Next Wednesday marks the kick off date for the BIGSOUND 2015 Conference, and though BIGSOUND Live line up is the biggest and best we’ve seen in history, we’re also getting pretty excited for the incredible line up of panels and talks that make BIGSOUND such an enlightening event.
Industry leaders, convention challengers and great minds from around the world round out a massive lineup of talent, who will be sharing their wealth of knowledge and experience on the speakers’ stage as well as checking the 150 artists set to showcase during the event.
From indie record stores, the state of Aussie festivals, genre discussions, keynotes from music icons – the ‘conference’ section of BIGSOUND is undeniably huge and can be a little overwhelming, so to help guide you selections (and inspire your hungover self to get outta’ bed before 3pm) we’ve shortlisted some of the panels we think you shouldn’t miss. For all your BIGSOUND info and features check out our BIGSOUND dedicated section.
Festivals It Ain’t The Size That Matters
When: 11:20 AM, Wednesday 9th Sept
Where: IMA Courtyard (under the Judith Wright Centre)
As we’ve written about continuously over the past few years, there seems to be an endless array of boutique festivals popping up all over the country to cater to every single music lover under the sun. The boom in boutiques in conjunction with the fall of some of the nation’s biggest music festivals has left a lot of people theorising as to whether ’boutique is best’. This panel has brought together the people associated with some of our leading boutique festivals (including Dark Mofo, Camp A Low Hum, Secret Garden and Hills Are Alive) to discuss why they run the events they do, what makes a great event tick and what role they play in the wider music world.
More info here.
The Not So Humble Record Store
When: 11:20 AM, Wednesday 9th Sept
Where: The Judith Wright Centre | Expressions Dance Studio
We love record stores, so much we’ve got a column dedicated to to local indie record stores. You’d be hard pressed to find a music lover who doesn’t love their local indie record store. These days hough with the tidal wave of debate around digital media and the music industry, it’s easy to assume that we’ll soon be seeing the death of the old-fashioned record store. Though that hopefully will not be the case as it’s absolutely crucial to engage with retailers – they are the final step of the distribution chain and the most important ally you have when trying to sell your music to a fan. Iconic store owners and independent label owners will be getting together to chat about just how important the indie record store is the the local music scene.
More info here.
Clickbait, Listicles & Features
When: 3:45 PM, Wednesday 9th Sept
Where: The Judith Wright Centre | Expressions Dance Studio
If you’re reading this, odds are you care a little bit about music media, so this panel will be right up your alley. Perhaps the only industry to suffer a recent upheaval bigger than the music industry is that which is inhabited by journalists and publishers, so what’s itt like when both combine? Journalists, content creatures, publicists all get together to discuss the following: How different is the music journalism world now than it was five or ten years ago? Where will it all end up?
Indie Labels & Community
When: 11:20 AM, Thursday, 10 Sept
Where: IMA Courtyard (under the Judith Wright Centre)
Indie labels have always been the lifeblood of any strong independent music community. The unsung heroes and cult figures have since the dawn of music consumption been the ones investing and nurturing artists. It’s always a special moment in a label’s life when label becomes a kind of adjective describing the community and the music that they foster. his panel brings together special people whose label is the vehicle from which they have built great communities of musicians and fans.
More info here.
Keynote: Jessica Hopper
When: 2:05 PM, Thursday, 10 Sept
Where: The Judith Wright Centre | Performance Space
Modern day music industry legend is back in Australia for the second time this year, and we couldn’t be more excited. Having built a deserved reputation as being one of music’s most insightful and principled writers, Hopper is currently the Senior Editor at Pitchfork and Editor in Chief of the site’s print quarterly, The Pitchfork Review. Earlier this year she recently published her first book, a collection of her work titled The First Collection of Criticism By A Living Female Rock Critic.
More info here.
Triple J Unearthed
When: 12 PM, Wednesday 9th Sept
Where: The Judith Wright Centre | Shopfront
This year the crew behind Triple J Unearthed will be setting up shop from 12-3pm on Wednesday making radio, and doing live crosses from the event. This is your opportunity to meet the talented Unearthed team. Got a question? Want some advice? This is your chance to sat g’day.
More info here.
Image credit: Elleni Toumpas: BIGSOUND Facebook.
