Overheard At BIGSOUND 2025

As BIGSOUND – the music industry’s Christmas – comes to an end for another year, the focus of the post-event discussion turns to all the conversations half-remembered while wandering the streets of Fortitude Valley.

That’s where The Music’s Overheard At BIGSOUND feature comes into play, reminding all and sundry of the exciting and enticing comments that peppered the discourse over the past few days.

Returning for the first time in a long time, Overheard At BIGSOUND is the result of ears on the street, taking notes of the most fitting, surprising, and hilarious quotes heard on-ground this week.

What we heard...

"Remember that 'Overheard At BIGSOUND' feature? They should bring it back…" – You asked, we listened.

“Threads is fucked” - Tash Sultana

"Someone spiked my Fireball shots with alcohol." – A rookie mistake.

"I'm going big tonight." – First-time BIGSOUND attendee on Tuesday. We'll check in on Friday morning...

“The job cuts are coming. We’re just holding our breath waiting for the announcement.” – Watch this space I guess?

“triple j shared what their Hottest 100 results would look like if only under-30s voted, but it’s like, exactly the same.” – The surprises keep coming.

“Country music in Australia has had 9.4% year on year growth and is closing in on equal genre popularity as the US and Canada.” - Country music panel.

"This venue is long. Is that why they call it the Alligator Club?" – Snappy quips on tap.

“I wish everyone would stop whinging about doom and gloom. If you smarten the fuck up and start living in 2025, music is actually a great place to be.” – The reality check we all needed.

Tuesday’s First Word panel – Warner Music’s Dan Rosen: “In the last Olympic Games, we came third, so why can't we aim to be the third biggest [music] export market? That's the goal we should aim for.” Same panel from Vinyl Group’s Josh Simons: “I think what we've just heard there is we're not going to drop artists anymore.”

“If you write chill beats to study slash work to, you will be replaced by AI. Is that a bad thing though? Write something better.” – The Meeting Tree.

"Well, I can't see shit. I guess I can hear them." – The next best thing.

"Wow, that's a great pitch. You should be their manager." – If you manage a buzzing Sydney artist who played early on Tuesday night, look out...

“Who scheduled Richard Kingsmill's Blur panel and the triple j panel at the same time?” – The BIGSOUND conspiracy theorists out in full force.

“My mum had her bum pinched so many times in the ‘60’s, she put down her violin forever” - Blur’s Dave Rowntree

"I made awkward eye contact with a band whose merch I was wearing." – Maintaining eye contact is the real power move, however.

"It's a certain kind of mental illness you need to have to be like me. I wouldn't recommend it." - Briggs.

"If you get too sweaty, we have T-shirts for sale. That's the marketing stuff out of the way." – Modern solutions for modern problems.

"That was pretty witty. Can you credit me on that one?" – Anonymous.

"I tried watching The Voice." – Never forget, trying is the first step towards failing.

"If your business strategy is dictated by stupid rich people instead of music people you ain't never gonna fill a stadium." – Tactics from the cheap seats.

"What if Gordon Ramsay was cast as the next James Bond?" – The big topics are definitely on the lips of attendees this year.

"We should name our next playlist 'Ketamine On Sundays.'" – Or, failing that, the Valley's next big club night.

"This is the second time I've mentioned heroin at a lunch this week." – Rookie numbers.

“As much as I’d love to hang out…” (proceeds to walk away) – Wait, we need closure on that anecdote!

"Smoke some cigarettes, the smoke will suffocate the bacteria in your stomach." – Hot tips for young players.

“Dicko told us we could be the country Backstreet Boys” – The Wet Whistles.

"It's like the ex-triple j convention." – With 50 years of experience, are we surprised?

“When I grow up I want to be Frank Stivala." – As the famous quote goes, “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you land among the stars.”

(Insincerely) "DM me the gig details." – Tell us how you really feel.

"Look, there's Dicko again!" – Mr Everywhere.

"I'll always take a free lunch." – It’s vital to plan your movements around the availability of hors d'oeuvres.

“They sound like if The 1975 were put together by Simon Cowell.” – Hard to tell if this is a critique or a compliment.

“This is like Imagine Dragons, but worse.” – Who said music critique is dead?

“Cat in the wall, eh? Now you’re talking my language. I know this game.”

“We’ll eat after the next party.” – Sure you will…

“Where’s the after party?” – Said by someone who didn’t show up to any of the after parties.