In the Green Room: RedFest

This January, sun-soaked psychedelic surf rockers Babe Rainbow are cruising into town with a kaleidoscopic party gig. Lead singer Angus Dowling gives us notes on the vibe.

It’s the first year of RedFest! What can punters expect?

RedFest is a chance for people and bands to be exposed to music they might not have listened to before. There are 18 acts across every genre, from solo acoustic duos to punk rock, across three stages at The Gov. We’re also giving it that music festival vibe with a pop-up vinyl store and a tattoo artist.

It’s a diverse lineup. How’d you decide who would play?

We’ve tried to make something different from a pure
rock festival – which is our background (Jason is a part of rock band The Red Skull) – and put on a show that’ll give people a chance to listen to things they normally wouldn’t. We had 50 acts come forward and say they wanted to be a part of it! So we tried to create a lineup of local favourites and up-and-comers so people could discover something new.

Who are you keen to see?

I’m looking forward to seeing Tonix. They just bring this huge energy, and people bounce around the room when they play. Another artist I’m keen for is Isadora’s Dream. They came to us with a Kate Bush and Bowie sound – a real dream-pop genre.

Sounds like it’s an event designed to unite gig-goers and musicians.

Totally. People will be up close and personal with acts, especially in the Gibson Street Stage. It’s also a chance for the musicians to mingle and meet other artists from different genres.