Freak City Frequencies Celebrating up-and-coming local artists in the community Words by Alex Callan As one of the premier open-air venues that our city has to offer, Captain has established itself as a staple amongst local clubgoers who like things a little bit more on the alternative side. And it’s easy to see why. With a beautiful venue that spans from inside out to a massive outdoor beer garden, a long list of locals on display every weekend and an increase in notable bookings, it’s become a haven for Geelong clubgoers looking to discover something new. That’s where Freak City Frequencies comes into the mix. Offering a changeup from the typical Geelong scene, Freak City Frequencies delivers a specific focus on up-and-coming and under-represented artists within our wider community, with the venue showcasing live music inside and DJs in the outdoor beer garden, all while raising money for local organisations like the Indigenous Literacy Fund, Orange Sky Australia and more. Having previously showcased the likes of Jim English, Kaviitá, rory jame$ and Manny Lado, Freak City just delivered a stacked lineup for its third edition last month, with local legend Barbie Gault headlining the outdoor event alongside Semps & Kel, Ryheem and Emmyk & Tilly and Prodgaz, The Grimwoods and emerging rap talent Juiceboxx performing inside. “The initial idea was to create a space for upcoming DJs and live artists who are really pushing to make it in the music industry,” says Matt Ellison, the brains behind the event. “I wasn’t too bothered about genre or anything like that because I had seen how many different people would come in whenever Captain had a live band on or anything different from the regular bookings. “So I thought, well if we can get all these groups of music fans together in the same venue, it could be something special and it really has been so far. “It’s definitely been the thing that I have been putting the most time into. I’m just constantly thinking about who I want to bring in each volume and how that will work with the other acts booked for that night. It’s been hard having to pick and choose acts at times but it’s been fun keeping it as diverse as possible.” Freak City Frequencies take place at Captain, 8 Malop Street, Geelong. Stay tuned for the next event from Freak City Frequencies on Facebook.
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Rock The Black Dog Music Festival A festival for Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Awareness Proudly supporting the Black Dog Institute, the not-for-profit mental health medical research organisation, Rock The Black Dog Festival is Geelong’s newest music event giving back to the community, to raise awareness to combat the growing rate of suicide through the power of music! Happening on Saturday, 1 April at the Barwon Club, the festival will see Melbourne and Geelong’s music community come together to raise awareness of mental health and suicide prevention, featuring a lineup of the best up-and-coming talent and seasoned local rockers and punk legends. Kicking off at noon, the festival will be headlined by one of Australia’s leading blues musicians, the amazing Ash Grunwald. After nine studio albums, five ARIA nominations, and hot off the back of the Bluesfest tour, this is sure to be a performance that will go down in history. Alongside Grunwald, the festival will also feature sets from more than 20 amazing acts, including Nick Barker, Poppin’ Mommas, Kopious, Famous Will, John Flanagan, Bella Deer, Grim Fawkner, Rick Hart, Katie Brianna, Alister Turrill, Kate Lucetta, The Swells, Fistful of Steel, The Louds, Isabella Khalife, Dawwn, Damien Edwards, Bella Lear, Sarah McQueen, Geelong Music Community Collective and more. The brainchild of festival director Jon Gilchrist, with support from Ultragauge Australia, Roaring Respite Disability Services, Ohana Disability Services, Surdex Steel, Lions Club of Leopold, McHenry Partners Business Accountants, Piccadilly Market, Calibre Steel, and the Barwon Club, Rock The Black Dog festival aims to raise much-needed funds for mental health research and support for those in need with proceeds going to The Black Dog Insitute. According to the institute, 1 in 5 of us will experience symptoms of mental illness in any given year. In Australia, that’s around 5 million people. And roughly 60% of these people won’t seek help. As the only medical research institute in Australia to investigate mental health across the lifespan, Black Dog Institute aims to create a mentally healthier world for everyone. Tickets are on sale now via Oztix. If you or someone you know needs help or information regarding mental health, please contact Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14, or beyondblue on 1300 224 636.
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