Dhillon has spent enough time in the music scene to know what he wants from a festival. He’s built Parmageddon from the ground up, and he doesn’t plan on it being a one-off event.
“For the last couple of years, my band have been playing other shows – gigs that other people have put on,” he says. “You have good experiences and you have bad experiences with promoters. I said to myself, ‘Maybe I can do my own thing and give it a crack. I could put on a really good show’. I go to shows, so I know what kind of lineup, what kind of show I’d want to see. I wanted to put on a show where the bands that are playing are all well off – we’ve got CDs for sale for all the bands, the bands are going to get a cut at the door. I’m not going to be getting an extra cut because I’m the promoter. The bands do a lot of the work so let’s give them an extra cut. Just to do something big.
“I love being creative so if I’m not making videos or music, I’d love to do my own festival, something big each year that gets bigger and bigger then starts getting younger local acts,” he continues. “I can’t see how younger acts are getting through these days. We’ve had a tough time getting through – why don’t we make it easier for the next guys? If we can make this as big as we can, then every year we put on younger local bands who wouldn’t get a show at, say, The Espy or Cherry Bar. We’ll share a bit with them and get them some exposure.”
Along with 20 live acts, the Parmageddon lineup boasts Melbourne-based comedian Ariel Simone, who’ll be MCing the night. Dhillon first connected with Simone when shooting a video clip earlier this year, and he says her presence on the bill is crucial to distinguishing the festival.
“I wanted to make this different. I’ve been to a couple of festivals that people have put on before and it’s pretty much just gigs with ten-15 bands. There’s nothing special to them. I wanted to have hosts and MCs all day that will give away raffles, put a couple of one-liners in. Then I’ve got Ainslie Adams who’s going to put on a special performance in the intermission. I want to make a difference. It’s not just a show where we’ve lumped 20 bands together who are just going to jam. No. It’s a whole thing, a whole day.”
Dhillon’s proactive spirit is evidenced by the fact he typically spends six days a week focusing on several music projects across Melbourne. He reflects on what keeps him so busy.
“I come from a farming background where I’m used to working 12 hours helping my parents out. It’s just about pushing together, sometimes it gets crazy, but you have to be crazy to be doing this. You don’t need the extra hustle, but I seek out the extra hustle. Somehow, I still get time to enjoy it as well.”
BY THOMAS BRAND
