Music of Melbourne
Encyclopedia
Melbourne
is the capital city of Victoria
, Australia
, the second largest city in the country, with a population of 4 million. The city has one of the most highly regarded live music
scenes in the world, in terms of the quality, support structure (venues, labels, radio, press) and health of its independent/DIY/experimental scene. It hosts extensive commercial
, traditional
and independent music industries. As with many cities around the world, its independent music scene is growing rapidly as commercial record labels find it increasingly difficult to market and sell music as a product, an increasing number of people are choosing to recognise and appreciate music as a form of art
rather than a product
.
Although not as popular as contemporary music, traditional forms of music still thrive in the city, from traditional orchestral performances and opera to Indigenous Australian music and niche scenes of 20th century styles, such as jazz and punk. The city is supported by a structure of labels, venues, publications, press, radio, participants, contributors and patrons of a size disproportionate to its population and in spite of its location, somewhat disconnected from other centres of contemporary music in the world today.
As with many large cultural centres around the world, the city's cultural
, art
, performing art, musical theatre, politics and social issues are closely entwined with its music, particularly in the independent/DIY/experimental scene, where contributors and patrons frequently exchange and share roles. The largest music-related political rally in Australia's history, the 2010 Melbourne live music rally
, was held in the city in February 2010.
people of the Woiwurrung language group, from an estimated 40,000 years ago until the arrival of European settlers in the early 19th century.
named after it (see Melba, Australian Capital Territory
).
venue and dance venue in St Kilda, one of the main entertainment districts in Melbourne at the time. In the 1970s, the Hotel's Gershwin Room, a grand dining room, was turned into a disco, complete with flashing Saturday Night Fever-style dance floor. Since the 1970s, it has hosted primarily rock-related acts and is currently the longest continuously running live music venue in Australia.
Poker machines had a much larger affect on live music in Sydney than they did in Melbourne. Many live music venues in Sydney either ceased music performance altogether or began hosting variety performance and cover bands. In Melbourne, many local pubs which only occasionally featured live music performance, were affected, and today these local pubs host betting agencies, sports bars and designated poker machine areas.
Several venues around Melbourne have ongoing issues with complaints from a single nearby resident. Some of the most recent and notable include: The Birmingham in Fitzroy and the Wesley Anne in Northcote. Supporters of live music venues point to increased gentrification and influxes of new residents to areas occupied by live music venues and argue that residents moving into these areas should be aware of the venues and the sounds prior to deciding whether or not to move to the area, as many venues have been operating longer than most residents have lived in the same areas. Of course it is also true that a number of these areas are longtime residential areas, and as is often the case with gentrification, new live music venues open in place of traditional non noise-emitting businesses that are not suitable as live music venues.
The overwhelming majority of complaints about sound from music venues come from one or a very small number of residents per venue; many of these residents are new to the areas in question.
, and threatened the closure of several other small live music venues such as The Vineyard, St Kilda.
Upon the closure of The Tote Hotel in January 2010, several social networking groups were created in opposition to the closure of the venue, one such group reached 20,000 members, and within 2 days a rally was organised. On 17 January, a crowd of between 2,000 and 5,000 rallied outside the venue, closing traffic to two major roads in Collingwood
, an inner city suburb of Melbourne.
The Tote rally sparked moderate public and political debate about the effect these laws were having on small music venues and quickly grew to encompass other venues which host musical performance and lack of government investment and support of live music in general. The rally also forced the State government to open discussions between the state government and local music industry representatives in fear of losing marginal inner city seats at the 2010 Victorian State election, though no action was taken on amending the laws to remove restrictions on small live music venues.
A new body Music Victoria was established and several community groups began organising a much larger rally to encompass the wider spectrum that the issue now covered. Subsequently, the 2010 Melbourne live music rally
was held 23 February 2010 with a crowd of 20,000 to 50,000 in attendance.
Simultaneously, on the other side of the city, further social networking groups formed to save their local music venues. The Keep The Vineyard Live body, supported by Australian music giants like Mental As Anything
's Greedy Smith
, Ian Molly Meldrum, Triple M Radio's star Mieke Buchan
and Underbelly
actor Damian Walshe-Howling
, who together with SLAM
, packed the St Kilda Town Hall
chamber for an emotional council meeting on the matter. The rally attracted the attention of the state government whom, on 28 June 2010 at the 11th hour, sent an express letter to councillors indicating its support for the continuation of the St Kilda
live music venue, and thus swayed the council's decision to retain The Vineyard Bar as a live music venue.
The fierce public outcry was later hailed as a victory for the people and for live music in St Kilda
. Yet, to date, the threatening liquor licensing laws have not been rolled back.
Melbourne's popular, commercial music scene has fostered many internationally renowned artists and musicians. The 1960s gave rise to many performers including Olivia Newton-John
, John Farnham
, Graeme Bell
, and folk group The Seekers
. The 1970s and 1980s saw many acts getting their first big breaks on Melbourne's Countdown, including Nick Cave
the Little River Band and Crowded House
who later wrote a song about the city of Melbourne called Four Seasons In One Day
. Successful Melbourne artists include Hunters & Collectors
, Nick Cave
, Flea (of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
), Angus Andrew (of the Liars
), Weddings Parties Anything
, TISM
, Dead Can Dance
, Snog
, Jet
and Something for Kate
. Melbourne is also the home of rock "guru" journalist and music commentator Ian "Molly" Meldrum
.
