Dulwich Ukulele Club, by Mark Hucks
EVER sat on that long commute to work, wishing there was some way to spice up the journey. Or, alternatively — shooting daggers at the person opposite insistently listening to god-awful hip-hop turned up to max volume on his oversized headphones?
Sound Tracks Festival hopes to help us re-imagine both our transport and tunes — with a one day music event taking place on 11 May 2013 on the East London Overground line, as well as in venues alongside it.
It takes music and art out of ratty venues and sterile art galleries and drags it onto the tracks and into the streets — with the selection of musicians and artists representing the cultural diversity of the Big Smoke.
Between 12-8pm the East London Line will host acoustic musicians between Dalston and Peckham. One musician on the bill, getting set for a unique public performance, is Australian Amy Firth — a singer/songwriter based in London.
Raised west of Sydney, in the cloud-cloaked villages of the Blue Mountains, Amy’s sound is rooted in the eucalyptus and wood-smoke of an Australian winter. Amy’s music is a mosaic of folk, blues and rock. Her songs are vibrant, rich and cheeky.
Listen to Amy Firth here:
In addition to the travelling music stage, there is an incredible line-up of performances at an array of locations along the line, from Dalston Roof Park to the Bussey Building in Peckham, via Canada Water Library, the Brunel Museum in Rotherhithe and the Geffrye Museum in Hoxton.
“Sound Tracks is about humanising the sometimes emotionally-bereft spaces of public transportation,” says the event organizers.
Wristbands allowing access to all venues are £15 and can be purchased online. For the full programme of events see soundtracksfestival.co.uk.