Big Names, Fresh Faces Rock the Mountain Goat Valley Crawl 2024

Whilst the Mountain Goat Valley Crawl feature big name headliners like These New South Wales and Peach Fur, the festival also have under-the-radar emerging acts sprinkled throughout the lineup.


Read: Tribute Band Revives Rock Legends at The Tivoli


Amongst those “hidden gems” at the music festival will be the sociopolitical sonic fury of local neo soul punks Dancing Water, channelling injustice into cathartic spoken word soundscapes. Fellow Brisbane act SAMMM. brought blunt lyrical authenticity touching on struggles with addiction and homelessness, matched with an infectious live energy.

Photo credit: Mountain Goat Valley Crawl/Facebook

Hailing from Canberra, fast-rising indie pop group Sesame Girl will blend ‘80s and ‘90s alt-rock influences à la Beach House and Soccer Mommy. Making the trip up from Sydney were Britpop-inspired rockers Jet City Sports Club, dealing in melodic ‘90s indie guitar stylings. 

Photo credit: Mountain Goat Valley Crawl/Facebook

Meanwhile, two homegrown Queensland gems include singer-songwriter Layla Borhani’s brooding musical alter ego Felony along with local indie pop merchants Flamingo Blonde’s sun-kissed summer dreamscapes.

Photo credit: Mountain Goat Valley Crawl/Facebook

Capping the emerging talent will be Ashgrove’s own Blue Diner, ready to deliver much-buzzed about performances of their cathartic post-punk shoegaze creed. Attendees needed only close their eyes, point randomly at the lineup and discover an as-yet-uncelebrated future star.

Mountain Goat valley
Photo credit: Mountain Goat Valley Crawl/Facebook

Now in its ninth year, the iconic music festival on Saturday, 10 February 2024 over 40 acts across eight different venues at the Valley, is expected to come at a successful close after a day celebrating the biggest night of music in the city.


Read: See You Next Year! Belinda Carlisle Reschedules Fortitude Valley Gig


The choose-your-own-adventure ethos of the free roving Valley Crawl remained a unique chance for music fans to catch emerging acts whilst supporting the country’s most vibrant and tightly-knit musical community.  

Published 8-February-2024

Get Ready to Rock: Mountain Goat Valley Crawl Fest to Take Over Valley in February 2024

Get ready to hop between eight rockin’ venues across Fortitude Valley for a beloved music and beer festival that offers nonstop fun for free – the Mountain Goat Valley Crawl returns for its eighth epic year on Saturday, 10 February 2024.


Read: Shop, Feast, and Dance the Season Away on James Street


This hugely popular event takes over venues like Black Bear Lodge and The Brightside, treating attendees to performances from 40 of Brisbane’s best bands as well as some of Australia’s tastiest brews, from sunset to sundown on one wild summer night.

Headlining the 2024 lineup are indie rockers These New South Whales, neo-soul songstress Mia Wray, and alt-pop group Peach Fur. Supporting acts run the gamut from roots and blues bands like Chutney to punk rockers Flamingo Blonde to electronic duo Friends of Friends.

Photo credit: Mountain Goat Valley Crawl – Red Stockholm/Facebook

Whether your taste runs to hip hop, psychedelic rock, folk, or anything in between, the Mountain Goat Valley Crawl has something to offer. 



The festivities kick off at 5:00 p.m. across eight venues: 

  • Black Bear Lodge
  • The Brightside
  • The Brightside Outdoors
  • Greaser
  • Stranded
  • The Zoo
  • Suzie Wong’s Good Time Bar
  • Valley Loft

Attendees can roam between locations and sets all evening long. Pro tips: arrive early, pace yourself between venues, and stay hydrated – this crawl can get wild!

Though a ticket isn’t required, registration  is recommended to guarantee entry. 


Read: Contemporary Chinese Flavours Shine at Magnolia Modern Chinese


With eight venues participating in the crawl this year, there will be more bands, more beers, and more good times than ever before. Whether your favorite haunt is Suzie Wong’s dancefloor or the craft beer garden at Greaser, you can be sure every venue hosting the festival will be going all out with extended drink offerings, music-fueled vibes, and plenty of food options to soak it all up.

