BEST MUSIC EVENT
Wormwood
Presented by OCTOPUS PI, Wormwood is a mad house of absinthe, psychedelia, experimental noise & garage music, performance art, poetry, live art installations, projections, bands & DJs. After starting out as a regular night at the UTS Loft Bar, Wormwood has since moved into warehouse spaces in the inner west, and grown, bigger, better, faster, stronger! So much so in fact, that they’re now plotting “Wormwoodstock”, a camping festival outside of Sydney featuring 30+ bands and solo artists. Innovative, curated events incorporating DIY music, arts and performance? Yes please. Website
Goodgod Long Birthday Nights
Spread over the October long weekend, Goodgod Long Birthday Nights celebrated the first birthday of Sydney’s favourite late night party house with a 3-day bender carefully curated by Jimmy Sing and Martin Doyle. Friday was a ‘Birthday Bashment’ featuring Gappy Ranks (UK) alongside Sydney’s best bass’n'booty DJ champions and party crews. Saturday was a 12-band party showcase of garage, psych and indie electronic bands including The UV Race, Super Wild Horses and The Twerps. Sunday was an all-stars bonanza, with the return of the Goodgod house band plus sets from Oscar & Martin and Donny Benet, who played amongst an all-in dance-a-thon led by the people behind Goodgod’s resident club nights such as Jingle Jangle, Slow Blow, Hole n The Sky and Love Kings. Website
Void
When Void started in early 2007 Dubstep was fast approaching its golden era, they had a grimy basement venue with no sound restrictions, and a sound system that was perfect for hearing the music the way that it needed to be heard. A crazy strong following developed, and the number of important dubstep DJs they’ve brought to Sydney is phenomenal. 4 years on, their attention has shifted to non-specific “bass music” and they’ve recently launched a weekly (yes, weekly!) night at The Cellar in Broadway. It’s nothing but straight up, underground beats from DJs who know their stuff, on what is arguably Sydney’s best sound system for bass heavy music. Website
Radiant Live
An offshoot of Adam Lewis’s Monday night radio show exploring music from the fringes of pop, rock and experimental, Radiant Live is a monthly event held primarily at FBi Social with occasional forays further afield, including events in Melbourne and Adelaide. Whether it’s garage punk, dissonant pop, DIY folk or ambient soundscapes, Radiant uncovers those in Sydney and beyond who stretch the conventions of popular music into their own uncharted territories. The list of bands who’ve played is too long to list, but a few highlights have included Carsick Cars (Beijing), LA Vampires (USA), Alex And the Ramps and Richard In Your Mind. Website
Hoops
Nina Las Vegas, Anna Lunoe and Bad Ezzy are HOOPS, Sydney’s original all girl DJ posse, and goddamn do they know how to make a room bounce. With five years of street experience up their sleeves, the girls show no sign of slowing down and their regular nights at Goodgod Smallclub are just a stupid amount of fun. From their “Sexy Shirts Mid Year Throwdown” to ‘EAT. PRAY. VOGUE ‘, these gals know how to work a theme, and work it good. They also routinely make party times with Love Kings and Ro Sham Bo. Website
Rabbit Hole
RABBIT HOLE at Tone, held on the first Saturday of each month, brought the best up and coming bands to a whole new time slot, with late night headliners kicking off at 2am. Launching with sets from Hailer, The Khans and RUFUS, the night went on to host Sydney babes such as Tank, I Know Leopard, Underlights and Young Romantics, plus some from further afield, like Melbourne’s Buchanan. Since the sad closing of Tone, they’re back in a new incarnation called OFF WITH YOUR HEAD at Spectrum. Website
Mad Racket
Mad Racket started as a low-key night at Waverly Squash Club intended just for friends and friends of friends. 13 years on, the racketeers (Zootie, Jimmi James, Simon Caldwell, and Ken Cloud ) have brought internationals such as Steve Bug, Tom Clark, Recloose, Common Factor, Tom Middleton, Charles Webster, Chris Duckenfield and Herbert to our shores, and turned Marrickville Bowling Club into a space famous for a particular brand of party that’s classy, inspired and friendly at the same time. Famous for their New Years Eve parties, this year they’re presenting 6th Borough Project from the UK. Website
