Melbourne Music Week (MMW) has shared details of the FREE programming portion of the nine day music event, ensuring incredible live music, engaging talks, and bold explorations of sight and sound are available for all.
 
Officially kicking off Melbourne Music Week’s opening night is a Welcome to Country at Fed Square on Friday November 16 at 6pm. The Welcome to Country will recognise and acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which Melbourne Music Week gathers and pay respect to their Elders past, present and emerging. Opening night will then see an all-Victorian line-up grace the stage at Fed Square, with free sets by DRMNGNOW, ALTA (pictured above) , Sui Zhen and one of Melbourne’s favourite party starters, Ara Koufax. 
 
MMW’s opening night isn’t the only free music going down at Fed Square either, with Melbourne’s most visited landmark hosting a slew of live local acts throughout the week. On Friday November 23 Claudia Jones will delight audiences with her 10-piece disco band, while indie rock act Rudely Interrupted and singer-songwriter Ben Hazlewood will round out the working week as the sun goes down. The following night Allday, Ali Barter, Ruby Fields and KIAN will shake things up on the Fed Square stage for The Push’s free 30th Birthday, Push Over, with special guests from Jebediah, Spiderbait and Something for Kate. 
 
The new MMW Busking Program invites emerging talent to partake in a paid programming slot throughout the week. Having seen the likes of Tash Sultana rise from street side performances to sell out stadiums, the program was initiated by City of Melbourne to celebrate and encourage busking as a legitimate pathway into the music industry. From the Night Noodle Markets at Birrarung Marr through to CBD alleyways and arterials, Melbourne’s up-and-comers will bash out their best wares, also taking home a 12 month permit to continue their craft. 
 
There’s also a huge program of free panels and discussions under the MMW: Talks umbrella. Topics include ethics in music journalism, Melbourne’s night-time economy, sound healing and music therapy, connecting to the Chinese music market, how to run inclusive music events and more. The MMW: Talks program will also feature MMW headliner Jeff Mills, with an in-depth discussion with film maker Amiel Courtin-Wilson (Bastardy, Ruin, Chasing Buddha) on the visual worlds of music – a rare opportunity to hear from one of the world’s biggest names in techno. The MMW: Talks program is held in multiple locations across the city including NGV, MPavilion, State Library Victoria, SIGNAL and Melbourne Town Hall. 
 
 
 
The Sound School 2018 Showcase on Saturday 17 November is a free, all ages event that hosts debut performances from synth, DJ and music production superstars from SIGNAL Arts, Phoenix Youth Centre and Footscray Community Arts programs as well as artists from their 2018 electronic music workshops in Melbourne. 
 
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s ensemble in residence, PLEXUS, will perform at the NGV on Sunday 18 November. The daytime performance is a contemporary response to the iconic Roger Kemp tapestries that adorn the Great Hall and is free with registration. Later that afternoon, Wergaia and Wemba Wemba woman and winner of Triple J’s Unearthed National Indigenous Music Awards, Alice Skye, will perform for free at the stunning MPavilion, showcasing her new debut album Friends With Feelings and its rumination of love, loss and life..
 
On Wednesday November 21, Jack Daniel’s presents a free gig at Cherry Bar featuring indie-rock band Slowly Slowly. Riding high from the release of their highly acclaimed new album St. Leonards, Slowly Slowly are proving exactly why they are earmarked to be one of 2018’s breakout independent bands. 
 
On the same night, Rooftop Cinema presents NOW SOUND: Melbourne’s Listening – a free feature length documentary exploring Melbourne’s love for music. Directed by accomplished music film director Tobias Willis and produced by music journalist Marcus Rimondini, The documentary tells stories of the trials and tribulations that constantly threaten to demolish Melbourne’s iconic music culture and the unending passion that revives and sustains it.
 
13 of Melbourne’s most loved live music venues will swing open their doors for free on Thursday November 22 as part of MMW’s infamous Live Music Safari. From 3pm to 5am, locals like Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar, Section 8, The Toff, Boney, The Curtin, Belleville and Cherry Bar will host talent like HABITS, Mesa Cosa, HEXDEBT, Huntly, SILENTJAY, Regurgitator, Warped and Vince Peach for free. Leave the wallet at home and get ready for a musical meander around one of the world’s best live music cities. The following night on Friday November 23, Australian post-punk electronica legend, Ollie Olsen, will perform alongside guitarist and sonic chanteuse, Penny Ikinger, in the State Library Victoria’s stunning Redmond Barry Reading Room. The event is a rare opportunity to witness the pair share the stage in a truly spectacular setting, and is free with registration. 

For more detail on MMW’s free programming, visit the Melbourne Music Week website mmw.melbourne.vic.gov.au  

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