Mark those calendars – February 10 is going to be a party. The Mountain Goat Valley Crawl brings together killer music, tasty brews, and good times galore!

Published 22-November-2023

Music Fans Flock to Fortitude Valley for Bigsound Festival

Fortitude Valley is fortunate enough to host Bigsound Festival, Australia’s largest music industry conference and festival. Held from September 5 to 8, Bigsound 2023 ended on a high note after four days and three nights packed with up-and-coming musical acts, insightful panels, and exciting revelations.


Read: Local Man Aims for Macarena World Record at Bigsound


First launched in 2002 by industry development organisation QMusic, Bigsound has grown into a thriving community of musical innovation and togetherness. 

The conference now draws over 1,700 music industry delegates, whilst the festival showcases attract an impressive combined audience of more than 20,000 fans eager to discover the next big thing.

Bigsound Festival
Photo credit: bigsound.org.au

Now in its 22nd year, Bigsound brought the music to Brisbane, showcasing over 150 artists across dozens of Valley venues each night. This year’s Bigsound was full of incredible highlights that left crowds buzzing. 

Bigsound Festival
Photo credit: BIGSOUND/Facebook

Powerhouse indie rocker Beckah Amani electrified audiences with her high-energy set on Wednesday night. On Wednesday and Thursday night, soulful folk duo FELIVAND wowed with their breathtaking vocal harmonies. Meanwhile, King Ivy and Southeast Desert Metal represented First Nations artists, bringing powerful messages and hard-hitting rock to the stage.

Thursday night saw the massive lineup of Battlesnake, Chitra, and Radio Free Alice take over Fortitude Valley. These three emerging acts showed off their distinct sounds and awe-inspiring talent, capping off the festival on a euphoric note.

With its impeccable track record for spotting stars on the rise, Bigsound has cemented itself as a can’t-miss event on Brisbane’s cultural calendar. Music lovers eagerly anticipate what fresh faces the festival will unveil each year, knowing Fortitude Valley will play host to future household names in the Australian music scene. 


Read: Newly Renovated GPO Building Now Home to Tama Restaurant and The Gatsby Lounge Bar


For both fans and aspiring musicians alike, Bigsound Festival is an unforgettable experience that epitomises the Valley’s vibrant arts culture.

Published 12-September-2023

BIGSOUND: Mike Shinoda and More to Headline!

Mike Shinoda, Linkin Park’s MC, guitarist, songwriter and producer is headlining BIGSOUND, Fortitude Valley’s annual showcase event and music conference, as its third conference speaker this year.



There will be THREE music showcases held every evening, Secret Shows, conferences and official parties held throughout the event dates. The initial round of artists for the festival arrived in July and over 140 acts will be performed between September 5 and 8, at over 18 venues in the Valley.

Mike Shinoda at Fabrique in Milan, Italy
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Dennis Radaelli

Delegates and fans are excited to see Shinoda take the stage, particularly after the release of METEORA|20, the 20th anniversary edition of their original Meteora album, full of unreleased songs and video footage.

Aside from the original album, METEORA|20 contains some rare 2003-2004 material, demos, and live sets in Texas and Nottingham. In “Breaking the Habit,” the final piece on Meteora which was written by Shinoda, he took a break from rapping and presented dark emotions, with a focus on dark, heavy guitar sounds and emotion-wracked music.

Some up-and-coming local talents that are part of the BIGSOUND line-up for this year are Aussie DJ Anna Lunoe, Bluey composer Gordi and Jof Bush, Ziggy Ramo, Christine Anu, Kate Miller-Heidke and Camp Cope’s Georgia Maq.

As fans and followers know, BIGSOUND isn’t just about the music. The event provides a glimpse into the heart of the music industry.

Each year, the annual conference provides the perfect opportunity for a behind-the-scenes look, with some valuable insights from industry heavyweights representing Coachella, Netflix, Sub Pop, and Paramount thrown into the mix.



