The Beefy BIGSOUND '24 BIG Wrap Up
Another year done and dusted for BIGSOUND - a music industry conference and showcase featuring some of Australia's newest names and brightest stars - alongside a list of who's who from the business.
The 2024 edition found us uncovering the future of metalcore from Mackay, discovering SOAPBOX - a 200-cap, open-plan live music venue that could be the replacement for the zoo (RIP) and immersing ourselves in panels, presentations and showcases across the three big days.
On a personal level, this year was different for us at Wall Of Sound.
We were given the opportunity to bring the heavy//alternative music industry together with a mixer we playfully dubbed the Heavy Metal Séance Sesh - where we introduced Australia to HEAVYS headphones and opened the stage (and pit) for a local deathcore pop-up band to bring the throw down.
More on that soon, but first, here are the standouts we saw...
THE BANDS of BIGSOUND
SAME PAINS
Hands down, the best discovery of the festival. An upcoming outfit from the North Central QLD town Mackay. The five-piece burst onto the stage at both Soapbox and The Brightside with a ferocious display of modern metalcore-meets-hardcore, delivered with precision and class - made easy by the fact the band have been in the music scene for a number of years in various bands and outfits.
With two screamers, a clean singer and an explosive array of breakdowns, they invoked chaos from the BIGSOUND crowd with mosh-filling, two-step-inducing anthems and a pants-splitting incident worthy of the round of applause it received. Throw in a cheeky "BLEGH!' for good measure because it won't be long before SAME PAINS become a household name in Aussie core.
Head to their website and start following on socials!
Alienist
The latest signing to UNFD rocked up ready to throw down. Armed with the recently released Love/Hate EP, the Wollongong gargantuans made use of their stage time to deliver chunky breakdowns - both full and thick sounding thanks to Soapbox's audio setup - and a party atmosphere well received by all who attended.
According to my notes, the band sounded like an Aussie version of Wage War's heavier material, while also sporting similar looks to the US metalcore kings - talking about you Damon Renes - while screamer, Lachlan Forsberg, prowled around the stage looking like a metalcore variant of Gerard Way... only 6ft tall and full of guttural gusto.
Talking about that Wage War comparison, the outfit debuted a new song titled 'Bad Flower' which will be released "whenever", that combines melodic metal elements with hard rock yells and bellowing screams. Something to look forward to as the band start their climb post-signing.
Follow the lads on social via their LinkTree
No Cigar
The New Zealand groove/funk outfit that kicked off this year's proceedings only made my list of bands to check out because I thought they might be similar to Millencolin (who have a song title of the same name). Instead, I was met with a fun, mid-tempo bop-sesh that was as addictive as it was entertaining. Frontman Willy Ferrier had the crowd in the palm of his hands as he crooned with silky vocals as soft as satin sheets.
When the band had their all-in jam I was hooked and couldn't believe they'd only been rockin' out since 2019. It would be unfair to categorise the outfit, but if stoner, alt-rock bands like Sublime or Highly Suspect are your type of jam, add these guys to your collection.
Check 'em out via LinkTree
Sunbleached
With an alternative rock meets shoegaze performance - it didn't take long for Sunbleached to win us over during their showcase. As we hunt for new bands to cover - across the broad spectrum of the heavy//alternative landscape - something clicked with this group that reminded me of old Silverchair, Violent Soho and Title Fight's raw and rockier material, or in Ricky's (WoS Co-Editor) case, Deafheaven's younger and softer brother.
Notable mention needs to go to vocalist Joshua Baker who just by standing and jumping about the stage screaming - with his fro full of curly hair - managed to look like incarnations of Brendan Yates (Turnstile), Rob Damiani (Don Broco) and a youthful Luke Boerdam (Violent Soho).
Been looking for something with screams/yells but without intense heavy instrumentals behind them? Lose yourself with some Sunbleached.
Listen to more via their Linktree
Belle Haven
Where does one begin with the loveliest band in the alternative scene, Belle Haven?
Following on from their recent rebirth - which found the three-piece releasing new single 'fauxlove' and honing in on their pop-rock roots - the alluring vocal performance of David De La Hoz had everyone in a chokehold at 11pm during their late-night set; drawing in a notable crowd in the process as they opened with the infectiously catchy 'Forget Me'.
