Listen Out

Listen Out is a yearly outdoor music festival held in 4 Australian cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Brisbane since 2013. In 2018, an inaugural alternative version of Listen Out, titled 'Listen In' took place in South Australia and New Zealand. The festival is typically held in late September to early October. Listen Out is a one day event attracting both domestic and international Hip-Hop, Indie, and electronic acts.[1] Listen Out consists of three stages; Atari stage, 909 stage and Third base (formerly Red Bull Crate Diggers stage and Young Bloods stage). Listen out has been organised since 2013 by Fuzzy Pty Ltd. Since its inception Listen Out has become popular, attracting over 68,000 attendees during the course of its 2016 tour.[2]

Listen Out
Brockhampton performing at Listen Out 2017
GenreHip-Hop, Indie, and Electronic
DatesSeptember - October
Location(s)Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane
Years active2013 - Present
Organised byFuzzy Pty Ltd
WebsiteFuzzy official website

History

Listen Out's inception occurred after organisers Fuzzy cancelled its other music festival, Parklife to replace it with a new festival that had an emphasis on 'intelligent strains of dance music'.[3] Listen Out's inaugural tour occurred in 2013, and has been a yearly event since. It consists of three stages, two of which (Atari and 909’s) have identical artist lineups. The Atari stage is the festivals main stage and features the headliners of the festival. The 2013 and 2014 tour allocated only electronic music acts to perform on the Atari stage, with Indie and Hip-hop acts taking place on the 909 stage. In 2015 onward, these roles were changed as Hip-Hop acts now exclusively occurred on the Atari stage and the 909 stage became exclusively electronic music.[1] Unlike these stages, Third base stage is used to showcase local upcoming talent from each state, with different lineups for each leg of the show. In more recent iterations of the event, these lineups now contain acts that tour with the festival over multiple events, however minor tweaks are made to each state's lineup to continue showcasing local talent for each state. From 2013 to 2015 the festival's third stage was sponsored by Red bull titled the ‘crate digger stage’.[4] In 2016 after Fuzzy lost its sponsorship from Red Bull for the event, the stage was sponsored by Universal Store and re-branded the "Young Bloods" stage.[5] In 2017 Fuzzy formerly changed the stage's name to “3rd Base” without the support of any sponsor.

Each year the winners of the annual "Triple J Unearthed" competition for each state make up one act of line up of the Listen Out concert. The winner performs on either the Atari or 909 stage depending on the year.[6] In 2018 Fuzzy brought the addition of a new, smaller edition of Listen Out titled 'Listen in' to reach audiences in South Australia and New Zealand featuring a smaller selection of six acts from the Listen Out version of the tour.[7] In 2019 the South Australian 'Listen in' festival has been announced but the New Zealand leg of the tour is yet to be announced.

