Streaming concert a chance to catch up with local artists

Marlon Williams at Forsyth Barr Stadium ahead of the Eagles concert last year. Photo: Peter...
Marlon Williams at Forsyth Barr Stadium ahead of the Eagles concert last year. Photo: Peter McIntosh
Named after the series of television advertorials from the 2000s, music festival Better Living, Everyone has been quietly wowing Otautahi crowds since 2015. This year they’re doing it again — online.

The festival features 34 artists over two nights (it opened yesterday), with heavy-hitters Marlon Williams, Lawrence Arabia, Delaney Davidson headlining, as well as relative newcomers (and personal favourites) Adam Hattaway, Ben Woods and Pickle Darling. There’s even space for experimental curve balls such as Power Nap and Gate as well as a large number of Dunedin artists, including Francisca Griffin, Robert Scott, Oscar Mein (of Soaked Oats), Lucy Hunter and Danny Brady (of Death and the Maiden). It’s a good opportunity to catch up with the local music community, and hear them live again.

Being online allows Better Living, Everyone to avoid one of the major pitfalls of festivals — the logistics of getting that many people in one place and playing on time are ridiculous. Instead, the music comes directly from one bubble to yours and, as an audience member, you’re able to experience heaps of great live music with zero effort.

Woods has curated this year’s festival (usually Brian Feary, of cassette label Melted Ice Cream, takes charge), and he’s optimistic things will go smoothly.

"Well, I just wrote up the timetable and the rest is trusting on the artists.

"One positive about it being a streaming festival is that there's no stage change overs, so I’m sure [there will be] some momentarily overlaps. Fingers crossed, we’ll all be pretty much on schedule!"

Even though the 34 artists will be live streaming from their bubbles individually via Instagram, their streams will be tied together so all you have to do is sit back and watch the one live stream at meltedicecream.co.nz

All conversations will happen silently in a chatbox, not loudly over the music, and nobody’s going to kick you out for standing on furniture or dancing too hard. Why not make it an evening, dim the lights, crank up the sound and have a boogie with your bubble mates (even if that’s just your cat).

"Obviously everyone is at home, so there’s no live music scene. But I think people are trying to make an effort to use what we can to perform online, or share old videos, or engage in whatever way makes people feel connected to music."

Today’s lineup

4.30pm: Emily Edrosa
4.50pm: Ary Jansen
5.10pm: Flora Knight
5.30pm: Adam Hattaway
5.50pm: Violet French
6.10pm: IRD
6.30pm: Gate
6.50pm: Lucy Hunter
7.10pm: Danny Brady
7.30pm: Scott Maynard
7.50pm: Richard Dada
8.10pm: Ben Woods
8.30pm: Charlotte Forrester
8.50pm: Delaney Davidson
9.10pm: Marlon Williams
9.30pm: Power Nap
9.50pm: Sabine Official After

Stream the concert live at meltedicecream.co.nz

Add a Comment