Bleach Festival Plus Festival 18 Promise New Collaborations & Many New Works

Live music isn't the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of the Gold Coast. Festival 18 is set to change that, with hundreds of live music performances set to take place over 12 days.

Bleach* Festival has carried the baton for trailblazing Gold Coast music festivals since 2012 and has, this year, teamed up with Festival 18 to create something momentous and new to the city - a program of free, all-ages shows. As the Commonwealth Games attracts a legion of tourists from across the world, we caught up with two Bleach* performers that have, at one point in their lives, called the Gold Coast home in order to get the local's perspective.

Paces, aka Mikey Perry, is a producer that burst out of the Gold Coast with his 2016 debut album Vacation and has since gone on to support the likes of Illy and US producer Marshmello. The GC-raised musician is now set to headline a show with fellow locals Lastlings as a part of Bleach*.

"I loved growing up around the beach more than anything," Perry recalls.

"Starting every day by surfing with my friends, then spending the weekends doing road trips and camping, looking for waves. So many great memories attached to that part of my life and I'm so grateful to have grown up here," Perry says.

However, as much as Perry praises the natural beauty that the Gold Coast has to offer, he acknowledges that there's still work to be done on the music scene. "It's different to any of the capital cities, because it's such a tourist market," he says. "So, most of the clubs play music that caters to the tourists rather than building scenes based around niche genres and locals. 

"In Sydney or Melbourne, for example, there are club nights that only play a certain genre and cool little scenes evolve from those nights. Whereas Surfers Paradise leans more toward the Top 40/R&B nights because it's largely tourists and backpackers going out."

But while the most well-known areas might seem devoid of culture, Perry maintains that, thanks to a close-knit community, the scene is steadily growing.

"There are two clubs here that do an AMAZING job of providing quality acts for the locals: Elsewhere and Rattlesnake Motel. Both of these venues have always pushed forward-thinking acts and are so important for the music community here. Biggest love to them."

An even rarer sight in the Gold Coast is the elusive all-ages gig. Upon hearing that most of Festival 18's shows are open to everyone, Perry recognises how important these events are. "There aren't many opportunities like this when you're under 18, so it's hugely appreciated when they pop up," Perry says.

"A lot of the time I find that underage audiences are the best, because they're just so happy to be at an event - they really appreciate it on another level. I've been there, so I'm going to do my best to make it super-special for them."

Perry is right behind the growing Gold Coast music scene and is hopeful as to what opportunities a large-scale event such as Festival 18 promises for the future. "I really hope it opens the door to more events like this. We don't really have many music festivals here at the moment. It would be great to have something like this annually. Especially for all the upcoming local acts, it's important for them to be able to play good slots on a festival stage to gain that experience and help climb the ladder."

Michelle Xen is another one of the Gold Coast's hidden gems. The electronic musician is a highlight on Bleach*'s Electrified program and has quite the show planned. "The vision is to create a fully saturated audiovisual bomb," she reveals. "To push past what we have done before, to create an entire evening of insane moments. My band, Michelle Xen + The Neon Wild, have been recording new songs especially for the show. I have also been collaborating with the animator Helena Papageorgiou on a suite of animation and visual experiments."

Xen echoes Perry's experience, saying that while the local scene might seem neglected if you look hard enough you strike gold. "The creative scene is interesting as it is a small scene and driven by dedicated creatives that embrace the contradictions and opportunities of the city," Xen says.

"I often create music within a visual-arts context. For instance, my keyboard player and I recorded a number of songs inside an art gallery as opposed to a music studio; it generates new ways of making sound."

As hundreds of artists gather and mix in South East Queensland for Festival 18, Xen is optimistic about what will bloom from the event. "I am very curious to see what unfolds beyond the Festival, as lots of the creative community are," Xen says. "With so many resources and creatives invested in the Festival, there will be new collaborations, new ideas and hopefully many new works that spring from it!"