Whilst SXSW Sydney officially opened on Monday, the opening parties started on Tuesday. SXSW has been running for several years in Texas, but this is the second year in Sydney. With a program that features conferences and programmes from the Tech and Innovation fields, Games, Music and Screen, it really is an important networking and information event for anyone involved in any of these fields. Taking over the Darling Harbour precinct, including the ICC, it’s hard to miss the branding and partnerships all over the city.
Tuesday night was the night for opening parties, where you could meet a CEO of a global digital AI company, A&R reps, musicians and more. It’s exciting to see how the industry acts a communal organism, where everyone relies on each other for survival. This is all the more important in the face of recent news of a downturn in the music industry. However, talking to the insiders, it is clear that the future is bright and there are opportunities to be had.
The opening night party at The Underground at the UTS, was just such an example of the positive vibe that filled the air. All girl, metal trio Voice of Baceprot, the first Indonesian band to play at Glastonbury, opened the evening with an energetic set that shook the walls. These girls know how to rock and grabbed the audience by the proverbial.
Meanwhile, over at the ICC Sydney Theatre, Beckah Amani took the stage. Her songs are deeply personal, with themes of love, displacement and equality. Her song “Sober” is a message of hope for those that feel unseen and unheard. Her music is beautiful and uplifting and a perfect way to warm up the sold out crowd for Jorja Smith.
In contrast to Beckah Amani’s stripped back sound, with a single guitar / piano accompaniment, Jorja Smith opens with two drummers enthusiastically playing “Try Me” from her Falling or Flying album. Arriving on stage to rapturous applause, she seemed genuinely happy to be in front of such an eager audience. As well as her drummers, she is backed with a rhythm and a bass guitarist, keyboards and three backup singers. The sound is tight, yet voluminous, with a dramatic light show to match. Most of the songs were from Falling or Flying, with a generous selection from Lost & Found. There was plenty of banter with the audience between songs. The overall atmosphere was electric and surreal.
This finalised the day, with another week to go to experience all that SXSW Sydney has to offer.
SXSW Sydney is on now and runs until October 20th.
Dedicated to helping creative people achieve their goals, SXSW Sydney is for anyone with a desire for discovery. With over 1,000 sessions and sessions, events and experiences, they’re creating a platform for countless connections that drive new ideas forward across Asia Pacific and beyond. Check out details on the website here
