After 15 years of showcasing undiscovered Australian bands and musicians, Scorcher Fest transitions into a new era of live music with a revived business model.
Since 2002, Scorcher Fest has traditionally taken place both in Adelaide, and on the road as a nationally touring festival.
This year Scorcher Fest returns to its one-day, Adelaide-only format, a decision promoter Andrew Cooper says is about keeping the festival sustainable and good value for money. “At the moment, the last circuit we did was Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, and we saw a bit of a decline in numbers,” Andrew says.
“We didn't want to be another one of those festivals that just goes away, so we changed the structure and now we have $10 tickets to see 30 bands.”
© image suppliedConsidering the recent demise of Big Day Out, Soundwave and Future Music Festival, Andrew has reformatted Scorcher Fest with a view to securing its longevity as a live platform for unsigned artists. “Under this new structure, from the first ticket bands sell they get seven dollars out of every ten, and that's to see all the bands not just themselves.
"We didn't want to just go away, especially seeing as how venues kept asking for it. We want to put ourselves ahead of the market and because it's a day of music discovery, people can't be hesitant anymore if it's ten bucks.
"If they pick out three or four bands that they want to see and don't know the rest, then they can enjoy the discovery without it eating into their pocket.”
Scorcher Fest takes place at The Duke Of York (Adelaide) 18 December.