For 2023, BIGSOUND has made some exciting additions to its speaker line-up with the former manager of English pop duo Wham! and Simon Franglen, the man behind the music of the Avatar films) with Chris Duncan (The Orchard), Dev Sherlock (SXSW), Hannah Skolnick (Secretly Group), Tony Kiewel (Sub Pop), Alexandra Idiart-Benavides (The Vault), Chloe Pean (AEG Presents), Seth Hubbard (Polyvinyl) and Jackie Palazzolo (Riot Games).

The full program now spans 40 names. Check them out here.

Published 18-August-2023

Valley Fiesta Returns to Fortitude Valley with Awesome Artist Line-up

The countdown begins as Valley Fiesta returns!

Presented by Brisbane City Council, the event will be held on 27-28 October in the streets of Fortitude Valley. With only five days to go before Brisbane’s biggest free music festival, here are some interesting trivia about the exciting line-up of artists who are set to perform.

The Jungle Giants has recently made its comeback to the music scene in 2017 with a new single titled, “Feel The Way I Do.” This track follows their 2015 album, “Speakerzoid,” which gained praises from music critics, earning 4 stars from Rolling Stone. This Brisbane band has been performing since getting together in 2011, with Sam Hales on Vocals/Guitars, Cesira Aitken on Lead Guitar, Andrew Dooris on Bass Guitar/Backing Vocals, and Keelan Bijker on Drums/Trombones.

Fatman Scoop
Credit: Valley Fiesta Facebook Page

Hip-hop artist Fatman Scoop is popular for his song “Be Faithful” that ranked number one in the UK and Ireland in 2003, and top five here in Australia. He has also worked with internationally known artists like Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, and Pitbull.

The Creases
Credit: Valley Fiesta Facebook Page

The Creases has just released its debut album, “Tremolov” in August 2017,  rated three stars by Rolling Stone. The AU Podcast Network describes the album as “a collection of songs so solidly constructed they couldn’t fall over if pushed.”

The Bleeding Knees Club
Credit: Valley Fiesta Facebook Page

The Bleeding Knees Club released their newest EP, “Chew The Gum” in April 2017. This alternative/indie band has come a long way from its first introduction as a duo back in 2010. Friends Alex Wall and Jordan Malane founded the group, which hails from Gold Coast, Australia.

The Gooch Palms, originally from Newcastle, Australia, is now based in Los Angeles. The gonzo-punk sweethearts are now touring the US, Europe and Australia. Aside from the Valley Fiesta, the duo has been back in Australia this October for Spring Break.

RACKETT
Credit: Valley Fiesta Facebook Page

RACKETT is known for its loud and experimental punk-pop music. The band has left its mark in the music scene since their introduction in 2016. It is set to release a new single “Ready or Not” within 2017.

Velociraptor was founded in 2009. The group defines its genre as garage pop. While the group is a home-grown Brisbane band, they are known internationally. Their most recent release, “The Hunk With A Hunch,” was in November 2016.

The Jensens takes pride in its continuous search for “new sound.” The group’s bio on TripleJ Unearthed states that the group was “formed out of a deep friendship and a desire to make great music that pleases the ear and touches the soul.”

The Fresh Outfit Concrete Surfers released its new single, “Miscommunication” in September 2017, with an EP to follow soon after. The group is comprised of brothers Jovi (vocals) and Jamie Brook (guitar and drums). Other members of the band are Sean Froster on lead guitar and Trent Courtney on Bass.

Home-grown Port Royal was founded in 2016. The group released their debut EP in May 2016. They finally gained popularity in March 2017 with their single “Get Heavy.”

FeelsClub defines its genre as Trash Pop. Since their first gig in March 2016, the band has performed with Philadelphia Grand Jury, Bugs and Gideon Benson.

Harmon
Credit: Valley Fiesta Facebook Page

Producer/Songwriter Harmon’s influences in music are Johnny Cash, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Radiohead and The Strokes. Aside from performing at the Valley Fiesta, he will be touring Brisbane, bringing with him his indie-rock music.

The Seefelds draws inspiration from punk, grunge, Britpop and Indie rock music. Widely considered to be a group that’s just bursting with potential, the group’s gig at the Valley Fiesta will be their largest event to date.

Valley Fiesta is a FREE event. No tickets required. Performances done in public stages are open to the public. Private events at different venues in Fortitude Valley during Valley Fiesta, however, require payment. For more information, click here.