Celebrating Ballarat's live music scene

The 2024 edition of Be Hear Now program will come to a close with an exciting festival and conference to celebrate this year’s cohort. 

The incredible conference runs from 9 – 11 August with a variety of events for the cohort, musicians and lovers of music to enjoy.  

Iconic Australian bands Spiderbait and Augie March will feature at Civic Hall during the conference and concert.  

Janet English, bass guitarist and singer from Spiderbait, will participate in a panel at the conference, providing a keynote address and insights to the participants about songwriting, and discussing mistakes she made over her career.  

Well known Aussie band Augie March will also be performing live at Civic Hall on 10 August, supported by Be Hear Now cohort performer Coda Chroma and Dayfever.  

Tickets are on sale for the one-off show at https://hermaj.com/events/augie-march/   

Development of the 2024 cohort has been vast this year, with intensive songwriting courses commencing in June for the local musicians, guided by Franc Tetaz, who won a Grammy Record of the Year for his work with singer Gotye.  

The opportunity for Ballarat’s local musicians to develop their musical, business, production skills and more across this program is unmatched.

Don’t miss the Pre-Festival Vibe performances at various locations across Ballarat on Friday 9 August, where the local musicians will put on some great concerts, before the conference kicks off on Saturday 10 August.

Be Hear Now cohort member, Connor Toomey, from Dayfever said the program has been a fantastic opportunity for the band to engage with likeminded musicians in the local scene who we wouldn’t normally get the chance to speak with.  

“It has provided a space for connection and a great sounding board of peers in which we can all grow and develop our craft with the support of other local musicians,” he said.  

“We’ve spoken to a few industry leaders who have helped shed some light on brand development and marketing which are invaluable insights into a space that we as a band had not much knowledge of.

“Augie March is a band synonymous with Australian music, something we are intensely passionate about as a band. We are currently cultivating a special set to unveil for the show at Civic Hall as we are very excited to be playing alongside the lovely Coda Chroma and Augie March.”

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Des Hudson said the Be Hear Now program is a great initiative from the Creative Ballarat team to find, foster and develop artists in the Ballarat region.  

“Supporting the emerging artists of Ballarat is great for our city, we have some fantastic musicians right here in our backyard, and this program provides mentoring, training and resources to turn them into the next big thing,” he said.