Electric Eye Heavy Fest: A portal into the heart of heavy music

Mark your calendars for Electric Eye Heavy Fest, gearing up to resonate within the walls of Badlands Bar on Saturday, September 23. The festival stands tall with Chaos Divine and Orpheus Omega leading a diverse line-up that also encompasses Crypt Crawler’s old school death metal, Remission’s melodic thrash fusion and more. At the helm is Jessica Ieritano (neé Vaini), the driving force behind JV Photo & Film, who infuses her music photography background into this sensory spectacle. Andy “Ando” Jones delved into Electric Eye Heavy Fest with Jessica Ieritano to find out how the festival is a portal into the heart of heavy music, crafted through Ieritano’s passion and devotion.

As a music photographer branching out into gig promotion, what motivated you to organise Electric Eye Heavy Fest and explore a new facet of the music industry?

Well, over the past 18 months I’ve been working a little behind the scenes where I’ve invested time into helping people book some local shows. This includes booking the bands, liaising with venues, organising the design of gig posters, and planning social media marketing campaigns. I found that this was something I really enjoyed, and after being a Music Photographer for the past seven years, I found that this was just another way to involve myself in the music industry. In terms of heavy music, I honestly believe that Perth has so much talent on-offer, so much so that I thought it would be great idea to try and pull off a small-scale local festival that celebrates heavy music of all kinds.

 How did you select the line-up for Electric Eye Heavy Fest? What criteria did you consider?

I think Perth is very spoilt for choice with the immense amount of musical talent we have here, specifically within the ‘metal’ genre. While I didn’t have a ‘criteria’ as such, I selected bands that I think are hard-working, have a solid fanbase and social media presence, and more importantly, have put out some killer music in the past few years.

Can you tell us more about the different sub-genres of heavy music that will be showcased at the festival?

When I explored the idea of putting together a show like this, I wanted it to be a mixed bill kind of line-up, celebrating various styles of heavy music. Electric Eye Heavy Fest features bands within the realms of death metal, melodic death metal, black metal, thrash, prog, shoegaze and stoner rock. I think there’s something for all heavy music enthusiasts to enjoy.

How do you plan to create a memorable and electrifying experience for heavy music enthusiasts at the festival? Do you have any unique experiences or surprises in store for us, and what do you hope attendees will take away from their experience at Electric Eye Heavy Fest?

We have a couple of cool things in store! Not only can you expect a stacked merch desk at the show, but we’re also having a display of dark art by Chrystal’s Dark Art. Her art is inspired by horror, nature, abstraction, and a passion for the beauty in darkness. Her prints will be on display and for sale.

We’re also teaming up with Badlands Bar for an exclusive $10 cocktail special which will be served all night! They also have the team at Eat Yard kitchen on-site slinging burgers and tasty eats.

What I hope attendees will take away is that not only did they have a wicked time, but perhaps this festival also provided them with the opportunity to check out a band they had never heard or seen live before!

What challenges did you face in organising this festival, and how did you overcome them?

I think one of the biggest challenges when planning a live music gig or festival is the logistics! Finding the right date and venue can be a challenge within itself. September has shaped up to be a very busy month for Perth heavy music, with both local and international shows happening every weekend (and during the week), so the stars really had to align to ensure I could do everything possible to avoid clashes of shows. Not only that, but booking 10 bands is also no easy feat, with so many schedules that needed to be factored in. While all of this can be a challenge, I think that forward planning, organisation and strong communication is paramount.

As a local music photographer, what perspective do you bring to the promotion of heavy music events?

As a Music Photographer, my goal is to showcase the energy of performances, the connection between artists and the audience, and the overall atmosphere of the event. Through my work, I hope that my photography makes a positive contribution to the visibility of Perth bands and local music venues, promoting our music scene and encouraging support for local artists. My work as a Music Photographer has enabled me to develop numerous positive working relationships with bands in Perth and abroad. I think that expanding into promoting heavy music events is yet another way to enable me to build and strengthen these connections.

Can you share any future plans or goals for the growth and expansion of Electric Eye Heavy Fest?

 Well…a girl can dream, right? (Laughs) I think that the growth and expansion will all depend on the success of this year’s instalment and how it is received by the public. The plan is to make each year bigger and better, featuring quality interstate acts, on that note, a big shoutout to this year’s co-headliner Orpheus Omega who are making the trip from Melbourne! The future of Electric Eye could see larger venues and two stages. I guess we will have to wait and see!

 In your opinion, what makes Electric Eye Heavy Fest a must-attend event for heavy music enthusiasts?

I think that Electric Eye Heavy Fest is an event that heavy music enthusiasts won’t want to miss, especially with the unfortunate announcement of Badlands Bar shutting its doors in December. A great line-up and a great venue – what more could you ask for? I’m hoping that this festival will create some great memories for all involved at one of my favourite music venues in Perth.

Electric Eye Heavy Fest hits Badlands Bar on Saturday, September 23, 2023. For more info and to buy tickets, head to badlandsbar.oztix.com.au