More recent notable Melbourne acts include Jet
, Rogue Traders
, Taxiride
, Missy Higgins
, Madison Avenue
, Anthony Callea
, The Living End
and The Temper Trap
. Melbourne-based television shows Young Talent Time
and Neighbours
gave many singers a launching pad to international success. Local talents to come from these shows include Kylie Minogue
, Dannii Minogue
, Tina Arena
, Jamie Redfern
and Jason Donovan
. Another Music TV show that began in Melbourne was Turn It Up!. It was first shown on Melbourne's Channel 31 and then relayed via satellite and rebroadcast terrestrially to major TV networks in over 22 countries. The show had the second largest viewing audience around the world, beaten only by the audience of American Bandstand
. In one episode, the show presented Melbourne's annual festival Moomba
to a world audience.
scenes in the world. A variety of factors including a relative abundance of venues, independent record labels, street press
, and strong support from local community radio
(such as PBS, 3RRR, 3CR, 3SYN), have enabled the city to enjoy a depth, diversity and longevity of independent music not seen in other Australian cities. Melbourne's independent music industry has been the subject of two documentary films, Sticky Carpet
in 2006 and the DIY film Super8 Diaries Project in 2008. Some of the most important and influential alternative artists emerged from Melbourne in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Post-punk
band The Birthday Party
are one of "the darkest and most challenging post-punk groups to emerge in the early '80s." One act from Melbourne, Dead Can Dance
, a Gothic rock
duo, mixed Dark Wave with classical music, thus founding the genre Neoclassical Dark Wave
.
Many independent artists from Melbourne have become internationally notable and have toured internationally, including: Cut Copy
, Architecture in Helsinki
, The Drones
, Augie March
, New Buffalo, The Cat Empire
, Muscles
, Ned Collette
, The Crayon Fields
, My Disco
, Love of Diagrams
, Midnight Juggernauts
, Beaches, Gotye
, Miami Horror
and The Avalanches
.
Festivals held in the Greater Melbourne area include:
wrote several well-known songs about aspects of the city close to the heart of many Melburnians, notably "Leaps And Bounds" and "From St Kilda To King's Cross", while bands like Australian Crawl
and Skyhooks wrote some more tongue-in-cheek songs about Melbourne; "Balwyn Calling", "Carlton (Lygon Street Limbo)" and "Toorak Cowboy" are examples. The Living End
wrote a song entitled "West End Riot" about differences between eastern and western suburbs in Melbourne's inner city.
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
is the capital city of Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, the second largest city in the country, with a population of 4 million. The city has one of the most highly regarded live music
Live Music
Live Music is a reggaeton company owned by DJ Giann.-Artists:* Jowell & Randy* Tony Lenta* Watussi* De La Ghetto* Guelo Star* Galante "El Emperador"-Producers:*DJ Blass*Dexter*Mr. Greenz*DJ Giann*Los Hitmen*Dirty Joe*ALX...
scenes in the world, in terms of the quality, support structure (venues, labels, radio, press) and health of its independent/DIY/experimental scene. It hosts extensive commercial
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
, traditional
Traditional music
Traditional music is the term increasingly used for folk music that is not contemporary folk music. More on this is at the terminology section of the World music article...
and independent music industries. As with many cities around the world, its independent music scene is growing rapidly as commercial record labels find it increasingly difficult to market and sell music as a product, an increasing number of people are choosing to recognise and appreciate music as a form of art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
rather than a product
Product (business)
In general, the product is defined as a "thing produced by labor or effort" or the "result of an act or a process", and stems from the verb produce, from the Latin prōdūce ' lead or bring forth'. Since 1575, the word "product" has referred to anything produced...
.
Although not as popular as contemporary music, traditional forms of music still thrive in the city, from traditional orchestral performances and opera to Indigenous Australian music and niche scenes of 20th century styles, such as jazz and punk. The city is supported by a structure of labels, venues, publications, press, radio, participants, contributors and patrons of a size disproportionate to its population and in spite of its location, somewhat disconnected from other centres of contemporary music in the world today.
As with many large cultural centres around the world, the city's cultural
Culture of Melbourne
The Culture of Melbourne reflects its diverse, multi-layered culture and society and the city is widely noted as the "cultural and sporting capital" of Australia....
, art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
, performing art, musical theatre, politics and social issues are closely entwined with its music, particularly in the independent/DIY/experimental scene, where contributors and patrons frequently exchange and share roles. The largest music-related political rally in Australia's history, the 2010 Melbourne live music rally
2010 Melbourne live music rally
The 2010 Melbourne live music rally, was a public political rally held on 23 February 2010, in central Melbourne, Australia...
, was held in the city in February 2010.
History
Indigenous music
The first form of music present in the area now occupied by Greater Melbourne included various forms of informal and ceremonial traditional Indigenous Australian music, written, performed and enjoyed by the WurundjeriWurundjeri
The Wurundjeri are a people of the Indigenous Australian nation of the Woiwurrung language group, in the Kulin alliance, who occupy the Birrarung Valley, its tributaries and the present location of Melbourne, Australia...
people of the Woiwurrung language group, from an estimated 40,000 years ago until the arrival of European settlers in the early 19th century.
