(Credit: Far Out / Bandcamp)
When you think of the sounds of Australia, what do you hear? Gentle waves creeping across the golden beaches of Queensland, the distant drone of a didgeridoo, or Men at Work's 'Land Down Under'? Is it the classic style? In fact, the modern Australian sound is provided by the raucous DIY punk of Melbourne's music scene.
Throughout the history of music, there are certain cities and eras that inexplicably fostered unforgettable artistic scenes. From the swinging sounds of 1960s London to the hardcore punk rock of his 1980s Washington, D.C., sometimes the conditions are perfect, and local artists take advantage of that small window to express themselves musically. can do. It's not a terrible claim that Melbourne currently operates one of the most exciting, vibrant and diverse creative environments in the world.
Melbourne, or Naam to use its original Woiwurn name, has enjoyed a roster of talented punk artists dating back to the first global punk rock boom of the 1970s. One of Melbourne's greatest groups during this early period was Cosmic Psychos, a decidedly grittier grunge band than many of the post-punk bands that were emerging around the same time, such as Nick's Cave's The Birthday Party. It used a primitive sound. Cosmic Psychos' lineage can still be heard in the work of contemporary punk groups in the area, particularly Amil and the Sniffers, who supported Psychos at last year's 40th anniversary show.
Amir and the Sniffers, along with The Chats, seem to be one of the few groups to have transcended Melbourne's punk scene and enjoyed immense popularity both in the UK and abroad. However, these bands barely scratch the surface of Melbourne's incredible range of artists. The overall atmosphere of the city is expansive and diverse, much like punk rock. The range of Melbourne artists incorporates everything from experimental, electronic outfits creating sounds akin to New Wave to outright hardcore groups evoking the sounds of Cosmic Psychos. Curiously, many Melbourne punks have adopted a similar guitar sound to the US proto-punk, surf and garage scenes. This is probably due to a similar penchant for surfing.
At the forefront of Melbourne's new wave of punk and post-punk artists is Pinch Point.Enter the scene with mechanical damage Back in 2018, the group distinguished themselves as a truly original outfit. After intense writing, recording and touring, Pinch Point will embark on an extensive tour of the UK and EU to promote their 2022 album 'Process', one of the best post-punk masterpieces of recent years. I got on board.
Even though they travel all over the world, they remain one of Melbourne's best kept secrets.speak exclusively FarGroup members Acacia Coates and Jordan Oakley expressed their appreciation for their hometown, stating that “Nahm/Melbourne is a great place to live in terms of the quality and quantity of music that is produced,” adding, “We It has a strong history.” Although rock and punk are often the face of the city, the city has a thriving scene with a variety of genres including jazz, soul, experimental, pop, electronica, and country. ”
Pinch Point is one of the most popular groups in the city, but the sentiment they share is common throughout the scene. On a more grassroots level, musician Tisien Flowers, formerly of the excellent but short-lived horror-punk band Snotty and the Snotty Grubbs, and more recently of Crit Split, said: told. Gender-diverse bands are gaining a platform to perform. ”
Mr. Flower continued by adding: “I think the sound is evolving as well. It used to be all male, really spicy voices and music drowned out by electric guitars. Now there's a lot more post-punk inspired stuff, a lot more music. I started hearing synth and femme voices.”
The city's music movement is fueled by a variety of grassroots venues, radio stations, and record labels. For example, since 2017, Roulette Records has continued to release works by prominent artists in the scene, including Pinch Point. The band was keen to highlight the importance of these institutions and shared: PBS, RRR, Shin and 3CR All have great radio broadcasting and are an important part of the fabric here. ”
Although the diversity of Melbourne's musical output is remarkable, the city faces a number of institutional challenges. Pinch Point explained: “We still have a long way to go in terms of seeing more diverse lineups (why are there still men-only bills?) and since the pandemic, many venues have struggled to attract enough people to close their doors. , facing a tenfold increase in the amount of public liability insurance.”
The cost of living crisis and lack of government aid are also causing problems at the city's grassroots sites. But with such a saturation of great artists, it seems almost impossible to completely suppress artistic production.
One of the artists who gained attention with “Pinch Point'' is Billiam, who has been active in that world since he was a teenager. The young punk has been a cornerstone of Melbourne's scene in recent years, through projects like Disco Junk, Collective Hardcore, Sylvie S, and more recently releasing music under his own name. Billiam shared his views about this city with us here. Far, “There's a proliferation of record labels, venues and people who are willing to put in the effort to create something and spread it as much as possible, just for the sake of creation,” he said. “From my point of view, the reason Nahm can thrive is because it has an even mix of places to do things and people who want to do things there.”
The general consensus from conversations with artists involved in Melbourne's DIY scene is that music is the intense creativity of certain driven individuals working tirelessly to create spaces that are inviting to artists. This means that it is being promoted by As Pinch Point puts it: “Many Melburnians are proud of the scene here, working hard to book diverse line-ups, mentor young people and advocate for positive change. Melbourne doesn't seem to be a place for arrogance or ego. Primarily comprised of harsh punk rock, this city seems to be attractive to young experimental artists.
Many artistic fields throughout history have been fairly short-lived. For example, the initial punk boom in England lasted only two years, subsided and gave way to the next trend. But Melbourne music seems to be going from strength to strength. For years, this city has nurtured local talent and produced some of the most interesting and exciting art this country has ever seen. Few groups have found success outside of Australia at the moment, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time before groups like Pinch Point, Billiam, Shrimpwich and the Oathmuteans receive the wide recognition they deserve. That would be a problem.
If you're looking to immerse yourself in the diverse and exciting sounds of Melbourne's thriving DIY music world, we've compiled a playlist of some highlights below with the help of musicians within the scene. As Pinch Point so beautifully put it, “There's always been something in the water here…it's hard to pinpoint exactly what it is.”