Something in the Water
Something in the Water - Wednesday May 13, 9.30pm
Something in the Water The distinguished and fertile music scene in Western Australia is a pop rock phenomenon all the more remarkable because of its traditional reputation as a cultural wasteland. Yet Perth has bred the likes of Jebediah, Eskimo Joe, The Panics, End of Fashion, John Butler Trio, the Waifs, the SleepyJackson and Little Birdy.
This amazing rockumentary looks at reasons why.
How can the most isolated city in the world have exploded with so many successful bands lately? Could it be the distance, environment, the community or is something else responsible for the sparkling talent pool? Something in the Water is an investigation of an Australian pop rock phenomenon, where it came from and what makes it unique.
Director Aidan O’Bryan moved to Perth (Dullsville) in the early 90s and has witnessed the transformation of the miniscule Perth live original music scene from one of segregation and genre definition to an industry, a lifestyle and most importantly an exciting and uniquely integrated community.
The western capital city was renowned for its middle-class colonialism, not somewhere where creativity and originality would thrive. But over the past 10 years, bands like Eskimo Joe, The Panics, Jebediah, End of Fashion, John Butler Trio, The Waifs, the SleepyJackson and Little Birdy have released albums to popular and critical acclaim and national music festivals are overrun by Perth-bred talent.
Perth has defied the difficulties of isolation and size to become, per capita, the most successful pop-rock city in Australia. How did the scene become so successful? How did musicians and promoters turn what had held Perth back in the national and international music scene into something that now helps push it forward?
Perth musicians claim their very distance from the big centres of music lover east helps them develop and experiment with styles and sounds that a nearby manager or record company executive might intrude on, hinder or squash. The story of how this music scene came from apparently nothing to be so successful has never been told - until now.
"Perth’s never been famous for anything except for being a long way away. The weather and the beaches are really nice, but when I moved here they seemed to be the only things anyone was proud of." Aidan O’Bryan, director.
Something in the Water - Wednesday May 13, 9.30pm
