On Melbourne Music Week Opening Night, 20+ of Melbourne’s most talented buskers will reimagine songs that have links to our incredible city in their own style. We want your help to vote for the top five Songs of Melbourne that will be played by buskers based on different corners across the city on Thursday, 14 November 2019 from 5:30pm – 6:30pm.
The shortlist of songs selected for public vote are either Melbourne-inspired, by Melburnians or are synonymous with Melbourne’s culture.
Help us choose your top five Songs of Melbourne. Voting closes Tuesday 15 Oct at 5PM, so get your vote in NOW!
Frente! - Accidentally Kelly Street
Frente’s bass player, Tim O’Connor was moving house to Kenny Street in Richmond but mistakenly told his bandmates he was moving to Kelly Street. After deciding he wanted to write about the house, lead vocalist, Angie Hart suggested the song be called Accidently Kelly Street.
Depreston is play on the northern Melbourne suburb of Preston. Barnett wrote the song during a house-hunting expedition to the area.
Chrissy Amphlett (Divinyls) - Pleasure and Pain
Divinyls frontwoman, Chrissy Amphlett grew up in Geelong but found her name and fame in Melbourne. Following her passing in 2013, Amphlett’s legacy and contribution to the arts were honoured when one of Melbourne’s famous city laneways was re-named ‘Amphlett Lane.’
Ella Hooper (Killing Heidi) - Weir
Killing Heidi lead vocalist, Ella Hooper grew up in the small regional Victorian township, Violet Town around 175kms north of Melbourne. This is where the band was first formed as an acoustic folk duo along with Hooper’s brother, Jesse. As a member of Killing Heidi, Hooper won four ARIA Awards in 2000.
Crowded House - Four Seasons in One Day
From the album Woodface which was written in East St Kilda, rehearsed in South Melbourne and recorded in South Yarra and Caulfield. Four Seasons in One Day is a song that uses Melbourne’s ever-changing weather as a metaphor for the ups and downs of depression and anxiety.
The Living End - All Torn Down
All Torn Down, released in December 1998 is about the rapid development of Melbourne in the late 1990’s. Angry about the redevelopments of Docklands and the construction of City Link, the lyrics suggest developers had a complete disregard for parks and historic sites.
Recently performed at the 2019 AFL Grand Final, Leaps and Bounds mentions Melbourne’s iconic MCG and Richmond’s Nylex clock.
When John Lennon and roadie, Neil Aspinall were in Melbourne in June 1964 as part of the Beatles’ world tour, they were inspired by the weather, noting how dreadful it was. Lennon said that he’d “never seen rain as hard as that, except in Tahiti.” As one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Lennon drew inspiration from Melbourne’s typical winter weather for Rain, in which Ringo Starr stated the drumming was his best recorded performance.
