"The West Set music festival aims to not only showcase performers, but to also attract visitors to our city to boost our local business," Cr Michael Clarke, Mayor of Maribyrnong City Council said.
"While it's unfortunate the current COVID climate has impacted the original dates, rescheduling will mean we can still support our traders when the current restrictions lift.
"We're also here for our local artists, who are among the first affected and the last to come back after a lockdown, and will look at other opportunities for further programming to support our artist community.
"Those interested in West Set updates can find out more by following @westsetfest."
Set to feature the talents of Angie McMahon, Joelistics, Black Cab, Queen P, Merpire and much more, Melbourne's West Set is back for its third instalment.
To take place across 9 days, 14 venues and featuring 60-plus bands and artists, West Set will be a veritable melting pot of diverse genres and sounds; from hip hop, alt. country, glam rock, grunge, Irish fiddle, Gypsy swing, jazz, folk, pop, post punk, blues, rock, traditional African drumming and contemporary music.With the majority of the West Set events to be free and open to the whole community to enjoy, this is the ideal opportunity for music lovers to reconnect and support the recovery of live music and local traders.
"The live music scene here in the west is alive and well," Cr Michael Clarke, Mayor of Maribyrnong City Council, says.
"Musical talent is at the forefront of our thriving calendar of festivals that gets people in the City of Maribyrnong out and about – even in the cold winter months.
"Nothing proves this more than the bumper line-up featured in our West Set 2021 Festival. You'll be spoilt for choice with over 60 events on offer across 9 days, nearly all of them free and open for the whole community to enjoy.
"I encourage you all to rug up and get out there and support our local venues and enjoy all that this brilliant festival has to offer."
West Set's home ground will be the Festival Club at Baby Snakes, a cosy new European rooftop bar just a hop, skip and a jump from Footscray Train Station. Hotel Westwood will host West Set's Opening Night with headliner Angie McMahon and Maple Glider.
Barkly Street hotspots Sloth Bar, Littlefoot, Jambo, The Cheeky Pint and Small French Bar also join the programme. While Corner 90, Pride of Our Footscray and Footscray Hotel will warm up the other end of Hopkins Street.
From the team behind Fitzroy's Builders Arms comes westside watering hole Victoria Hotel, and rounding out the list of West Set venues in 2021 is Hyde Street's Bluestone Church, and underground beat specialists Counterweight Vinyl.
"As a Footscray resident of 10-plus years, I am thrilled to be performing with my bands Edith Lane and Tender Buttons as part of this year's West Set Festival," Jessicca Bennett, Love Shack Studios Director and Audio Engineer, says.
"I look forward to presenting a line-up at Hotel Westwood of artists that have recorded at Love Shack Studios and supporting Black Cab at Kindred Studios. West Set is an opportunity for music lovers from all over to come and celebrate the West."
As for the line-up, joining singer-songwriter Angie McMahon and hip hop MC and producer Joelistics, will be new-wave outfit Black Cab, Kuku Yalanji, Jirrbal and Badu Island songbird Kee'ahn, trans woman and electro pop artist June Jones, Sudanese-Australian rapper Queen P, indie rock and alt-folk artist Jess Ribeiro, Afro-funk supergroup Cool Out Sun, and a whole stack more.
For those looking to gain an insight into the music industry, West Set will also host a free Professional Development Panel discussing the future of music, staying informed and relevant as an artist, and keeping check of your mental health.
The panel will feature N'fa Jones (Cool Out Sun, independent artist), Freya Josephine Hollick (independent artist), Rhiannon Atkinson-Howatt (Merpire), Sweetie Zamora (Head of Labels & Promotions – Remote Control Records), James Young (venue owner – Yah Yahs, Hotel Westwood, Cherry Bar), DJ Berkay Mete (local DJ and producer) and moderator, Zoë Radas (JB HIFI - Stack Magazine Editor), taking place at Kindred Studios (19 June).
West Set takes place 19-29 August throughout Footscray (Melbourne). Some of the events are ticketed (more information).
Participating venues: Hotel Westwood, Baby Snakes, Counterweight Vinyl, Kindred Studios, Littlefoot, Sloth Bar, Pride of Our Footscray, Corner 90, Bluestone Church, Victoria Hotel, Small French Bar, Jambo, The Cheeky Pint, Footscray Hotel .
West Set 2021 Line-up
Aboubacar Djéliké Kouyate & Kofi KunkpeAjak Kwai
Allara
Alma Zygier
Andrew Till
Angie McMahon
Anita Lester
Bigots
Black Cab
Chikchika
Cool Out Sun
Cool Sounds
Craig Dermody (Scott and Charlene’s Wedding)
Dan Kelly
Daniel Zisin
Darcy McNulty and the Four Lovers
DJ Animals Dancing
DJ Berkay Mete
DJ C1 + Spinfx - Detrimental Audio
DJ HipHopHoe
DJ Joey Lightbulb
DJ KYAANZ
DJ Prequel
DJ Sophie Mcalister
DJ Steve Wilde (3RRR Far and Wide)
DJ Stormn Norm - Modern Hypnosis
Edith Lane
ELLE SHIMADA - 嶋田会希 (DJ set)
Emily Lubitz (Tinpan Orange)
Fenn Wilson
Footscray Gypsies Orchestra
Freya Josephine Hollick
Goodys Hifi DJs
Hydra Fashion Week
Izy
Jani Ho
Jazzparty
Jess Ribeiro
Joelistics
June Jones
Kee’ahn
Laneous
Loretta Miller
LQ
Malesh P
Maple Glider
Mark Ferrie’s Instant Noodles
Merpire
Pollyman
Queen P
Rob Snarski + Shane O’Mara
Ruby Jones
Soju Gang
Solomon Sisay & Samson Gossaye
STAV
Tender Buttons
The Hacketts
The Seben Brothers
Valanga Khoza Duo
Van Walker
Way Shit
XANI
