Three months after West Best Bloc Fest put homegrown talent back in the spotlight where it belongs, Safe Sounds confirmed that the hunger for local music isn’t going away.
As a music festival dedicated to ending sexual violence, Safe Sounds not only lived up to its name but also proved that promoting a bill stacked with local acts can fill a room.
What Were You Wearing? and The Cambridge provided the safe space and good vibes, and over 50 local acts across three stages gave punters a show they won’t forget in a long time.
Chloe Gill’s main stage opening set was an early highlight with her songwriting and vocal ability on show for all the early arrivals. Chloe’s jazz-influenced and delicate pop already has many fans and as she settles more and more into her live set there’s no doubt we’ll see her popping up on festival bills over the next twelve months.
Although a little hampered by spill off the main room, the early afternoon set from Elijah Amoss didn’t disappoint in the front bar either. There’s something so personable about Elijah’s live shows and it’s what the small but appreciative crowd have come to see.
Then it’s over to Abbi Yeo and The Tryouts to take things to the next level in the Warehouse. Abbi seems to be really coming into her own on stage and the interplay of The Tryouts takes what we love about their records to another space.
When pop punks Good Thanks rip into their first number, everyone in the main room is right there with them. Sarah Gray is strong out the front and the band’s cover of Rage Against the Machine’s 1996 anthem Bulls on Parade is a perfect festival addition.
Back in the front bar, we’re lucky enough to catch the dying moments of Cormac Grant’s solo acoustic set. He’s on fire and looking forward to hitting the main stage with his band.
Slow Cinema, Mango Avenue and Sitting Down continue the main stage bill. Each delivers a set perfect for the festival crowd and showing their readiness for big stages.
Another highlight of the late afternoon is a set stacked with new material from Newy math rockers, lamphead. Joey Geyer continues to be one of the city’s best vocalists and the new material we get to hear this afternoon makes us excited for the band’s next release.
A big shout out to Dread Maiden who’s got the hard job of kicking off the DJ lineup in the front bar after the acoustic acts have packed up. The beats are lively and fun and there’s a small crew enjoying what’s coming out of the speakers.
We get our spot in the Warehouse nice and early for Saylor And The Flavor and the music and vibes coming off the packed stage do not disappoint. If you only see one local act live on stage this year, make sure it’s Saylor And The Flavor.
As first-time festival programmers, the Safe Sounds crew have absolutely nailed the lineup and thrown on rising stars Turpentine Babycino and Well? to close out the event’s main stage. It’s a stroke of genius and each of the bands are welcomed to the stage like hometown heroes with sets highlighted by crowd sing-a-longs and crowd surfing.
As we leave the venue, we’re already talking about and looking forward to helping What Were You Wearing? make it all happen again next year. You can find out more about What Were You Wearing? by following their Facebook page.
