The music scene tends to get a bit quiet over winter, as more people decide to stay home rugged up than getting out to the pubs and clubs supporting live acts. The City of Yarra fights against our hibernation though with its annual Leaps and Bounds Festival, now in its fifth year.
Organisers recently made the first program announcement, and it’s already shaping up to be something special. Feast your eyes upon this:
- Acid Country PBS106.7FM – LIVE TO AIR with Rich Davies, Ayleen O’Hanlon, Brooke Russell and The Mean Reds, and Miles and Simone at The Gem
- A Moment In Time: The North Fitzroy Beat (Little Bands) Scene: Featuring Primitive Calculators, Use No Hooks, Hot To Rot at The Tote
- Blake Scott of The Peep Tempel at LongPlay
- Blues n’ Bounds every night at The Evelyn Hotel, Catfish, Rainbow Hotel, Rooks Return, Labor In Vain, Old Bar and Checkerboard Lounge
- Ed Kuepper “(I’M) STRANDED” – 40 YEARS ON by request show and exclusive in conversation talk at The Melba Spiegeltent
- friendships vs. HABITS at The Nightcat
- GL and more at The Corner Hotel
- Ollie Olsen’s Class Of 2018 with Vacuum, Kollaps & Simon Karis & Ollie Olsen at The Tote Upstairs
- Paint To Improv: Featuring Taipan Tiger Girls, Zond & No Sister at The Evelyn Hotel
- Persecution Blues film screening (including a 2008 live set from Eddy Current Suppression Ring) at The Tote
- Smith Street Dreaming Street Festival at the corner of Stanley & Smith Street, Collingwood
- Some Velvet Nights with Broads, Amarillo, The Darling Downs, Mikelangelo By Request, Amaya Laucirica, Lost Ragas Duo, Jess Parker & The Troubled Waters, and Dave Graney By Request at Some Velvet Morning
- The Letter String Quartet at The Melba Spielgeltent
- The Professional Development Program at The Rainbow Hotel and The Melba Spiegeltent
- The Push Pop Up Shop at Collarts Brunswick St. Campus
- Yarra’s Women Of Country with Freya Josephine Hollick, Jemma Nicole, Jemma Rowlands, Sue Ray, Brooke Russell & the Mean Reds, Mick Thomas & The Roving Commission’s newest recruit Ayleen O’Hanlon at The Standard Hotel
- Fee B Squared’s Class Of 2018 with Shrimpwitch + more TBA at The Gasometer
- The Strange World of Library Music with Joe Brnadic, James Pianta, and David Rietmen at The Fitzroy Town Hall
- An Otherwise Quiet Room with Mandy Connell and more at The Yarra Hotel
- I’ve Been Everywhere Gypsy Carnivale with The Band Who Knew Too Much at The Melba Spiegeltent
- Front Bar Pub n’ Grub Crawl across various venues
- Hungry Ghosts (Reformation Show) with Ninety Nine at The Gasometer
- Dream On Dreamer All Ages Matinee Show at The Evelyn Hotel
- The Hard-Ons with Miss Destiny & Tankerville at The Old Bar
- New War + Rites Wild at The Grace Darling Hotel
- Riflebirds at The Rochester Hotel
- The Braves with lost Talk and more TBA at The Yarra Hotel
- Rich Davies & The Low Road at Labour In Vain
- Ramshackle Army plus special guests at The Bendigo Hotel
- Slow Dissolve at The Fitzroy Pinnacle
- The Fck Ups + The Second Sex at Woody’s At Forrester’s Hall
- The Hitmen + The Pro Tools at The Tote
- The Stu Thomas Paradox at Labour In Vain
- Uncomfortable Science with Las Mar and Special Guests at Bar Open
- Zockapilli with The Scraggers at Woody’s Bar
Surely there’s something to take your fancy in all that! And remember, this is only the first announcement. This event is only going to get bigger. The Leaps and Bounds Festival takes place at venues in Fitzroy, Collingwood, Richmond, Abbotsford, North Carlton, Clifton Hill, and North Fitzroy from July 13 to 23. All dates, times, and ticket information can be found on The Leaps and Bounds Festival website.
Image used with permission from This Much Talent