In case you haven’t heard, FBi Radio have opened the voting to their 2016 SMAC Awards, a yearly celebration of Sydney’s thriving music, arts and cultural identity. FBi have been (and hopefully always will be) gleaming beacons within the Sydney scene, casting their radio waves far and wide to keep citizens up to date on all the best music, food, events and people who make the city so special.
Given the current Sydney climate, this is becoming more and more difficult. It’s never been a tougher time to champion Sydney’s emerging culture warriors, having been repeatedly stomped on by an increasingly out of touch state government in recent times.
And the worst thing you can do is mope about it. Restriction has always bred discontent, and through discontent, action. Generals in the fight for Sydney’s identity like FBi and Keep Sydney Open prove that the movement to protect the city isn’t unfounded; there’s thousands of unanimous voices crying out every day for the same cause.
The SMACS Best Event category represents five organisations that are fighting the good fight, circumnavigating the prohibitory rules set by Sydney policy makers to bring us some of the best events our city has seen, in the time we need them the most.
In the face of harsh limitation and mass disenchantment, these 5 FBi SMAC Awards nominees are amongst the most important of the year.
Here’s a quick roundup of the competition for 2016. It’s perfectly natural to want to vote for all of them, but in the end you’ll have to settle for one.
Volumes
We’ve written plenty about Volumes before, and for good reason. The street festival that overwhelms Oxford St every time it’s held is a personal favourite for it’s meticulous direction, dedication to the involvement of visual arts and just the vibe.
Right now Sydney seems like the last place you’d want to hold a street festival but with Volumes repeatedly killing it, they’re proving it can work, and work damn well.
Happy had the privilege of premiering Volumes’ official after movie shot on Super 8 film by the legends at Third Eye Stimuli Records. Check it out below:
Bad Festival
In October The Factory Theatre (which deserves massive credit in it’s own right) opened up it’s gates to BAD, a one-night flash festival featuring Sydney’s best musos and artists. Disgustingly well curated, BAD hosted Rainbow Chan, HTML Flowers and heaps more on the music front, while Danielle Karlikoff directed the art installation.
Like the others on this list, it was impossible to find a bad review.
Heaps Gay
For three years Heaps Gay came into the world as a series of parties run by and made for LGBTIQ+ punters and their mates. An all-inclusive collective aimed at the discussion, publication and celebration of queer issues in Sydney.
In 2016 they partnered with Vivid Sydney and launched a Mardi Gras float decorated with a centurion of glammed-up Beyoncés. Worth a vote in itself, don’t you think?
Check out the aftermovie to their 2015 Vivid party below: ‘
Sidechains
Undoubtedly one of the fiercest club residencies of 2016, Sidechains’ monthly party at Hudson Ballroom have been the stuff of legends. There’s nothing this crew can’t do – they produce, host events, run a label – it’s all under the Sidechains umbrella.
If you’re one of the motley crew who starts to sweat in anticipation a full week out of each of their parties, then it’s obvious where your loyalties lie.
Summer Dance
Nothing’s better than an outdoor party in beach season, and that’s the vibe Summer Dance has captured so well. Held in the natural splendour of Sydney’s National Art School, this series of sunny parties has punters anticipating the summertime harder than ever before.
With the likes of Roland Tings and Andy Garvey on their 2017 roster, it’s an event on the rise. Get on it.
Voting is open until December 20th, don’t forget!
