The sun melting from pink to purple to red. A hand raised and held as new songs begin. Drinks passed through circles of friends. A gentle breeze (then ferocious winds) after a long hot day. A new apartment block to our right; familiar childhood streets to our left; a David Bowie mural straight ahead. These are symbols of community, one that is deeply connected to its past while also showing an electric excitement for its future. This is the community that we found at FBi Radio’s 20th Anniversary Fundraiser and Block Party in Marrickville on Saturday night.
On air since 2003, FBi Radio is an independent youth broadcaster based in Redfern. Reflecting the Eora-based artists that compose fifty percent of FBi’s music library, this event boasted an impressive setlist of on-air regulars such as Anusha, Dobby and Marcus Whale. To accommodate for this vast range of performers, between 3pm and 9pm, Faversham Street was split into three separate venues: the Red Rattler Theatre, the Marrickville Bowlo, and an open-air street stage. DJs in between the major sets meant the party never stopped.
The crowds were fairly small when we arrived to watch some of the first sets. After running into some unexpected faces near the check-in tent, we ventured into the Bowlo for Bayang (Tha Bushranger)’s 5:15pm set. Equipped with a complimentary Zooper Dooper passed out by seccys during our wait in line and a pint each from our reasonably-priced $16 jug of Coopers, we were impressed by Bayang’s masterful blend of rap and synth. The first mention of the night of “Harris Park” melted with delightful references to a range of Sydney parks. One person in a Palestine Football club t-shirt darted through the crowd. After the set, a softer recording of “Ceasefire Now” echoed from the speakers. Outside, the bowling lawns became one of our favourite spots to talk, drink and smoke while overlooking the rest of the street.
But as we left the Bowlo, we quickly realised that we would not be able to get back in. The line had passed around the corner, and a frustrating ‘one-in, one-out’ system prevented impromptu movement between the two areas. As one friend simply put it: “if that door was open, it would be epic”. We repeatedly encountered this problem, often finding ourselves locked out of every venue except for the street stage due to capacity limits. Not only did this frustrate our attempts to see our favourite artists, but the inaccuracy of the headcount procedures meant that some performers played to unfairly small crowds.
Nevertheless, we ventured back to the street stage to enjoy Becca Hatch’s 6:15pm set. Simone was particularly impressed by her mesmerising choreography and talented back-up dancers, as well as her homage to Finnish electronic band Pearly Drops in her musical and personal style. Sydney’s music scene, despite the quintessential Inner West location of this event, clearly takes its talents from the West, with Hatch also singing about Harris Park and thanking her parents for raising her in Campbelltown. Hatch said what we were all thinking as the sun returned to sizzle the street stage: “it’s way too fucking hot, I’m dying”. A cool drink helped. Another friend commented “a very cold beer, with extra quick service” was just what we needed.
Hatch was followed by 1300, a five-member Korean-Australian hip-hop group hailing from Dharug Country. Having recently seen the group perform at Someday Soon in October, we knew we were in for a treat. We were not disappointed: playing crowd favourites including Rocksta and Cardio!, 1300 demonstrated expert crowd control through call-and-responses and spraying water onto the audience. In an interview with FBi’s Nazty Girl early this year, Rokoh said “we love the Australian crowd because everyone loves to dance, everyone loves to party” and that the FBi crowds certainly didn’t disappoint. Aeroplanes flew low throughout the set, a true atmospheric touch.
It was at this point that we discovered our new favourite social event of the evening — gutter sits. The deep Marrickville-industrial-area gutters created perfect seats, and we chatted, rehydrated and people-watched. It was around this time (8:02pm) that the strength of the wind picked up. Dirt from the nearby construction site was in the air (we should have brought sunnies).
After our short break, we joined one of the largest crowds of the night gathering to watch hip-hop/rap artists Slimset + Friends’ 8:35pm performance. Slimset gave advice “If you want to make music, make music” because “Sydney’s going through something really beautiful right now”. The crowd cheered at the “Free Falastin” comment.
It had previously seemed impossible to get into the Red Rattler for Ninajirachi’s closing set, but luckily the line died down and we ducked inside. One of the Central Coast’s finest, and on the rise internationally, Ninajirachi played an upbeat, electric, hyperpop set. Playing in front of a projector with gorgeous blue visuals, Ninajirachi enraptured the Rattler crowd.
By the sweaty and tired end of the night, the festival’s layout once again made it particularly difficult to enjoy all of the headliner acts. There was no food truck, but Boss Kebabs next door served the crowd, and the ability to leave and move around was a real bonus.
Overall, FBi’s Block Party truly felt like a celebration: not only an homage to the legendary figures who pioneered Eora’s diverse music scene, but also a coming of age. Full of love, we left Faversham Street with a new understanding of community. You can tune into FBi Radio and its many talented young presenters, artists and producers on 94.5 FM.