DEM MOB and Barkaa Hosting Concert To Celebrate the Opening of Fregon Anangu School
Located in the middle of the APY lands in remote SA, Fregon Anangu School has undergone a multi-million dollar upgrade to provide the best educational support for apsiring students.
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Fresh from winning four gongs at the 2025 SA Music Awards, APY hip hop group DEM MOB are putting on a concert this Friday 31 October, to commemorate the official opening of the multimillion-dollar, 10-month-long build of Fregon Anangu School. Entry is just $2, with an extra $2 for a BBQ dinner.
Located in the remote far north of South Australia on the Anangu Lands, the school provides young students with the opportunity to learn and grow in a safe and inclusive environment.
Behind the build is the South Australian construction company Sarah Constructions, which has been a great help to the local community, providing sponsorship for the concert that brings together musical artists and inspiring students for a night of thrilling performances.
DEM MOB are stoked to work with Fregon Anangu School, Sarah Construction, PYEC and the Fregon Community to produce the concert that not only celebrates the 33 million dollar school upgrade, which was funded by the South Australian State Government, but also the young kids who will be part of the free event.
The first of its kind event allows APY students the opportunity to learn skills and gain knowledge about the inner workings of the music industry, with hip hop educators DEM MOB and ARIA Award-winning rapper Barkaa coming together for an afternoon of performance, songwriting and stagecraft workshops.
Joining DEM MOB and Barkaa on stage are a host of local bush bands and NT artists, including Kaltjiti Travellers, PJ Reggae, Desert Melody, The Fregon Band, Tjupi Band, Eastern Arrernte Band, Coloured Rainbow and the Laranpa Band.
Not only are DEM MOB and Barkaa performing at the event, but they are also helping students write and perform their own original works to open the concert. Fregon students will learn the ins and outs of putting on a festival, from building a stage to rigging sound and everything in between. Their efforts will also go towards each student's SACE Certificate 2 in music, which will be delivered and assessed by DEM MOB.
South Aussie companies Novatek and Nextstage, along with youth arts organisation Carclew, are also on board, providing the stage and lighting, while PY Media will live stream the event for those who can’t make it.
This is the latest in a long list of TAFE initiatives DEM MOB have been involved with. Members of the group are now TAFE lecturers to deliver in the Pitjantjatjara language and have been working with Fregon and other APY community schools for the past year to assist students with writing, recording and producing music videos in a program delivering cert II outcomes.
The free concert promises to be both an educational experience for students and an amazing afternoon of music and good vibes for the local community.
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Starting as a school project themselves, DEM MOB are now a musical force on a mission to empower the youth through Indigenous culture and music.
The first group to rap in the Pitjantjatjara language, DEM MOB have ticked off some pretty cool bucket list achievements, including performing at WOMADelaide, being handpicked to play Barcelona’s Primavera Pro in 2023 and touring across North America.
DEM MOB have won an impressive ten SA Music Awards in just three years and shared a slew of invigorating singles, with their most recent release, ‘Now Is the Time’, a collaboration with Arnabella Anangu School that was written by the students with music produced and mixed by PAYDAY, and a music video shot and edited by Tjilps.
Catch DEM MOB, Barkaa and more performing at Fregon Anangu School on Friday 31 October. Entry is $2. BBQ dinner is also available for $2. Cash only.
