for Brixton. Prior to reaching our distant shores, Broadcast events have gone down in Nashville, Barcelona, Brooklyn, Austin and Berlin. With every show, they endeavour to reflect the distinctive cultural pulse of the chosen city. “We always work hard to put together an event that will mean something to the city and the people who attend,” Warren says. “That’s very important to us.”
Indeed, Brixton Broadcast doesn’t simply aim to imitate the cities it visits. Rather, the event has to be fully engaged or else lose the authenticity the concept’s founded on. “For Melbourne, all of the bands are local bands,” Warren says. “We’ve also been working with a great crew – our Australian employees, friends, and everyone at The Tote Hotel – to make sure it’s a great show.”
Established in Southern California in 2004, Brixton is a clothing brand that conveys comforting familiarity and stylistic confidence with every product it releases, and likewise each project it undertakes. As Warren explains, “Music has always been at the core of the brand and a lot of the inspiration comes from playing in bands and going to shows when we were growing up. We’ve hosted a lot of music events over the years, but with Brixton Broadcast we wanted to create a franchise that people would recognise when it comes to their city.”
Perhaps there’s some suspicion as to why it’s necessary for an American brand to host a Melbourne-centric show, but Brixton’s ambitions aren’t purely mercenary. “Our goal with Brixton Broadcast has always been to bring a fun, real, music experience to different cities all over the world and most importantly, make it easy for people to see some of their favourite bands.”
The buck doesn’t stop with international shows either, as Brixton Broadcast has developed into a fully-fledged music blog. Whether it be spotlighting new music, profiling the bands set to play at their shows, or posting footage from Brixton Broadcast events, the brand remains vigilant in its exploration of music and music’s role in shaping different cities around the world.
Rounding out the lineup for the Brixton Broadcast show are Orb, Swim Team, Whipper and Grotto, plus DJs Woody McDonald and Triple R’s Joe Kokomo, and Psychedelic Coven. It’s a carefully curated lineup of cutthroat punk, wailing psych, topped by the hazy, crimson krautrock of Beaches.
“[I’m excited about] the variety of music and the fact that we were able to get seven bands together for one show,” Warren says. “I also think we have a great mix of male and female artists.”
In addition to the free show at The Tote on Saturday February 26, Brixton Broadcast are holding a Collection Preview, showcasing clothing and accessories, on Thursday February 25, and an art show on Friday February 26, both at Collingwood’s Backwoods Gallery. Featuring in the art show are works from Melbourne artist and typographer Tristan Kerr, Gabriel Cole out of Adelaide, who makes use of acrylic paint presented on skateboard decks, and renowned Sydney skateboard photographer Mike O’Meally.
BY CHRIS SCOTT
