Just over a week to go and Victoria’s new day-long festival, First & Forever, is almost here! Curated by Briggs, First & Forever takes place at The Gathering Place, Hanging Rock on Sunday 27 November, and will see some of the country’s most celebrated contemporary First Nations artists converge for a brand new landmark event celebrating Blak excellence.
Now it’s time to start planning your day, with the festival schedule and site map revealed. Artists will play short, uninterrupted sets and collaborate on the festival’s single, main stage – the ‘Uncle Archie’ stage. Gates open at 1pm, with guest appearances and first-ever collaborations taking place throughout the afternoon and evening. Arrive early so you don’t miss out on any special musical surprises!
What’s more, Briggs is thrilled to announce three more artists added to the bill:
Mo’Ju (Wiradjuri) is chameleonic. They shapeshift between albums, often several times within the same release: jukebox-rattling, ‘50s rock n roller to swinging soul crooner; pop experimentalist to synthesised funk adventurer.
Using sound, movement and filmic techniques, Eric Avery (Ngiyampaa, Gumbangirr, Bandjalang and Yuin) takes a multi-disciplinary approach to pushing music and culture into new formations. Avery will perform throughout the day in support of several artists, as lead violin in the First & Forever house band.
With an ear keenly tuned to the low-end frequencies of club culture, Kalyani (Trawlwoolway) explores dance music from across the globe. She takes a confident and idiosyncratic approach to her sets, which can traverse bass-heavy genres including booty bass and trap; or transport audiences with gems of Turkish and Hindi pop rarely heard in clubs this side of the equator.
Special performances by the Djaara Dancers, Djirri Wurundjeri Women’s Dance Group and the Taungurung Choir will lead us into tributes to both Aunty Ruby Hunter and Uncle Archie Roach delivered by Dan Sultan, Paul Kelly, Emma Donovan, Jess Hitchcock and Kardajala Kirridarra.