19th century
Melbourne's post-European music history is characterised by informal localised music in communities of free settlers and other immigrants who used music informally as a form of entertainment. Popular music was characterised by an affection and attachment to European music popular at the time and it took several decades for unique stylistic forms to develop. One of the earliest widely famous Melbournian was 20th century soprano Dame Nellie Melba, who took her name from her native city, who in turn had a suburb in Australia's capital city CanberraCanberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
named after it (see Melba, Australian Capital Territory
Melba, Australian Capital Territory
Melba is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Melba is in the district of Belconnen.The suburb of Melba is named after Dame Nellie Melba , the first internationally-recognised Australian opera soprano...
).
Early 20th century
The Esplanade Hotel, built in 1878, one of the earliest, largest and most prominent 19th century resort hotels in Victoria, has served as a venue for various styles through the 20th century. Between 1920 and 1925, the "Eastern Tent Ballroom" constructed to the rear of the site became an important jazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
venue and dance venue in St Kilda, one of the main entertainment districts in Melbourne at the time. In the 1970s, the Hotel's Gershwin Room, a grand dining room, was turned into a disco, complete with flashing Saturday Night Fever-style dance floor. Since the 1970s, it has hosted primarily rock-related acts and is currently the longest continuously running live music venue in Australia.
The "Little band scene"
The "Little band scene" is the name given to a period of abundant contemporary music created in Melbourne during the late 1970s and 1980s, approximately correlating with the punk and post-punk genres/movements.Poker Machines
Through the late 20th century, venues and local pubs that featured live music performance began installing poker machines. This had a large impact on the type and frequency of live music performed at venues with poker machines, leading many venues to cease music performance altogether, some well-known and iconic venues closed and reopened as pubs or restaurants with poker machines and betting agencies.Poker machines had a much larger affect on live music in Sydney than they did in Melbourne. Many live music venues in Sydney either ceased music performance altogether or began hosting variety performance and cover bands. In Melbourne, many local pubs which only occasionally featured live music performance, were affected, and today these local pubs host betting agencies, sports bars and designated poker machine areas.
Sound restrictions
Sound emanating from venues in Melbourne has been a point of contention for a very small minority of surrounding residents since the 1970s, increasingly during the late 1990s and early first decade of the 21st century and is still an issue facing music in Melbourne today. Laws and regulations in regards to sound can be triggered when a single nearby resident deems sound emanating from a venue as being of an unacceptable audible level in a habitable room. The laws currently allow complaints from a single resident, warranted or unwarranted, to cause the cessation of live music performance at a given venue, and as such remain a contentious issue.Several venues around Melbourne have ongoing issues with complaints from a single nearby resident. Some of the most recent and notable include: The Birmingham in Fitzroy and the Wesley Anne in Northcote. Supporters of live music venues point to increased gentrification and influxes of new residents to areas occupied by live music venues and argue that residents moving into these areas should be aware of the venues and the sounds prior to deciding whether or not to move to the area, as many venues have been operating longer than most residents have lived in the same areas. Of course it is also true that a number of these areas are longtime residential areas, and as is often the case with gentrification, new live music venues open in place of traditional non noise-emitting businesses that are not suitable as live music venues.
The overwhelming majority of complaints about sound from music venues come from one or a very small number of residents per venue; many of these residents are new to the areas in question.
Liqour licensing laws
In 2007, new liquor licensing laws were introduced as a measure to alleviate alcohol-related violence in the city. Restrictions were subsequently placed on small music venues, classifying them as high risk and requiring them to have abundant security. These restrictions caused the cessation of live music performance in some venues, forced the closure of the iconic Tote HotelThe Tote Hotel
The Tote Hotel is a hotel, pub, bar and music venue on 71 Johnston Street, the corner of Johnston and Wellington Streets, in Collingwood, an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...
, and threatened the closure of several other small live music venues such as The Vineyard, St Kilda.
Upon the closure of The Tote Hotel in January 2010, several social networking groups were created in opposition to the closure of the venue, one such group reached 20,000 members, and within 2 days a rally was organised. On 17 January, a crowd of between 2,000 and 5,000 rallied outside the venue, closing traffic to two major roads in Collingwood
Collingwood, Victoria
Collingwood is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
, an inner city suburb of Melbourne.
The Tote rally sparked moderate public and political debate about the effect these laws were having on small music venues and quickly grew to encompass other venues which host musical performance and lack of government investment and support of live music in general. The rally also forced the State government to open discussions between the state government and local music industry representatives in fear of losing marginal inner city seats at the 2010 Victorian State election, though no action was taken on amending the laws to remove restrictions on small live music venues.
A new body Music Victoria was established and several community groups began organising a much larger rally to encompass the wider spectrum that the issue now covered. Subsequently, the 2010 Melbourne live music rally
2010 Melbourne live music rally
The 2010 Melbourne live music rally, was a public political rally held on 23 February 2010, in central Melbourne, Australia...
was held 23 February 2010 with a crowd of 20,000 to 50,000 in attendance.