Artist Lineup by year

2013[8]
Atari 909 Crate Diggers
(Sydney)
  • Paradise Lost
  • Sosueme
  • Slow Blow
  • John Glover
  • Beni
(Perth)
  • Drifter & Pussymittens
  • France China
  • Black & Blunt
  • Charlie Bucket
  • Oli & James A
  • Gracie & Sistym
(Melbourne)
  • Scattermusic
  • Fletch
  • Simon TK
  • Sleep D Plays
  • Flip 3k & David Bass
  • Post Percy
  • Salvador & Les Level
(Brisbane)
  • Aydos & Brat Camp
  • OP thomas Prime & Charlie Hustle
  • Benn Hopkins & Bruno Watt
  • Cosmo Cater
  • Stretch paper cranes & Audun
2014[9]
Atari 909 Crate Diggers
(Sydney)
  • Low Motion
  • Playmode
  • Wordlife
  • Motorik
  • Kali
  • Ben Morris
  • Joyride
(Perth)
  • Troy Division & Bunj
  • Casual Connection
  • Micah Black
  • Genga & Benny P
  • Shaddow Brothers
  • Philly Blunt
  • Gracie + Sistym
(Melbourne)
  • Jack Love & Jacob Malmo
  • Matt Radovich
  • Sweetland
  • Hans DC
  • Ollie Holmes
  • Edd Fisher
  • Butters
(Brisbane)
  • Approche & Elleyet
  • Sweeney & Tucker
  • Thomas Prime & Jazzy Jeff
  • Audun & Sessionkatz
  • Silvertouch & Nicky Doof
  • Varcity & Gurps
  • Mr Sparkles & Pete Smith
2015[10]
Atari 909 Crate DIggers
(Sydney)
  • Typhonic
  • Moriarty
  • Tom Tilley
  • Motorik
  • Ariane
  • Discovery
  • Bad Ezzy
(Perth)
  • Genga & Oh Dear!
  • Klean Kicks & Aslan
  • Black & Blunt
  • Shadow Brothers
  • Troy Division
  • Discovery
  • Deadweight
(Melbourne)
  • Dizz 1
  • Mat cant
  • Jack love
  • Brooklyn Queenz
  • Ara Koufax
  • Discovery
  • Jonno Haze
(Brisbane)
  • Mark Maxwell
  • Jordan James & Kendall Banks
  • Percy Miracles
  • Jimmy D & MJ Monsta
  • Charlie Hustle
  • Discovery
  • Lachness & Lavitz
2016[11]
Atari 909 Young Bloods
(Sydney)
  • Honey DJs
  • Flex Mami
  • Gradz
  • Turquoise Prince LTC
  • Elijah Scadden
  • Made in Paris
  • Colour Castle
(Perth)
  • Bockman & Shobu
  • Chino Gambino
  • Avance & Childish Antics
  • Command Q
  • Axen
  • Amber Akilla & D A W S
  • Time Pilot
  • CasueL
(Melbourne)
  • SAL
  • Pillow Pro
  • One Puf
  • Smutlee
  • MIMI
  • Airwolf
  • Ara Koufax
(Brisbane)
  • Quix
  • No vs Yvng Jalapeno
  • Doe vs Nado
  • Mutual Friends DJs
  • Turqoise Prince LTC
  • Lastlings
  • Macey Cherry vs CRVCKS
2017[12]
Atari 909 3rd Base
(Sydney) (Perth) (Melbourne) (Brisbane)
2018[13]
Atari 909 3rd Base
(Sydney) (Perth) (Melbourne) (Brisbane)
2019[14]
Lineup

Venues

City Venue Years Held
Sydney Brazilian Fields, Centennial Park 2013–Present
Melbourne Observatory Precinct, Royal Botanic Gardens 2013 - 2014
Catani Gardens, St Kilda 2015–Present
Perth Ozone Reserve 2013 - 2015
Western Parklands, HBF Arena Joondalup 2016–Present
Brisbane Cultural Forecourt, Southbank 2013
The Avenues & Expo Place, Brisbane Showgrounds 2014 - 2015
The Sporting Fields, Victoria Park 2016 - 2018
Brisbane Showgrounds 2019–Present

Controversies

Listen Out has a history of drug related controversies from the outset. These include:

During the Melbourne leg of the inaugural Listen Out tour, police arrested 13 people in relation to drug related offences.[15] Police were also able to seize $10,000 worth of cocaine, ecstasy and prescription drugs.[15] Further, at the Sydney leg of the same tour 94 were charged by police for drug related offences.[16]

The 2014 version of listen had 37 festival attendees arrested at the Melbourne part of the tour on drug offences.[17]

The Sydney leg of the 2015 tour brought seven people who were arrested due to drug supply, with one carrying over 100 MDMA pills.[18] A further 114 revellers were charged with drug possession at the same show.[18]

In the 2016 run of the Listen Out, during the Victorian leg of the tour a woman aged 27 died of a suspected drug overdose.[19] As a result, the Victorian police allocated more resources to the event for following years such as introducing more passive alert drug detection dogs to be utilised at the following years tour.[20]

Perth's 2017 leg of the tour had nine people charged with drug related offences.[21] The Melbourne leg had 38 people arrested on similar grounds.[22] Sydney's leg also lead to the arrest of 116 people relating to drug offences.[23]

In 2018 following the deaths of two teenagers at the Defqon.1 festival, the NSW government heightened police presence at festivals, as Listen out was the next festival to occur in New South Wales after Defqon.1 all media attention gravitated towards the festival.[24] As a result of the increased police presence, 159 people were charged with drug offences and 5 charged with drug supply.[25] 12 people were taken to hospital at the NSW festival and 7 of these were found to be drug related issues.[26] At the Melbourne leg of the tour in the same year 30 were charged with drug possession and one charged with trafficking cocaine.[27]

