I know what you’re thinking. Secret Garden started this afternoon! I didn’t even get a ticket! What even is Secret Garden? All of the acts playing Secret Garden are AMAZING what’s the point of doing a guide? In between the King Gizz and the DZ scale bands that bulk out the top order, there’s a shitload of absolute gold worth checking out long before they grace the stage. So, for all you lucky punks who got a ticket, here’s Happy’s Guide to Secret Garden (Saturday).
PALMS
Garden Stage – 2pm
Rising from the ashes of Red Riders, Palms have taken Sydney by storm – they’d have a cult following if their following wasn’t so damn large. If you’ve seen ’em before (let’s face it, you almost definitely have) they’re worth checking out again now that you know the words to This Last Year.
RICHARD IN YOUR MIND
Farmaggedon Town Hall – 5:30pm
RIYM have been kicking around for as long as I can remember, making trippy music about soft cheeses that blend trippy modulation with breakbeats and noise machines. I have an inherent love for this band, not just because of the awesome music they make, but also because Richard Cartwright has the same guitar and pedalboard as I do – right down to the Candy Apple Red finish. Worth checking out for an exclusive live listen to some new, unrecorded tracks.
BLANK REALM
Farmaggedon Town Hall – 8:30pm
Squished in between Day Ravies and Client Liason (two of the buzziest names in Australian independent music last year) are Blank Realm. They’re a pop band from Brizzy and should be considered a musical compass for all these Dolewave bands who can’t manage to get onto Triple J. THIS IS THE FUTURE PEOPLE.
COSMO’S MIDNIGHT
Garden Stage – 6:10pm
You’ve heard of Elizabeth Rose. She won last year’s FBi SMAC award for best upcoming artist or best new sound or artist to watch in 2014 or whatever the award was called. Chances are, you’re gonna go see what all the hype is about. What you might not do is stick around after her set for Sydney duo Cosmo’s Midnight and that would be a huge mistake. Formerly Cosmo + Paat, the duo encompass everything that Sydney electronic music is about right now – swirling, almost jangling synthesised melodies with an unstoppable groove, these twins will get the main stage pumping before The Rubens come along and bore everyone half to death.
AWESOME TAPES FROM AFRICA
Soul Train – 2pm
Okay, so this is on at the same time as Palms, but Awesome Tapes From Africa is something you can check out for literally 10 seconds and figure out whether you love it or hate it. Mixing and spinning music from around the world that you’d probably never, ever hear unless you lived in it’s country of origin, Awesome Tapes are an experiment in bringing Moroccan Disco, Congolese Jazz and Namibian Choral music to the nations of the west. If you’re into your polyrhythms, world instrument samples or The Lion King, this show shouldn’t be missed.
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