I managed to catch about a fifth of the artists playing SXSW Sydney 2024, and it was a thrill ride from start to end – the sheer scope of what’s on offer for a new music nerd like me makes it the best week of my year. While I loved seeing every artist, these are the ones that I was, personally, most happy to have caught.
The Buoys
I’ve been yammering on about The Buoys since 2018, and I’m not stopping any time soon – especially after the two shows I caught last week. It’s been a few years since I last saw them live (as they grew, they started playing bigger venues than I tend to spend time in) but even with a lot of baked-in bias here, my God, what sets they were. Glorious.
The OBGMs
Canadian punk outfit The OBGMs were on the radar, but – the first time around – I ended up seeing them partially by accident (hey, that’s the glory of SXSW btw, both here and in the US!). The second time was entirely deliberate though, and it turned out to be the sweatiest, most bonkers show I saw all week.
3%
I was at the launch of 3% at The Lord Gladstone at last year’s SXSW Sydney, but physically couldn’t get any closer than being able to hear the set and/or see the top of Nooky’s cap bobbing up and down (if you were there, you’ll know how crowded it was). Getting front row for this show was totally worth it and the vibe was high a year on, with the crew on fighting form, a truly ferocious set.
total tommy
One of the most exciting new artists of 2024, and one of the most electric shows of the event, total tommy‘s bouncing enthusiasm and sharp-edged pop was a thrill. There’s just SO much potential here, a perfect example of SXSW Sydney’s main purpose, showcasing future stars like this excellent artist.
Joan & The Giants
I’ve been loving the tracks coming from the Perth-based Joan & the Giants, and up close – and in a room this small, that’s close – it was clear why Pink! chose them for a support slot on her WA dates (albeit in, er, a somewhat bigger setting). The songs rent the walls while singer Grace Newton-Wordsworth’s powerhouse voice shattered the windows – an act in need of a far larger stage, for sure.
Voice Of Baceprot
Voice Of Baceprot are an Indonesian, all-female, hijab-wearing, metal band. This is, clearly, a curious and unusual backstory. That curiosity wears off fast though, just as fast, in fact, as these unusually brilliant songs take to land on your head like an airplane at full thrust. A huge sound, played by a band clearly enjoying themselves, and with enough melody and song in one hand to give the sonic roaring in the other a solid run for its money.
…aaand then there’s the ones that got away. There’s only one of me and when the scale and logistics of the schedule are this massive, it inevitably means I’ll miss something. These are just some of the ones I’m going to regret not seeing, I just know it.
Nick Ward
After a fabulous run of singles, Nick Ward‘s excellent ‘House With The Blue Door‘ album is now out – despite the obvious quality and potential of this artist, I missed the SXSW Sydney show. There are more tour dates coming up though, so I might redeem myself.
Beijing Psycho Nurses
Literally everyone I spoke to who saw Beijing Psycho Nurses was – at worst – telling me I should go and see them. More common was a ringing endorsement, boxed into either ‘must-see‘ or ‘holy shit they’re awesome‘. The name alone was attractive enough to a brain like mine, but a ton of voices I trust implicitly could not have recommended them any more highly. Listening to madly swish and driving tracks like ‘Here Comes The Gangster‘, it’s easy to see why.
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