Hometown heroes and exciting new musical voices will lay down hot summer rhythms in fresh venues and unexpected spaces for Perth Festival 2022. From the city’s cultural heart to its vibrant coastal edge, an inclusive contemporary music program strikes a new tone and reveals exciting possibilities for live performance and venues across the city.
For two weeks, the vacant European Foods Warehouse in Northbridge will come alive as a dedicated music venue, where a central stage will host in-the-round performances from local legends Methyl Ethel and Flewnt, who brings a slew of collaborators and guests to the warehouse for his Boorloo Block Party.
Local electronic labels Good Company Records and Midnight Elevator hosts the late-night club event HOME in the closing weekend of the Festival that features the best of the electronic scene. It is backed up by parties from iconic local experimental festival Planet X and a new mega collaboration Rhythm is Rhythm from local crews Boorloo Justice, M33T, Midnight.co, Netwerxx and Soul Alphabet.
Created in collaboration with celebrated local curator and creative producer Ben Taaffe (Aesoteric, Freedom Time, Planet X) and featuring a bespoke lighting installation by artists Reelize Studio, this is a high-energy warehouse party on steroids.
Aesoteric adds a second show at the WA Museum Boola Bardip after the special Festival edition of this highly anticipated event sold out in record time.
At B Shed in Fremantle, local star Stella Donnelly kicks off two weeks at the revitalised Victoria Quay venue on Friday, February 18. Joining the portside line-up over the following nights are the queerlectro pop perfection of Alter Boy.
Much hyped First Nations MC BARKAA will also fly in to perform her first show on Noongar Boodjar with special local guests.
RTRFM’s WA Mixtape returns in 2022 to celebrate the much-loved community radio station’s 45th birthday with fresh takes on three classic WA albums by Grace Barbé (Jebediah’s Slightly Odway), Dan Howls (The Scientists’ Weird Love) and Noah Dillon (The Triffids’ Born Sandy Devotional).
Also in the program at B Shed is I Liked it, BUT… – a Pub Trivia Night style show hosted by performance artist Joel Bray and local musicians.
Local-turned-global psych-rock legends Pond kick off their world tour at Fremantle Arts Centre on Friday, February 11 to celebrate the Festival’s opening night and their latest chart-topping album, 9.
Closing out the opening weekend is Melbourne’s King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard with their genre defying sounds. Catch them on the sprawling lawns of Fremantle Arts Centre before they take off on a world tour for the rest of 2022.
Art and music will collide inside the old Karrakatta Club women’s club in the historic Lawson Apartments. WA-based international beatmaker Ta-ku’s Songs to Experience will be a room-by-room immersive journey of light, art and the sonic grooves of his debut album. Each room brings to life a different song in this surreal, immersive world created by Ta-ku in collaboration with artists, designers and creators from around the globe.
“It’s been a great experience inviting iconic Perth club nights and music collectives to collaborate with Perth Festival to celebrate an inclusive community-focused program that platforms the city’s cutting-edge talent late into the hot summer nights,” said Festival contemporary music programmer Tom Supple. “This program has a proud local focus that resonates with the boundless enthusiasm, talent and dynamism and one that I’m very grateful to showcase.”
More details and a final suite of shows will be announced in January.
B Shed, Victoria Quay
WHAT: Stella Donnelly
WHEN: Friday, February 18, 7.15pm
WHAT: WA Mixtape, presented in association with RTRFM
WHEN: Saturday, February 19, 7.30pm
WHAT: Joel Bray’s I liked it… BUT
WHEN: Sunday, February 20, 7.30pm
WHAT: BARKAA
WHEN: Friday, February 25, 7.30pm
WHAT: Alter Boy
WHEN: Saturday, February 26, 7.30pm
European Foods Warehouse
WHAT: Methyl Ethel
WHEN: Friday, February 25, 11pm
WHAT: Flewnt’s Boorloo Block Party
WHEN: Saturday, February 26, 8pm
WHAT: HOME presented in association with Good Company Records and Midnight Elevator
WHEN: Friday, March 4, 8pm
WHAT: PARALLAX presented by Planet X
WHEN: Saturday, March 5, 6pm
WHAT: Rhythm is Rhythm presented in association with Midnight Co, Soul Alphabet, Netwerxx, Nani Creative and M33t
WHEN: Sunday, March 6, 6pm
Fremantle Arts Centre
WHAT: Pond
WHEN: Friday, February 11, 8.30pm
WHAT: King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard
WHEN: Sunday, February 13, 8.30pm
WA Museum Boola Bardip
WHAT: Aesoteric
WHEN: Thursday, February 24 and Friday, February 25, 7pm
Perth Festival have announced their 2022 contemporary music program. Tickets are on sale now from perthfestival.com.au
