Let’s talk some real talk for a moment; the music industry is a fickle place. A lot of people in this business are jaded assholes who all scour for the ‘next big thing’ and then sink their teeth into its jugular. While you dear loyal Happy reader may not be aware, it is very much the truth. Hell, it probably rings true for all industries, but the fact that we refer to music as an industry rather than a community is a good example of the larger issue at hand here. By and large everyone needs to make a living (did you notice these shiny ads to your right?) and the bottom line can undercut the more important, if not very idealistic, purpose of fostering a healthy music culture.
It’s not to say such things don’t exist, but from an insider’s perspective it’s easy to spot the wolf in sheep’s clothing. The people that suffer the most from this is the independent artists. Cutting your teeth as a muso is a pretty tough slog, even if you have an ARIA to your name you may still be doing the odd part-time job. Unfortunately many acts, and there are so many out there, rarely get the the backing to launch their art to wider audiences. It’s for this reason that smaller festivals are such a gorgeous thing.
In a business saturated with so much music and swayed by select tastemakers it’s events like UBERfest that gives independent musos the platform they need.
They are a platform for these emerging artists to reach a wider audience. Not everyone is bound to be a superstar, but if it means a some more Facebook likes and EP’s sold then that’s a good thing. Seeing an event like UBERfest tour the country with this express purpose in mind is the kind of thing that inspires the naive music lover in us all.
The managing director of the festival is Denny Burgess, who is no stranger to the scene having played in bands in the 60s like The Master’s Apprentices and The Throb. If you happened to be at the Sydney leg of UBERfest’s winter tour this past weekend you would have seen him scurrying about the Lewisham Hotel, filming bands, interviewing them between sets and chatting to punters. At a event full of rock kids this man was the most distinct; clad in leather and white hair ruffled. His look screamed rock star but his personality was humble to a tee.
His enthusiasm to showcase the best up and comers in the game was as clear as day. “I couldn’t be prouder of UBERfest!” he says. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for bands of all musical styles to come together for this unique festival and really use it as a launch pad for their music. It’s great to meet musicians from across Australia and see them perform live to a music-loving crowd“. Not every band on the UBERfest lineup is a household name. It’s a motley crew of punk, metal, folk and hip-hop, all united under the UBERfest banner for the express purpose of supporting live independent music.
The Brisbane and Sydney legs have already past, but this Sunday August 23 sees UBERfest touch down at Elephant and Wheelbarrow in St Kilda. The full line-up for the event has just been revealed, with Sisters Doll, SEASONS, MORTH, Benj Axwel, Ellen Rose, Dethwish, The Keepers, D R Malone, Infernal Bliss, KOPIOUS, Pelorus, Living Earth Sound Sessions, Nelson & The Gaslighters, Victor Cripes, Triage, KenaniaH-1522, Dead On Acid, Red Worm, The Hunter Express, Beyond Vegas, Myself & Me and many more keeping the tunes pumping. So if you’re in Melbourne this weekend be sure to pop in and check out some of the quality bands.
