By Jonny Hill
Last week, ANUSA announced the lineup for their one-night music festival, After Hours. A collaboration with the ANU, the festival is part of the celebrations of the University’s 80th anniversary.
The lineup features Genesis Owusu, Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, Rum Jungle, Chloe Parche and Lamb Legz.
The announcement comes at a time when the state of the ANU’s local music scene is being heavily discussed. ANUSA Presidential candidate Leila Clark has introduced a campaign promise to bring termly live music performances to ANU students.
According to ANUSA Clubs Officer, and member of local band Lamb Legz, Dylan Adams, “The After Hours festival by ANUSA in partnership with ANU is a great step towards building momentum for an improved music scene at ANU”.
Before the announcement of After Hours, Observer met with Adams to discuss the music scene at the ANU.
“When it comes to music, what sets us apart from other universities is 100 per cent the residential hall music scene,” he said.
“Costs are so high for new bands – whether that be actually booking out the venue or paying for sound and lighting. Accessing audiences and venues through residential halls is pretty clearly the easiest and cheapest way to have a gig for any starting band.”
Residential halls also tend to be natural environments for meeting like-minded musicians to form bands in the first place.
Adams argues that the main hindrance to the ANU indie music scene is a lack of cheap live music venues for students.
The ANU Bar served this purpose before it was demolished in 2017 to make way for Kambri.
It hosted both student bands and touring artists, famously including big names like Nirvana, Cold Chisel, the Black Eyed Peas, Public Enemy, The Cure, Public Image Ltd., and INXS.
“It was free to book, you didn’t have to do all these Functions On Campus forms and all that associated paperwork,” Adams said. “It was a great asset that the union had.”
Now, new bands have to head into Civic to find a gig, meaning that most of their audience has to trek there to see them as well.
“If it was an ideal world and we didn’t have these bottlenecks, I’m sure our music community would be a lot better than it is now,” Adams said. “But that’s not to say we’re in a bad spot at all.”
ANU musician James Watters, an Economics student and member of the local band Nightswim, argues that there’s still a thriving music scene at the ANU.
“It’s in some of the best nick I’ve seen it,” he said. “When I started in 2024, we [Nightswim] were coming up with bands like Cool Will, Grunmartle, and Dislodged.”
“It’s cool to see how bands sort of shift over time – we’re still playing with Bronze Age Collapse, and see names like Hunnysuckle, Delphia, and Invisible Bees.”
“It’s hard to put on gigs at venues in the city cause there’s real money at play. The bar has to make money off the people you can bring in – it’s high stakes, not like free shows that ANUSA are doing.”
The Kambri Amphitheatre has recently hosted free live shows.
“That was so low stakes because it was student-run,” Watters said. “Also, realistically, the university’s gonna be a lot more forgiving than venue owners who have to make a profit.”
Adams pointed to the UC Refectory as an example of a live venue that the ANU should establish.
“Student bands can use it but it also brings in big artists to play at UC,” he said.
Recently, artists such as Wheatus, The Preatures, Jungle Giants and Genesis Owusu have played either at UC Hub or the UC Refectory.
“We don’t have people coming into the ANU to play for us. Our university isn’t a music scene that attracts external performers, so there’s not much internal interest in our scene either.”
Now, with the introduction of After Hours, Adams hopes to change that.
“Not only does After Hours show serious support by ANU for our music community but, after a considerable time, it once again brings large Australian acts (spoiler) to ANU soil.”
After Hours will take place at the ANU on 17 October. Discounted early bird tickets are available for students and staff.
Graphics by Ella Kwak
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