Music SA has announced a fresh, new program of over 300 live music events set to sizzle across more than 100 different venues and locations for this year’s festival of live music, Umbrella: Winter City Sounds.
Part curated, part open access, Umbrella: Winter City Sounds is an annual two-week event from Friday, July 13 to Sunday, July 29, allowing local and visiting musicians to take Adelaide by storm.
Some of the state’s hottest and most unique venues across the CBD and outer-city suburbs will play host to the cool sounds of South Australia and beyond.
Thanks to the support of the City of Adelaide, Umbrella’s diverse curated program of events features a sonic soundscape in the park, beats and a day club, scones with a jam at the Country Women’s Association, foot stomping Americana with warm open fires, a celebration of South Australia’s finest Aboriginal song-women during NAIDOC week, and, returning for its second year, Music SA’s signature event Scouted. Staged across four venues in the West End, Scouted will again showcase the best of Adelaide’s unsigned contemporary bands that will have an opportunity to perform to music industry guests in town for the national AIR Awards.
But to kick off proceedings this year, Music SA will get the party started with a spectacular opening night to celebrate all things Umbrella, bringing live music, art, food and dance to newly developed Bank Street for an incredible evening of music culture. Partners for this exciting street party include the Adelaide Fringe, the West End Association and Renewal SA, as well as local businesses that will be trading for the event.
Following on from the success of Umbrella: Winter City Sounds’ second year in 2017, which saw over 1,300 performers playing to approximately 50,000 people, Umbrella has been again made possible with support from the State Government’s Live Music Events Fund managed by the South Australian Tourism Commission. Music SA deliberately programs Umbrella with predominantly grass roots local musicians, so that intrastate and interstate visitors can connect with our city and experience a quintessentially Adelaidian showcase.
Premier Steven Marshall is pleased to support the winter music festival as Adelaide continues to grow its reputation as a leading global UNESCO City of Music:
“The winter music festival is a fantastic platform for local artists to showcase their talent, and moreover, it continues to add carriage to Adelaide’s reputation as a leading UNESCO City of Music,“ Premier Marshall said.
Lisa Bishop, General Manager of Music SA, is looking forward to seeing the same success of the city’s music festival spread to the suburbs for the first time in 2018.
“Adelaide has many jewels in its live music crown including some iconic suburban based venues and arts–focussed councils that see the economic and social value live music brings to local communities. It’s great to see them supporting a winter based festival and working with Music SA to spread cultural activity to a quieter time of the year,” Ms Bishop said.
To complement the Umbrella festivities, the annual Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR) Awards is in town, which attracts many high profile industry leaders, who will have an opportunity to see the Adelaide live music scene in action.
The two-day music industry conference features an international guest speaker alongside successful Australian Independent musicians and businesses who will be privy to the talents of the Scouted line up.
And to keep things heating up across Adelaide through July, the return of Guitars In Bars, presented by the Adelaide Guitar Festival will strike a chord with music lovers.
Strumming their way across pubs, clubs, bars, restaurants and exhibition spaces across South Australia with a series of free and ticketed gigs as part of Umbrella: Winter City Sounds, Guitars in Bars is a tribute to guitar loving South Australians who get out and about to support our vibrant live scene.
And when it rains, it pours. Umbrella: Winter City Sounds is running a competition thanks to Jetstar where one lucky person will win a $500 travel voucher, two nights’ accommodation, tickets to the AIR Awards and a pass to Scouted, valued at $2000. Enter here to win.
Register your event for an opportunity to go in the Umbrella: Winter City Sounds online program and check out the full program at the website.
Check out some of the curated program highlights:
Sconefest
An afternoon/early evening program of concerts, activities, stalls, dancing and scones supplied by CWA, Sconefest is a tribute to local South Australian musicians of all ages.
Celebrating sounds of the nostalgic and new, we will hear original music from younger artists who were inspired by their
grandparents, in addition to older musicians still writing and performing
their own music. Sconefest will be topped off with jam – the kind where everyone brings along an instrument and everyone plays together. It’s music for the ages.
Southern Twang
Foot stomping Americana with warm open fires, Umbrella welcomes back Southern Twang for its second instalment. Shining a light on Adelaide’s thriving alt-country, folk and Americana scene, Southern Twang is a slick, yet cosy offering of comfort food, vibrant décor, roaring fires, whisky and a warm sense of community spirit.
Because of Her We Can
A celebration of South Australia’s finest Aboriginal song-women during NAIDOC week.
On the opening night of the Umbrella Festival, the stories of South Australia’s finest Aboriginal Song-Women and Story-Tellers will be honoured in an evening of deep-dived words, presentations of prose, spoken word, and deep-felt acoustic sounds.
The Great Southern Drone
The creators of DARK MATTER present another grim offering of sonic torment, The Great Southern Drone Ensemble. This unique, once-off public performance will see a handpicked ensemble of Adelaide’s darkest electronic and noise artists congregate in a public space for a 4 hour marathon of live drone and ambient soundscapes.
Day Club
Day Club is all about celebrating Adelaide’s best produce and music in our most unique venues. A daytime party at the Old Royal Adelaide Hospital, this event will showcase some great Adelaide talent, and new breed beers and wines.
Americanathon
Americana Music Association of Australia presents an evening of South Aussie Americana at Grace Emily Hotel. Featuring William Crighton, Kelly Brouhaha Trio, The Hushes, Alana Jagt and Panacea, this intimate celebration of country, roots-rock, folk, bluegrass, R&B and blues by local artists will have your toes tapping and your boots strapping.
Stone Pony
Three word-loving songsmiths take folk to the darkest edges of storytelling: love, sex, death and politics in songs that split the heart right open. Sink into the loungey retro glamour of Vintage Vulture, and imagine yourself in the easy intimacy of the folk clubs of the 60s, like The Bitter End and Club 47. Stone Pony is a monthly pop-up music venue bringing top-shelf original music to the people in Willunga’s old Show Hall for the last two years. This Umbrella Festival, Stone Pony will saddle up for one special show in the big smoke.
About Music SA:
Music SA is a non-for-profit organisation committed to promoting, supporting and developing contemporary music in South Australia. Nurturing careers in the industry and delivering cultural and economic benefits to artists, residents, businesses, visitors and global audiences, Music SA’s wide engagement includes over 1000 artists, venues and music businesses. Umbrella: Winter City Sounds is a vibrant celebration of live music in Adelaide during the winter weeks, adding to the rich tapestry of Adelaide culture and upholding our status as a UNESCO City of Music.
Umbrella: Winter City Sounds returns for its third year to heat up Adelaide’s live music scene
