04 Jun 2010
Cheeky Beats flier. Artwork by Regression.
Culture Jam’s original meaning was the bringing together of different subcultures, as at the time the Melbourne scene was very categorised into what type of event you were holding. While it’s evolved to mean a lot more, the initial event aimed to bring together different genres and people, and break down a sense of ownership and identity that comes with scenes.
We really wanted to book Opiuo to headline, who had just released his first EP, but wasn’t playing many gigs in Melbourne yet. We managed to get him, and this combined with some crafty promo tactics (like fridge magnets on fliers, and crafty online techniques) saw us sell out Miss Libertine with a line down the road of people trying to get in. Many didn’t, and a bunch jumped the balcony to make it in!
The night was in the middle of winter and a total vibe, with hip hop in the front bar and a mix of live electronica in the back. It was unfortunately open to the public too, and at 3am a regular troublemaker was thrown down the stairs by security.
The night was the most successful Miss Libs had on record, and we proceeded with more events there on the agreement we could get and advertise ‘friendly security’. Some guards agreed and other laughed at the idea and didn’t work our gigs.
