The Best Gigs and Parties Happening at Melbourne Music Week 2018

It’d be to rude not to start Melbourne Music Week with the festival’s massive opening night at Fed Square. Featuring an all-Victorian and utterly danceable lineup with the likes of Ara Koufax, Sui Zhen, ALTA and DRMNGNOW, the party is all-ages and free for all.

Each year, MMW takes over a new venue for its hub. This year, it’s chosen ACMI — and this is where you can head after the opening night celebrations for a killer after party. Curated by Sydney-based queer party crew Heaps Gay, the night features an all-inclusive lineup of killer bands and DJs. With accompanied visuals across two stages and open till dawn, the $45 ticket seems a pretty good deal to us.

If the name alone hasn’t already got your attention, this next part will. Psychedelic music has been known for some pretty insane visual accompaniments, but for this performance, you’ll see nothing at all.

In complete darkness at The Toff you’ll experience a live and improvisational gig from emerging producers and artists Dark Space Project, Hextape and James Teague. But, prepare yourself for the climax. In true psychedelic style, right at the end you’ll be brought out of the dark by video synthesisers and lasers. Think of it as one of the more meditative shows on the Melbourne Music Week program.

It just wouldn’t be Melbourne Music Week without a laneway party. Now on final release tickets, this all-day affair takes you on a musical journey through the afternoon in AC/DC Lane.

Spend the day flitting between the two stages in the laneway and at Cherry Bar as you take in some of Australia’s best rock and roll bands. The lineup is both eclectic and on-point, with 90s legends Regurgitator, party rockers The Bennies and star-in-the-making Bec Sandridge. It’ll set you back $70 but its well worth it for a mini-festival of this calibre.

Always wanted to roller skate to disco at ACMI? This is your chance. As part of Melbourne Music Week, the cultural institution will host a retro roller jam complete with disco balls, bad outfits and a live soundtrack from Australia’s own jazz, soul and R&B legend Renée Geyer.

Geyer — whose four-decade career has landed her in the ARIA Hall of Fame — will be supported by acts Kylie Auldist, Chelsea Wilson and DJ JNETT, who’ll be spinning four decades of tunes for you to roller dance the night away to. This looks set to be one of the funnest events on the MMW program.

Remember when Melbourne’s new observation wheel broke 40 days after opening and took three years to rebuild? Well, that was in the past and all is forgiven, because this year the Melbourne Star is hosting one of the most inspired events of Melbourne Music Week.

If you buy a ticket on Friday, November 23, a musician will be waiting for you in your cabin. Who exactly it will be isn’t known, but with artists anging from acoustic guitarists to rappers and DJs, your performer could be exactly your cup of tea — or not. But that’s half the fun. Tickets are $34 and will get you a complimentary drink and two rotations on the wheel.

Ladies to the front. These women are without doubt three of the most talked about independent artists right now — and you can see them all performing their new releases at this exclusive Melbourne Music Week gig for just $43.

Even if you’re not fans of these three artists (yet), if you’re into boss singer-songwriters, acoustic guitar and lyrical storytelling, this is the gig to see this festival — these ladies will be selling out big rooms in no time. Plus, MMW is donating 5 percent of proceeds to charity in loving memory of Scott Hutchison (Frightened Rabbit).

This is possibly the best birthday party you’ll be invited to this year. The Push is celebrating 30 years with the return of their famous all-ages event the Push Over for Melbourne Music Week.

Victoria’s foremost youth music organisation has really pulled out all the stops with this one, with performances by rapper Allday, singer-songwriter Ali Barter, plus Triple J-approved up-and-comers Ruby Fields and KAIT. Kicking off at 5pm at Fed Square — and, best of all, totally free — this is a great one for the kids (if you don’t mind a few curse word drops from Allday).

Alice Skye grew up in country Victoria outside the Grampians, which gave her all the inspiration she needed for her debut album released earlier this year to much national acclaim.

With no shortage of awards — like Triple J’s Unearthed National Indigenous Music Award and the First Peoples Emerging Artist Award — Alice is an artist on the rise. Playing for free for you as part of Melbourne Music Week, you can catch Alice at MPavilion in the Queen Vic Gardens on a Sunday afternoon.

If the countless parties and festivities of Melbourne Music Week are staring to take their toll, this talk presented by Real Life could be the perfect cure. It’s a free panel discussion about how sound and music can be used to improve wellbeing.

The key speaker is music therapy expert Dr Emma O’Brien, who was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2017 for her work in the field. The panel concludes as you can imagine with some music healing — in the form of a ‘sound bath’ from gong practitioner Mona Ruijs. Even if a sound bath doesn’t strike you as your sort of thing, it’ll no doubt be a mindful way to end your week.