If you could go back in time and tell your teen self “hey, in the future people are going to take mixtapes/mix cds and turn it into an actual live gig”, you’d do it, right? Of course you would. Imagine if you could take all those cds you made for various road trips and put all of those bands on a lineup – it’d be cool as hell, right?
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Spotify are doing just that, actually. It’s taking some key players from its newly-minted Front Left playlist, chucking them all on a lineup in a to-be-announced venue, and letting the specially-curated playlist come to life.
It’s the first time the streaming giants have done something like this in the southern hemisphere, and mates – it’s completely free. All you have to do is enter the ballot and you could be getting along to the first gig of (hopefully many), celebrating the platform’s playlist where you can discover upcoming Aussie and international artists that are just a touch left-of-centre.
Front Left Live is going down on October 11, and Spotify have invited a bevvy of Aussie artists to come perform, as well and one (1) international artist as a (not-yet-announced) sneaky surprise.
So who’s playing? You’ll be able to catch sets from Cosmo’s Midnight, Baker Boy and Noongar MC Dallas Woods, Hatchie, Kota Banks, and CXLOE, as well as the international artist who Spotify is keeping close to their chest at the moment.
Having a look at the playlist itself, I’m thinking it could be a pretty big deal – but let’s figure this out and see who’s likely to pop over to us on the big island in October.
Childish Gambino is featured in Front Left and he’s also coming over in November for a string of headline shows and a performance at Spilt Milk in Canberra. Would he show up a month early to play a cheeky set? It’s a reach, but stranger things have happened.
Also in the playlist is Billie Eilish, the LA-based teenager who sings like she’s lived a thousand lives. She’s known to play festivals over here so it’s not too far-fetched that she might pop down for a sneaky gig. She also has an interesting, trip-to-Australia sized gap in her touring schedule between a show in Washington DC and Oakland, California sooooooo…?
Courtney Barnett‘s close friend and collaborator, Kurt Vile, also pops up on the playlist, but considering he’s got a gig in Hamburg, Germany THE DAY AFTER, I’m gunna say this isn’t a strong chance – unless he has either a teleporter, a time turner, or he’s just fuckin’ magic.
NZ sweetheart Robinson features on the playlist, and with no foreeable tour dates that I can find online, this might just be a hot ticket option. A sweet angel who once made me a gross ham and weetbix toastie to eat.
Others including Empress Of, King Princess, Neil Francis, Blood Orange, Broods, Benji Lewis and Jade Bird all feature on the wide-spanning playlist, and depending on their respective tour schedules, there might just be a chance that we get to steal ’em for a night in mid-October.
Keep your eyes peeled, and get your name in the party ballot to (hopefully) score yourself a ticket to the gig. Until then, check out the playlist below and maybe you’ll find yourself a new fave.
