Big Brands Back The Bunnings Rave
How a movement that started as a meme might just revamp the Australian music industry.
Peking Duk / What So Not (Credit: Billy Zammit / Supplied)
“Cut off your garden hose, and get sweaty in the timber aisle with us,” Adam Hyde of Peking Duk commanded rave fans last week.
The wacky instruction came upon the breaking news that hardware DIY company Bunnings had indeed agreed to entertain the viral petition for a festival-level Warehouse Party in one of their stores.
The trend, started by 19-year old producer Kalia, has been carried by Aussie music stars What So Not (aka Chris Emerson) and Peking Duk, working as the mast of the party ship ready to hit our shores.
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With the story followed closely on several media platforms, both Emerson and Peking Duk’s Reuben Styles tuned in to chat on The Today Show, sharing some further insights into the August-dated rave.
Don’t worry about snagging tickets just yet – while a month for the event is locked in, little logistics have been shared with the public just yet. Emerson and Styles discuss the concept of a voting-based system to pick which Bunnings store to bring the event to.
When asked if they were surprised by how many Australians got behind the warehouse rave concept, Emerson delved into the patriotism the nation holds for their live music scene, despite current industry struggles: “[It’s] genuinely cool to see a lot of brands that made big [money] while we were locked in our houses, coming to the table to support a grass roots movement and getting our music industry back on track,” the High You Are producer restated on Instagram.
He also spitballed plenty of ideas to get the ball in motion for other companies to enter the conversation: “It’s sparked a lot of bigger conversations and initiatives. Seemingly small things that can be done by these compan[ies] that will be a big help to young artists (and pulling off one hell of a [Bunnings] party)!
“I’m hoping we can get young artists some music equipment from JBL? some DIY incentives for studio builds from Bunnings? Free rides to gigs from Uber? Some product for artists’ EP launches and pop-ups? And maybe some young artists' original tunes on ad campaigns?”
“It’s already brought more mainstream media attention to the music industry than I’ve scene in recent years and helped bridged a gap [between] young and TV/print media culture.”
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