For yet another year Brisbane’s own BIGSOUND festival is providing the absolute goods: phenomenal hip-hop, pop, acoustic and electronic experiences from some of Australia's best and upcoming artists.
Previous years have paved the pathway to stardom for artists such as Flume, Courtney Barnett, Rufus and The Temper Trap (no biggie), and we really couldn’t think of any better excuse to roam the streets of the Valley again in 2019. Plus get in quick and you'll get tickets for shows at all venues for just $85—you'd be crazy not to at that price.
Picture 146 upcoming artists, 18 venues, over four nights—not a bad way to reign in the first weekend of September. And the best bit? We’ve rounded up eight gigs you MUST see at this year’s BIGSOUND, in case the massive line up has left you scratching your head and saying “who the hell?”
Tones & I
Considering her upcoming Australian tour is already sold out, this may be your one and only chance to catch the uber talented Byron Bay born pop singer before she is catapulted to stardom. With her latest single, 'Dance Monkey,' having just reached the top of the ARIA charts, Tones & I is also probably one of the few artists you’ll be able to scream the lyrics along to. You definitely know every single word to 'Johnny Run Away,' don’t even try to deny it.
Tasman Keith
One of the freshest hip-hop talents in Australia right now, Tasman Keith hails from Bowraville, a tiny town on the NSW coast. Hip-hop is in his blood thanks to dad, Wire MC, and now Tasman is on a mission to carve out his own music career, and become a powerful voice for social justice and Indigenous issues while he’s at it. Catch him before he headlines some of the biggest Australian music festivals, you heard it here first.
Adrian Eagle
If you’ve listed to Hilltop Hoods’ smash hit 'Clark Grisworld,' then you’ve already heard Adrian Eagle’s uplifting voice. Now, you’ll want to catch the Adelaide born singer belting out his own songs at BIGSOUND before he supports Tones & I on her sold out tour and probably continues on to a stellar musical career, blending soul, hip-hop and reggae into genre-bending work.
Milan Ring
Watch Milan Ring do her thing with a guitar, a loop machine and a microphone, Ed Sheeran style, and you’ll see why we think her time to shine is just around the corner. Vibes wise, her tunes are a mix of R&B and soul, the kind you hit play on for a chilled Sunday afternoon. Mysterious, ethereal and ultimately groovy, Milan is seriously high up on our lists.
Mojo Juju
Mojo Juju has a couple of albums under her belt, but it was her latest single, 'Native Tongue,' that has gotten her Aria nominated. Spanning R&B, hip-hop and soul, she’s a seriously fierce contender on this year’s BIGSOUND lineup, and if you haven’t heard the deeply personal track that put her in the limelight yet, now’s your chance to get up close and personal with it.
imbi the girl
Arriving seemingly out of nowhere in 2017, Sydney-based force of nature imbi the girl has been slowly writing their own story, to the beat of their own drum. Raw, fierce and relatable, they’ve already hit stages at Groovin’ The Moo and Listen Out, and are now ready to take on the world. As a top contender for this year’s BIGSOUND, we say imbi the girl is a must-see.
Micky Kojak
Mickey Kojak has quietly been releasing a ton of quality music over the past year, but it was his covers of Daft Punk and Mac DeMarco that helped put him on the radar, quickly followed up with original tracks 'Get Out' and 'All That Acid.' Drawing on everything from 80s new wave to straight-up dance bangers, he’s going to be bringing a unique ethereal flavour to dance floors and music festivals near you very soon.
Bad//Dreems
Five piece Adelaide band Bad//Dreams know their way around a pub rock riff, which is probably why they’ve scored prime possie as the opening act for Midnight Oil at their UK show later this year. Before they jet off, catch them playing a tune or two off their soon-to-come third album, including Triple J hit 'Double Dreaming.'
Fritz
After gaining some serious airtime on Triple J, playing SXSW earlier this year and gracing national festival stages at St Jerome’s Laneway Festival and Groovin’ The Moo, Newcastle girl Fritz is ready to drop her noisy dream-pop ditties right here in Brisbane. Catch her at BIGSOUND to find out exactly why she's being tipped as the 'next big thing' by us and everybody else with their finger on the pulse.
Have you heard about the brand new festivals hitting town this summer? Check out Festival X and Wildlands for your summer calendar.
Image credit: Bigsound