Joe.Blog

🧑 Joe Hardy (he/him) 📍 Eora

👇 writing and photography, mostly about music and culture

For work, I help teams be amazing. You can hire me.
I'm also the creator and co-founder of SydneyMusic.net

Interests: music, community, how people think, photography, social and environmental impact of tech

Some Thoughts On Suburbs

25 July 2024 @ 20:58
Marrickville
Enmore
Darlinghurst
Parramatta

I can't get excited about Marrickville getting "Purple Flag" status.

I just can't. I appreciate that some progress is being made but on the whole, I think Marrickville's been getting by. Comparatively. People are crowing as if it's a big achievement.

What about the rest of Sydney?

For all of their raving about the success of the Enmore Road district, up there are two of the examples touted as our finest nightlife, a former glory, and a hub in a broader region where some of the most exciting music in Sydney is being made.


Shit! I Forgot To Say We've Started Our First Curated Gig Series

19 July 2024 @ 16:54
Cupholder Industries We bring the vibes so you can keep your hands free for other stuff.

With everything that's been going on I forgot to add that Cupholder Industries has been given the absolute privilege of programming Sundays at The Dock in Redfern.

Owner of The Dock Tom has always been an enthusiastic champion of live music and a supporter of SydneyMusic.net since the moment it launched, one of the first to really "get" it. I've always loved the Dock's eccentric space that represents the Weird Redfern we love and need in our lives. We've been spending some time DJing there on Saturday nights and it's a space that works for our type of chaos, and that's alright with us.

We started doing shows at the beginning of July. Tom Adamson and DJ Andrew (the latter b2b with his alternate dj andy persona) both performed super fun sets that I have found myself grinning about whenever I think of them ever since. They really got into the vibe of the space and we got great feedback.

Tom and I are calling the nights "The Sunday Wash-up" because that's how word association games go sometimes.

Up next we have:

  • July 21 - Holiday Howe and Mayke (DJ)

  • July 28 - frugirl (yes, right after the North Sydney concert)

  • August 4 - it could be you??

  • August 11 - e4444e

We're having a super fun time doing these, and we reckon we'll find ways to vary up the format and keep it interesting as we go.

Shows are always free. We pay all artists fairly.

If you want to play give me a yell!


We Got Asked To Program A Big Free Community Gig In A Park So We Did

18 July 2024 @ 15:28
Duty of Care: Our Future, Your Duty Poster by Studio 3AM

We got approached by "teal" independent MP Kylea Tink's office to help them program a lineup of local artists for a free outdoor show.

The gig is called "Our Future, Your Duty" and it's promoting the Duty of Care private senator's bill being put forward by David Pocock, asking government leaders to take the responsibility of how climate change will affect future generations seriously.

We went super local, and got these emerging artists involved:

  • Ruby Jackson

  • Astrovan

  • Røsemary

  • Sweet Baby Darlings

... and we got Levos from CG Discs on board to play a bunch of records between sets.

July 28 2-5pm in St Leonards Park, North Sydney.

Should be a really nice time!


Trim Reaper - Modest Salary (Cupholder Remix)

17 July 2024 @ 10:37
Cupholder Photo by Olive Rush

The first co-production from Caitlin and me (as Cupholder) came out on June 28, 2024 on etcetc Music.

Original track by Trim Reaper, a duo from Brisbane featuring my brother Mikey Hardy (mix engineer par excellence and skin hitter to the stars) and Matt Somers (I Heart Hiroshima)

We were keen to make a blog throwback track referencing all the post-Y2K hedonism of the mid 00s - thumpy indie sleaze. We're talking World Bar, Sevs, Purple Sneakers, reading Pitchfork with all the American Apparel banner ads, you get the general vibe.

Having heaps of fun playing this out at the moment!

More to come, hopefully ...


My Kid Rules At Making Music

16 July 2024 @ 21:45
Flouia Shot by me on AE-1 / Kodak TMax 400

Sorry, I'm allowed to be biased here, it's the only place I can.

New track OVERTHOUGHT by my nearly 16-year-old eldest, pseudonym Flouia.