I’ve been interested in live stream music events since early 2020 and the Global Bandemic events are the ones I get the most excited for. Its been almost a year since the Jones In The Fastlane team gave us the Global Bandemic 2nd Wave live stream festival event and now Global Bandemic 3 is almost upon us, packed with over 50 bands from over 14 countries (or something like that) Global Bandemic 3 is streaming to screens on August 28th and 29th 2021.
The idea of watching an international band or artist perform in a physical setting during this time is almost impossible for most of us and the Global Bandemic events are a great way to scratch that itch, they have previously had artists and bands from places like America, Belgium, Canada, England, France, Germany, Japan, Lithuania, New Zealand, Russia, Scotland, South Africa, Thailand, and Vietnam. Check out the flyers below, some amazing artists/bands have played this online music fest.
All the Global Bandemic poster art is by BreeZa, who also does a wicked gig guide thing, check it out here.
What To Expect
Watching each artist/band stream, one after the other is kept interesting by the constantly changing background with some performing in a rehearsal studio or live music venue if it is possible, while others perform a more intimate set from someone’s house. Many times the audience will be able to interact with the artists/bands right from the start as the performers try to navigate doing a sound check in a digital environment. It can come off a little amateur when someone gets their face to close to the camera to read the comments but its totally worth it to have the kind of interaction live streaming allows for. I’ve seen bands take requests and shout out to people in the comments which is pretty cool but fans can also talk to other fans in the comments of the live stream, so you can still have a concert buddy. Obviously things can and do go wrong, internet connectivity issues are a bummer but camera’s falling over is often hilarious, spotted quickly and sorted. Bands sets can run a little long or start late but you can go back to these posts and watch them afterwards, you don’t miss it completely like when two bands you love play different stages at the same time at a physical music festival.
A handful of bands are returning to the online music festival with Belgium’s Denied onboard to deliver another round of furious melodic punk rock, if you haven’t heard of them, I recommend listening to the 2020 EP ‘The Darkest Timeline’ here. Another Belgium based band returning is Adverse 96, a hardcore punk band from Brussels. Other international bands returning are Thailand based Stay Awake, who will deliver more of that melodic punk sound, also from Bangkok, Thailand are The GREED to give us all another dose of their chaotic punk sound. Japanese pop punkers Wait For Sunlight. and 69 enfermos, a skatepunk/melodic hardcore band from Brazil, South America.
There are a bunch of other international bands playing Global Bandemic 3 like Day Oof, a 4 piece tech skatepunk band from Athens, Greece. Forever Unclean from Copenhagen, Denmark, Wasei Hey Go, a pop punk band from Italy. Perhaps the biggest of the international bands is GET DEAD, they did get top spot on the flyer and they are signed to the iconic Fat Wreck Chords.
A Look At The Aussie Bands
On a local level there is a bunch of bands from New South Wales like Wollongong favourites Topnovil, who gave a solid performance on the very first Global Bandemic. Western Sydney punkers Apprehension Avenue, Traumasaur, another interesting Sydney based band are also playing. Newcastle punkers Trashed Again are another returning band. also from Newcastle are The Bloods, a 5 piece rock type band, Outer Control, a melodic skatepunk band, and hardcore thrash punkers I Hate People. I’m pretty keen to catch James Bondage & the Safewords, mod-punk from Murwillumbah.
Queensland has good representation with Gold Coast heavy punk rockers Amps returning, also returning are alternative punk band Serial Killer Dinner Party, and three Brisbane based bands Captain Hindsight, COPIUS and alternative rock band Dead Dirty Dinosaurs.
A couple artists/bands from Victoria with Benny from Footscray punk band Commissioner Bourbon, I’m not sure how much of Quaid we’ll get but I hope I get to see their new bass player, that dude has big shoes to fill. Perth punkers Blindspot are returning and another Perth band that everyone should be excited about The Decline are also on the bill. Hobart alternative rock trio Big Alcatraz are playing and probably my favourite Tassie punk band Stay Down. There is a South Australian band with Adelaide dynamic power trio Feed The Fire.
I’m looking forward to Kathryn and the Overbytes, a 4 piece pop rock type band from the Northern Territory. I get punky vibes from them and they got solid guitar chops.
Head over to the Jones In The Fastlane Promotions page on Facebook and scroll through there feed to find video interviews with people from the bands like 69 enfermos, Adverse 96, Kathryn and the Overbytes, Stay Awake, Stay Out and Traumasaur. There is probably time for a couple more pre gig interviews so keep an eye on the page, also there is one with Lindsay McDougall (Frenzal Rhomb) who is playing a set for the show. The Jones In The Fastlane team have been way better at promoting this time around, even putting together a cool spotify playlist of all the bands involved. Check it out below …
