One of Canberra’s most exciting and unconventional shows will soon grace The Baso for a second time. Welcome to Essence 2: A Divergence in Darkness. Photo: Perimeter Promotions.
Calling all Canberra musos – if this underground music festival isn’t already on your October calendar, it probably should be.
Long-time extreme music lovers and curious onlookers alike are invited to the second iteration of Essence Festival next month, for three days of hard-hitting riffs, melodic experimentation, and deliciously dark intensity.
The best bit? You won’t have to travel interstate for this moshpit. It’ll be held at one of Canberra’s most beloved alternative venues: The Baso, in Belconnen.
Essence 2: A Divergence in Darkness follows Essence festival’s knockout debut in 2024, which saw 24 bands perform across two phenomenal nights.
This year promises to reach a whole new level, having already added a pre-fest show to the timetable and booked a fresh bill of underground artists from all over Australia.
Essence is the brainchild of Canberra’s own Perimeter Promotions, led by managing director Dan Nahum. He’s a self-professed ‘lifer’, part of the scene as both artist and organiser for more than two decades.
“Transgressive music has always been about participatory, grassroots and DIY subcultures. Essence celebrates each of them and more,” he says.
“All of us, the promoters, bands, audience, crew, and venue, are co-creating a big work of art. We don’t simply get the scene we deserve … we get the one we build together.”
Joining Perimeter Promotions this year is Gutter Prince Cabal, a NSW/QLD extreme music label formed during lockdown. They’ll present a handcrafted selection of five metal and hardcore bands at the Friday night pre-fest gig, Essentia Vermis.
“We were honoured when Dan invited us to curate the opening evening of this year’s Essence Festival long weekend,” co-founder Nathan Glover says.
“Extreme music is kind of like red wine or coffee. It’s an acquired taste for sure, but once you dig in and find something you really love, it becomes part of your personal fabric.
“The arts play a vital role in bringing people together … all the more important in divisive and uncertain times.”
After Friday’s pre-fest comes the main event. No less than 28 acts will give their all on Saturday and Sunday, performing across two stages from mid-afternoon until close.
Artists come from various subgenres of heavy metal (death, black, doom, sludge and more), as well as industrial, noise, post-punk and post-rock, ritual ambient and experimental.
Some acts perform only rarely, and many have never played in Canberra before.
Keep an eye out for death-doom sonic landscapers AGLO, d-beat/death metal veterans Bruxist, ‘one-man bush doof on bad acid’ Funko, the relentlessly mournful Grotesque Bliss, Slavic-pop artist ŽIVA, and gothic post-punks Life Cult.
Never been to an extreme music event but keen to dip a toe? Don’t let the stereotypes fool you, Dan promises the crowd isn’t as scary as you think.
“This is a really friendly subculture! Everyone is welcome at Essence, including under-18s if they’re with a parent or guardian,” he says.
“Yes, it’s confronting, loud, experimental art. But even if you have no experience, our bill is so diverse, chances are something will catch your ear.”
There will be no gaps between this art and its audience; Essence is about far more than promoters and bands putting on a show. The event is run on a non-profit basis, so everything left after production goes to the performers.
For Dan, Essence is also a love letter to Canberra. The festival’s long-term vision is to become a premier destination event that supports arts tourism in the capital.
“Ours is a wonderful city overflowing with amazing food, cultural institutions, wineries and breweries, and outdoor attractions,” he says.
“We’ve always punched above our weight here; Essence 2024 showed us that Canberra also has a real appetite for unconventional art.
“So, if you’re pining for a festival that brings fascination to the stage with every act, I invite you to join us at Essence.”
Essence 2 will take over The Baso, Belconnen, from 3 to 5 October. Day tickets and weekend passes available via Oztix. For more information, including artist bios and set times, check out Essence 2: A Divergence in Darkness.
