Overview
Mere days after Keep Sydney Open launched their commemorative plaques for live music venues campaign, Sydney's loudest anti-lockout lobby group have an even bigger surprise for Sydney, with fresh news that Flume has called in from the old US of A to release a brand new jam especially for KSO's new video today. Have a peep, below.
Plaques organiser and KSO activist Jonno Seidler says: "This is such incredible news to receive at the 11th hour. Harley is currently on tour in North America, playing sold out theatres across the country. But he is proud of where he's from and really backs the Sydney scene, and this just shows how dedicated he really is to the future of local music."
The track, called 'Heater' will presumably form part of Flume's next release, which is anyone's guess but could be an EP, coming off the international success of Skin, which dropped earlier this year.
"The plaque for Harley was the easiest one to make, because I was there!" says Seidler. "It was a double header with him and Chet Faker [now Nick Murphy] at Goodgod Small Club, my favourite venue for years. Ask anyone who was in the audience, you could tell something was cooking even way back then. I've seen Flume play to tiny rooms in New York city and huge stages at Byron, and he's been world class the whole way."
The video, prepared by Keep Sydney Open, features interviews with Gang of Youths Dave Leaupepe in Kings Cross and Jim Finn and Dan McNamee of Art Vs Science, who showed up at Oxford Street to play a trio of songs dedicated to NSW premier Mike Baird, including 'I Love The Nightlife', 'All Night Long' and 'Blame It On The Boogie.'
"I met Jim and Dan seven years ago, and it was pretty much a mutual love fest from then on in," says Seidler. "I think they're largely seen as a festival band, but they have amazing musical chops. I've been lucky enough to jam with them a few times and they are the real deal. You have no idea how fast they learned all of those songs."
The response to the plaques has been immediate, picked up by media across the country. Seidler says he that while he, Tyson Koh and the rest of Keep Sydney Open are beyond thrilled, they're not surprised at how quickly it took off.
"The reason we went with this method is that everyone relates to music. We have so much incredible talent that started right here in small to medium venues that are now literally world-class talent, from Anna Lunoe and Alison Wonderland to The Preatures. When you see those names and you put the two things together, the lockouts starts to become a much bigger problem than just where you can have a drink late at night."
More on Keep Sydney Open's plaque campaign over here.