With professionalism leagues ahead of those who played before them, it won't be long before Belle Haven are trajected to global recognition. We didn't know where to look as guitarist Daniel Marinakis threw himself about the stage while strumming up a storm, while fellow guitarist Corey Cichowski swayed away alongside fill-in drummer (and absolute gun on the skins) Adam Pinzone - both keeping the tempo thumping just loud enough to steer away the tiredness of the day for many BIGSOUND showcase goers.
Armed with arguably their best setlist since conception - including definitive performances of 'Hopeless. Empty. Lonely. Painful.' and 'Hard Stare, Soft Touch' - I genuinely believe in Belle Haven and hope they will be recognised for their live musicianship and commitment to writing some of Australia's most gut-wrenching and emotion-filled songs this side of the new millennium.
If you're not across Belle Haven, respectfully uppercut yourself - visit the website
Editor's Note: There were a stack of acts and musicians with women and non-identifying members outside of the heavy music showcases. Maybe a suggestion for next year's organisers is to consider more thought into this area - or to reach out to Wall Of Sound for an independent and educated approach to scheduling more diversity from our corner of the Australian music industry landscape.
INTERVIEW: Pants-Splitting Goodness with Jaden & Ben of SAME PAINS
Following two killer sets and their first-ever Brisbane shows, it only seemed fitting to sit down with Jaden Joslin and Ben Burrows from SAME PAINS for a candid chat about the BIGSOUND experience, their formative years in the local North/Central Queensland scene, and if that pants-splitting incident was part of their overall plan...
I'm here with my favourite discovery of BIGSOUND. They're called SAME PAINS, they come from Mackay; Boys, tell us about your experience. What have you learned?
Jaden: Yeah, so my name's Jaden. I'm the bassist of SAME PAINS and the pretty one of the band. We learned heaps. I think the big takeaway for us is that what we're doing is working and [to] do it more. It's just like, the idea is there and the vibe is there and we just got to keep pushing and the reassurance is what's really helped us make sure that we're not just shooting blind and in the dark trying to make something happen from North Queensland.
Yeah, and it's hard for bands anywhere north of Bundaberg or the Sunshine Coast to even make waves down this way. I know Affinity Minus Perfection from Rockhampton are one of the bands from that part of the region. But tell us a bit about the local scene there. What is it like to go to a metalcore show in Mackay?
Ben: It can be pretty different. Sometimes they'll have mixed bills. I remember one was a metalcore band, deathcore band, slam death metal band, indie rock band (to break it up) and then another deathcore band. So it could be really spontaneous sometimes, but people show up because when gigs happen, people know that this is the one you got to get there for.
I've been going to shows in Mackay since I was 16. Same for Jaden. And the vibe's always been there. You see different faces pop up from time to time too, which is really good. It's not just the same tired, old people.
One thing that would be really cool is if we can get All Ages shows back again. That was the crux. But it's always cool to see new young people come in, like 18, 19, 20-year-olds getting into the scene, getting through it, starting their own projects.
And then seeing bands from the scene coming through. You have The Amity Affliction and Polaris who do the regional tours and that gives you, and bands like yourselves, an opportunity to get in front of their audiences.
Jaden: When we get those big shows come through the city, they're practically selling out our bigger venues. There's heaps of young people coming along and you see the shirts for weeks after that (because no one in Townsville and Mackay owns more than three shirts), so you've added to their collection pretty hard. Then from that point, they'll catch a local band or a Brisbane [show], or a touring support band and then they'll come out to the next one...
My other band supported Polaris back in 2019 and it was nutty. We sold heaps of merch and saw our shirts for months after that and it was just insane. We played to 700 people at the venue and it has a lasting impact. People see these bands and they'll mention that show from 2019 because they're so few and far between. It's like a momentous occasion.
So what would you want to pass onto the industry to let them know about, whether it be Bundaberg, Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville, Cairns... What do you want them to know about the scene up there and what do you reckon they should do to help support and nurture the acts are coming through?
