With the fever of COVID-19 lockdowns wearing off and summer around the corner, music and art collectives in Melbourne are challenging the club norm with lineups that value diversity, safety, and self-expression.
There is a common thread tying budding local music collectives together – each collective is a cross-stitch of values that advocate for spaces that are judgment-free, expressive, diverse, and safe.
There is an air of quiet and unabashed pride within each collective and the communities they cultivate, answering to no one but themselves and the people they build platforms for. Whether it be gender-diverse, LGBTQIA+, people of colour, or multidisciplinary artists, these collectives are taking club nights into their own hands and creating a new wave of music and arts events that reflect the vibrancy of the music and arts scene.
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Aywa Syndicate, created by Jack Long and Marroushti was conceived when they noticed an emergence of DJs from the Middle Eastern region and knew there was something to hone in on.
Starting as a bi-monthly event at Carltons Colour Club, Aywa Syndicate booked local electronic artists from the Southwest Asia/North Africa (SWANA) region, which cultivated an energetic and organic club night of music and dance.
“Everyone on the line-up rallied, even the DJs, and each brought down various kinds of drums and instruments. We had singers improvising vocals over the beat of the DJs. The energy in the room was awesome, and a number of people came up to me and said that they had never been to a club night like it,” Jack says of their Colour Club event.
The space intentionally sculpted by Aywa Syndicate is a testament to a city that is eager to explore sounds outside of its usual tastes. This is a theme that is particularly prominent after COVID – “I think we have a very important role to play in showcasing SWANA music and catering to our community. This is important post-COVID as we all felt a strong sense of isolation during lockdown and it is now more important than ever to come together, unite, and celebrate in an inclusive and safe environment such as Aywa,” adds Marroushti.
Alongside Aywa Syndicate, Marroushti founded Puss Up with friend NJA, throwing a series of art events for First Nation, Migrant Wxmen, and gender-diverse people across the city.
With a focus on multidisciplinary art as well as music, Puss Up consistently create lineups bursting with creative energy. Poetry, live art, spoken word, and theatre all feature in their dynamic club nights.
“There is definitely a positive shift happening, as femme and queer DJs are getting booked more often, not just as backing acts but more so as featured artists. But there is a lot of work to be done in terms of equal payment — providing more support, opportunities, and funding for womxn who run events.
“Black and Brown artists and organisers have been out here making for a long while now, but it’s a definite refresh to see these events and artistic features being more openly noticed, paid, and accessed,” notes Marroushti of Puss Up.
The values held by Puss Up, amongst other collectives, aim to challenge the norms that prevail in the Australian Music Industry. The 2022 National Music Industry Review ‘Raising Their Voices’ reported that First Nations People, People of Colour, LGBTQIA+, and young people still experience discrimination and are at higher risk of unpaid work and limited opportunities in the industry.
Meanwhile, 91% of women and gender-diverse people have experienced sexual harassment from senior colleagues. In an industry that fosters discriminatory environments at all levels, grassroots collectives such as Aywa and Puss Up provide their own remedy that aims to protect and sustain the multifaceted joy that music and art can bring.
Puss Up is reworking the ways in which the club scene can be utilised and accessed, “(the club) is an expressional platform, so it can be an exhibition, it can be a theatre, and as a multitude of organisers have shown in the last year, it can be a community hub whilst being a place to dance,” says Puss Up’s NJA.
Filling this gap is a parallel driving force for the music collective known as Holy Trinity. “It felt rare to have an all female-run and gender non-conforming focused group running events that supports femme artists,” co-founder Philippa Conlon says. “It helps create a safe space at clubs and leaves no room for unsupportive audiences and venues.”
Holy Trinity, formed by three friends during the strict lockdown of 2021, was created in response to the burgeoning electronic scene in Melbourne. While everyone was in lockdown, there was an influx of creative energy and new femme DJs who wanted a stage to show their work.
Alongside Conlon, Maree Pearson and this writer throw club nights dedicated to all femme and gender-nonconforming/LQBTQIA+ lineups. Following the “renaissance period” of creativity post-lockdown, as Maree puts it, it is just as important to support the grassroots collectives reworking the narrative of the local club scene.
Check out upcoming events from each collective.
Aywa Syndicate
Friday 30 September
2 Arthurton Road, Northcote 3070
Featuring Eastern Distributor, Anuraag, Yung Lemon & more
Fundraiser for Djirra Victoria
24 Moons, 2 Arthurton Road Northcote 3070
Friday October 7
Featuring DJ sets from Lizzy Nice, Minimale Fatale, Floss Dog, Stev Zar, Marroushti and more.
Holy Trinity Collective
1st Birthday Party
Colour Club, 229 Queensberry Street Carlton 3053
Friday November 4
Holy Trinity Eudaimonia Residency at Waxflower Bar
Every Wednesday in October
153 Weston Street, Brunswick 3056
Holy Trinity at Dr. Morse Bar
Sunday 4 December
274 Johnston Street, Abbotsford 3067
Lineup TBD
Puss Up
Puss Up at Miscellania
Thursday 1 December
2/401 Swanston Street, Melbourne 3004
Lineup TBD
