Left image via Ellen Virgona //

Awesome initiative…

After a rollercoaster year of lockdowns and restrictions, Victoria is getting a banging new live music tour with the arrival of Small Town Big Sound. Spread across six weekends from April 16 to May 22, the live music extravaganza is set to bring joyful tunes and crowds to Regional Victoria, with historic venues in Koroit, Wandi, Pomonal and more being electrified with performances from some of the nation’s best acts.

From Alice Skye to Amyl & the Sniffers, Bad//Dreems, Birdz and more, Small Town Big Sound is a love letter to the roots of live music in every sense of the term. So much so that the tour will visit a local secondary school in each region, hosting music-focused workshops to help emerging musicians and students learn from participating artists.

Aside from supporting the musical spirits of the next generation, the touring festival has an added special meaning to it, being presented by the the Transport Accident Commission’s youth communication program, Vanessa. Thus, Small Town Big Sound has been designed to affirm Vanessa’s ‘pre-think before pre-drinks’ mantra to young drivers across regional Victoria. Along with this, Vanessa crew will be present at each event to encourage festival-goers to have a ‘pre-think’ and get breath-tested before they drive home.

The tour is set to kick off on April 16 in the Barwon South West region, with Adelaidian rock outfit Bad//Dreems leading the way with Melbourne’s Floodlights and Gugu Yalanji, Jirrbal and Badu Island songwriter on supports. It’s conclusion will see Amyl & The Sniffers team up with Harmony Byrne as well as Wergaia and Wemba Wemba singer-songwriter, Alice Skye in the Gippsland and Hume regions on May 21.

A pretty rad initiative. Be sure to suss the full lineup as well as individual ticket links for each of the dates below.

SMALL TOWN BIG SOUND
PRESENTED BY TAC (VANESSA)
MORE INFO HERE
 
FRIDAY, APRIL 16 & SATURDAY APRIL 17
BARWON SOUTH WEST REGION
BAD//DREEMS, FLOODLIGHTS, KEE’AHN + LOCAL SUPPORTS
FRIDAY, APRIL 16 – POINT LONSDALE BOARDRIDERS CLUB, POINT LONSDALE – TIX HERE
SATURDAY, APRIL 17 – KOROIT THEATRE, KOROIT – TIX HERE
 
FRIDAY, APRIL 23 & SATURDAY, APRIL 24
MORNINGTON/BASS COAST REGION
BAD//DREEMS, FLOODLIGHTS, KEE’AHN + LOCAL SUPPORTS
FRIDAY, APRIL 23 – WESTERNPORT HOTEL, SAN REMO – TIX HERE
SATURDAY, APRIL 24 – RYE HOTEL, RYE – TIX HERE

FRIDAY, APRIL 30 & SATURDAY, MAY 01
LODDON MALLEE REGION
CAMP COPE, BIRDZ, ELIZABETH + LOCAL SUPPORTS
FRIDAY, APRIL 30 – THEATRE ROYAL, CASTLEMAINE – TIX HERE
SATURDAY, MAY 1 – GOLDEN VINE HOTEL, BENDIGO – TIX HERE
 
FRIDAY, MAY 07 & SATURDAY, MAY 08
GRAMPIANS REGION
CAMP COPE, BIRDZ, ELIZABETH + LOCAL SUPPORTS
FRIDAY, MAY 7 – THE EASTERN, BALLARAT – TIX HERE
SATURDAY, MAY 8 – POMONAL COMMUNITY HALL – TIX HERE
 
FRIDAY, MAY 14 & SATURDAY, MAY 15
GIPPSLAND REGION
AMYL + THE SNIFFERS, HARMONY BYRNE, ALICE SKYE + LOCAL SUPPORTS
FRIDAY, MAY 14 – RIVERVIEW HOTEL, TARWIN LOWER – TIX HERE
SATURDAY, MAY 15 – THE MARLO HOTEL, MARLO – TIX HERE
 
FRIDAY, MAY 21 & SATURDAY, MAY 22
HUME REGION
AMYL + THE SNIFFERS, HARMONY BYRNE, ALICE SKYE + LOCAL SUPPORTS
FRIDAY, MAY 21 – DELATITE HOTEL, MANSFIELD – TIX HERE
SATURDAY, MAY 22 – THE WANDI PUB, WANDI – TIX HERE