Highlights From The 2016 Age Music Victoria Awards

Tonight is something a little different from the usual slog in the pits of the scene. Tonight, we honour the local titans that make our weekends, for The Age Music Victoria Awards is a chance to show appreciation to our favourite artistic misfits.

Descending 170 Russell’s steps relatively early in the evening, the room is already packed(!). Now, this may or may not have something to do with the open bar.

PBS’ Lyndelle Wilkinson and 3RRR’s Chris Gill return for hosting duties again this year and the night begins with the genre awards (specialist categories such as jazz, avant-garde etc.) followed by the public voted categories which sees the likes of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, The Drones and Meredith Music Festival clean up along with the new Best Venue Under 500 Capacity award, The Tote also gets a well-deserved and overdue nod.

It is a little hard to pay attention due to the rabble’s rabble coupled with the need to consistently revisit the bar to make use of that tab (someone has gotta do it). Following a stupidly quick change into his Megahertz gear by captain Gill, the awards comes to a peak, rounding out with the induction of local institution 3RRR 102.7fm into the Hall Of Fame.

It’s a rather heartfelt moment as a brief video showcasing the stations 40 years and legends its spawn along with a retrospective speech by Adalita and one by the station's founder just tapping into many in the room to which the station has been a vital part in their careers and life. Here’s to another 40 years you handsome devils!
With the formalities over, it's time for the room to do what it does best - crank the PA up along with that blood alcohol level. This year the after-party is open to the public and the room gets even more crammed as punters pile in to get in on the action.

Tash Sultana kicks things off and backed only by a wall of projected water, she delivers an incredibly full sound that reaches the back of the room with ease. Relying predominately on guitar loops, she just kills it from the beginning and is passionate with each track. It’s a shame it's only a brief set. 

Camp Cope follows and opens with (what is now) certified banger: Done. Unfortunately, the mix is a little muddy with the guitar sounding weak and in a dual suffering, Georgia Maq’s vocals also get lost somewhere in the fray. Jet Fuel Can’t Melt Steel Beams is a little cleaner but none of this deters their enthusiastic audience.

The fabled EG AllStars band makes a welcome return. Made up of members from the Rockwiz Band along with a rotating cast of guest vocalists from all walks. They begin with crooner Freya Josephine Hollick followed by Gawurra each respectively performing covers and perhaps it’s their styles of music, but they kinda don’t get the attention they deserve.

Remi on the other hand (sporting a backpack and looking like he quickly just ducked in on his commute home) gets a god-like reception and ups the energy. This is continued by The Pierce Brothers who bound about the stage as if it were a bouncy castle. The peak comes with The Drones’ Gareth Liddiard and Dan Luscombe taking the stage with Liddiard behind his regular axe while Luscombe (perhaps as a nod to his hilarious guitar woes during the bands Town Hall performance earlier in the week) takes to playing a pair of bongos quite enthusiastically, although quite inaudible. It feels The EG Allstars could keep this up all night and hats off to the band for being so incredibly diverse and making it all sound so easy.

The room has died off a bit and as the clock ticks away, it comes to a point where you can get a tram home or face shelling out precious coin for an Uber or cab home. But the moment that (the now award-winning) Melbourne Ska Orchestra takes to the stage that decision of making the tram is made for you with a big ‘fuck that’.

The 20-odd-piece band (as expected) are simply on fire and perhaps as a result of a night of saving pennies at the bar, their energy level and randomness is also off the charts. Led by the charismatic Nicky Bomba, the band play off each other so naturally a literal party forms onstage.

Mid-set and song the band respond to an audience member taking a photo in the best way possible and literally stop playing and all gather in a huddle for the snap-happy punter. Then in a hazy whirlwind of getting down, it’s all over and not only worth the ticket price but that pesky Uber fare home and even the subsequent hangover the next day alone. Cheers!