Simultaneously, on the other side of the city, further social networking groups formed to save their local music venues. The Keep The Vineyard Live body, supported by Australian music giants like Mental As Anything
Mental As Anything
Mental As Anything are an Australian New Wave–rock music band formed at an art school in Sydney in 1976. Their most popular line-up was Martin Plaza on vocals and guitar; Reg Mombassa on lead guitar and vocals; his brother Peter "Yoga Dog" O'Doherty on bass guitar and vocals; Wayne "Bird"...
's Greedy Smith
Greedy Smith
Greedy Smith is the pseudonym of Andrew McArthur Smith or Andy Smith , who is a vocalist, keyboardist, harmonicist and songwriter with Australian pop/R&B band Mental As Anything. Smith wrote many of their hit songs including "Live it Up" which peaked at #2 on the Australian singles chart...
, Ian Molly Meldrum, Triple M Radio's star Mieke Buchan
Mieke Buchan
thumb|250px|Mieke BuchanMieke Buchan is an Australian television and radio presenter.-Early life:A native of Sydney, Australia, she majored in Film and Television Production in her BA Communications degree at University of Technology, Sydney, and also competed for them in netball in the Australian...
and Underbelly
Underbelly (TV series)
Underbelly is a 13-part Australian television mini-series that retells the real events of the 1995–2004 gangland war in Melbourne, and is the first series in the larger Underbelly Franchise. It depicts the key players in Melbourne's criminal underworld, including the Carlton Crew and their rival,...
actor Damian Walshe-Howling
Damian Walshe-Howling
Damian Walshe-Howling is an Australian actor, best known for his role as Andrew "Benji" Veniamin in the Australian underworld drama, Underbelly, for which he won the Best Supporting or Guest Actor in a Drama Series at the 2008 AFI Awards.-Biography:He also starred on Blue Heelers as Constable Adam...
, who together with SLAM
2010 Melbourne live music rally
The 2010 Melbourne live music rally, was a public political rally held on 23 February 2010, in central Melbourne, Australia...
, packed the St Kilda Town Hall
St Kilda Town Hall
St Kilda Town Hall is a city hall in St Kilda, Victoria, Australia.-Architecture:The design by local architect William Pitt in the Classical Revival style. It was built in 1890. Pitt's grand vision for the town hall was never completed...
chamber for an emotional council meeting on the matter. The rally attracted the attention of the state government whom, on 28 June 2010 at the 11th hour, sent an express letter to councillors indicating its support for the continuation of the St Kilda
St Kilda, Victoria
St Kilda is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Port Phillip...
live music venue, and thus swayed the council's decision to retain The Vineyard Bar as a live music venue.
The fierce public outcry was later hailed as a victory for the people and for live music in St Kilda
St Kilda, Victoria
St Kilda is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Port Phillip...
. Yet, to date, the threatening liquor licensing laws have not been rolled back.
Commercial industry
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
, John Farnham
John Farnham
John Peter Farnham, AO, formerly billed as Johnny Farnham , is an English-born Australian pop singer. He was a teen pop idol from 1964 to 1979, and has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer. His career has mostly been as a solo artist although he briefly replaced Glenn Shorrock as...
, Graeme Bell
Graeme Bell
Graeme Emerson Bell AO MBE is an Australian Dixieland and classical jazz pianist, composer and band leader...
, and folk group The Seekers
The Seekers
The Seekers are an Australian folk-influenced pop music group which were originally formed in 1962. They were the first Australian popular music group to achieve major chart and sales success in the United Kingdom and the United States...
. The 1970s and 1980s saw many acts getting their first big breaks on Melbourne's Countdown, including Nick Cave
Nick Cave
Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
the Little River Band and Crowded House
Crowded House
Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Australia and led by New Zealand singer-songwriter Neil Finn. Finn is the primary songwriter and creative director of the band, having led it through several incarnations, drawing members from New Zealand , Australia and the United States...
who later wrote a song about the city of Melbourne called Four Seasons In One Day
Four Seasons in One Day
"Four Seasons in One Day" is a 1992 single released by rock group Crowded House. It was co-written by Neil Finn and brother Tim Finn, originally intended for their debut Finn Brothers album, however was moved onto the Woodface project as the two projects amalgamated. The song reached #26 on the UK...
. Successful Melbourne artists include Hunters & Collectors
Hunters & Collectors
Hunters & Collectors were an Australian rock music band formed in Melbourne in 1981, fronted by singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Seymour, they developed a blend of pub rock and art-funk...
, Nick Cave
Nick Cave
Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
, Flea (of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
), Angus Andrew (of the Liars
Liars (band)
Liars is a three-piece band formed in 2000 consisting of Angus Andrew , Aaron Hemphill , and Julian Gross...
), Weddings Parties Anything
Weddings Parties Anything
Weddings Parties Anything were an Australian folk rock band formed in 1984 in Melbourne and continuing until 1998. Their name came from The Clash song and musicologist Billy Pinnell described their first album as the best Australian rock debut since Skyhooks' Living in the '70s.-Formation and...
, TISM
TISM
TISM was a seven piece anonymous alternative rock band from Melbourne, Australia. The group was formed in 1982 and enjoyed a large underground/independent following. Their third album Machiavelli and the Four Seasons reached the Australian national top 10 in 1995...
