Last week (3-6 September) saw the prestigious BIGSOUND festival and conference return to Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley for its 18th year. Spread across 18 of the Valley’s best venues and loaded with 150 of the brightest up and comers from Queensland, Australia and beyond, BIGSOUND 2019 offered something for every type of live music fanatic. After wandering the streets of Fortitude Valley for four nights soaking up the sounds of the hottest emerging acts, here’s our first round of rising stars we recommend keeping an eye on.
Brisbane powerhouse Jaguar Jonze opened proceedings explosively with a nicely packed show at The Zoo. Jonze showed no fear, as she performed a tight set full of her melancholic and atmospheric pop mixed with some glorious spaghetti western guitars creating a vibe that was unmatched at the festival. The set list of course included her epic singles Beijing Baby and You Got Left Behind, as well as a sweet taste of what’s to come. Jaguar Jonze topped off her intimate show at The Zoo, with a monumental show at Family where hundreds of festivalgoers stood in awe.
Gold Coast Queen DVNA made The Valley Drive In her sanctuary as she showcased her effortlessly cool and classy mixture of soul, dance and hip-hop. For her BIGSOUND showcases DVNA also added a new dimension to her performance by being back with a live band. This brought a more organic sound and irresistibly smooth basslines to life during her set. For an artist with only three singles to her name, DVNA has a presence like no other and is absolutely a must-see Queensland act.
Melbourne’s wholesome pop quartet Approachable Members Of Your Local Community were an interstate favourite. Along with their abundance of charm and irresistibly catchy hooks, Approachable Members are able to maintain the sweet spot between ridiculously infectious pop music, with heart and a sense of humour. Their live show was an absolute blast, featuring tracks from their 2018 debut EP, their latest singles and some unreleased tracks all which had a glorious funk flair.
Illuminating the thriving music scene housed within the wonderful venues of Fortitude Valley, BIGSOUND 2019 yet again exceeded all expectations – there really is no other experience like it.
Stay tuned, Brightest Stars Of BIGSOUND 2019 – Part II drops this Thursday!
This review is courtesy of Phoenix Radio’s Emerge program, hosted by Calen Le Couteur and Russell Thompson. Follow Emerge and tune in on Monday nights 7-9PM HERE.
