By SAM BRIMACOMBE
Early-bird tickets have gone on sale for November’s Queenscliff Music Festival.
Festival director Andrew Orvis said this year’s line-up would be released at the end of June but fans had an earlier opportunity to see two headliners when Melbourne 11-piece “Bollywood surf band” Bombay Royale and all-sister rock group Stonefield played an Emerging Artist Grant Fundraiser in June.
The event acts as a sneek-peek for the festival while raising money for grants for emerging local artists at the festival. The grant, now in its fourth year, is distributed depending on artistic merit and potential.
The money helps artists pay for costs such as recording time, new equipment, management and marketing.
Orvis said up to $10,000 would be available to give promising acts a push into the music business.
“It’s tough out there for any kind of artist to fund projects, so to be able to give people a kick start we’re really proud of that and we’re really glad we can do that for local acts.
“It’s part of the festival culture. We’ll continue to harbour the fantastic local talent we have.”
Orvis was proud of the festival’s success stories, he said.
“And not just the ones that we fund. Locally there are lots of bands doing lots of great things, they’re playing gigs and getting played on radio, so they’re doing really great stuff.”
Three acts won grants last year, including ground-breaking singer Yirrimal and 30-piece girl group Sweethearts, both of which will appear alongside Stonefield and Bombay Royale.
The fundraiser will be at Point Londesdale School Hall on 14 June.
Grant applications are available on the festival website.