Ben: The biggest thing is just recognising that there are fans. There are people who go to these shows and they're dedicated because when you bring these larger bands or mid-size acts through, it's a big deal. And also, I guess the big one is definitely bringing on a local tour support for the region. Say if you're doing a Queensland run, have one of the bigger local bands of that region come through and do the support and also have local supports in each city, because that means a lot to bands that are just starting out or bands that haven't had that opportunity yet.
Those opportunities for those bands are sometimes the turning point where they want to lock in and actually take it seriously... I think to be able to give that to bands from regional cities is such a huge, huge thing.
You mentioned AMP [Affinity Minus Perfection] I remember them opening for The Amity Affliction. That was a big deal for them. That was the point where they were like, 'Hey, we want to actually do this a bit more seriously.'
Jaden: Again, my other band supported Alpha Wolf on a North Queensland tour with Justice for The Damned, and that was the wake up call we needed. The first show was in Gladstone, and we were five minutes into our set by the time we finished playing. So then every show after that it was like, 'You need to get on that stage as fast as humanly possible'.
We learned so much from the Justice guys and the Alpha Wolf guys. It was just like a big eye-opener for all of us. And that's kind of made SAME PAINS so special because we've taken all that knowledge from previous [opportunities] and we've just been out the gate swinging.
Now, your frontman Justin split his pants during the very first show you played down here. It was that good of a show... Pants-splitting goodness; Is this something that we can always expect from SAME PAINS?
Ben: Hey, never say never. There's a reason we bring our own shorts to the show to sell. And they're in his size too. So yeah, never say never. I don't think he was totally expecting to make it happen, but it had a pretty good reception by the sound of it. People noticed
Jaden: Surprisingly, that's not the first time someone's pants have exploded. Our drummer's underwear exploded in Townsville at our second show ever. He threw them in the bin afterwards [but first] held them up and it was like the man's pelvis exploded. It was just something crazy.
Ben: I forgot about that [laughs]
I'm seeing an ongoing trend here for SAME PAINS. Future goals, you've played your first shows in Brisbane, Congratulations! You won over a lot of people that turned out and hopefully more people recognise the name. What's in the future? What do you want to see happen?
Jaden: We've got more music coming out in the next month and we're pretty keen to drop that. But we're just keen to do more. We played Darwin two weeks ago, which was just the most insane travel time. Townsville's hot, [but] Darwin's something else. It's like getting hugged by a warm blanket when you walk out of that plane.
Ben: Brutal
Jaden: But yeah, just playing shows and getting out there and getting in front of as many people. We want to play Melbourne before the end of the year, [that's] our next big goal. BIGSOUND was our big goal and it was kind of like a Hail Mary, shot in the dark that we're like, 'Yeah, maybe we will get it'. And then we got it and I was like...
Ben: Whoa, we got to book flights
Jaden: Yeah, now we've got to pay for stuff [laughs]
Well, hopefully this is the start of big things for SAME PAINS. Boys, thank you for stopping by Wall of Sound. All the best for the future and let's get you down here again soon.
Both: Thank you so much. Thanks so much bro.
THE CONFERENCE
In between meetings and running around like headless chooks, we stopped by a handful of conference panels relevant to the industry and alternative music scene (where possible) and found out some tidbits about the music business to share.
The first stop was Music By Numbers, hosted by Chris Carey, a UK-based music economist (Chief economist for the UK during COVID) and CEO/Founder of Fast Forward Group - who came equipped with a wealth of knowledge on the industry. During his presentation we heard about the rise of Oasis, and the demise of the UK's formative live music venues - roughly 24 in total have disappeared since Oasis first embarked on their debut tour - which means bands starting now don't have the same avenues to increase their following and playing experience as they did in the 90s heydays.
What does this have to do with Australia? Well, take a look at how many venues we've lost since the pandemic. How many opportunities are there for upcoming bands to perform in grassroots 100-300 cap venues? With decreasing venues, fewer opportunities exist - and when the multi-national corporations own and operate the next-level venues, it makes it even harder to get in, when they're putting on their shows/tours.
