“I feel it’s not hard to get people interested and involved with anything to do with music [in] this part of town,” says Fuller. “All we need to do is harness the energy that’s already out there. It’s all moving down deep into Thornbury as well.”
The Feast – now in its 20th year – constantly looks to rejuvenate its approach to ensure its survival. The event manages to involve every facet of the community, especially tapping into the musical talent of its natives.
“We review [the festival] each year and try to keep improving on its strengths,” says Fuller. “I’ve really enjoyed working on this year’s ‘Shop Talk’ program, which is full of seminars, workshops, talks and conferences. Given the amount of musicians who live and work around here, it’s great there’s a lot of free and low cost professional development opportunities for musicians who are really independent and into the DIY ethos.”
A particularly interesting addition to this year’s Feast is the debut for the LGBTQIA+ centralised Listen Conference. Darebin has always been an area with a focus on social inclusion, making advertised efforts to stamp out racism in the community and bring everyone together in a respectful manner. The conference is an extension of those ideals.
“I heard Listen’s co-founder Evelyn Morris at the Face The Music conference last year and met her a few times socially before that,” says Fuller. “When I heard her speak at Face The Music, I was really inspired. I liked the approach they have. They’re working as a collective and aiming to be incredibly inclusive and proactive, and they’re having already having a real impact. I’m thrilled that we can support them at our ‘Town Hall on High’ program for this event, and I feel that’s very important. This might be their first year, but it’s something they can really build on in the future.”
However, the ultimate goal of the Darebin Music Feast is to showcase what is already happening in the area, with the addition of some curiosities to liven things up.
“Most of our music venues are putting live shows on seven nights a week all year round,” says Fuller. “The Darebin Music Feast provides a real focal point to remind our community and the broader community across Melbourne that we’re here and there’s awesome things happening.
“There are also some really unusual events in some really unusual venues. For example, up at Lentil As Anything, they’re running the Bali Music and Feast. There’s a Magical Mystery Bike Tour which is pretty kooky, there’s also a great event at the Thornbury Bowls Club by the name of Anti-Folk and Bowls – again, just people thinking outside the box where you can host live music and do some unusual things.”
BY THOMAS BRAND