Following a successful pill testing trial at Groovin' the Moo earlier in the year[28] the Australian Festival Association suggested to implement this at more festivals as a preventative measure to lessen deaths at music festivals, this was met with a 'no tolerance policy' from New South Wale's premier Gladys Berejiklian.[25] Fuzzy replied to this stance saying governments should be more open to the idea of pill testing in order to create safer festivals.[29]

Notes

Listen Out official website

Fuzzy official website

References

  1. "LISTEN OUT 2018". Fuzzy. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
  2. "Listen Out attendee figures revealed". The Music Network. 2016-10-04. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
  3. "No Parklife in 2013; Fuzzy launches bold new national event". inthemix. 2013-06-19. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
  4. "Red Bull Crate Diggers at Listen Out". Red Bull. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
  5. Store, Universal (2016-07-05). "Listen Out x Universal Store". Universal Store Blog - Fashion, Entertainment & Lifestyle. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
  6. "Listen Out 2018". triple j Unearthed. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
  7. "Listen Out Festival Drops Lineup For New Adelaide Event 'Listen In'". Music Feeds. 2018-07-10. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
  8. "Listen Out 2013 Releases Set Times For Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney". Music Feeds. 2013-09-12. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
  9. "Listen Out 2014 Timetables And Maps". Music Feeds. 2014-09-18. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
  10. "Listen Out 2015 Set Times Unveiled". Music Feeds. 2015-09-16. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
  11. "Everything You Need To Catch At Listen Out 2016". Tone Deaf. 2016-09-23. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
  12. "Listen Out 2017 Lineup Expands Again, Set Times Announced". Music Feeds. 2017-09-06. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
  13. "Listen Out Festival 2018 Set Times Announced". Music Feeds. 2018-09-13. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
  14. Newstead, Al (2019-05-21). "The Listen Out 2019 line-up is here and it's epic!". triple j. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
  15. "Police seize $10k of drugs at Melbourne Listen Out festival". ABC News. 2013-10-05. Retrieved 2019-06-06.
  16. "Police Charge 94 For Drugs At Listen Out 2013, Azealia Banks Storms Off Stage". Tone Deaf. 2013-09-29. Retrieved 2019-06-06.
  17. "Drug busts at Listen Out". The New Daily. 2014-10-04. Retrieved 2019-06-06.
  18. "Drug Arrests at the 'Listen Out' Music Festival". Sydney Drug Lawyers. Retrieved 2019-06-06.
  19. "Police To Increase Listen Out Festival Security In Response To Woman's Death". Music Feeds. 2017-09-21. Retrieved 2019-05-31.
  20. "Dance festival 37 nabbed for drugs". www.heraldsun.com.au. 2014-10-04. Retrieved 2019-05-31.
  21. "Police "Disappointed" With The Number Of People Found With Drugs At Listen Out Festival". Music Feeds. 2017-09-25. Retrieved 2019-06-06.
  22. "Looking out for drugs at Listen Out". www.heraldsun.com.au. 2017-09-17. Retrieved 2019-06-06.
  23. "Police Commend Behaviour Of Listen Out Sydney Festival-Goers Despite Over 100 Arrests". Music Feeds. 2016-10-02. Retrieved 2019-06-06.
  24. Morgan, Cassandra (2018-09-30). "'This way to the festival of drugs and booze': Defqon. 1 deaths leave Listen Out revellers undeterred". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
  25. "Police arrest over 150 people at Sydney's Listen Out". NewsComAu. 2018-09-30. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
  26. "Over 150 People Arrested For Drug Offences At Listen Out Sydney". Music Feeds. 2018-09-30. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
  27. "30 drug arrests at St Kilda music festival". www.heraldsun.com.au. 2018-09-23. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
  28. Healy, Jon; Sibthorpe, Clare (2018-04-30). "Arnica, metal paint and Polish toothpaste: Festival pill test comes back with all sorts". ABC News. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
  29. Thompson, Angus (2019-01-09). "'Young people deserve better': festivals push governments on pill testing". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
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