The imminent arrival of Ultra Music Festival to our shores screams a lot of things to me. Ultra currently plays to five continents and 21 countries, so it’s fair to say it’s managed to capture the popular vote. But with the hyper-successful international mainstream music festival brand set to touch down in 2019, I’m certainly not holding my breath.
Leaving little to the imagination
Raucous fanfare? Bells-and-whistles production? Headliner after headliner? No thanks. Perhaps it’s age catching up with me (the old, wizened bastardry of 29), but this well-oiled festival machine seems almost entirely divorced from any semblance of the natural, and, from the looks of it, leaves very little to the imagination. Throw something a little more subversive in the mix, or a suggestion of chaos; even something with a hint of uniqueness to it.
I’ve never really been one for blown-out entertainment, though, so the slick & polish of blaring TV screens, fire pillars and DJ festival stages tends to get lost on me.
Developing the local industry
Festivals are an essential part of the musical landscape – that much I can agree with. What I find problematic is their scale (in this case, Ultra’s sheer, gargantuan scale) and what they contribute.
Perhaps it’s highly idealistic on my part to suggest that a multimillion dollar company play an active role in developing and supporting the local industries within which they operate. What I’d love to see is Ultra putting a bit of the hard-earned towards local events and infrastructure, and supporting the broader network of artists, many of whom might never be considered in their events.
Australia has a burgeoning local electronic music scene steadily producing a veritable wealth of talent, and, in between making money hand over fist, one hopes Ultra don’t lose sight of the bigger (or smaller) picture. The irony of it all is that, in all their noisy technicolour, Ultra culture assumes something of a bland monochromatic nature, recalling the whitewashed plethora of cashed-up Vegas DJs.
Reeking of globalisation
In a recent article on women in electronic music, I made passing mention of Smirnoff’s campaign to “equalize” gender representation in the industry. While it remains to be seen how effective Smirnoff’s initiative is, and how well it’s realized, the (public) intent is there. With its incredible success, popularity and reach, events and institutions like Ultra are a potential platform for charities and other vehicles of social progress. I’d love to see their Sponsors card read like more than a list of multinationals. Engage the community, and think about how your event can be more than just a music festival.
Fear not, folks. Ultra Music Festival is still two years away. In the meantime, check out the gig guide for everything happening in Sydney’s EDM scene.
