Undiscovered regional music talent will now have the opportunity to shine at the Beer & BBQ Festival in South Australia, thanks to a new funding pipeline aimed at boosting local content. The festival, in collaboration with the Live Music Events Fund (LMEF), is providing a platform for musicians from regional areas to perform in front of large crowds and potentially be discovered by industry professionals.
In places like Mount Gambier, the hometown of SA band Stokes, opportunities for exposure can be limited. Guitarist and lead vocalist Mikey McInerney expressed his enthusiasm for the chance to reach new audiences: We love playing for the Mount Gambier mob… but not a huge amount of opportunity to build your audience and get out there a little bit more.
Stokes, whose music is influenced by Australian bands like Babe Rainbow and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, recently released their self-titled debut EP. However, their geographical location posed a challenge for them to perform regularly. McInerney explained, These days the chance to perform only really comes down to maybe when we have any good events coming up… We don’t really have any venues that are consistent for live music, unfortunately.
To address this issue, the Beer & BBQ Festival brought its Untapped initiative to Little Rippa Brewing Co in Mount Gambier in late May. Untapped is a pathway for undiscovered regional musicians to showcase their talent on the festival’s main stage and gain exposure to a large audience. The program involves four battle-of-the-bands style heats held in regional areas, with winners from each heat receiving payment to perform at the festival. Their performances are then assessed to determine the ultimate Untapped winner.
The support provided by the LMEF, through the South Australian Government’s Music Development Office (MDO), has allowed the Beer & BBQ Festival to expand its music program and grow its offering. Festival director Gareth Lewis explained, The Live Music Events Fund was an opportunity to expand the music program at the festival… we now have five stages of entertainment.
The Untapped program has already demonstrated its success, with the festival witnessing an increase in attendance from interstate and intrastate visitors compared to pre-COVID numbers in 2019. Beyond the economic outcomes, Lewis emphasized the importance of live music for communities, saying, I fundamentally think pubs and live music venues are the cornerstone of culture… giving people the opportunities to play in front of more people or play in front of the right people, is so important.
Stokes, as the winner of the Mount Gambier Untapped heat, will have the opportunity to compete in the finals on July 15 alongside other talented acts like Twitch, Shadow Monarchy, and Storm the Crown. Sharing the stage with well-established names like Magic Dirt, The Living End, 1300, and Dune Rats is a significant milestone for the band. McInerney expressed his excitement, stating, The chance to have the exposure – that really means a lot to us… It’s the first show we’ve played at this scale, so it is a bit daunting for us, but at the same time we couldn’t be more excited.
The Beer & BBQ Festival’s partnership with the LMEF and the MDO showcases a commitment to supporting local musicians and providing them with opportunities to showcase their talent to wider audiences. As more regional music talent is discovered and nurtured, South Australia’s contemporary music industry is set to thrive.
