#TRANSGENREFESTIVAL - Behind the scenes with Ellie Robinson

#TRANSGENREFESTIVAL - Behind the scenes with Ellie Robinson

In 2022, organisers of an Aussie music festival were called out for a lack of diversity on their line-up and mainly booking cis white men. When confronted about it, they stated there was not enough talent among women and non-binary acts, which they considered “the best of the best” for their event.  Music writer Ellie Robinson thought it was “absolute BS.” FVNERAL's vocalist and guitarist, Tay Blunt, shared her opinion. So they formed an allyship of solidarity.  After discussing the need to change this regressive attitude, the pair took matters into their own hands. They turned the “shut up and do your own festival” response they’ve been hearing from promoters into a tangible result. That’s how TRANSGENRE festival was born, in a nutshell - but there’s much more to this story.  During our chat, I also quiz Ellie about her music journalism/editor gig and her band’s name (if she were to start one, that is). She also walks me through some key aspects of running a DIY event. Plus, she shares her thoughts on mandatory quotas when programming artists from specific niche communities.  Visit TRANSGENRE [https://linktr.ee/transgenre?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnTx3aEXJMOq4WKmR4jcSneqwvxCwAZ1F0mpssfxEFc-C22cBC4zqDB5X9TtE_aem_Wjc0mwZ73OyxkoJO7yn_6g] festival's channels. Learn more about Euphoria Month [https://sillymcwiggles.blog/2026/01/28/february-is-euphoria-month-in-gadigal-land-sydney-as-transgenre-festival-launches-its-free-all-trans-spin-off-concert-series/]. Follow Ellie’s adventures [https://www.instagram.com/elliebean.png/⁠] on IG. Listen to FVNERAL [https://open.spotify.com/artist/2qmnL8WsvCaZ6sEicAJPkA?si=owCp67o8TaOBCVNHVDdmOQ⁠]. And browse more content like this on my Silly McWiggles channels [https://linktr.ee/SillyMcWiggles?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGn2xL4yKKmx9_JO4OzD-IZebpR9DLDR0BtsumY6lvDMFexbJF7Cf_Vjo4lyhk_aem_wKK8FvQYdIMyMPnSb_Wq-g].

Running a #RECORDSHOP with Feminista Vinyl

Here are a few controversial statements: - Music is still heavily male-dominated.  - The perception of women over 40, in life or in music, is neither true nor fair.  - Local, emerging artists are notoriously struggling to make their careers sustainable.  All the above led, in some way, to establishing Feminista Vinyl (FV) - a record shop located in Melbourne’s suburb of Coburg. It celebrates female-led, trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming inclusive bands and artists from all cultures. It is a non-profit run by 6 fabulous founders, who are musicians, social workers or teachers themselves.  Two of them, Trish Hayes and Clare O’Rourke, chat to me about the night the idea was born, their most unusual piece of merch (spoiler alert, it’s not a rare vinyl), their version of a mini music festival and heaps of other things behind their DIY project.  - Check out Feminista Vinyl’s page [https://www.feministavinyl.org.au]. - Listen to FV playlists:  1. NAIDOC @ Feminista Vinyl [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0HVXS8Sc2WOzgwTINmHixC?si=CUoUmaB5SySVOfzmo44m4w&pi=SmZFxsr8SlWBS] 2. 1800 Indie Punk Anthems [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7hsJGt7oz4fO9sgBdGS7MA?si=SkSkyZ4eQv6-sgiDFJ50vQ] - Learn more about the Typical Girls programme [https://typical-girls.com]. - Get tix for the FV Fundraising Dance Party [https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1458157]. - Browse more content like this on my other Silly McWiggles channels [https://linktr.ee/SillyMcWiggles].