Chris also spoke about the economy of the industry and touched on the fall of music festivals. With the sheer increase in costs involved with not only putting bands on, but supplying them with flights, visas and accommodation long before staff on ground get a look in, it's becoming harder and financially unsafe to put on large-scale events across the country.
So before you whinge and moan about lineups, think about what it takes to put on a festival that provides a stack of opportunities for Australian acts to fill the gaps between the internationals that we look up to so much.
Good Things Festival Promoter Chris O'Brien recently shared his thoughts with WoS on the current state of touring a large-scale event and his opinions on why alternative festivals are thriving while others are dying - revisit that chat here for more on-point insights on the subject.
Despite being a major sponsor of BIGSOUND, music streaming platform Spotify was in the firing line a lot throughout the event (especially with how much they pay artists). As we jumped from Chris Carey's presentation to the first panel of the week - Who Gives A Fuck About Australian Music - a light was shining on the streaming platform showing different sides many of us haven't heard about.
For example, Chris touched on how Australian labels and management will ignore Australia for their promotional campaigns in favour of trying to break an artist in the US or UK first - because (and it's true) - when international music fans love mainstream artists first, that makes it okay for Australians to get behind them - like a trickle-down effect.
But how many of those campaigns fail to launch, when you could have spent the promotional budget with Australian-based experts in specific genres?
Fortunately, it's the opposite for the heavy music space with many Aussies jumping on new and emerging bands before the rest of the world even gets a sniff. Maybe future conferences can look at heavy//alternative fans championing bands we love and implement strategies based around ACTUAL fans and their friends, rather than shooting for the stars outside of our country.
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Further conversations were had about why streaming algorithms don't suggest region-based artists when your playlists end. For example, when you come to the end of one of your playlists - or the influx of DSP-curated playlists (more on that soon) - you're never usually met with an Australian artist, right? This not only hurts a band's chances of getting in front of new local/national audiences, but they always seem to favour internationals; meaning listeners will be put in front of acts outside our country rather than hearing Aussie music from similar musicians to the ones you're streaming.
Something as simple as this could change the way new bands/acts are discovered and costs nothing to the listener. Since mainstream outlets have been opting for international artists for decades (across radio, TV and even sporting events), surely something needs to be done to take the initiative in our backyard.
Another discord touched on the overcrowding of streaming platform-curated playlists in the market. Why is it when you jump on a streaming platform, it's hard to find authentic, independent playlists by people ingrained in the scene? Most of the self-serving curated suggestions are full of the same, already established artists and familiar songs, so you're not getting to hear new music from upcoming bands who are trying their hardest to be included. It's almost impossible for emerging bands to penetrate the market and unless their popularity rises overnight, they'll often be left behind and neglected.
This conversation alone makes you question how much effort should we really put into a business model that's so bad for musical progression within the Australian landscape...
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With our finger planted firmly on the pulse of the scene, we're continuously adding the best new and emerging talent to our Aussie Heavyweights & Hitmakers Playlist EVERY WEEK - now on Spotify, Apple Music and TIDAL - to consistently deliver new tunes to as many listeners as possible across multiple streaming platforms. Give us a follow and stay up to date!
We also briefly caught the Fangirl Panel which explored the roots of its panellists being superfans and how their passion led them to be in the positions they're in today.
We heard from the likes of Jess Dale, Ash Hills, Mardi Caught, and Kamran Haq who spoke about their obsessions dedication to supporting their fav acts with everyone from Taylor Swift, Pearl Jam and Metallica getting a nod for creating fangirls and boy outta them.
For the metalheads among us, Kam Haq - Live Nation and Download Fest UK Promoter - shared a hilarious anecdote about how he and his best mate, snuck into Download Festival to see Metallica play back in the day. They were underage, without tickets (or camping gear) and managed to sneak backstage where they later met Lars Ulrich (Metallica drummer). From there, Kam continued to attend the UK's biggest heavy metal event, eventually catching the attention of Andy Copping (iconic UK Promoter) who reached out to him via Instagram asking if he wanted a job.
Since then, the pair have combined their promoting talents and created some of the most awe-inspiring tours and festival lineups the world has ever seen - including Download 20 - the EPIC four-day, 20th Anniversary which we attended in 2023 to cover the Aussie Assault.