, Dead Can Dance
Dead Can Dance
Dead Can Dance are an ethereal neoclassical duo formed in Melbourne, Australia, in August 1981, by Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry. The band relocated to London in May 1982 and disbanded in 1998. Their 1996 album Spiritchaser reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top World Music Albums Chart...
, Snog
Snog
Snog is a band formed by Australian musician David Thrussell, along with fellow art school friends, Tim McGrath and Julia Bourke, in 1989. The band's music is a fusion of many different styles, including industrial, techno, ambient, experimental, funk and even some of the social commentary of...
, Jet
Jet (band)
Jet are an Australian rock band formed in 2001 while attending St Bede's College Mentone in Melbourne, . The band consists of lead guitarist Cameron Muncey, bassist Mark Wilson, and brothers Nic and Chris Cester on vocals/rhythm guitar and drums respectively...
and Something for Kate
Something for Kate
Something for Kate are a rock band from Melbourne, Australia. Members include songwriter, vocalist and guitarist Paul Dempsey, drummer Clint Hyndman and bassist Stephanie Ashworth...
. Melbourne is also the home of rock "guru" journalist and music commentator Ian "Molly" Meldrum
Ian Meldrum
Ian Alexander "Molly" Meldrum AM is an Australian popular music critic, journalist, record producer , and musical entrepreneur...
.
More recent notable Melbourne acts include Jet
Jet (band)
Jet are an Australian rock band formed in 2001 while attending St Bede's College Mentone in Melbourne, . The band consists of lead guitarist Cameron Muncey, bassist Mark Wilson, and brothers Nic and Chris Cester on vocals/rhythm guitar and drums respectively...
, Rogue Traders
Rogue Traders
Rogue Traders are an Australian electronic pop rock band fronted by Melinda "Mindi" Jackson with James Ash on keyboards, Tim Henwood on guitars and Peter Marin on drums. The group's original members met in London in 1989. Before forming Rogue Traders, Ash and Davis worked together on many...
, Taxiride
Taxiride
Taxiride is an Australian rock band. Formed in 1997, the band consists of lead singer Jason Singh, guitarists Dan Hall and Tim Wild, and drummer Sean McLeod....
, Missy Higgins
Missy Higgins
Melissa "Missy" Morrison Higgins is an Australian pop singer-songwriter, musician and actor. Her No. 1 albums in Australia are The Sound of White and On a Clear Night , and her Top Ten singles are "Scar", "The Special Two", "Steer" and "Where I Stood". From a musical family in...
, Madison Avenue
Madison Avenue (band)
Madison Avenue was an Australian house music duo consisting of writer-producer Andy Van Dorsselaer and singer-lyricist Cheyne Coates. Madison Avenue is best known for the song "Don't Call Me Baby", which peaked at number two on the Australian singles charts in 1999.- History :Before joining Madison...
, Anthony Callea
Anthony Callea
Anthony Cosmo Callea is an Australian singer-songwriter who rose to prominence in the 2004 season of Australian Idol when he became runner up. He was signed to Sony Music Australia until 2009 and is now an independent artist...
, The Living End
The Living End
The Living End are an Australian rock band from Melbourne, Victoria, formed in 1994. The current lineup consists of Chris Cheney , Scott Owen and Andy Strachan...
and The Temper Trap
The Temper Trap
The Temper Trap is an Australian indie rock band which formed in 2005. The core members are Jonathon Aherne on bass guitar and vocals, Toby Dundas on drums and programming, Dougy Mandagi on vocals and guitar, and Lorenzo Sillitto on guitar, keyboards and vocals. They are supplemented on tours with...
. Melbourne-based television shows Young Talent Time
Young Talent Time
Young Talent Time is an Australian television variety program screened on Network Ten, running from 1971 until 1988. The series features a core group of young performers in the vein of The Mickey Mouse Club, and a weekly junior talent quest. The "Young Talent Team" regularly performed popular...
and Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
gave many singers a launching pad to international success. Local talents to come from these shows include Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
, Dannii Minogue
Dannii Minogue
Danielle Jane "Dannii" Minogue is an Australian singer-songwriter, actress, television personality, radio personality, fashion designer and model...
, Tina Arena
Tina Arena
Filippina Lydia "Tina" Arena is an Australian singer, songwriter and musical theatre actress. She has won several awards, most notably 6 ARIA Awards and in both 1996 and 2000 she received the World Music Award for the world's best selling Australian artist...
, Jamie Redfern
Jamie Redfern
Jamie Redfern born 9 April 1957, is an Australian television presenter and pop singer. Redfern was a founding member of the Australian show Young Talent Time and currently presents Jamie Redfern's Rascals, which can be viewed on Aurora TV. He is also the director of the Australian Showbusiness...
and Jason Donovan
Jason Donovan
Jason Donovan is an Australian actor and singer. He initially achieved fame in the Australian soap opera Neighbours, before beginning a career in music in 1988. In the UK he has sold over 3 million records, and his début album Ten Good Reasons was one of the highest-selling albums of 1989...
