MELBOURNE MUSIC WEEK 2017 RETURNS WITH FIRST PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT

Melbourne Music Week (MMW) has today unveiled the first details of their 2017 program, including annual music summit Face The Music, The Age Victoria Music Awards, Miscellanea - a multi-label takeover of the iconic Melbourne Town Hall, and the just-announced Ariel Pink show at Melbourne Recital Centre.

Back for its eighth year, MMW will once again transform the city into a playground of sights, sounds and sensory escapades from 17 – 25 November. Owned and delivered by City of Melbourne, MMW will captivate the city with a nine day program dedicated to cultivating the city’s robust, world-renowned music scene, spanning multiple genres and performance styles.

Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle AC said MMW was launched in 2010 as part of City of Melbourne’s Music Strategy to celebrate and support the city’s thriving music scene.

“Melbourne Music Week reinforces our city’s reputation as the music capital of Australia. Last year’s festival attracted over 51,000 attendees and contributed $2.6 million economic impact to the municipality,” the Lord Mayor said.

Ahead of the full MMW program announcement next month, it was today revealed that some of the city’s most exciting labels, promoters and musicians will perform across three levels of Melbourne Town Hall as part of Miscellanea. Held on Sunday 19 November, Miscellanea is headlined by experimental music duo HTRK, Underground Lovers, Tyrannamen, Loose Tooth, Taipan Tiger Girls, friendships and CORIN in collaboration with Melbourne’s own Milk! Records, Wondercore Island, Aarght Records, Heavy Machinery Records and Chapter Music.

The all-ages event, co-presented by Creative Victoria, takes you on a labyrinthine journey through the many and varied spaces of the iconic Town Hall. From DJ sets and gigs in the heritage-listed Council Chambers to a Grand Organ takeover in the majestic Main Hall, music lovers of all ages and tastes can experience a music festival like no other.

Chair of the City of Melbourne’s Arts, Culture and Heritage Portfolio, Cr Rohan Leppert, said Miscellanea reinforces MMW’s reputation for transforming unique spaces into music venues.

“Melbourne Music Week highlights how the ongoing collaboration and partnerships between council and the music sector make for a lively, creative city,” Cr Leppert said.

Announced last month, Ariel Pink will bring his 11th studio album to Melbourne Recital Centre on Tuesday 21 November, taking fans on a thrilling rollercoaster ride and delivering a heavy dose of hypnagogic pop storytelling for his Melbourne only performance in Elisabeth Murdoch Hall.

Held from November 23-24 in the yet-to-be announced MMW Hub, Face The Music is back for its milestone 10th year, promising game-changing music industry conversations, creative workshops, discussion panels and live music performances to boot, with more speakers to be revealed soon.

Ariel Pink has also been announced in Face The Music’s first round of speakers, along with legendary veteran drummer of The Ramones and Sirius XM Satellite radio host Marky Ramone; Toronto-based DJ, rapper, actor and icon Chippy Nonstop; and German FKP Scorpio promoter Silke Westera. The first round announcement also includes Collective Artists’ Rebecca Young; Reeperbahn Festival’s Bjorn Pfarr; Brisbane artist Mallrat; triple j music director Nick Findlay; LUSSIER music supervisor Nicole Prutch; and former deputy culture editor of the Guardian Australia, Monica Tan.

The Age Music Victoria Awards After Party co-presented by Music Victoria, Triple R and PBS, celebrates its 12th year with a massive line-up of Victoria’s best musical talent on Wednesday 22 November. The party will be headlined by producer Harvey Sutherland with his futurist outfit Bermuda, with sets by Gold Class and Cable Ties, whose respective albums have topped this year’s critics’ lists. The EG Allstars (featuring members of the Rockwiz Orchestra) will be joined by guest singers, including Archie Roach, Gretta Ray, Jim Lawrie, Josh Teskey, Mojo Juju, Michelle Nicolle, Birdz, Ella Thompsonand more.

Co-presented by Section 8 and Ferdydurke, ZOO is set to be the street party of the year. Held on Saturday 25 November in one of Melbourne’s most recognisable laneways, ZOO will intersect live music, performance and visual art. Now in its fifth year, the ZOO party is an evolution of the much-loved Live Music Safari program, and in 2017 it steps out on its own to present a diverse array of artists, performers and beat makers including acclaimed indigenous rapper Briggs and special international guests Fatima & Alexander Nut (UK), Weird Together (NZ), AFTA-1 (US) playing alongside plenty more local gems.
Tickets will go on sale from 11am. For more information check out the MMW website www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/mmw.