Perth Drum and Bass Event Moves to Bigger Venue Due to High Ticket Sales

The Sub Focus concert in Perth moved to a much larger venue, Wellington Square, to fit thousands of fans. This shows the growing popularity of drum and bass music in the city.
By Newsroom | Music, Perth |

Perth, Western Australia is witnessing a surge in its drum and bass music scene, underscored by a recent large-scale event that prompted a venue change due to high demand. The genre's popularity in the region is evident, leading organizers to seek larger spaces to accommodate enthusiastic fans. While the event provided a significant boost to the local music calendar, attendee experiences highlighted both the success of the expanded venue and areas needing improvement.

Event Overview and Venue Transition

The recent Sub Focus "Circular Sounds" tour, featuring artist Nicolaas Douwma, played a pivotal role in showcasing Perth's vibrant drum and bass community. Initially slated for the Ozone Reserve, the overwhelming ticket sales necessitated a move to the larger Wellington Square. This shift allowed for thousands of fans to attend the event on a cool Saturday evening, experiencing a fast-paced musical program.

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  • Original Venue: Ozone Reserve

  • New Venue: Wellington Square

  • Artist: Sub Focus (Nicolaas Douwma)

  • Event Type: Drum and Bass, Circular Sounds Tour

The choice of Wellington Square was intended to provide the event with the grandeur befitting a large-scale drum and bass performance. However, the practicalities of hosting such a crowd revealed challenges.

Fan Experience and Infrastructure Concerns

While the expanded venue successfully hosted a large number of attendees, the fan experience was impacted by logistical issues. The summary of the event indicates a disparity between the scale of the audience and the available facilities.

  • Positive Aspects:

  • Adequate space for a large audience.

  • Appropriate atmosphere for a drum and bass event.

  • Sub Focus provided audiovisual elements, including a significant light ring.

  • Negative Aspects:

  • Insufficient number of toilets.

  • This led to attendees spending considerable time queuing or unable to access facilities, detracting from their enjoyment of the performance.

These concerns suggest that future large-scale events in Perth will require meticulous planning regarding essential infrastructure to ensure a positive attendee experience.

Perth's Drum and Bass Landscape

Beyond individual events, Perth appears to have a developing infrastructure supporting drum and bass music. Several online platforms and organizations are actively involved in promoting the genre.

  • PerthDNB.com: This website actively promotes the drum and bass scene in Perth and has launched an online store, indicating a growing commercial aspect to the local scene.

  • Event Aggregators: Platforms like AllEvents.in and Eventbrite list various drum and bass events in Perth, showcasing a consistent presence of the genre. These listings often include a diverse range of activities, some of which, as seen in Eventbrite's South Perth listings, incorporate related wellness or community-focused events that may feature drumming elements, though not exclusively electronic dance music.

The presence of dedicated websites and consistent listings on event platforms suggests a dedicated community and ongoing activity within Perth's drum and bass scene.

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Expert Analysis

The demand for the Sub Focus event and the subsequent venue change is a strong indicator of the growing popularity of drum and bass in Perth. This trend is often observed in cities where a dedicated fan base has been cultivated over time, supported by local promoters and artists. The infrastructure challenges, such as insufficient toilets, are not uncommon when venues are rapidly upgraded to accommodate larger crowds than initially anticipated. These issues often highlight the need for more experienced event management professionals who can accurately forecast attendance and resource requirements for large-scale electronic music events.

Conclusion and Future Implications

Perth's drum and bass scene is demonstrably robust, as evidenced by the overwhelming response to the Sub Focus concert. The event's success in drawing a large crowd and necessitating a venue upgrade speaks to the genre's significant appeal in the region. However, the operational difficulties encountered, particularly the lack of adequate restroom facilities, present a clear area for improvement.

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Moving forward, event organizers and venue managers in Perth should collaborate closely to ensure that future large-scale music events are equipped with sufficient infrastructure to match audience capacity. The growth of the scene, supported by local platforms like PerthDNB.com and broad event listings, suggests continued expansion. Future events will likely benefit from lessons learned, aiming for a more seamless attendee experience that matches the energy and excitement of the music itself.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why did the Sub Focus concert in Perth change venues?
The Sub Focus concert in Perth had to move from Ozone Reserve to the larger Wellington Square because so many people bought tickets that the original venue was too small to hold everyone.
Q: What were the good and bad things about the Sub Focus event at Wellington Square in Perth?
The good things were that the new venue was big enough for all the fans and had a good atmosphere for drum and bass music. However, there were not enough toilets, which made people wait a long time.
Q: Is drum and bass music popular in Perth?
Yes, drum and bass music is becoming more popular in Perth. The Sub Focus event needed a bigger place, and websites like PerthDNB.com help promote the music scene.
Q: What needs to happen for future big music events in Perth?
For future big music events in Perth, organizers need to plan better. They must make sure there are enough toilets and other important things for the large number of people attending.