. Another Music TV show that began in Melbourne was Turn It Up!. It was first shown on Melbourne's Channel 31 and then relayed via satellite and rebroadcast terrestrially to major TV networks in over 22 countries. The show had the second largest viewing audience around the world, beaten only by the audience of American Bandstand
American Bandstand
American Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
. In one episode, the show presented Melbourne's annual festival Moomba
Moomba
Moomba is Australia's largest free community festival and one of the longest running festivals in Australia. Held annually in the city of Melbourne, Australia, Moomba is celebrated during the Labour Day long weekend , and has been celebrated since 1955...
to a world audience.
Independent scene
Melbourne has one of the most extensive and successful alternative, DIY, avant-garde, experimental, independent musicIndie (music)
In music, independent music, often shortened to indie music or "indie" is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, and an autonomous, Do-It-Yourself approach to recording and publishing....
scenes in the world. A variety of factors including a relative abundance of venues, independent record labels, street press
Street press
Street press is a term used to describe a certain type of publishing, between zines and magazines/newspapers in terms of distribution, content and audience. They are particularly prolific in Australia, although there are also some examples from Europe and North America...
, and strong support from local community radio
Community radio
Community radio is a type of radio service, that offers a third model of radio broadcasting beyond commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting. Community stations can serve geographic communities and communities of interest...
(such as PBS, 3RRR, 3CR, 3SYN), have enabled the city to enjoy a depth, diversity and longevity of independent music not seen in other Australian cities. Melbourne's independent music industry has been the subject of two documentary films, Sticky Carpet
Sticky Carpet
Sticky Carpet: Melbourne's Underground Rockumentary is a 2006 documentary film by Mark Butcher, Glenn Waterworth and Pip Stafford.Bio : The long overdue cultural recognition to Melbourne’s much-loved independent music scene...
in 2006 and the DIY film Super8 Diaries Project in 2008. Some of the most important and influential alternative artists emerged from Melbourne in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
band The Birthday Party
The Birthday Party (band)
The Birthday Party were an Australian rock band, active from 1973 to 1983.Despite being championed by John Peel, The Birthday Party found little commercial success during their career...
are one of "the darkest and most challenging post-punk groups to emerge in the early '80s." One act from Melbourne, Dead Can Dance
Dead Can Dance
Dead Can Dance are an ethereal neoclassical duo formed in Melbourne, Australia, in August 1981, by Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry. The band relocated to London in May 1982 and disbanded in 1998. Their 1996 album Spiritchaser reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top World Music Albums Chart...
, a Gothic rock
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
duo, mixed Dark Wave with classical music, thus founding the genre Neoclassical Dark Wave
Neoclassical (Dark Wave)
Neoclassical Dark Wave refers to a music genre within the Dark Wave movement. It is characterized by the use of ethereal atmosphere and angelic female voices but also adds strong influences from classical music. Neoclassical Dark Wave is distinct from the academic art music form known as...
.
Many independent artists from Melbourne have become internationally notable and have toured internationally, including: Cut Copy
Cut Copy
Cut Copy are an Australian electronic band formed in 2001 by Dan Whitford on vocals, keyboard and guitar. Other members are Tim Hoey on guitar and sampler, Ben Browning on bass guitar and Mitchell Scott on drums. Their second album, In Ghost Colours peaked at number-one on the ARIA Albums Chart in...
, Architecture in Helsinki
Architecture in Helsinki
Architecture in Helsinki is an Australian indie pop band which consists of Cameron Bird, Gus Franklin, Jamie Mildren, Sam Perry, and Kellie Sutherland...
, The Drones
The Drones
The Drones are an Australian rock group who rose to prominence during the early 2000s. They are influenced by a variety of bands and soloists including Neil Young, The Velvet Underground, Bad Brains, Suicide, Green on Red, The Birthday Party, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan and Nina Simone.- The Sound...
, Augie March
Augie March
Augie March are an Australian indie/pop rock band. Formed in 1996 in Shepparton, Victoria, the band currently consists of vocalist and rhythm guitarist Glenn Richards, lead guitarist Adam Donovan, bassist Edmondo Ammendola, drummer David Williams, and keyboardist Kiernan Box...
, New Buffalo, The Cat Empire
The Cat Empire
The Cat Empire are an Australian ska and jazz band formed in 1999. Core members are Harry James Angus , Will Hull-Brown , Jamshid "Jumps" Khadiwhala , Ollie McGill , Ryan Monro and Felix Riebl...
, Muscles
Muscles (musician)
Muscles is an Australian electronica musician.Muscles' debut album Guns Babes Lemonade was released in Australia on 29 September 2007. The album entered the Australian ARIA Album Chart at #14 on 8 October 2007, reaching #3 on the Australian Artist Chart and #1 on the Dance Album Chart in its first...
, Ned Collette
Ned Collette
Ned Collette is a Melbourne singer-songwriter signed with the Australian record label Dot Dash Recordings.-Background:...
, The Crayon Fields
The Crayon Fields
Crayon Fields are a four-piece Melbourne based band signed to the labels Chapter Music and Rallye. They have been described as having an artful naïve-pop aesthetic and as lo-fi....
, My Disco
My Disco
My Disco is an Australian rock band.-Background:Formed in Melbourne, Australia in 2003, their first public appearance was performed at The Good Morning Captain, a cafe in Collingwood, a suburb of Melbourne...
, Love of Diagrams
Love Of Diagrams
Love of Diagrams is an indie rock band from Melbourne, Australia, formed in 2001. Their sound is characterized by a mix of energetic drumming, angular guitar and bass riffs, and call-and-response vocals.- History :...
