Marrickville block party Bad Friday has been through nine iterations now, each a little bigger than the last. Held every year on Good Friday, it’s been a welcome respite from the chocolate bunnies and treasure hunts we’ve all seen far too many of.
In the past they’ve hosted the likes of DMA’s, Royal Headache, and so many more, proudly wearing their inner west colours on their sleeve and booking local bands alongside some big, big interstate talent.
With the Easter Long weekend looming just over the horizon, it’s time to take a look back at Inner West mainstay Bad Friday.
A decade in the making
This is a festival which saw the ugly side of Sydney’s live music decline throughout the 2010’s. They’ve been venue hopping their whole life but nonetheless sustained growth, knowing that the inner west is always hungry for a large-scale music event.
The very first Bad Friday took place at the Annandale Hotel in 2010 and continued there until the legendary pub went into receivership in February 2013. From there the festival jumped to The Vic on the Park’s car park… and we all know how rare gigs are in that space now.
In 2017 the festival moved to its current location on Railway Parade in Marrickville, transforming into a full-on block party that was capable of hosting a much larger number of punters. DMA’s returned to the stage as headliners.
Local to the core
For Bad Friday’s first eight years, the lineups were 100 percent local. They’ve hosted the very best artists to come out of Sydney’s inner west including Gang of Youths, The Jezabels, Royal Headache, These New South Whales and many more, consistently picking them up before they’re playing gigantic interstate shows.
At the core of Bad Friday was the desire to be a platform for local artists to find not only a big crowd, but one that has their best mates screaming from the nosebleed. As Bad Friday inevitably keeps growing, you can always count on a lineup bolstered by Sydney’s brightest.
A growing audience
As the festival grew, so did the organisers’ hunger for something more far-reaching. Though the core of Bad Friday will always be rooted in its hometown, the 2017 venue upgrade allowed for a second stage and plenty of extra room for artists. To fill these spots, Bad Friday expanded out of Sydney.
Artists like Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, Sampa The Great, The Belligerents, A Swayze & The Ghosts, and Shining Bird began to dot the lineups, to the excitement of every punter involved. As to who they’ll book next year, the sky’s the limit.
Bad Friday turns 10?
2019 is the year Bad Friday will turn ten years old, and they’re ready to celebrate like never before. We’ve had a peek at the proceedings and it’s going to make your jaw drop.
There will be locals, there will be stars, there will be mates, and there will be good times for all. So keep an ear to the ground for Bad Friday’s announcements to come.
