Melbourne DJs in the midst of a pandemic

As a part of an educational collaboration between RMIT and the Australian Music Vault, this article was written and researched by students of the Bachelor of Arts (Music Industry) degree under the guidance of Dr Shelley Brunt. The authors are Genevieve Doran, Daniella Zitnich, Julian Gelder, Dionn Ronado.

DJs have become increasingly visible, and audible, across the Melbourne nightlife and club scene over the past 20 years or so. But the impact of a global pandemic in 2020 and the imposition of harsh Stage 4 lockdowns for much of 2020 was challenging for DJs because they lost their lifeline with sweeping venue closures. They had to find different ways of curating music and alternatives to live club performances. Diminishing opportunities for DJs meant it became more difficult to maintain their profession, survive financially and keep audiences engaged.

Sarah Morgan and Georgia Bird, the curators of IN2STELLAR – a familiar name in the Melbourne dance community – were keen to describe their experiences. Their repertoire is wide-ranging from techno-heavy to UK-influenced bass music. Bird told us that during lockdown they were “worried about when [they] would be able to work again, if ever.”

Before the pandemic, Morgan and Bird often played at well-established venues in Melbourne such as the Gasometer Hotel and Xe54, as well as at national events including Strawberry Fields Festival (NSW) and Splendour in the Grass (NSW). When the pandemic hit however, they had to shift their normal way of playing to virtual Zoom dance parties and work from home. This had certain advantages.

“During isolation I found my music taste fluctuated and evolved a lot. Usually I’ll find music based around what I’ve been hearing at clubs or based on what gigs I have coming up. But because it was just me at home listening to music I was delving deeper into experimental dance music and drum n bass. It took a lot of pressure off finding tracks based around clubs and gigs and gave me the opportunity to develop my taste. I spent less time DJing at home and focused on production. When I was feeling productive I would watch YouTube tutorials or search the Internet for sample packs.”

Melbourne DJs had to adapt not only to different ways of producing and performing party-oriented music during lockdown, but also to a future without any guaranteed income. Laura King, another Melbourne DJ, would play techno, trance and hard house music at events like Piknic Électronik but lockdown meant she had to rely on government support payments which only made her more determined to get back to work.

“I had to go on Centrelink and picked up some casual work in between the strict lockdowns where I could. Financially I managed so that wasn't too bad. However, what really impacted me mentally was just being completely thrown off track career-wise. It's been really tough to get that momentum back but I'm determined to get back to that flow state again,” she said.

For King, whilst her income and livelihood was heavily affected she was at least able to reflect on how much she achieved during the pandemic: shifting her performance strategies to playing radio gigs, livestreams and even a virtual Barcelona-based event hosted by Lemonade Social that resembled a festival, even though it took place entirely online.

While Melbourne is adapting to a “new normal” in its club scene and live DJ events, many performers are now learning how to balance two different styles of musical activity; live and online, or a hybrid of both. For some artists, radio broadcasting was, and still is, their preferred way of working as a DJ, providing stability during uncertain times. Penny O’Brien, also known as Pjenné, found that continuing her show Passing Notes on community radio station PBS throughout the lockdown was “a blessing in the absence of gigs”. O’Brien observed that through her broadcasting, she still felt energy and commitment from her listeners. As she puts it: “although nothing can replace live events, I used my Friday nights to help listeners feel like they still had something to look forward to.”

O’Brien also used her free time to start a new creative project with Millie Davidson, another Melbourne DJ who performs under the moniker Millú. With the assistance of a Victorian Government grant scheme they were able to launch a new business venture.

“The additional time on our hands and long, state-sanctioned walks along the Yarra [River], led us to formulate our vision for, and launch, our new record label Companion. This is just another example of the many creative seeds that were sown during the forced periods of reflection over the past year. We are so grateful to [funding body] Creative Victoria for supporting the launch of the label and its first release through the Victorian Music Industry Recovery Program. This has been a long-term dream of ours... and no doubt the time to reflect and opportunity for financial support gave us the kick in the butt that we needed to get it off the ground!” she exclaimed.

Morgan, Bird, O’Brien and King agree that there has been a noticeable shift in audience behaviour since lockdown restrictions have eased, with more people happy to pre-purchase tickets for events and there being no problem with increased ticket prices. Like the DJs themselves, audiences seem eager to rebuild Melbourne's electronic dance music scene.

“People are so keen to party at the moment [in 2021] and it hasn't seemed to slow down with the change of seasons like it usually does. […]Capacity restrictions and contact tracing have definitely influenced that behaviour but I'm hoping that parts of it will be here to stay. Even though it takes some of the spontaneity out of a night, audiences are more present and attending events with more purpose,” says O’Brien.

Even though the global pandemic raised anxieties for Melbourne’s DJ scene, their resilience and ability to improvise in the face of adversity always overcame their fears of no income or the lack of audience engagement. It has also been an opportunity for DJs to take stock of their music, to expand their repertoire and in some cases embark on new creative projects. The aftermath of 2020 illustrated that audiences in Melbourne’s electronic dance music community are also more than willing to support those who work in the industry, maintaining their commitment to the scene through their financial support and returning enthusiastically to live gigs.