, Midnight Juggernauts
Midnight Juggernauts
Midnight Juggernauts are a band from Melbourne, Australia composed of Andrew Szekeres, Vincent Vendetta, and Daniel Stricker. The band has been described as anything from 'prog dance meets cosmic film scores', to 'slasher-flick disco' to 'deadpan landscape',...
, Beaches, Gotye
Gotye
Wouter "Wally" De Backer , also known professionally by his stage name Gotye , is a Belgian-Australian multi-instrumental musician and singer-songwriter. He has released three studio albums independently and one remix album featuring remixes of tracks from his first two albums...
, Miami Horror
Miami Horror
Miami Horror are an Australian electronic band from Melbourne, Victoria with a disco-house throwback style. Miami Horror can refer to its producer, Benjamin Plant, or its four-piece live incarnation.-Biography:...
and The Avalanches
The Avalanches
The Avalanches are an Australian electronic music group formed in 1997 with mainstays Robbie Chater on keyboards, Tony Diblasi on keyboards, bass and backing vocals, and Darren Seltmann on vocals and keyboards. They are known for their live DJ sets and their debut album Since I Left You , which was...
.
Venues and performance spaces
There are several hundred conventional venues throughout Greater Melbourne that host live music. Generally, live music can be seen Wednesday to Sunday, while some venues host live music every night of the week, others specialise in weekends or off peak nights. There are also a number of large venues, stadiums, theatres, etc, that regularly host large performances, as well as a vast array of unconventional performances spaces and venues, shop fronts and warehouses.Stadiums, Theatres, Halls
- MCGMelbourne Cricket GroundThe Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
- 100,000 - Docklands Stadium - 50,000
- Sidney Myer Music BowlSidney Myer Music BowlThe Sidney Myer Music Bowl is an outdoor performance venue in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is located in the lawns and gardens of Kings Domain, close to the Arts Centre and the Southbank entertainment precinct...
- 30,000 - Rod Laver Arena - 15,000
- Victorian Arts Centre (inc Hamer Hall and others)
- Palais Theatre
- Festival Hall
- Forum Theatre
- Thornbury Theatre
Hotels, Bars, Pubs, Venues
- Esplanade Hotel (The Espy) - St. Kilda
- The Corner - Richmond
- The ToteThe Tote HotelThe Tote Hotel is a hotel, pub, bar and music venue on 71 Johnston Street, the corner of Johnston and Wellington Streets, in Collingwood, an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...
- Collingwood - Prince of Wales - St Kilda
- The Vineyard - St Kilda
- Hi Fi Bar - City
- Northcote Social Club - Northcote
- The Arthouse - Melbourne
- The Old Bar - Fitzroy
- Bar Open - Fitzroy
- Wesley Anne - Northcote
- The Empress - Fitzroy North
- Brown Alley - City
- Pony - City
- Evelyn Hotel - Fitzroy
DIY spaces, Warehouses, Shop fronts
- Loophole - Thornbury
- El Joyero - Thornbury
- Irene's Warehouse - Brunswick
- Abbotsford Convent - Abbotsford
- Forepaw
- Catfood Press
Festivals
- Melbourne International Fringe Festival
- What is music festival
- Electundra - audio/visual music festival
- Big Day OutBig Day OutThe Big Day Out is an annual music festival held in several cities in Australia and New Zealand in late January. It started in Sydney in 1992, spread to Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth by 1993, with the Gold Coast and Auckland joining in 1994...
- Laneway Festival
- St Kilda Festival
- Sydney Road Festival
- Melbourne Jazz FestivalMelbourne Jazz FestivalThe Melbourne International Jazz Festival is an annual jazz music festival held in Melbourne, Australia from 4 - 13 June 2011.-History:The Melbourne International Jazz Festival was first held in 1998....
- Melbourne Jazz Fringe FestivalMelbourne Jazz Fringe FestivalThe Melbourne Jazz Fringe Festival is an annual international jazz festival held in Melbourne, Australia in April or May. The festival was formed in 2005 to celebrate Melbourne’s burgeoning creative jazz scene...
Publications and press
Publications, street press and magazines published in the Greater Melbourne area include:- Beat - street press
- Inpress - street press
- Mess+Noise - magazine
- Fasterlouder - magazine
- 3000 - online
Local community radio
- 3PBS, Progressive Broadcasting Service - progressive arts & music
- 3RRR, Triple R3RRR3RRR is a popular Australian community radio station, based in Melbourne. It is the largest per capita subscribed radio station in the world....
- local independent music - 3CR - local community, activism & music
- 3KND, Kool N' Deadly3KND3KND is a community radio station which represents the Indigenous communities within Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. 3KND broadcasts in Melbourne at 1503 on the AM radio band and also streams on the internet. As at late 2006, 3KND has the beginnings of an mp3 library. The South Eastern...
- Indigenous Australian radio - SYN FM, Student Youth Network - student & youth
- 3ZZZ3ZZZ3ZZZ is an ethnic community radio station in Melbourne, Australia broadcasting programs in over 70 languages on FM 92.3 MHz....
