See Mildlife, 30/70, and more for free at the Prahran Square Block Party on November 20.
Everyone loves a block party, and on November 20th, Prahan Square will host a free, all-ages and family-friendly event featuring some of Melbourne’s finest live acts and performers.
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The day will feature headline performances from Mildlife, 30/70, Emma Volard, and BUMPY, along with an immersive and contemporary Indigenous dance by Amos Roach and the Murrundaya Yepengna Dancers & Orchestra. DJ Adriana will be hosting and spinning tunes in-between acts to ensure the party does not stop.
The Prahran Square Block Party is being put on by the City of Stonnington in collaboration with the Victorian Government and PBS106.7FM to help celebrate Melbourne’s reputation as the live music capital of Australia. To help get you excited, we figured we’d take a closer look at the headlines acts of the event below.
Mildlife
Mildlife will have just hopped off a plane from their North American tour in time for the Block Party, energised from showing the Yanks exactly what Australian psychedelic jazz fusion is all about. Catch them headlining the event for free as they warm up for their support run with the Artic Monkeys in early 2023.
A busy live band who might *still* be on tour in support of their latest album ‘Automatic’ which was released in September 2020, Mildlife’s wild jazz is the perfect way to cap off a day of block-partying. The songs are long, and the groove-driven psych is progressive as the collective tweak the genre of jazz to suit their every demand. If you’ve ever wanted your Tame Impala to be a little weirder, this is the band for you.
30/70
Melbourne’s favourite musical collective, 30/70, are also freshly returned from overseas travels, this time to Europe, where they have been spreading the love of their latest album ‘Fluid Motion.’ You could describe this group as ‘Hiatus Kaiyote for the locals,’ but a deeper dive into their experimental catalogue reveals a lot more.
30/70 continue to arguably be one of the finest live acts the Melbourne scene has ever produced. A collective of skilled multi-instrumentalists who form sub-bands within the primary one (check out Horatio Luna, for example), the chance to see them on a free ticket while enjoying some November sun is simply too good to pass up. Do yourself a favour and become 30/70’s next biggest fan.
Emma Volard
Emma Volard will bring her lavish harmonies, broken beats and gut-wrenching lyricism to the block party. No stranger to big events, Emma’s previous festival appearances include Meadow, New Year’s Eve on the Hill and Brunswick Music Festival. Her future soul fuses elements of jazz harmony and more, making her the perfect fit for this eclectic line-up.
Emma is fresh off the release of her debut album Deity, which came out this July, and her first TV appearance on Spicks and Specks. You’ve likely heard her on the radio, but for the full experience, we recommend getting in early to watch Emma and her band do their very wonderous thing.
Bumpy
Bumpy is a Noongar woman and the winner of the 2022 triple j unearthed National Indigenous Music Awards. Her stunning voice is transformative, complex and stirring, and she has recently released the single ‘Leave It All Behind,’ a soulful groove that exhibits her powerful vocals perfectly.
Bumpy is also the lead vocalist of the soul/psychedelic outfit Squid Nebula and a member of the First Nations collective DRMNGNOW. However, Block Party attendees will be in for a treat with a solo performance that will perfectly set the tone for the rest of the party.
So pop down to Prahran Square, Cato Street, Prahran, on November 20 from 12pm until 7pm to enjoy the above acts and much more! The Prahran Block Party is an all-ages, family-friendly event that will feature this amazing line-up of live music, food and drink stalls from local businesses, and a great all-around atmosphere.
All the other info you might need is available right here.
The Block Party is part of the government initiative On The Road Again, which is working to bring live music back all across Victoria. This article was made in partnership with City of Stonnington.
