From bowling alleys to bacon factories, this new festival is bringing live music to obscure locations
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26.10.2020

From bowling alleys to bacon factories, this new festival is bringing live music to obscure locations

Words by Tom Parker

Across three consecutive Fridays, live music will come to bacon factories, quirky motels and bowling alleys.

The City of Ballarat has just announced a new music festival that will celebrate the quirks and uniqueness of Ballarat, a regional city with a strong live music lineage and plenty of idiosyncrasy to boot.

Across three consecutive Fridays in November, Be_Hear/Now will welcome a local lineup of artists to perform from three obscure Ballarat locations – a derelict bacon factory, an inner-city motel and a bowling alley – for gigs that will both be livestreamed and attended in person (subject to COVID restrictions).

It comes as The City of Ballarat tries to adapt and adjust their creative enterprise in a COVID world while also providing opportunities for an arts sector that’s been ravaged by the current downturn.

The first gig will go down on Friday November 13 from the George Farmer & Co building and will welcome performances from experimental duo The Narcoleptor, Inka, The Geoffrey Williams Loop Choir and DJ Sugar Sphinx, while there will also be a dance routine performed by Alison Shirley and spoken word performed by poet Steve Smart.

On Friday November 20, Freya Hollick will be joined by her band for a show at Ballarat’s Mid City motel. The Dead Salesman Duo, City of Ballarat Municipal Brass Band and DJ Corey Isaac will also be there, while Malë Kël Loc Kël will be performing a Sudanese dance routine.

To round out the three shows, Ballarat’s Oz Tenpin Bowling will play host to Ruben Riley Band, Honey Hunter, The Devil Goat String Family Band and DJ Ramdaddy on Friday November 27. Dance group Hip Hop Existence will also be there alongside drag queen Elektra-lite and poet Bronwyn Blaiklock.

In order to select those lucky enough to attend the events in person, the City of Ballarat has teamed up with multi-award winning art duo PluginHUMAN to present [ i miss your touch ], an online immersive art experience for two people, in separate locations, to dance and interact.

Punters are encouraged to book a spot online with a friend they’ve been missing, create art and they’ll go in the running for a ticket to one of the three shows.

For more info on Be_Hear/Now and to find out how to score yourself in-person tickets, head here.

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