Sundowner goes well into the night, making use of the two stages. Photo: Cassie Abraham.
Lifelong musicians and bandmates Sam, Max and Riley Conway might have pivoted into hospitality when they took over Downer’s Gang Gang Cafe, but they had no intention of leaving their love of music behind; in fact, the two were intertwined as they built the cafe into a popular live music venue.
With gigs regularly taking over the cafe’s stage, most business owners would settle into a regular rhythm; instead, the three brothers launched an ambitious independent music festival that’s rolling into its third year.
Sam Conway says Sundowner Festival, taking place again on 31 October, is the part of their business they’re most proud of, and that’s coming from a man who gutted and rebuilt two premises to expand the cafe space to meet demand.
Rolling Blackout Coastal Fever will take to the stage at Sundowner Festival. Photo: Wiki Commons.
It’s no secret that live music has had a tough few years. Government arts body Creative Australia has documented rising production and insurance costs that are slowly crushing the industry, making support for a Canberra-led independent festival even more important.
Despite the outlook, or maybe in sheer defiance of it, the Conways went full-bore, crafting a lineup that spans 11 hours and two stages, plus market stalls, food trucks and roving magicians.
“We are bumping up the capacity a little from the first year, but at 1000 it still feels intimate,” Sam tells Region.
Living up to their reputations as musos with eclectic tastes, you can’t pin this event to a single genre. Expect a smattering of indie rock, post-punk, experimental pop and rap, with a sprinkling of underground dance music.
To build your perfect Sundowner day out, consider starting with Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever. This Melbourne five-piece has garnered an international following for their interwoven guitar lines, driving rhythms and evocative songwriting.
Dust, a quintet from Newcastle, takes things into post-punk indie rock, with a little experimental jazz and electronics thrown in for good measure.
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Terry Guyula brings his project Drifting Clouds to Sundowner. His music blends dreamy synth-pop, ’80s rock, funk and saxophone with Songlines and stories of community, sung in his first language, Liyawulma’mirr-Djambarrpuyngu.
Keanu Nelson, a Luritja singer-songwriter and painter from Papunya, north-west of Alice Springs delivers soulful vocals over simple electronic keyboard patterns, with gospel and reggae influences.
DJs Wax’o Paradiso are set to bring the disco. Photo: Wax’o Paradiso Facebook.
Ramping things up on the electronic side, producer, record label owner and DJ, Kia, is swapping abandoned warehouses in Melbourne for the usually quiet suburb of Downer, bringing a hypnotic, psychedelic set, while Sydney producer Cousin performs live, drawing on dub, techno and ambient music. Melbourne DJs Wax’o Paradiso mine the depths of disco culture to get the dance floor moving.
Plenty more bands and DJs take to the two stages, with Chiaroscuro, DJ Las Vegas, Naga Raani, Xavier & Elsie, and more, giving festival-goers plenty of chances to discover their next favourite artist.
Gang Gang’s Sundowner Festival is on Saturday, 31 October. For the program and tickets, head to Humantix.
