A beautiful, tawny sunset welcomed BIGSOUND night three: wallets grow lighter, fatigue is building, my notes app reaches capacity, and real life has slipped away completely as the Valley is filled with festival-goers desperate for one last night of partying.
Opening The Warehouse were West Australian post-surf-rock five-piece Ra Ra Viper. Their showcase was engaging and varied, with a mix of roaring surf riffs and softer indie bangers.Frontman Oliver Bolt's vocals were gritty and raw, and he sang from his chest to deliver a powerful performance. The three guitarists played off each other to create a well-balanced and full-bodied sound, and they excelled when leaning into their heavier side.
On the other side of the strip, The Prince Consort was full right to the back for FELONY.'s set, despite her discography consisting of just three singles.
Having been highlighted by triple j Unearthed, FELONY. is an up and comer in the world of alt-pop, and her set was vibey, emotional, and funny – lyrics about not being allowed to take drugs due her Mum's disapproval were met with an enthusiastic wave from Mum herself in the middle of the crowd.
FELONY. - image © KealiJoan Studios
After a quick second stop-in at The Omnific, unable to resist the chug, it was back to The Warehouse for the raucous garage punk of Haters.
Despite their recent features on multiple big-league radio stations, Haters are still your classic nightmare band next-door playing rowdy, paint-peeling alt-rock. Their new songs were received well by the crowd, and their set had an emotional note as they smashed out songs of personal grief and loss.
By contrast, if Haters live next door, Dr Sure's Unusual Practice live on the moon. Post-punk is a restrictive term to describe Dr Sure's complex sound – futuristic with hints of classic '70s anarchy, artistic, raw, and deeply captivating.
Their set at The Outpost was fresh, inspiring and riotous, triggering the first moshpit that I witnessed at BIGSOUND as the crowd thrashed against the equipment at the edge of the stage.
The band's matching boiler suit uniforms created a cohesive visual, and members swapping of instruments mid-gig was a keen display of their versatility as they blended the dirty riffs of Dead Kennedys with funky keys and sax.
Dr Sure's Unusual Practice - image © KealiJoan Studios
Let's just say that I nearly managed to go the entire three days without buying any merch, and Dr Sure's Unusual Practice spoiled that – but at least it drew some compliments when bumping into the band later in the night.
Up the Everest of Tomcat's stairs, Friends of Friends' set was packed with a mix of raw indie rock and softer alt-pop tunes. Their lyrics were filled with earnest emotion and relatable storytelling, building an atmosphere of nostalgia and soft familiarity.
Newcastle artist teddie brought her vibey bedroom-pop to The Prince Consort's welcoming crowd. Her genuine personality and excitement shone endearingly between songs as she introduced her band: "These are my best friends," and she treated the audience to unreleased music to be published officially soon.
Teddie - image © KealiJoan Studios
Up in Stranded Bar, Matilda Pearl graced fans with her playful, energetic pop and commanding stage presence. Her sound was varied and rich with elements of disco, funk, rock, and straight-up fun pop.
Newest single 'Done With Boys' well represented the tongue-in-cheek humour present throughout her lyrics, and had everyone moving.
Coming off the release of their first single since successful debut EP 'Grip', Platonic Sex's set at The Zoo drew a huge net of fans for an emotional and raucous sing-along.
The head-bob inducing drums were boldly intricate in their consistent matching with the noisy guitars, and the band played with different time signatures across their set to create a fresh, ever-changing sound as they switched from playing on beat to syncopated rhythms.
Lyrics describing the pain of argumentative family members and toxic relationships won over the crowd with their relatability, and singer Bridget Brandolini's vocals were insanely powerful as they hit clear falsettos, garnering huge cheers.
Platonic Sex - image © KealiJoan Studios
Radium Dolls' set at Black Bear Lodge was raw, upfront, and gritty. Their punky cover of Blondie's 'Hanging On The Telephone' blended classic influences with their unique brand of alt-rock, a style which features thrashing riffs and super heavy breakdowns.
Not to be mistaken as just noise, Radium Dolls set held an edge of intimacy in their personal lyrics.
Over at SuperFly Studios, The Empty Threats showcased their own brand of post-punk with contagious energy. Primal drumming mixed intensely with the dark wall-of-sound guitars, and frontman Stu Patterson loomed ominously.
Climbing onto the speaker stack to dominate over the crowd, he displayed all the untouchable charisma of a '70s rockstar, breaking the invisible barrier between band and audience as he leaped into the crowd, face illuminated by the flash of phone cameras.
Miss Kaninna's performance was a clear display of her immense live talents, and her reputation proceeded her as The Brightside Outdoors was impassably full. Provocative, dramatic, and political, her dark pop carries influences of true punk.
With just one single on Spotify with over 200k plays and 18k listeners, Miss Kaninna is one to watch. Her strong vocals never wavered, and the crowd fell at her feet as she divided them up to compete for who could echo her best.
Inside, WHO SHOT SCOTT was kicking off his set with one goal. . . to "bring the house down". His alternative hip hop style was led by heavy bass and rapid drums, and he closed The Brightside with belted party anthems.
In The Prince Consort, Boomchild had the crowd swaying, their fun rhythms melding the funk of R&B and soul with the vigour of hip hop, the huge group filling the stage and feeding off each other to build a palpable energy.
Made up of a patchwork of different NSW artists who met through Instagram, Boomchild is thus a product of diversity and immense variety, captivating in its difference.
The final night of BIGSOUND was defined entirely by the enthusiasm of audiences across the festival; attendees took the concept of 'one last hurrah' and ran with it as almost all of the showcases were packed out, unfortunate latecomers having to battle for good standing.
The sheer variety of acts across not just day three but the whole festival was stunning, a motivating display of the bright future of Australian music.
As people filtered into the cowboy-themed afterparty at The Fortitude Music Hall to keep the good times going and to mingle with their favourite artists, there was a keen sense that everybody had been let in on a secret soon to reach the rest of the world.
