Music Without Borders
This weekend’s Decolonise Fest will celebrate Marrickville’s vibrant DIY culture. It’s probably also the only festival in Australia where you can get tips on getting your pushbike fixed. TIM SCOTT reports.
As a Melburnian, about the only thing I knew about Marrickville growing up was that it was the home to Jeff Fenech. In the intervening years the “Marrickville Mauler” has gone from world champion boxer to wrist watch thief, and the inner south-western suburb of Sydney has become a vibrant music and cultural precinct.
Amid the semi-industrial factories and warehouses has sprung a cluster of emerging, autonomous and independent venues and shop fronts that have become home to musicians, artists and activists alike.
Held over the upcoming Australia Day weekend (January 23-26), the Decolonise Fest is a celebration of Marrickville’s DIY culture featuring gigs, workshops, discussions, zine fairs and film screenings.
While the Big Day Out brouhaha is happening only a short distance away, Marrickville will play host to more than 20 bands including Naked on the Vague, Dead Farmers, Hee Haw, Truth From Facts and Inappropriate Tough Guy Behaviour.
Alex, a member of Hee Haw and part of a group of organisers of the festival, says greater freedom is gained when shows are booked at “non traditional venues” such as pubs, clubs and theatres.
“Aside from the cost of booking an event at orthodox venues, there are all kinds of limitations on what can occur. Most exclude under-18s in favour of overpriced drinks, creating the idea that you must be holding a beer to be watching something let alone enjoying it.
“When the emphasis is no longer on profit, so many more things become possible.”
“Secondly, you have to deal with the place's physical layout, sound system and sound person. These are set up to negate any kind of interesting atmosphere, so as not to alienate a mainstream audience. Being in control of your own space is the only effective way to do something different. It can become a centre of activity for a group of like-minded people, and potentially even the wider community,” he says.
“When the emphasis is no longer on profit, so many more things become possible. It's a shame that local councils don't see alternative spaces in the same way.”
The venues of Marrickville have not only become important in nurturing young bands in Sydney, a city that has a long history of venue closures and changes, they are also integral to the national DIY touring circuit.
“I've lost count as to how many times I’ve played in Marrickville”, says Jem Moloney, drummer for Melbourne's Inappropriate Tough Guy Behaviour. “I think it has been very lucky in that it is close to the city and yet industrial enough to have people make noise without too many people noticing.”
Decolonise Fest is not just about the music, however. Over the weekend, a number of workshops and activities will be held to help generate communication and understanding within the community.
“The main extra musical activity will hopefully be a large forum about the existing, emerging and retreating venues in the area,” adds Alex. “We will discuss ways to collaborate and turn our spaces into better, more durable vehicles. The zine fair should also be great. There is also a bike-fixing workshop, a sexual health workshop, film screenings and a lot more to be organised at the last minute.”
Daily festival programs can be picked up in Newtown from Paint It Black (Enmore Road), Black Rose (Enmore Road) or Repressed Records (King Street).
DECOLONISE FEST
January 23-26
Marrickville, Sydney, NSW
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word.
you gonna be around on the weekend necktie?
yeah mate. i have work to do in sydders and i can't miss this either.
a beer perhaps?
(sorry alex)
beer yes
The real pity is that the city and its councils don't see this area as a kind of New York bowery space. That whole artist scene happened there exactly because business moved out to cheaper areas and urban decline set in. The city councils installed artists against the previous zoning laws to keep the areas populated and maintained and keep local business alive. Marrickville council instead closes places like the Pitz and the Cad factory.
unfortunately, it seems that we all are not seen as contributors to culture, by the council/local government etc.
they don't walk the talk, so we're forced to be as ninja-like as possible to put on shows.
it sucks, but it's the reality...until the powers that be decide that we aren't all deadshits.
dole=artist's allowance?
the council didn't close anything. they want the spaces to play by their rules. that's all really. some spaces are going down that path - hopefully paving the way for others.
this is one of the dumbest things I've ever read. That is all.
Why do you think what he said is dumb? I can understand that point of view.