Throughout his career, Kam was instrumental in the rise and success of some of the heavy music scene's biggest names - from helping Parkway Drive book shows on their maiden UK voyage in 2006, to assisting with financial costs so Bring Me The Horizon could record their debut EP This Is What the Edge of Your Seat Was Made For. He was also the reason Australian bands Stand Atlantic and Polaris opened their respective days at last year's Download Fest and is constantly searching for the next breed of Aussie heavy hitters to take to the stage. Will you be next?
Talking about the Heavy Scene...
Our final panel, Rage Against The Marketing Machine: Selling Rock; Punk & Metal In The 2020s, featured a list of key players from our demographic discussing marketing and promoting your band in this day and age. Shawn Keith (CEO/Founder Sharptone Records), Matt Clarke (GM of Labels at KMGMT) and Bonnie Fraser (Stand Atlantic) spoke about hating TikTok (ha!) and staying authentic to your band/brand by not using strategies that may have worked for other artists. For example, Stand Atlantic's social media antics reflect how they are in person and shows genuine connection and trust with their fanbase as opposed to putting on different faces to appeal to different social platform audiences.
This included a recent collaboration with Sydney FC; who the band know on a personal level and attend many games of - so it made sense to bring the two worlds together to expand the potential reach.
The big take from the Metal Marketing Panel was the industry and social platforms are constantly evolving and you need to adapt to keep up. Bands should be looking at different ways to spread marketing content and budgets, and Facebook Ads are dead, so why keep pumping money into something when you can have better success elsewhere? Bonnie and Matt (Stand Atlantic's manager) also shed light on planning tours a year ahead from where you are now, and not being discouraged when those plans have to change.
Following their panel, Stand Atlantic dominated the closing ceremony of BIGSOUND at The Brightside Outdoors with many fat cats and industry execs finally catching a glimpse of the calibre of bands existing within the heavy//alternative space.
THE SEANCE SESH
"There's people throwing down in the pit at 1pm on a Thursday, WTF?"
As you can imagine, we were pretty chuffed to be given the opportunity to bring the heavy music scene together with our first industry mixer, held at Greaser - The Valley's answer to the Sunset Strip comes equipped with a grungey, dark and gloomy dive-bar setting fit for 100+ cap local shows. Greaser boasts more rooms than Slipknot members and will unquestionably be the go-to destination for music lovers and outcasts from the moodier spectrum of the heavy music scale.
Not only did we manage to pull close to 100 attendees (HOLY SHIT), we also introduced Australia's heavy music scene to HEAVYS, the first headphones designed for metalheads, and we gave away the first-ever pair to a lucky punter in the process. The feedback (and lineup to enter our competition) was insane and we are stoked to reveal there'll be more chances to get your hands on your own set in future - so stay tuned to Wall Of Sound for more.
We also teased a pop up band would be performing at the event and that honour went to local deathcore outfit Virtues, who tore Greaser a new one with many industry attendees catching the band for the first time - or in the case of the Support Act crew, seeing a deathcore band for the very first time. The performance invoked a mosh-pit as frontman Wade Felsch dropped some of the gnarliest gutturals BIGSOUND has ever seen while lead guitarist Dan Devitt shredded while dressed head to toe in his business suit attire.
Attendees were also kept hydrated by the introduction of Liquid Death - a non-alcoholic mountain water-based beverage that's injecting itself throughout Australia and providing an alternative option for concertgoers who have given up the booze, or prefer sober gigging without the hangover. The crew from BLACK FLAG BREWING provided a prize pack for those who preferred a heavier beer with a hardcore aesthetic to match - the brewers do so much for the heavy music scene and it was an honour to have both companies come to the party.
Another massive thanks to everyone who turned up. To see the support from day-oners all the way through to the next generation of heavy music-loving mosh-pit fiends, really made us realise the importance of coverage and community within the scene.
Keep an eye on our socials for all the action yet to come. Until then, support live music, support AUS music and continue to rock the fuck out on a daily basis!
Words by Paul 'Browny' Brown @brownypaul
Suss out Virtues on Facebook | Linktree
