This week we go backstage with Co-organiser of Brisbane's Unconvention Dave Carter!
1. What is UnConvention? How long has it been running?
UnConvention Brisbane is a not-for-profit, grassroots-led music conference, aimed specifically at the grass roots of the local independent music industries. We want to connect young and emerging practitioners with each other; provide them with practical and achievable strategies to develop sustaining careers in and around music; and encourage them to work together to create and support cultural activities in Brisbane.
This is the second UnConvention Brisbane, but our event is part of a global network of UnConvention's that began in the UK in 2008 and have spread to throughout Europe, America and Asia. This is actually the 20th UnConvention worldwide and we're excited to be part of such a vibrant international community.
2. There are UnConvention forums held all over the world, how does the Brisbane one compare? What makes us unique? Why Brisbane?
Across the world, UnConvention's are aimed at supporting and connecting local music industries. As such every UnConvention is unique and necessarily reflects the strengths, weaknessess, opportunities and frustrations of their local music scenes and the UnConvention's in Mumbai and Medellín have been very different to Brisbane's.
I don't actually think of Brisbane as a 'unique' place – though we do have a strong history of DIY culture, a perceived cultural isolation and a high concentration of self-releasing artists and labels that makes us 'distinct'. The reason we (the organisers) run UnConvention in Brisbane is that we live here, we're all passionate about music and we think the UnConvention model is a great way to encourage things to happen locally.
3. What have been some of the highlights in the past?
Highlights from last year for me included seeing Andrew Stafford burst into the chorus of Queen's 'I Want to Break Free' after being asked what was the worst thing that happened to him as a result of writing Pig City; Stephen Green speaking about managing an in-flight audio channel for Canadian airlines at age 17; Freak Morice's keyboard player (age 11) entrancing a crowd on the Edge rooftop; and being told by one panelist that, rather than the irrelevant backslapping they'd expected, they walked away from UnConvention having learned something new and forging valuable new connections.
4. What can people expect from the program this year?
Two days of fascinating and interactive discussion about music, success, failure, chaos, what it's like to run a venue, bleeding edge music technology, photography, shooting music videos, self-publishing, recording and the opportunity to connect with other people who are passionate about independent music. Oh, and there'll be music, booze and lunch.
5. Who is speaking? Why them?
We've got too many great speakers to mention here. You can check our website for the current list and we'll be adding more over the coming weeks (http://www.unconventionbrisbane.com/tag/presenters).
Speakers have been chosen by our panel curators Kellie Lloyd (Q-Music / Screamfeeder), Blair Hughes (Brisbane Sounds), Edward Guglielmino, Alex Yabsley (Dot.AY) and Ray Bourne (Rainman), Justin Edwards (Collapse Board), and Jaymis Loveday as people who they think have something interesting to say and, importantly, they'd have benefited listening to when they started out working in music.
6. Will there be live music?
Live music is an important part of UnConvention, but we've had a rethink this year about how we present these performances. Last year we tried to 'showcase' artists but, on reflection, the idea of showcase events at industry conferences is generally hyped as giving bands the opportunity to be discovered by a label or similar and this is really antithetical to what we're trying to achieve.
Instead we've asked the very talented Hannah Shephard (Rare Finds) and Sarah Hutton (Starving Kids Records), who are helping organise this years UnConvention, to curate a lineup of local artists that are making interesting music and are good examples of the type of DIY / Independent approach that we want to encourage. Hannah and Sarah have done a great job and you can check out some sample tracks at the UnConvention Bandcamp.
The performances aren't our main focus though and the live music program this year is really about creating a cool environment where people can hang out and make new connections.
7. Can someone not in the music industry attend? Why should they?
Absolutely. UnConvention Brisbane tries hard to be an inclusive event that's accessible for anyone interested in working in the music industries. You never know where meeting new people and sharing your ideas might take you so if you’re at all interested in the future of music and our local music scenes then we'd love you to be a part of it.
8. How can people get involved before and after UnConvention?
We'd like people to start telling us what they'd like to get out of attending UnConvention and anything they'd like to see discussed over the course of the weekend. The best way to do this is to follow us on Facebook or Twitter and share your ideas. Of course if you're planning to come along you'll need to make sure you've got a ticket .
9. Will there be advice for people trying break into the music industry? Advice for aspiring musicians?
The big thing that we're trying to communicate with UnConvention is that you don't have to 'break in' to the music industry anymore. If you're engaged in entrepreneurial activity around music you are the music industry and UnConvention is about connecting you with other people who are in a similar position so that you can work together to build sustaining and rewarding careers into the future.
10. Why is something like UnConvention important to the music industry?
The grass-roots of the music industries breed innovation, passion and talent and there's tremendous value in filling a room full of people who exemplify these qualities, mashing them together and seeing what comes out.
