Scene & Heard: Sydney, AU
posted in: Features • Pop • Reviews & Playlists • Rock
When you think of iconic landmarks, The Statue of Liberty and The Eiffel Tower are pretty high on the list. When you think of Australia however, the Sydney Opera House probably comes to mind first. Not surprisingly, this notable landmark does double duty as a performance venue. The building houses 7 major performance spaces including the Concert Hall, the Opera Theatre and the Drama Theatre. Aside from an architectural accomplishment, the Opera House pays homage to Sydney’s ability to attract concert-goers and tourists in search of truly phenomenal music.
So what sort of mainstream acts have supported the city’s reputation? Acts like AC/DC and INXS originaly made a name for Sydney with their “in your face” music and rock star mentality. In terms of venues to match a high caliber of touring acts, look no further than The Metro Theatre and The Enmore. At the Enmore, you’ll find acts like Owl City and Rob Schneider while at The Metro, you can catch The Bouncing Souls and Hot Water Music.
Syndey boasts an eclectic collection of historic venues as well as cutting edge clubs that cater to smaller groups. The Coogee Bay Hotel has been known as a world-class beachfront entertainment venue for years, hosting everything from bartending demonstrations and dance club nights to major music acts from Australia and New Zealand. For something totally unique head to The Basement, an old underground venue that was actually renovated from an old tunnel system. This club’s lineup leans more toward local fair, a rare move in the Sydney market that tends to promote overseas music before it’s own.
OurStage act The Jefferson are a driving pop/rock band following in the footsteps of Temper Trap by offering catchy music that’s gaining popularity in the states, building off of their regional following in Australia. Singer/guitarist Geoff Rana lamented, “Unfortunately, the local music industry sometimes ignores a lot of the music going on in its own backyard. Local acts sometimes need to look overseas for interest and then return local heroes. Still, Rana recommends touring act get ahold of The Australasian Music Industry Directory for a comprehensive listing of clubs, bands and promoters to begin booking their own tour of AU. If you’re a visitor, grab a copy of the street magazine The Drum Media that comes out every Tuesday. It gives you all the bands and where they are playing for the week.
Rana went on to mention that The Gaelic Club is his personal favorite place to play as it’s a great sounding room and a venue where you can catch local bands as well as national acts. The music scene in Sydney is a reflection on its people and culture, concluded Rana. It is a melting pot of all kinds of music from blues, jazz, classical, ’80s pop, LA glam rock, etc. There’s something for everyone.
The Jefferson have performanced with numerous big name, regional acts and are currently working on some high profile licensing deals throughout the world. Their music was also featured during the V8 supercar racing broadcast throughout AU. The band even performed during a recent celebration of the FIFA World Cup in Sydney. Check out the footage:
You can catch The Jefferson on tour right now during their first visit to the states to get a sense for what Sydney has to offer. Be sure to follow some of their advice when heading to Australia yourself and experience the eclectic flair of Sydney.