SA bands with chance to play with Barnesy or Baker Boy
South Australian musicians are being invited to compete for a spot at the resurrected Adelaide 500 alongside the international lineup of artists like The Killers and Jimmy Barnes.
Jimmy Barnes is in the Adelaide 500 band line up.
Music SA announced today the return of the popular Bands On Track live music initiative, where a select few local musicians are given the opportunity to play with international and national heavyweights in an initiative that could help launch their careers.
Six local acts will share the main stage with leading artists to play at the VALO Adelaide 500 between December 1 and December 4.
Previous participants of Music SA’s Bands On Track initiative include South Australian Music (SAM) Awards winners and Triple J regulars Horror My Friend and Bad//Dreems, along with local scene favourites The Montreals, Dead Roo, Young Offenders, Ollie English and Zen Panda.
Selected by a panel of independent judges from submissions opening today, the six local acts will share the main stage with the already massive lineup of The Killers, Jimmy Barnes, Baker Boy, ICEHOUSE, Noiseworks and Lime Cordiale.
Music SA chair John Glenn said the initiative has been an important partnership between Music SA and the Adelaide 500, which had supported nearly 50 South Australian acts since 2012.
“The experiences and connections formed will supercharge the journeys of Adelaide’s brightest emerging acts and I personally can’t wait to see who represents the best of South Australian Live Music on the Track this year,“ Glenn said.
Bands on Track alumni Tom Gordon of Horror my Friend said he looks back on the opportunity fondly.
“I think the slot is incredible for up-and-coming bands; for most, it’ll be their first performance on a stage of that size, with that level of production,” he said.
“By the nature of the event, because the acts that these locals support are often nationally, if not internationally renowned, this will often open doors throughout the industry for them.”
Music SA’s CEO Christine Schloithe said the opportunity was a calendar highlight of live music for South Australian artists and audiences.
“To have local South Australian bands play on the main stage at Adelaide 500 and support such an incredible artist lineup can be career-defining and it showcases the immense depth and breadth of talent in our state,” Schloithe said.
Once submissions have closed, the entrants will be judged by an independent peer panel of local music industry judges – Courtney Duka, Sam Lavers and Sianne van Abkoude.
It comes as the race’s feature lineup was criticised last month for a lack of diversity in its lineup.
Submissions to Bands on Track can be made at the Music SA website and close on September 25.