Explain it to me with specific reference to two venues we are both familiar with, boogsie.
I think he's expressing a dislike of licensed pub venues that lack the type of atmosphere he finds appealing in warehouses/unlicensed venues. It's clumsily articulated.
spot on shaun. it just comes off as supreme self-righteousness at odds with the community vibe the festival is supposed to have. more ridiculous fear of 'the man' at work.
I've never had any issue with unconventional setups (not using stage, PA etc) at venues. and venues are designed with sound quality, sightlines and enjoyment for the widest range of attendees in mind...can someone name a venue which was designed to 'negate' atmosphere?
Festival Hall aside.
All ages shows don't happen so often, not because venues don't want them- it's quite the opposite. The costs involved in delicensing (for an U18s show) are enormous, not to mention how far in advance you have to apply with the proper authorities. It's simply not viable for most. Victorian licensing laws make it pretty much impossible. So if Alex wants to level guns at anyone, it should be the Liquor Licensing council.
I'm sorry the rest of the world isn't punk rock enough. Stop worrying about the bogeyman.
So who closed the Pitz and the Cad? Was it the landlords? My mistake.
Still they aren't exactly encouraging it.
The Cad Factory isn't closed to my knowledge, it just moved.
TONIGHT at Dirty Shirlows!!!
32 Shirlow St Marrickville
8pm
*Whooping Big Naughty
*Paranoia Club
*White Mans Burden
+ More to be announced......
Sunday 25th JAn
1-4pm
DIY MArkets - got anything to sell ? Bring it...
Zine Fair - Got any Zines ? Bring em...
if you want to have a stall bring a table or we can make you one and turn up .
There will be cakes , BBQ, Music and sillinesssss.
MUSIQUE SANS FRONTIERS !
It moved cuz they got told to get out. This happened immediately after they had finished thousands of dollars of renovations.
Well maybe hundreds of dollars I'm not sure.
that's a pretty simplistic view.
some people have to struggle harder than others. i am not one who wants to exclude anyone, but i have to watch my back too...so i choose to live my life and run a band with my friends a certain way.
alex is idealistic, he is certainly no idiot. idealism can lead one down a road of no return or it can sustain one's existence...
that aside, just because you haven't encountered the bogeyman (in whatever form he takes) does not mean others haven't either.
Fact is that some bands that live in this city or would like to tour this city can't get gigs at regular venues. That necessitates DIY venues. End of story. We don't really need all that much rhetoric to justify that.
I think that it's really important to consider the context where two arguements are coming to a head.
A question over what can be provided by a 'legit' (pub) venue in comparison to a DIY run space can differ GREATLY between stations of place. The pub scenes of Melbourne and Sydney are not (IMO) really comparible, and the laws are different.
There is some great (albeit very recent) history of DIY venues run out of shopfronts and warehouse spaces in both cities, but both have succeeded and failed in different areas.
Currently (as far as I know), Sydney has more to offer in terms of these kinds of venues, and so it is more and more a comfort thing that ''DIY'' preferences (things like being able to do the PA yrself, charging whatever you want, having a 'dry' show, playing on the ground if you wish, not having to go by anyone else's rules beyond common sense) can become almost according to habit and can (I guess) make people a bit arrogant towards not being able to run the show 100%.
There are a lot of people who feel quite uncomfortable at 18+/pub shows because of these reasons and also other things that go hand-in-hand with the business' main revenue coming from bar sales. There are a lot of social/political reasons why someone would prefer to go to an all ages event than a 18+ show even when they're in their twenties. This can apply for a band, performer, organiser, punter, or munter.
For people in Sydney this weekend who are interested in this discussion and voicing/hearing ideas for and against the way DIY spaces are, have, and can be run within community, there is an Open Forum as a part of the Decolonise 2009 thing.
But like I said initially, if you are interested in arguing against quotes in this article, consider the fact that you may be in a different city (and thus, a different ball game with different rules and different boundaries) from the area that the quoted source is coming from.
What may be easy and accessible and not a problem for you may be the most difficult and isolating situation for someone else somewhere else.