#MOONLANDING with Venice Qin

Venice Qin [https://open.spotify.com/artist/1w6QttbP1dpScDOCGGvecW?si=32UwvkZFS2ynxffzXhAnxg]⁠ [https://open.spotify.com/artist/1w6QttbP1dpScDOCGGvecW?si=32UwvkZFS2ynxffzXhAnxg] lives on a musical planet built from contradictions — East meets West, Erhu meets hyper-pop, heartbreak meets turbo BPM.  Hailing from Auckland, New Zealand, she now lives in Sydney, but her parents come from Mainland China. So, she has always navigated the limbo between different cultures, in life and in her creative pursuits.   The rising star is also classically trained, almost became an opera singer and was into musical theatre for a good while. But it's the pop scene that she's ultimately embraced.  Venice Qin's debut album, 奔月 MOONLANDING, is an intriguing musical combination of her roots, stories about transformation and learning how to feel.  Hear the artist talk about the Chinese mythology that inspired this record, her take on people's perception of pop music and some behind-the-scenes details related to shooting music videos.  And then:  - Listen to Venice Qin's new album, ⁠ [https://tinyurl.com/Venice-Qin-debut-album%E2%81%A0]奔月 MOONLANDING [https://open.spotify.com/album/0PVET2UbI4ekE4CkHPLnWL?si=bgTL4_B9TUS2sDVaz2669w]⁠ [https://tinyurl.com/Venice-Qin-debut-album%E2%81%A0]. - Follow Venice Qin on ⁠ [https://veniceqin.co/]her channels [https://veniceqin.co]⁠ [https://veniceqin.co/].  - Check out the intriguing ⁠ [https://tinyurl.com/Venice-Qin-YouTube%E2%81%A0]video to "Angel" [https://www.youtube.com/@veniceqin]⁠ [https://tinyurl.com/Venice-Qin-YouTube%E2%81%A0] (landing on September 26, 2025).  - Browse more content like this on my other ⁠ [https://linktr.ee/SillyMcWiggles]Silly McWiggles channels [https://linktr.ee/SillyMcWiggles]⁠ [https://linktr.ee/SillyMcWiggles].

#HANGINGOUT with bella amor

A lot has happened for bella amor [https://open.spotify.com/artist/0YHLS3lTpmblVqI74qAz6M?si=QTx6Q8wiR76wliyyxGdS2g] since she burst onto the Aussie music scene in 2022. Signing to Sony, working with Mushroom, performing at Groovin' The Moo and BIGSOUND, and supporting King Stingray, Lime Cordiale and Benson Boone (yep, that somersault -loving American singer) - it’s been quite a ride.  But now, with the release of her debut EP, this is where i’m at [https://open.spotify.com/album/7zShtVlBRIZ60KvHLCpM8n?si=NreVVEA-QWqRDfIL0-FHdg], the Gold Coast-based indie singer feels like she’s “shedding her old self” and looking forward to the next chapter of her music industry career.  Join me in chatting to bella amor about her fave (and least fave) aspects of being an artist, her take on lip-syncing videos and challenging the perception of Gen Z. I promise - it will be fun! - Follow bella amor on her socials [https://linktr.ee/imbellaamor?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAadK-io7zkTzRieG2G6EeNWU0871xo1L7KBomB-A1-L_7IdTShtpWmobZeQ0GQ_aem_M3HH-S0JqoxUy-QAdu_4OQ⁠]. - Check out the artist’s vodcast [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iEvA-5soQ0⁠] on YT. - Find out about bella's music heroes and inspirations from her "aussie legends" playlist [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1I1up72P9nOQz8oSvsUaO2?si=73b18c33b38e4424⁠]. - Browse more content like this on my other Silly McWiggles channels [https://linktr.ee/SillyMcWiggles].

NAIDOC Week Special - Jimmy Kyle (Chasing Ghosts) #MUSICASTHERAPY

Jimmy Kyle grew up in the screamo era in Australia. So naturally, his first band was a new metal outfit. But with the Chasing Ghosts project, he's also made acoustic and punk troubadour-y records. And on the new, "shiny" album, as he dubs 'Therapy', he posed the question again, "Where to next, sonically?"  In this chat, he walks me through that unusual journey, the complex themes threaded through the new album, and how he fulfils the responsibility he feels towards his Fist Nations community. -> Listen to new album 'Therapy' wherever you get your music and visit ⁠⁠Chasing Ghosts website⁠⁠ [https://www.chasingghosts.com.au/]. -> Read Jimmy's article from the Indigenous X platform: ⁠⁠"My white privilege comes at a price."⁠⁠ [https://indigenousx.com.au/my-white-privilege-comes-at-a-price_two-worlds/] -> Learn more about ⁠⁠NAIDOC Week⁠⁠ [https://www.naidoc.org.au/] in Australia. -> Follow my ⁠⁠@SillyMcWiggles⁠⁠ [https://linktr.ee/SillyMcWiggles] channels. The music in this episode is courtesy of Chasing Ghosts.  The song snippets are (in the order they appear in the episode):  1. Flowers (00:48) 2. IWPTEK (13:08) 3. Chamomile Tea (20:23) 4. My Bingayi (22:45) 5. Hurting Years (25:30) 6. Amnesia Everybody (30:08) 7. Ten Feet Tall (36: 09) 8. Trick or Treaty (42:38)