- multicultural community - 3JOY - gay & lesbian
- 3MBS3MBS3MBS was the first FM radio station in Victoria, Australia, and began transmitting to Melbourne and surrounding areas on the 1st of July 1975. Since then it has operated successfully as a non-profit community-based organisation broadcasting classical and jazz music...
- classical & jazz
Music Stores/Record Stores
- Thornbury Records
- Missing Link
- Polyester Records
- Collectors Corner
- Metropolis
- Dixons - second hand
- Various small local record stores
- JB Hi Fi
- Various other large music chains
Instrument Manufacturers
- Cole ClarkCole Clark-Products:Cole Clark produce the following products:* Acoustic guitars**6 string**12 string*Electric guitars *Lap steel guitars*Ukeleles-Materials:...
- guitars, since 200? - Maton Guitars - guitars, since 1946
- Wertheim PianoWertheim PianoWertheim is an Australian brand of pianos, formerly produced in Richmond, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. Around 18,000 upright pianos were made in Melbourne between 1908 and 1935, they were designed for the south-eastern Australian climate and were a popular all-purpose piano.They were used in a...
s - pianos, from 1908 to 1935 - Various local digeridoo and indigenous instruments makers
- Various percussion manufacturers
- Various local musical instrument manufacturers
- Various luthiers
Popular Songs
Many musical acts have written music with their origins, suburbs or Melbourne in general as their subject matter. Singer Paul KellyPaul Kelly (musician)
Paul Maurice Kelly is an Australian rock music singer-songwriter, guitarist, and harmonica player. He has performed solo, and has led numerous groups, including the Dots, the Coloured Girls, and the Messengers. He has worked with other artists and groups, including associated projects Professor...
wrote several well-known songs about aspects of the city close to the heart of many Melburnians, notably "Leaps And Bounds" and "From St Kilda To King's Cross", while bands like Australian Crawl
Australian Crawl
Australian Crawl were an Australian rock band founded by James Reyne , Brad Robinson , Paul Williams , Simon Binks and David Reyne in 1978. David Reyne soon left and was replaced by Bill McDonough...
and Skyhooks wrote some more tongue-in-cheek songs about Melbourne; "Balwyn Calling", "Carlton (Lygon Street Limbo)" and "Toorak Cowboy" are examples. The Living End
The Living End
The Living End are an Australian rock band from Melbourne, Victoria, formed in 1994. The current lineup consists of Chris Cheney , Scott Owen and Andy Strachan...
wrote a song entitled "West End Riot" about differences between eastern and western suburbs in Melbourne's inner city.
Film
- Pure Shit (1970s)
- Dogs in SpaceDogs in SpaceDogs in Space is a 1986 Australian film set in the "little band scene" in Melbourne in 1978. It was directed by Richard Lowenstein and starred Michael Hutchence as Sam, the drug-addled frontman of the fictitious band from which the film takes its name....
(1986) - portraying 1978 - Sticky CarpetSticky CarpetSticky Carpet: Melbourne's Underground Rockumentary is a 2006 documentary film by Mark Butcher, Glenn Waterworth and Pip Stafford.Bio : The long overdue cultural recognition to Melbourne’s much-loved independent music scene...
(2006) - documenting the early first decade of the 21st century - Super8 Diaries Project (2008) - documenting 2004-08
- The Tote Documentary (2010)
Television
- Countdown - live music and music videos, filmed in Melbourne and broadcast Australia-wide 1974-1987.
- RageRage (TV program)Rage is a popular all-night Australian music video program broadcast on ABC1 on Friday nights, Saturday mornings and Saturday nights. It was first screened on the weekend of Friday, 17 April 1987. With Soul Train no longer being produced, it is the oldest music television program currently still...
- all-night 'new music' video program, broadcast Australian-wide since 1987 - RocKwizRocKwizRocKwiz is an Australian television quiz show series, focused on rock music, and broadcast on SBS One. It premiered in 2005.-Summary:The forty minute program airs on Saturday at 9:20 pm, and is hosted by Julia Zemiro. It is shot in The Gershwin Room at St Kilda's Esplanade Hotel, commonly...
- an SBS music quiz show, filmed in Melbourne and broadcast Australia-wide since 2005 - Spicks and Specks - an ABC music quiz show, filmed in Melbourne and broadcast Australia-wide since 2005
See also
- List of songs about Melbourne
- List of music venues in Melbourne
- Music of AustraliaMusic of AustraliaThe music of Australia is the music produced in the area of, on the subject of, or by the people of modern Australia, including its preceding Indigenous and colonial societies. Indigenous Australian music is a part of the unique heritage of a 40–60,000 year history which produced the iconic...
- Culture of AustraliaCulture of AustraliaThe culture of Australia is essentially a Western culture influenced by the unique geography of the Australian continent and by the diverse input of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and various waves of multi-ethnic migration which followed the British colonisation of Australia...
- Culture of MelbourneCulture of MelbourneThe Culture of Melbourne reflects its diverse, multi-layered culture and society and the city is widely noted as the "cultural and sporting capital" of Australia....
External links
- Australian Music Office - Australian Government organisation aimed at promoting export initiatives for Australian artists and music companies
- Bluescrawler Blues & Blues Music Search Engine
- Live Music Venues Melbourne - A source of all live music venues in Melbourne, Australia